Springtime is always an enjoyable time of year for me. The days are getting longer, the weather is changing, and the various state hunting application season is in full swing. Last year was no different for me as I pored through all of the data contained in the Huntin’ Fool magazines to decide on which units to apply for in all of the western states. I have been applying for decades and have racked up quite a few points. I have been fortunate to draw a few quality tags over the years, and as I was soon to find out in the spring of 2023, I would hit the jackpot!
As a state with top-quality hunting opportunities, Nevada has always been a “must apply” state for me. After years of building points, I was happy to finally draw a bull elk tag in 2020. I had a fantastic hunt with some of my buddies and was able to harvest a great bull. However, a complete surprise was in store for me in 2023 when I received an email from my credit card company stating that my card was “hit” for $1,201 from the state of Nevada. It wasn’t until a few days later that I received the email from the Nevada Department of Wildlife stating that I had “struck gold,” drawing the only Silver State elk tag. I had forgotten that I had purchased the $29 entry for the Silver State tag, but I use the same strategy as Huntin’ Fool preaches about getting in every single draw that looks interesting to me. This one turned out to be an excellent return on investment.
With the Silver State elk tag in hand, I started making calls and sending emails asking friends for recommendations for outfitters. I had a lot of summer work commitments that wouldn’t allow me to do any scouting, and with such a valuable tag, I didn’t want to leave anything to chance. I decided to book my hunt with Jake Rosevear of Pine Peak Outfitters. He has been guiding for years and lives near some of the best elk country in the state.
My tag had hunt dates from August 1st through December 31st, but due to my work schedule, I wasn’t going to be able to travel to Nevada until the first part of September. Jake and his guides started scouting during the summer months, and by the time I was ready to travel to Nevada in September, Jake had a couple of bulls in mind to try to hunt.
We met up in Ely and drove a couple hours to the hunting camp where Jake and his guide, Tristen, had set up a nice, comfortable camp with a large wall tent and an eating area below some trees. After getting our gear unpacked, we had some lunch and discussed the strategy for hunting the bull they had been watching all summer. Tristen said he had been seeing some nice bulls in the preceding days but the biggest bull they had been watching had vanished four days ago. Jake had shown me some photos of this bull, and he was a true brute, certainly something worth being patient.
After it cooled off a little, we headed out that evening to see if we could find our target bull. We saw five or six very nice bulls and then headed back to camp, hoping the big bull would show up in the morning. Jake and Tristen grilled up a fantastic dinner, and while sitting around a campfire, we made a plan for the morning. Since the weather in this part of Nevada is warm in September, it was important to get out early and be in position to glass before the sun came up. There were a few bulls bugling all night near camp, so in addition to the warm weather and the excitement of the hunt, it was difficult to get much sleep.
Early the next morning, we had a cup of coffee and a quick snack before we headed out to try to find the missing big bull. Once again, we saw some really nice bulls, but the bull we were looking for was still missing. It was difficult for me to stay focused seeing all of these great bulls in range and not going after them. I had plenty of time, but I was also hoping I wasn’t making a big mistake passing up shots at nice trophies. Back at camp, we chowed down on some fantastic breakfast burritos and made a plan for the evening. That evening, the bulls opted to stay brushed up and silent until after sundown.
The next couple of days were pretty much the same as the first. We saw some great bulls, but we couldn’t turn up the giant from the pictures. Jake was contemplating moving to another area, but his other guides weren’t seeing anything better than what we were seeing in our area.
On the fifth day of the hunt, we headed out early as usual. Jake sent Tristen and me to a high glassing area, and he went to scout another location. Just after sunrise, Tristen and I had two different 7x6 bulls walk past us at less than 200 yards, screaming their heads off. It was so difficult letting those big bulls walk by us, but I kept telling myself to keep my cool. Late that morning, the temperature was starting to rise and the bulls were getting quiet when I heard Tristen say, “I got him!” I looked with my binoculars in the direction Tristen had his spotting scope pointed but couldn’t find the bull. I asked him how far, and he replied, “Over a mile.” Tristen motioned for me to come take a look through the scope. At first, I couldn’t see an elk, but when he lifted his head and turned broadside, I knew it was the bull we had been looking for. Since he was over a mile away from us and it was getting hot, we decided to watch him to determine where he might bed down for the day.
By 10 a.m., it was getting hot and we could no longer see the bull. We headed back to camp where we met up with Jake to tell him the great news. After disappearing for nine days, the bull showed up in the same general location as where he had been seen before. We showed Jake the approximate location of the last sighting, so we had lunch and made a plan for the evening hunt. Jake and Tristen decided that Jake and I would make a move to the area where the big bull was last seen and Tristen would go back to the hill where he had spotted the bull that morning. I was both excited and nervous as we headed out of camp that afternoon. I had never seen an elk that big in my entire life, and I definitely didn’t want to make a mistake now.
Jake and I took a UTV ride for a short distance out of camp and then started the last bit on foot to the area where the bull was last spotted. We heard a couple of bugles in the distance, but we couldn’t find the bull in the thick scrub. We climbed on top of a jagged rock outcropping to get a better view, and within minutes, Jake found the bull. It bugled and started walking away from us. Jake called out the distance and said that I better shoot before the bull left the country. I tried to get a comfortable shooting position to get a shot at the bull. The shooting conditions weren’t perfect, but I put the crosshairs on him and gave the trigger a squeeze. The big bull was down!
As we approached the bull, I couldn’t believe my eyes with how massive he was. Truly a trophy-of-a-lifetime. There were a lot of high fives and smiles all around. We took a lot of photos and waited for Tristen to make it over from his spotting post. We all agreed it was a fantastic bull and patience had paid off.
We spent the rest of the evening taking care of the meat and trophy and had another great dinner around the campfire. We broke camp the next morning, and after a few hours, I was back on the road home to Colorado with some great memories and an incredible elk.
Special thanks to my outfitter and guide, Jake and Tristen, for an incredible experience. Always remember, you can’t draw if you are not applying!
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