# Bookcliffs Take 3



## Raptorman (Aug 18, 2009)

Well, it's my turn to take a shot at the Bookcliffs. 

Back in 2009 my dad's cousin drew a Bookcliffs muzzy tag and was able to get a nice bull. Until that point no one that was very close to our family had a LE tag and it kind of lit a fire in us thinking of the possibilities and dreams of chasing bugling bulls. We have always hunted general hunt with limited "success" but always had fun and it planted in me an appreciation for the hunt and of being in the outdoors. 

The 2011 application period came and my brother decided he would put in for the same hunt as our cousin had and see what happens. Sure enough with 10 pts he drew the tag. We were all very excited but being as "green" as we were to these types of hunts we didn't really know what to expect or where to start. 

We made or first trip out to the Bookcliffs over Labor Day to get to know the area and see what we could find. We ended up putting a lot of miles on the quads and Side X Side, with my dad's cousin as guide, showing us around and getting to know new areas. We also got to experience the horrors of the old Bookcliffs Road with 3 blow-outs on the trailer as well as a blown rear-end in my dad's truck. Despite all of that we had a successful trip and found elk and a lot of deer. 

When the hunt came we were fortunate to have a good friend draw the same tag. After he was able to harvest a good bull on opening morning we spent the next few days working to get my brother his bull. After a few close calls and one missed shot on a smaller bull, we were able to get my brother what we consider a great bull and our hunt came to an end. 

Up to my brothers hunt I had just been planning to build my points up and wait for a "Primo" hunt. As soon as we heard those bulls bugling that all changed. My dad and I both started putting in for the same hunt but with point creep neither of us drew until 2014 when my dad pulled the tag. 
We were able to find a great bull for my dad on opening morning and his bull fell within a couple hundred yards from where my brother's bull did three years earlier. It was an amazing experience and to this day probably my favorite hunting experience. 
Going into last year my plan was to apply and hopefully get the tag and repeat the family tri-fecta and try to down a bull in the same area. Well, a lucky expo tag drawn changed plans and I ended up hunting Manti and getting my first bull elk. It was a great year as well and we couldn't have asked for a better fall. 
This year found me with a lot of internal trepidation going into the application period. I had really wanted to hunt the Books and try to harvest a bull in the same area as my dad and brother. The other part of me wanted to try a new area and a new hunt to get a "better" unit as I had already harvested a bull. I looked at late hunts, other muzzy hunts, and even contemplated one of the top units with a bow. In the end I decided to hunt the Books and I haven't looked back. When the email came saying successful, the hunt was on. 
Luckily one of my friends drew the Muzzy deer tag so we have been putting our heads together and plan on doubling up our efforts in scouting and can hopefully help each other when the hunts come. We are making our first scouting trip this weekend and are excited to see what we can turn up. 

Anyways, the point of this thread is to A) Keep a log of what happens this year and give you all a little background into my obsession with the Bookcliffs. And B) even though we do have a spot some may say "honey hole" I need plan b, c, d, etc. So any help or advice anyone has would be greatly appreciated. Also any help with my friend's deer hunt would be great too. Thanks for reading and for any help. 

Below are some pics of the Books bulls my Dad and brother got:


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## sawsman (Sep 13, 2007)

Congrats on the tag! I love the books for both deer and elk. My dad drew a deer tag out there this year so I'm looking forward to that.

Send me a PM if you'd like and we can chat. I've roamed around out there a few times.


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## AF CYN (Mar 19, 2009)

I'm going out to scout for deer this weekend. I'll let you know if I see any big bulls.


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## CPAjeff (Dec 20, 2014)

Good luck on the hunt - it would be pretty neat for you to kill a good bull in the same area that your dad and brother killed theirs!


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## sambo3006 (Feb 25, 2016)

That is awesome! Hope you guys can go 3 for 3. Those are nice nice bulls your dad and brother got.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

I wish that I was going back out there hunting this year, that is a magical type of place. I know that if you get into the right places a 400" bull is possible. I've seen at least one of them every time that I have been hunting down there. But they get big by being smart and live in the hell holes that people don't like to go into. 

Good luck on the hunt.


