2015 Elk

Got my elk yesterday. Made three attempts after glassing small herds and had the first two foiled by other hinters. First try I glassed about 25 head that moved into a small patch of timber about maybe 2 miles away. I made my way on atv to about half a mile from where I thought they would be then stalked the rest. Knowing the area I set up on a ridge over looking a deep timbered draw where I suspected they would eventually move into. In maybe a short 15 minutes I saw a cow move into a small clearing then another then another. I am meet hunting so even though there were some fair bulls and I can get either cow or bull I chose a large cow for the better meat.
They were moving slowly so I had plenty of time to range them. It was 726 yards to where they were crossing a small bridge from one ridge to another. My rifle already set on the shooting sticks a half twist showed my range card attached to the stock giving the correction of 2.5 mils from the 300 yard zero I keep my rifle set for. The quick simple math with mils easy even for me meant 25 clicks for the correction at 725 yards.
Just getting wiggled into a tight shooting position and watching the cross hair wobbles getting smaller as I got a good position and maybe 10 seconds from sending a 100gn 264 cal A-Max on its way leaving the muzzle at 3700 fps I hear BANG!!! another hunter shot from the other side of the ridge and just like that the elk were gone POOF!!! #1 try for the day = FAILED
Second try after some glassing I finally located about 10 head from the scattered herd about a mile away and moving slowly by now. Jumping on my atv I tried to figure a rout that would put me ahead of where I figured they would end up bedding for the day. Again I parted the atv maybe a bit over half a mile down a draw that should lead me to the area they should be in. Making my way up the draw in about 8" of snow and glassing cautiously as I began to clear the ridge I spotted them about maybe 1500 yards or so distant. 1500 is too far for me being a beginner at LRH but I expected them to move down the draw in my direction as it seemed they were slowly doing. Just as I thought my elk was in the bag again with the shot from another hunter. This one not at the elk I was after but from the opposite side of me from the elk. This had the effect of turning them in the opposite direction and headed away from me. In a short time it became obvious that I was not going to catch up with these elk as they slowly disappeared over the distant ridge. attempt #2 = FAILED
Ah but as luck would have it the distant shot that turned my hopeful elk sent yet another small herd in my direction. Glassing the direction the shot came from I saw half a dozen head scrambling over the distant ridge that separated me from the unlucky hunter that missed his mark. I say so because perhaps 15 minutes after the elk topped the ridge I saw the hunter also top the ridge. He first looked all about then sat atop the ridge for a few minutes I suspect trying to think of a way to kick his own butt for missing.
Anyway since the draw that his elk went into would eventually pan into the same ridge that the draw I was in panned into I kept moving up the draw to the ridge top. Finding a good vantage point that I could cover the area fairly well from I set up to shoot again. Rifle on the sticks and laser at the ready I waited. It was a short wait when I saw the first cow top the ridge but a bit farther than I had hoped. Penetrating the light snow falling the laser said 626 yards to the lead cow. Checking my range card again said I needed 1.9 mil correction for 19 clicks on the elevation turret. By the time I snuggle into the rifle she had moved a little farther up the ridge. Not wanting to re range her I just waited for the next animal in the single file line to move to the position I had ranged. The next two animals were fork horn bulls which I can not shoot in this unit. Bulls must be brow tine to be legal. Next up was a very nice large cow. Already having set into a solid shooting position as one by one I watched the others pass I let the cross hairs settle right at the base of the neck. I always go for the spine to drop and immobilize instantly. There was no perceptible wind as the light snow had almost no angle dropping nearly straight down. The cow was moving from my left to my right and if there was any wind it was from right to left. I figured between a very light maybe 1 to 2 mph wind from right to left should about cancel out with spin drift in the opposite direction and that calculation must have been pretty close because that fast little bullet landed precisely where the cross hairs sat when the trigger broke.
Attempt #3 FINALLY SUCCESS!!
Then the work began!
Well that was my day yesterday and the end of my elk season.
The work of getting my elk dressed out and hauled home is now done and as I tap out this story I am enjoying elk tender loin.
Praise The Lord!