Contenders cull elk hunt

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contender

Ruger Guru
Joined
Sep 18, 2002
Messages
25,145
Location
Lake Lure NC USA
Well, due to travel, cutting up elk meat, a NRA state grant committee meeting today, I've been busy and haven't had the time to download my pics and add my measly story to all the great ones above.
But, as promised, I'm finally able to sit down & tell my version of my events.
First, the generous offer from sixshot & the lovely Mrs sixshot, was quite overwhelming. But the Lord does seem to work wonders. I've had a rough year dealing with my mom's death, the lawsuits & challenges to her estate from 2 of my nephews & their stepfather. Then, right before I left for Idaho, some low-life thieving ba***rd broke into my barn & stole my 4 wheeler. Stress was building, and the trip to Idaho, with great people & an easy (supposidly) elk hunt ahead, allowed me a wonderful release of a lot of my worries. It worked. To meet sixshot, callshot, middleshot, Zeus, Jeff, & Robb Barnes was just the medicine I needed. I was allowed to bring a friend with me, (Sam) to give me a road traveling companion. He's not on the forum (yet,) but he has been lurking the last couple of days.
Our arrival was uneventful as the weather was great, and we were all gathering for the upcoming adventures. Good mexican food at a local watering hole with friends of sixshots, started the weight gain. Friday was a great trip over to Freedom Arms,, and a tour of the workings there. Truly a great visit. Then, Sat found us all gathered & heading for Boise to visit Cabelas & the Elmer Keith museum. Well worth the extra driving time to see THE guns Elmer had.
Sunday found us all eager to test our guns, and after we satisified ourselves & made a few minor adjustments, were were pumped to hit the mountain & slay the elk. So, by sun afternoon, we were on the mountain all spread out & hunting. Sam got the first shot, but figured he missed. later that day, good old sixshot got the very first handgun elk ever taken on the ranch. (See his story here in the gallery.) That got us all salivating over our own future elk encounters with the handguns. Monday morning found us all on the mountain again, where it didn't take me long to find 3 cows. I was carrying 2 handguns. My Ruger 44 spl Flattop in hopes of a close encounter of the smoking gun kind, and my T/C Contender in the old faithful 7X30 Waters for the longer range shots. Well the elk made the decision to move out of the brush and head across an open area above me. I immediately realized it was over 100 yds, so my trusty Contender slipped off my shoulder, and after an excited first shot miss at the biggest cows neck, I realized the weren't gonna hang around so I settled down for a heart/lung shot. I made my 1 shot kill right in the boiler room lung area. She walked a small tight circle, and collapsed. I later ranged the shot at approximately 156 yds.
Well, about 30-45 minutes later, I heard a single shot nearby and was to discover Jeff had also made a beautiful 1 shot kill. Just over the hill from me. As I was using sixshot's 4-wheeler, I went to work on getting my elk down to the road, and after breaking the rope, I went for a stronger strap. I went up to Jeff & congratulated him, took a few pics, and left. I soon discovered that Sam's elk the day before had been discovered, dead. A lethal hit, just a little farther back than it should have been, where it caused the guts to be hit as well. Due to the milder weather, she was spoiled enough to not be safe to eat. Sam was disappointed, but hung in there like a trooper. (He did get to take home some meat, as Jeff was only taking 1/2 of his elk. Sam got the other half.)
That left us Zues, and his adventures in hunting, chasing & finally 2 days later, using that beautiful TLA to down his elk. He ran out of ammo after 8 shots, and good old callshot, hearing all the shooting, came a running with extra ammo. By the time callshot got there, the elk had succombed to her many leaking holes, and had decided to have pity on a poor old Mississippi swamper & die a dignified death. :D
So after all this, we later discussed the nicknames for a few folks. Sam became gutshot, Zeus became 8-shot, Jeff got longshot. We all got several chuckles out of all of it. Truly a great time was had by all.
I'll close this with a few more things.
Look for several more pics of the scenery, elk etc from all of us soon.
Lastly, the fun, fellowship, friendship, and especially the warmth (by Mrs sixshot) made this one of the best hunts I've ever been on.
I look forward to my next adventure west to visit those fine folks!
Heres a few pics of me & my elk.
Idaho124.jpg