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## Swampy_Dog (Oct 4, 2015)

I drew a muzzy deer tag out there this year, planning on going out in the next few weekends to scout. Good luck on your hunt


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## Raptorman (Aug 18, 2009)

Good luck to everyone else out there this year. I am hoping for a good growth year. Hopefully we will run into each other out there and can compare notes!


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## JuddCT (Sep 7, 2007)

Don't forget to check the roadless border. I've watched plenty of big bulls get chased off the roadless the first day.


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## Raptorman (Aug 18, 2009)

Well, headed down for our second scouting trip this afternoon. When we went last month we found a lot of cows but no big bulls. So hopefully this trip we will be able to turn some up. We were able to see a ton of deer, they seemed to be all over the roads, especially right before and at dark. It was a fun trip. 
What are strategies you all like to use when scouting? Is it more just to find good areas to hunt cause the animals will move so much before the rut? Just glass so you know what is there? This is more for conversation sake than anything, just trying to pass the time, 45 more days!


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## goofy elk (Dec 16, 2007)

Bookcliffs elk,

There will be bulls grouped together on Diamond ridge right now
if you want to see some bone..........................................


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## Raptorman (Aug 18, 2009)

Well, here we are: under two weeks until the hunt! I can't believe it is almost here. I have been looking forward to this for a long time and planning it in my head. We have had three scouting trips out there now and finally on our last trip over Labor day we found some shooter bulls. So hopefully they are still around and talking come the 26th. 
Anyone else having a hard time focusing at work right now?


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## Truelife (Feb 6, 2009)

Raptorman said:


> Well, here we are: under two weeks until the hunt! I can't believe it is almost here. I have been looking forward to this for a long time and planning it in my head. We have had three scouting trips out there now and finally on our last trip over Labor day we found some shooter bulls. So hopefully they are still around and talking come the 26th.
> Anyone else having a hard time focusing at work right now?


YES!!! And all I have is a general season deer tag. Can't wait though....


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## Swampy_Dog (Oct 4, 2015)

Raptorman said:


> Well, here we are: under two weeks until the hunt! I can't believe it is almost here. I have been looking forward to this for a long time and planning it in my head. We have had three scouting trips out there now and finally on our last trip over Labor day we found some shooter bulls. So hopefully they are still around and talking come the 26th.
> Anyone else having a hard time focusing at work right now?


Yes I can't wait I'm heading out there on the 24th for my deer hunt and it seems that my work days are getting longer as we closer to the opener!! Can't wait good luck to you on your hunt!


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

15 years ago today I was packing out my bull that I shot in the Books. 

Shot him at 7:05 on opening morning and it took until 3:30 that afternoon to get him out. 

It was a very strange hunt just 4 days after 9/11. I remember seeing a jet flying overhead and wondering just what kind it was, a F16 or a F15. I didn't see another hunter out there and on my way out I actually stopped and looked at my tag and the date on my watch to make sure that I was out there at the right time. I only saw one other group of hunters from 10 Mile Knoll all the way to Hay Canyon and that group was camped on the top of Hay Canyon. 

Good luck to the deer and elk hunters headed that way. I have another year to wait before I start putting in for the deer hunt out there again.


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## MuscleWhitefish (Jan 13, 2015)

Raptorman said:


> Well, here we are: under two weeks until the hunt! I can't believe it is almost here. I have been looking forward to this for a long time and planning it in my head. We have had three scouting trips out there now and finally on our last trip over Labor day we found some shooter bulls. So hopefully they are still around and talking come the 26th.
> Anyone else having a hard time focusing at work right now?


Hopefully, you don't shoot all the bulls and leave at least one there for November.


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## cdbright (Aug 24, 2016)

all i do at work now is comb this damb forum hahahahahaah

Cant wait for OCT 8th


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## GR8Hunter (Sep 12, 2016)

I have a buddy who killed a 180" deer down there this year with his bow and another buddy hunting the elk as we speak (type)...He has been covered in elk but only taken 1 shot and unfortunately missed. He said it was at least a 370" bull. They are bugling off and on but had the best action after the recent rain storm.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Raptorman said:


> Well, here we are: under two weeks until the hunt! I can't believe it is almost here. I have been looking forward to this for a long time and planning it in my head. We have had three scouting trips out there now and finally on our last trip over Labor day we found some shooter bulls. So hopefully they are still around and talking come the 26th.
> Anyone else having a hard time focusing at work right now?


