Elk Down! Oct. 2010 Hunt

My dad, brother Joe, and I set up camp this year in Mayfield Canyon at Twelve mile campground. This is some beautiful country and we saw Elk herds everyday. We had some opportunities slip away for some Spikes earlier in the week. But on Friday, I was able to finally connect on a Spike Elk. It was team effort and was lucky to be in position for it. On a ridge to the north of the kill shot, we were all glassing the basins around us in the early morning. Joe spotted a large herd to the south of us on the west side meadow moving south. The plan was to have Joe stay on the north ridge and Dad and I jumped into the truck to move into a better position. We coordinated thru our two way radios and I dropped Dad off on a saddle that drops in from the west side of this basin. I continued south to another ridge and dropped into a meadow from the south side of this basin. While Joe updated the elk herd location, Dad moved to the east, and I moved north. I positioned myself with a wide open clearing in front of me and could hear the elk close by walking thru the timber. I turned off my radio so I wouldn't spook them and waited. It got really quiet and couldn't hear them anymore. I turned my radio back on, and I could hear Joe telling me to move back southwest, the herd had shifted. I moved back up the meadow to another location. It was a slow process because the weeds were dry and crunched if they were stepped on. I was worried that we were going to miss another chance. I was in another clearing looking north. All of a sudden four cow elk burst out of the timber about 30-40 yards in front of me and were all jittery. They moved east, then west, then east again. Then the moment arrived. A spike Elk ran out of the timber running straight for my location. I didn't wait for a broadside shot, I didn't want another spike to elude us again. I put the cross hairs on his neck and pulled the trigger...Elk down! Deep Lake...

We took alot of video this year, but I neglected to take very many pictures. Here are a few that I took. Also if you visit Joe and Brandi's blog(link on right side of my page), he had more pictures too...I will eventually make a DVD once I get all the pictures and video from Dad and Joe...