Growing up, I have gotten to experience many hunts with my dad. Watching the preparation, determination, and exhilaration of an elk hunt had me anticipating my own opportunity. Hunting elk is a different level of hunting; it presents physical and mental challenges.
I hoped this was the year I would finally draw one of Montana’s most sought-after elk tags. When I received the text from Dad that I had beaten the odds with only two bonus points, I was surprised and excited to have drawn the tag.
Football season wrapped up the weekend before rifle season, leaving my weekends open to hunting. My dad is an outfitter and had hunters the first three weeks of the season, leaving limited time to hunt for elk and making me feel anxious that I would not get an opportunity to kill a bull. It felt like the longest three weeks. On opening weekend, I tagged along with one of his hunters, a good family friend, hoping we would find some elk.
On our first morning out, we saw a herd of 50 elk with a big 6x6 bull, but we also spotted a monster mule deer. As Dad and his hunter put the stalk on the mule deer buck, it spooked and got away. We regrouped and decided to go after the big bull we had seen. Anticipating that the elk had gone below us, we made our way to higher ground to get a better vantage point, not knowing the elk had also gone high. Catching wind of us, the elk scattered and we could not get a shot.
The first weekend we hunted without clients, Dad and I found ourselves in a situation too good to be true – 180 yards from a massive 370" class bull was feeding in a spot that would make the pack out quick and easy. I searched for the bull in my scope but could not find him. The elk bolted as Dad and I realized the scope was still zoomed all the way in from sighting in the gun. Two missed opportunities had me frustrated, disappointed, and worried I was running out of chances.
During the first two weeks of August, I hurt my back in football. That injury continued to bother me, making everyday tasks difficult, especially hiking. While waiting for my dad to finish guiding, I decided to go with my cousins to try my luck hunting for a whitetail buck. As luck would have it, I shot a nice whitetail buck with my 6.5 Creedmoor. After loading the deer, my back pain became much worse. Each time I stepped down on my left leg, I felt a burning and pulling pain in my lower back, but I knew I had to push through it if I wanted to have a successful elk hunt.
On the fourth weekend of the season, we were granted permission from our neighbor to hunt his property. While we visited in his driveway, he told us about a 7x6 bull he had seen three days prior but hadn’t seen him since. As the darkness faded, Dad pulled out his binoculars and glassed a timber ridge in the distance. To our surprise, five bulls were feeding. Dad said, “The one looks like a big one.” He quickly grabbed the spotting scope and confirmed it was the 7x6 my neighbor had seen. We gathered our gear and took off towards the bulls. We had to cover about a mile of ground and do it swiftly as the bulls were headed for the heavy timber to bed for the day. As we approached the landmark where we thought we could see the bulls, my dad and I began to crawl on our hands and knees. As we reached the top of the knob and slowly looked over, we spotted the bulls feeding into the timber. I gathered myself and got set up, laying prone and using my hunting pack as a rest. I looked through my scope just as the group of bulls was making its way into the trees. I was disappointed and thought we had missed our chance when the shooter bull suddenly started feeding to his right, giving me a window to shoot. Listening to Dad’s instructions, I took a deep breath and took my time gently squeezing the trigger. Through the scope, I saw the bullet impact and the bull drop out of sight.
As my bull hit the ground, I felt a rush of emotions. I was nervous, excited, and relieved all at the same time. After waiting a few minutes, we grabbed our packs and gear and made our way up to where the bull had fallen. As we slowly moved closer, I could see the giant beam of an elk horn, and I knew the big 7x6 was mine. After a bunch of high fives, the celebration and photoshoot began. When we finished with the photos, we started breaking the bull down. It was one of the best days I have ever experienced as an outdoorsman. And as an extra bonus, I connected on a really nice mountain lion three weeks later.
If I had to use one word to sum up my 2023 hunting season, it would be incredible! I am very fortunate to have had the success that I did. Although I may never have another year like this again in my lifetime, I will surely try and duplicate it. I am grateful to grow up in the mountains and to have all the opportunities to hunt that I do. My dad put a lot of work into helping me prepare and harvest a giant bull. I appreciate all that he has taught me and done to give me this opportunity.
Next on my hunting bucket list is to have a successful deer and elk archery hunt and to travel to Alaska for a caribou hunt.
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