Idaho129.jpg
 

sixshot

Buckeye
Joined
Aug 20, 2006
Messages
1,835
Location
soda springs, idaho
Contender is a great ambassador of our sport & he's an excellent shot, I think he told me he was at about 90 head of deer with his 7/30 waters, it would be good to listen when he talks! He also does a lot of volunteer work with the NRA & the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.......he deserved this trip, I enjoyed him a lot. He's also pretty handy with a knife! :D

Dick
 

callshot

Blackhawk
Joined
Sep 26, 2006
Messages
963
Location
Pocatello, Idaho
I just finished writing my story to add to all the above. You can read it soon. Great job and very nice to meet you. Steve
 

c.r.

Single-Sixer
Joined
Apr 23, 2008
Messages
436
Location
Texas
Congratulations to all involved in the hunt. It's nice to hear y'all enjoyed your hunts.

I'd like to add how entertaining it has been to read each of your stories.

Thanks guys,
C.R.
 

Jeff Hoover

Blackhawk
Joined
Feb 25, 2009
Messages
919
contender is a true tar-heel North Carolinian. He told me he goes barefoot most of the spring and summer, and into fall. Now I don't normally make it a habit of looking at mens feet, unless it's Callshots, to see what color polish he has on his nails, but contender has callouses on his feet so thick, you could light a strike-anywhere match on them.

After this hunt, we all had hot feet, putting on drives for Glenn. I got smart, and decided to check on Dick, who was spotting from the truck, and joined him. contender, meanwhile, hiked over hill and dale, pushing the elk all over that mountain. Dick and I could see the elk panting, looking over their shoulders, wondering who, or what this crazed, smiling creature was, chasing them . That last cow was so worked up, she didn't know what to do.

She finally ventured into the wrong place, or just decided to give up, and Glenn started shooting. Being full of adrenalin, she was a tough cookie. Glenn did excellent, moving, shooting, dodging and weaving. After Glenn's elk was down, I felt kind of cheated. He got alot more shooting in, and had alot more challenging hunt, than the rest of us.

contender, still not winded, walked home, just to stretch his legs alittle more. On a side note, contender is a nuisance trapper, and can catch anything, with common household items. He showed us how to make a man trap out of Dicks garage, and every morning, there would be Callshot, trying to figure how to get out, pacing much like Glenn's elk.

Dick mentioned contenders knife work, as well he should . He did the neatest gut job, and skinned his elk better than I've ever seen. He's a true outdoorsman, and a good man to have around if you want to start a fire :D .

And Dick, if you're reading this, check your garage, Mrs. Callshot called me, and can't find him.
 

Boxhead

Blackhawk
Joined
Mar 28, 2004
Messages
970
Location
Either Texas or Idaho
As I read this (10:20 PM here) I am looking out of my 20th floor apartment at the tallest building in the world sick that I could not chase elk this year. I would have clearly drawn (full of points) where my buddy and I have hunted bulls with 100% success in the Colorado Continental Divide since 1996. Oh, stomach turned again, pardon me... What a wonderful series of story's by all and oh so nice to read as I look out at that building....
 

mt

Single-Sixer
Joined
Dec 22, 2008
Messages
290
Location
Rocksprings, Texas
I'm glad y'all had good hunting.

It's been a treat reading all the stories, though I have suspicions of a few points of Jeff's version. I highly suspect him of being a fisherman in the past.

mt :D
 

Zeus

Blackhawk
Joined
Oct 25, 2002
Messages
737
Location
Olathe, KS
I don't know about Jeff being a fisherman but he did compare himself to a large fish after partaking of too much supper one night...... :lol:
 

contender

Ruger Guru
Joined
Sep 18, 2002
Messages
25,145
Location
Lake Lure NC USA
That hole is the exit wound side. When she was hit, she did a little circle, & collapsed. Then she tumbled downhill. I had to drag her down to the trail to get these pics. Thanks to the owner of the ranch who was kind enough to bring the tractor up there to get her out, (I wanted to save the hide for tanning,) for taking a few pics of me with her. My elk was the one taken the furtherest away from the trucks etc. I would have had a ruined hide if we had drug her all the way back to the trucks.
 
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