Success!!

[hunthog]

Just got back from the Elk hunting trip to Oregon. Ended up taking a yearling Cow at 40 yards on the second to last day out. She went 50 yards and fell dead. Had lots of Bulls talking the last week but not coming to calls. I had one 5 point walk out out of the Lodge Pole after coming in quiet to a Cow call at 40 yards, but I was out of position for a shot. We worked a huge 6+ point that left rubs 9' up in the Lodge Pole he thrashed. Almost got him to walk to the 16 year old first time Elk hunter we had with us. The kid got a good look and a case of the shakes out of it but the Bull turned away and never came in, even though he was a solo. We actually worked him for 3 days and that was the first day we got a good look. God! What a monster!! We had a lot of fun and heard a lot of Bulls and worked our butts off. Gotta love it, there's nothing like it in hunting. Bull Elk in the rut, that's where it's at friends!!

I made two great finds on the trip. I found a 6 point drop horn in the area of the big Bull we worked. The other find I made was after shooting the Cow. I was 3 miles up the side of a mountain at 6,000 ft when I shot the Cow (lot's of fun hauling her out of there as you can imagine). After making the shot and hearing her fall I waited about half an hour and walked up to where I shot her to check out the blood trail. I found a killer trail that started about 10 yards from the shot and sat down to take my marking tape out of the pack. I looked down and sticking out of the dirt was a rusty octagon barrel. I dug around it and found a Model 1876 Winchester 45-75 lever action rifle. It was very obvious that whoever shot the gun had it blow up in his face. There was obvious and severe damage and it looks like a cartridge in the magazine lit off when the gun was fired.

I couldn't help but wonder if the owner died up there on that mountain shooting an Elk in the same spot I shot one 126 years +/- later. I can't even imagine what the odds were of me or anyone ever finding that rifle. By every indication the round in the chamber was fired so I hope his shot was true at a huge Bull. If he died I'm sure he died doing what he loved. Made me sit and think awhile up there on the mountain and think about the pioneers of the past who hunted those same mountains for food.

I plan on mounting the horn with the rifle across it on my wall. There will be plaque indicating the day and location where each was found and I'll include the coordinates of the find which I marked on my GPS at the beginning of my Cow's blood trail.

A fitting tribute, I think.

hunthog

 

[Speckmisser]

Great tale, Hunthog! Especially cool about finding the rifle.

Heck, the way I can sit and fantasize about the story behind a spent cartridge, I can imagine some of the thoughts coming from that old rifle. Very cool.

Glad to hear you came home with some meat, too. I bet that sixteen year old is hooked for life now!

 

[COHunter]

Great story. I bet that little calf is gonna be tasty

 

[Reuben]

That was a great story! I really enjoyed reading it. However that rifle got there it is an amazing find.

 

[DanD]

Congratulations on the Elk and a very cool story!!

 

[sdbowyer]

Congratulations Hunthog!

I hope to see pics up very soon! Of the elk and the finds...

 

[Rick]

Great story! If you could post some pictures, we'd all love it!

 

[hunthog]

Pics will be forthcoming. I hope the pictures I took of myself come out. Just remembered, I also found three nickle 300 Mag casings near where I found the drop horn next to a clear cut. I'll tell you one thing, if that person was successful he had a long haul. We were about three miles from nowhere.

hunthog

 

[hunthog]

Here are the Elk pics.

hunthog

 

[wmidbrook]

That's awsome~! Congrats!

 

[hunthog]

Here's another pic. The ugly guy is me. The Cow's better looking. Not a great picture but best I could do by myself.

hunthog

 

[hunthog]

Here's the items I found

 

[sdbowyer]

Nice looking cow Hunthog! Thanks for posting the pics. Was it a heart shot?

 

[hunthog]

She died withing 50 yards (I heard her fall). The heart was untouched but it looked like I severed the Aorta, which is just as good. She was completely bled out. The liver barely made the water pink when soaked overnight.

I hit her well forward because I led her as she walked into an open spot 40 yards away and she stopped to my Cow call just as I released. In low at the front of the shoulder and out high behind the shoulder. I was shooting at about a 45 degree up angle at 37 yards so I used the 40 yard pin.

One thing I can say about a Hoochie Mama is that it really makes the Cows and Calves come running when you use it. It also worked well on the Bulls I called but never was in position for. They kept coming in silent to the call and, as luck would have it, I was always looking left (or right) when they walked out on the right (or left). That's why it's called hunting.

hunthog

 

[Reuben]

Great pics. That rifle is really cool.

 

[Loye]

Way to go!!!!!

 

[RMiller]

Congrats and thanks for sharing.

That rifle is an awesome find!