My First Elk

[KahrMan]

I booked a 3 day cow elk hunt with Black Mountain Outfitters Inc.,  https://www.bmohunts.com   They have around 500,000 leased acres to hunt on.  There were about 25 hunters in camp for the weekend with the majority doing cow hunts.  They had a combination of bunk houses and campers to put all the hunters up in.  It is a scheduled 3 day hunt.  

We really lucked out on the weather.  Lows were in the mid teens to highs in the low 40's.  Great hunting weather.  The previous weekend the lows were around zero with several inches of snow.

 

The first couple of pics are of the property, bunk houses and lodge area where we would meet and eat.  

 

Saturday morning was the first day of the hunt.  We left the lodge about 5:15 and made it to where we were going to hunt just before sunrise, about 6:40.  The guide left me at the truck and he hiked up on a knob to glass some flats.  As soon as started glassing he waved at me to hurry and get up there.  He spotted a bull and about 10 cows about 1.5 miles away.  He said they will feed in this direction and lets get a move on and try to cut them off.  The guide is young and in shape.  I am just the opposite.  We took off at a fast pace always trying to keep a line of scrub bushes between us and where the elk were.  It about killed me trying to keep up with him.  He would stop every so often and let me catch up.  We finally get as far as we can with the cover.  We had covered a little over a mile.  I was sucking air, my lungs were burning, my knees were burning, snot was running my face but it was all that good kind of hurt.  The video says the first shot was about 700 yards.  We doubled checked it and the last bush we could shoot from was 600 yards.  I tried to get my breathing under control but rushed my first shot and it was low.  My second shot was also a little low.  I hit her right where the legs meet the shoulder.  I was a couple of inches low and forward of where I wanted to hit.  The shot broke both of her front legs.  I was sick.  I hate making bad shots.  She was not going anywhere so I was able to get closer and put a finishing shot through her neck.  

 

We got her gutted and then the real work began.  We were supposed to have a third guy with us but he decided to go with another group.  So the guide and I had to get this 400lb elk into the back of his truck by ourselves.  As you can see from the pic I got a little bloody.  I was exhausted after loading the elk.  Being exhausted never felt so good though.  

 

Since I knew I was probably going to be bringing meat back I drove to the lodge.  It is in Pie Town, NM which is a 20 hour drive.  I left Thursday about 6 pm and drove straight through.  I got there Friday afternoon.  Met the other hunters and guides then we all had dinner.  Went to bed and got up at 4 am Saturday morning.  We had breakfast and then headed out to hunt.  I killed the elk by about 7:30.  We got back to lodge and got the elk skinned and quartered and put in cooler.  I took a shower, packed my things, grabbed some lunch and was back on the road by 1:30.  Got home this morning about 10.

TL:DR - Drove 42 hours round trip for a 2 hour hunt and loved every minute of it.  

 

Edited December 6, 2020 by KahrMan

[KahrMan]

 

 

[KahrMan]

[gregintenn]

Awesome!

[hipower]

Congratulations! Isn't it amazing that the wonderful things in life seem to go by so very swiftly?

[Jamie Jackson]

Congrats! And thanks for sharing your adventure!

[Hozzie]

Congrats.  I am still trying to figure out what I want to do for a hunt.  I can imagine that mile trek was a challenge unto itself.   I need to start training now

[MacGyver]

Love this.  That’s some great country out there.

Congrats. 

[Omega]

Great job, congrats.  That should keep you in venison for some time.  Elk steak is some of the best I have had, much better, IMO, than beef.

[Chucktshoes]

Congrats and thanks for sharing the link to your outfitter. That’s a very reasonable price and I just might be booking with them in the future. 

[Quavodus]

Congratulations. With all that blood, you could be in a horror movie. Lol.

[TripleGGG]

Congratulations Bill. Great pics and an awesome smile on your face. Thanks for sharing. 

[KahrMan]

3 hours ago, Hozzie said:

Congrats.  I am still trying to figure out what I want to do for a hunt.  I can imagine that mile trek was a challenge unto itself.   I need to start training now

They ran a nice operation. Lots of land with some really big bulls. You are not staying at the Ritz Carlton but they are comfortable bunk houses and they feed you real well. 
the guides work hard to put you on the elk. 

[KahrMan]

3 hours ago, Chucktshoes said:

Congrats and thanks for sharing the link to your outfitter. That’s a very reasonable price and I just might be booking with them in the future. 

I was very pleased with the operation. I bought my hunt from a SCI fundraising auction and paid less than list price. 

[MacGyver]

9 minutes ago, KahrMan said:

I was very pleased with the operation. I bought my hunt from a SCI fundraising auction and paid less than list price. 

You’ve gotten some real gems there over the years.  

[KahrMan]

2 minutes ago, MacGyver said:

You’ve gotten some real gems there over the years.  

Not just with the Music City chapter. All the different chapters have their auction online. The sika deer hunt I went on a few months ago I got from the Anchorage AK chapter of SCI banquet.  There are definitely some good deals if you look for them. 

[Wade195]

Well done my friend.

[stealthgoat]

Congratulations -  it looks like you had a great time +  should be some fantastic eats!!   

I started selling some 'excess things' to save for future out of state hunts, figuring the experience and memories would mean more to me than extra things do. 

so COVID messed with my fall plans, but it's really great to see your hunt story here. 

[Will]

Nice going,Elk some of the best roasts I ever had.  Lived in NM on/off 15 years and at 8 tho. feet you will be suckin wind even in the best of shape,gear and hills feels like your chest could explode. Got invited on a few early muzzleloader hunts,but could not get off work at the times required.  Left early one morning for a wedding and got up half hour late and the guy ahead of me hit a full grown bull elk on I-25@ Las Vegas NM He was ok and it looked like an elephant laying there.

 

[KahrMan]

6 hours ago, stealthgoat said:

Congratulations -  it looks like you had a great time +  should be some fantastic eats!!   

I started selling some 'excess things' to save for future out of state hunts, figuring the experience and memories would mean more to me than extra things do. 

so COVID messed with my fall plans, but it's really great to see your hunt story here. 

That is exactly what i did.  I love having piles of guns but decided to sell a bunch and buy some hunts.  The experience and memories are what I was after.  

[Garufa]

1 hour ago, KahrMan said:

That is exactly what i did.  I love having piles of guns but decided to sell a bunch and buy some hunts.  The experience and memories are what I was after.  

Speaking of guns, I think you left one little detail out of your report of what looks to be a great experience!

Edited December 7, 2020 by Garufa

[Grand Torino]

Way to go young man! Congratulations!! Was this particular hunt in NM?

[KahrMan]

1 hour ago, Garufa said:

Speaking of guns, I think you left one little detail out of your report of what looks to be a great experience!

I was hunting with my Montana X2 in .300 Win Mag.

[KahrMan]

40 minutes ago, Grand Torino said:

Way to go young man! Congratulations!! Was this particular hunt in NM?

Yes.  Just outside of Pie Town, New Mexico

[Durow]

Congrats Bill!

That will be some fine eating for sure.
Nice looking weapon as well.......