Spent some time in Southcentral New Mexico chasing elk with the muzzleloader the last several days. It was a tough hunt.
I Hunted hard Saturday, just to have other hunters blow elk out from under me several times. I had two large bulls inside of 120 yards and was just waiting for the shot. Both times, hunters came over the ridge and blew the elk out.
Spent Sunday deeper in the woods and into the mountains. Didn't see a single elk Sunday. Didn't even bump an elk and covered several miles.
Monday I realigned and hiked into a bottom
That historically held elk. Sure enough, at first light, I could make out 5 elk in the bottom in front of me. As light cracked I made them all out as Bulls. One of them being a fairly good bull. The other 4 looked like liter mates. 5x5's. It was legal light but still dark enough that my range finder was too dark to read. I would have to shoot the elk then look to the sky to see the read out(I will blame the light, not my eyes) I pegged the closest elk at 115 yards but it just didn't look to be 115 yards. Oh well, I ranged him three times and got the same thing. Settled in and was able to lay down using my pack to shoot. Let the shot off and nothing but smoke filled the cold air. I moved to the side just to see 5 elk still standing there. Acting like nothing happened. I looked the bull over as hard as I could. Nothing. 5 minutes later he went back to grazing. All the while, I am basically dry humping my muzzle loader on the ground trying to inconspicuously reload it while laying in the grass. I get reloaded just in time to watch the smaller 4 elk walk out of a shot. Behind some small spruce trees.
I was 100 percent certain I didn't hit him when I realized he was all the sudden at 180 yards and hadn't moved 5 yards since the shot........ Yep, turns out I was ranging a tree right in front of him. Huge rookie mistake!
By now the larger bull was making his way into the same cut the others were disappearing into. I range him. A lot. 218 yards and quartering slightly to me. (Damn it, 200 was supposed to be my max) (I am laying down though. I can do this. I know my ballistics.) I settle in and fill the air one more time with smoke from the black powder! The smoke clears and he is still standing there..... F****! He hobbled about 5 steps dragging his front leg(good deal, I hit him but he is walking off!) He stops and stands there for two or three minutes. Feels like eternity. Then he walks out of sight.
By now I really didn't know what to think. I was cranky at myself even though I was confident in the shot. The first shot knocked me off my game but felt blessed to get a follow up shot. I waited. I broke my gun down and cleaned it while sitting there. I waited more. I got impatient. I decided to walk over and look for the blood that probably wasn't there following a shoulder shot.
I made it about 75 yards before realizing that he must have barely gotten out of my sight and fell over dead! I shot him just before 7:00 that morning and it was after dark when I got the last of him off the mountain. It was a blast I always enjoy the opportunity to hunt out west. Anyways. Here are a few shots. The complimentary #Elkselfie and then a shot of him.
I Hunted hard Saturday, just to have other hunters blow elk out from under me several times. I had two large bulls inside of 120 yards and was just waiting for the shot. Both times, hunters came over the ridge and blew the elk out.
Spent Sunday deeper in the woods and into the mountains. Didn't see a single elk Sunday. Didn't even bump an elk and covered several miles.
Monday I realigned and hiked into a bottom
That historically held elk. Sure enough, at first light, I could make out 5 elk in the bottom in front of me. As light cracked I made them all out as Bulls. One of them being a fairly good bull. The other 4 looked like liter mates. 5x5's. It was legal light but still dark enough that my range finder was too dark to read. I would have to shoot the elk then look to the sky to see the read out(I will blame the light, not my eyes) I pegged the closest elk at 115 yards but it just didn't look to be 115 yards. Oh well, I ranged him three times and got the same thing. Settled in and was able to lay down using my pack to shoot. Let the shot off and nothing but smoke filled the cold air. I moved to the side just to see 5 elk still standing there. Acting like nothing happened. I looked the bull over as hard as I could. Nothing. 5 minutes later he went back to grazing. All the while, I am basically dry humping my muzzle loader on the ground trying to inconspicuously reload it while laying in the grass. I get reloaded just in time to watch the smaller 4 elk walk out of a shot. Behind some small spruce trees.
I was 100 percent certain I didn't hit him when I realized he was all the sudden at 180 yards and hadn't moved 5 yards since the shot........ Yep, turns out I was ranging a tree right in front of him. Huge rookie mistake!
By now the larger bull was making his way into the same cut the others were disappearing into. I range him. A lot. 218 yards and quartering slightly to me. (Damn it, 200 was supposed to be my max) (I am laying down though. I can do this. I know my ballistics.) I settle in and fill the air one more time with smoke from the black powder! The smoke clears and he is still standing there..... F****! He hobbled about 5 steps dragging his front leg(good deal, I hit him but he is walking off!) He stops and stands there for two or three minutes. Feels like eternity. Then he walks out of sight.
By now I really didn't know what to think. I was cranky at myself even though I was confident in the shot. The first shot knocked me off my game but felt blessed to get a follow up shot. I waited. I broke my gun down and cleaned it while sitting there. I waited more. I got impatient. I decided to walk over and look for the blood that probably wasn't there following a shoulder shot.
I made it about 75 yards before realizing that he must have barely gotten out of my sight and fell over dead! I shot him just before 7:00 that morning and it was after dark when I got the last of him off the mountain. It was a blast I always enjoy the opportunity to hunt out west. Anyways. Here are a few shots. The complimentary #Elkselfie and then a shot of him.
