dennis2146 Loc: Eastern Idaho

Today was the day when everything came together for my cow elk hunt.

Yup, there I was at the very North East corner of the Wildlife Management Unit, walking South to cover the entire unit North to South, thinking I would have to run into the supposed elk herd I had heard about. About 200 yards from the truck I looked ahead of me and saw about 80 or at least a whole lot of elk milling around. My rangefinder said they were 565 yards out. Normally I might have taken the shot but I had no steady rest and knew I had to get closer. What I did not know was another hunter had already fired two shots at his cow elk and they were just about ready to run to safety.

I bent at the waist to hopefully resemble either a deer or antelope size game animal and moved closer using cover when I could. At 265 yards I knew I could make the shot. I heard a shot, the other hunter's third shot and the elk really got busy getting out of there. I dropped down and using a branch as a sort of rest, actually the branch broke but was useable enough I fired just as I saw my elk run behind a hill. The shot looked good and I heard the bullet hit. I moved forward into the open prairie and saw the other hunter and his son walking toward me. I greeted them with, Good Morning. Good morning back the other hunter, Garrett, said. I asked if he had an elk down and he said he did. He pointed out his elk laying on the prairie. Then he said exactly what I wanted to hear; whatever you were using your elk dropped as if his feet were yanked out from under her. He had to attend to his elk and pointed to where my elk was laying. It took me a few minutes to find it due to the tall grass that swallowed just about anything other than a hippo or elephant. I walked around looking and then he and his son yelled out that they had my elk.

For those interested I used a Cooper Firearms rifle with a 3-9 Zeiss Conquest scope. The caliber was 308 Winchester using Berger Hunting Classic 168 grain bullets. My shot went right through the bottom of the heart with absolutely no other meat damage.

Dennis

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cliff Hilbert Loc: Plano, TX

I guess that next we’ll be seeing pictures of ducks, geese, doves, deer, bison, etc. that people kill. What in the hell does this post and pictures have to do with photography??? Find a hunting forum to brag about hunting kills. No doubt people will be putting up photos of the fish they catch next. I thought this was supposed to be a photography forum.

tramsey Loc: Texas

You had a fun hunting trip and you got great results and terrific pictures. 265 yards is a good range for a shot. You got a good shot, a clean hit and no extra damage, that's a great shot I listen to hunters talking about the animal they brought down at 500 yards and I tell them I think I saw one of yours running on three legs. They got mad and walk away.
Sounds like you are a reloader to. I shoot a 300 Winchester Magnum and shoot everything from white tail to brown bear with it. For deer I load it down to .06 specs with a 168 bullet.
Not many people know about Cooper firearms. That's a fine rifle, action as smooth or smoother than a Weatherby, a little out of my price range. I've only seen one that I was able to touch and that was at a sports store.
Thanks for sharing your good hunt

Retired CPO Loc: Travel full time in an RV

Good on you, Dennis! Sounds like good Elk medicine!
Cooper rifles are a little out of my price range too!!

dennis2146 Loc: Eastern Idaho

Cliff apparently you missed the part where I mentioned to people on this very same forum I was going hunting. Most who commented if not all were supportive and wished me luck.

Hunting is one of Americas oldest sports and a way of putting meat on the table. Sorry if you are in agreement.

You say this is a photography forum. Have you noticed through your anger I submitted PHOTOS? I have also submitted photos of fish caught as have others. People take photos and submit them.

I have not said this in the past but I HATE sunset photos. But I have never commented negatively about any of those submitted and never will. Members submit photos they like of subjects interesting to them.

You are welcome to skip right to the next post at any time. I am sorry you don’t like hunting or fishing type photos but others do. Don’t those of us who do have a right to submit what we want? I don’t look at the Nude section but some do.

I wish you well.

Dennis

Ava'sPapa Loc: Cheshire, Ct.

The only thing I ever hunted was skeet and I killed most of them. Looks like you had a good day hunting, Dennis. Thanks for sharing.
It's funny that you brought up photos of sunsets. I'm with you, but I'm sick of seeing photos of the moon. Practically every one is the same.

dennis2146 Loc: Eastern Idaho

Thank you for your comments as well as outlining your interests in hunting and reloading. I have cut way back to maybe 50 or so firearms but have reloaded from .22 Hornet up to a 470 Nitro double rifle. What a kick to shoot one of those. Pun intended. I have made a few shots out to a bit over 400 yards but each time I knew exactly what the range was and the bullet trajectory of the cartridge, one an old Model 70 in 300 H&H on a mule deer and the other an antelope with a Sako in 6.5X55. One was asleep and the other I put to sleep. I also enjoy stalking up close when I can.

The 300 Win Mag is a fantastic cartridge. For some unknown reason I have never owned one.

Thanks for your comments. Maybe one day we could share a hunting camp.

Dennis

dennis2146 Loc: Eastern Idaho

Thank you very much Chief. I enjoyed your comments as well. I also have a Cooper Firearms rifle in 7mm STW. They are fine rifles. You need to stop by sometime.

Dennis

kpmac Loc: Ragley, La

You got a nice one for the freezer. Good shot. Oh, yeah, post whatever pictures you want to.

dennis2146 Loc: Eastern Idaho

Thanks very much my friend for your always supportive comments. The elk will provide me with lots of meat and will be shared.

Dennis

rcarol

I'm not going to bitch about your right to submit photos of your latest kill but I do feel that "Field and Stream" might be more of an appropriate place to show off your skills with a gun.

Manglesphoto Loc: 70 miles south of St.Louis

Good hunt, clean shot
Sadly not many here want to or can wrap their head around it.

black mamba

Nice kill, Dennis. To those who complain about the subject, do they not remember that they are looking at a photograph....and is this not a photography forum? If you don't like what you see, then quit looking at it and move on to another posting. There's no need to project your prejudices upon others.

alberio Loc: Casa Grande AZ

Good kill Dennis, and the 308 is my favorite elk hunting round. I have a dream of owning and affording to shoot a 338 Lapua, just for those extra long shots. Hunting isn't for the faint hearted, and can be quite graphic at times, but the reality is it can fill the freezer with some of the best meat you can eat.

redtooth

Great shot . In my younger days I killed 13 Elk .