On my way tonight

[Rick]

I leave work tonight, heading for New Mexico. The truck is packed, and I'm wondering what I forgot. I'll be hunitng bulls in Unit 15-B, muzzleloader. The forecast had called for a little rain and snow earlier, but the latest shows just partly cloudy for the next week. My buddies are already there, hunting deer in another unit.

Is it 5:00 yet???

 

[Bill in SD]

Rick, good luck. It is almost 5 pm. Whatever you do, don't forget your hunting license, weapon or ammunition. You can probably buy anything you forget.

I know I figure I will always forget something. So long as it is plastic utensils or something fairly insignificant no problems

take care
Bill

 

[spectr17]

Good luck Rick, shoot a biggun.

 

[huntducks]

Rick

I have crossed everything for you and even done a elk dance

 

[Rick]

Well, I drew the "You shoot last" straw, and came home empty-handed. My buddy, Jorge, got a nice 5x5 on the first morning, and his nephew, Axel, missed a BIG 6x7 at the same moment. The two bulls came into the waterhole at first light together. Axel is 20, and has never shot an elk. The big boy came in first, but the 5x5 spotted Jorge and was about to bolt. Jorge was whispering to Axel, "Shoot! Shoot!" but the young man had bull fever. After the shots, the big bull ran off and stopped about 100 yardds away, giving Axel time to reload his muzzleloader and miss a second time.

The wind was howling like crazy that morning, and probably covered up a lot of noise like whispering and clothes rustling. No such luck the rest of the week.

We saw a lot of elk on private land, including one herd of about 20 with 3 large bulls. (This was the private land we hunted last year, and I was the only one to get a bull, so we decided not to pay for access this year....

) On the second to last night, Axel, who grew up in the area, ran into his Dad's former best friend, who told us that he had at leat two big bulls coming in each day after sun up, and that we could come shoot them on his land. Sure enough, on the last morning, we saw 3 big bulls in the flats, heading for the hills, eating along without a care in the world. With our new muzzleloaders, I just wasn't that confident at the 150 yard shot, and tried to make a move on them. (I know, I know - I've re-thought THAT decision a million times since then...our inline muzzleloaders with 348 grain Powerbelts over 130 gr of Pyrodex pellets should have made the shot easy!) We got busted by the elk, and they ran off, laughing at us, I am sure...

But we had fun and shared lots of laughes. Next time, I will definitely practice some longer shots with my muzzleloader...

 

[Hook]

Rick,

Sorry to hear you didn't get that bull. 150 yards huh? If make you feel any better I would have tried to get closer too. Glad you had fun anyway.

Did you get any pictures?

 

[Rick]

Thanks, Hook. Yes, I got some pictures and will post them as soon as the wife picks them up. We also got some decent video of the two biggest bulls sparring a little on the last morning. The one bull was a 7x3 - everything between the brow tine and the last two forks was broken off clean on his right side! He had a wide spread and decent mass, though! The bull he was sparring with was a decent 6x6, a little heavier and wider than the one I got last year. The third bull, which was the one that spoiled our stalk, was a decent 5x5.

Oh well, they'll be bigger next year, right?

 

[huntducks]

Hey Rick.

Sorry you did not get one, but it sounds like there was at least something to keep the blood pumping

If you did not feel good about the shot you did right on passing.

Once again THANKS

and my youngest son sure enjoyed the steaks he said when are we going elk hunting.

 

[Pasco]

Rick,

Sounds like all things considered, you had a good time. We had some steaks from you last night, they were wonderful, thank you very much. Now my family wants to go elk hunting, I think the plan is working!

 

[VINIHUNT]

rick


where in 15-b?...glad ur group got elk....always next year...



can't wait to see the pix..


vinihunt

 

[Rick]

We were in the southeastern section of 15-B, near where units 13, 16-E and 15-B are close together.

 

[VINIHUNT]

the reason i asked cause we got 4 bull from 16e oct 19-23...for rifle season..that's why..


we are going to apply for muzzleloader next year in that unit 15 b for sure...hopefully draw...



vinihunt