Yep... seeing alot of nice bulls right now, one new bruiser recently showed up. Seems its only getting better. Hope the rifle folk leave my target bull alone LOL! DWR just sent the tooth data pack... guess its the biggest sign the hunt is right around the corner.

-DallanC


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## Raptorman (Aug 18, 2009)

Nice Dallan, I feel the same way! Leave a week from tomorrow. Hopefully those couple days before the hunt we can find a few!


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## JuddCT (Sep 7, 2007)

I was just thinking about my bookcliffs elk hunt last year and my Dad's 2 years ago. It was the roadless and I still think it is one of he best hunts you can draw.



















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## Raptorman (Aug 18, 2009)

I think you are right Judd, it is an amazing area. I would love to try the Roadless but without horses I think it would be pretty tough. Both of those bulls are gorgeous and I would skip all the way home if I could put my tag on something like those. Thanks again for sharing!


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## Raptorman (Aug 18, 2009)

Well, headed out in the morning, it is finally time. We'll see what this storm does to the animals, regardless it is go time! Thanks for everyone's kind words leading up to this hunt and for the advice and tips. Good luck to everyone else headed out! Keep your powder dry!


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## Raptorman (Aug 18, 2009)

Well, we made it back. Man, what a ride. We had a great hunt filled with some ups and downs and eventually ended up with a bull I am in love with. Working on a write-up right now and will give more details. Here is a sneak peak with a few pics.


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## AF CYN (Mar 19, 2009)

Congrats. Can't wait to hear the story and see some additional pics.


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## sawsman (Sep 13, 2007)

Congrats! Looks like a great bull. 



.


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## Raptorman (Aug 18, 2009)

*The hunt*

We had a lot of fun scouting this year and were able to see a lot of animals and get to know a lot of area I had never seen or been in our previous years hunting the unit. 

The time for my hunt finally came and I couldn't have been more excited to get down there and start finding the bulls. Plan A was to go to the spot where my dad and brother killed their bulls. Unfortunately, we only turned up a couple of smaller bulls in that canyon and by the time the hunt came it was a ghost town. Plan B had been a canyon that I saw a great bull in on Labor Day, but unfortunately it was empty as well. At this point I was a little down, as those were my top places on my list. I was still in good spirits though because I had put a lot of time in our scouting and with a few tips from people we had talked to down there I still had a pretty good idea where I could find elk. We were also able to turn up elk in these areas in the days leading to the hunt. Hearing bugles from camp the first couple nights also help get the excitement high. We also saw a herd with a good bull crossing the road within a mile of camp, so I knew the elk were around. Sunday night my friend that had the deer tag hiked into an area we had scouted this summer to see if anything was around. We found a little herd with a good bull in it. So I made mental note of that to keep in mind for later in the hunt. 

Opening morning came and the whole crew had arrived, so we were ready to go. We decided on a spot that was close to where my cousins, who were with us, had seen a good herd the night before the opener. We parked the Ranger off the road before first light and just listened. It didn't take long before we heard bugles pierce the crisp morning air. I had my dad and cousin with me while the rest of the group spread out to look in other areas to try to get eyes in as many spots as possible. We started walking as quietly as we could in the dark to get close to the bugles. We found a good spot to set up and when the sun was up enough to see my cousin started his cow calls. We had instant response and a couple times I could tell the bull was right on the other side of the little knoll we were watching. Right about this time we could hear someone drive down the road we had parked on and start honking until they got over the next rise in the road. I guess the elk decided that was enough so they walked away down the ridge without us ever getting eyes on them. I was still a cool first ½ hour or so to hear bugles and the cows chirping. 

We continued down the ridge after the elk and called the whole way. We got responses but the elk seemed intent on getting down the ridge into the deep canyon at the end to bed down for the day. I ended up getting eyes on the elk as they were passing through a distant clearing; but just a quick glance. We set up and called some more and had responses but the one bugle that was coming in stopped and the wind shifted and blew our scent right towards him. 

All in all it was a good morning. We made it back to the Ranger just as the others in our party were driving by. We swapped stories of our experiences that morning. I was encouraged because all had encounters with elk, either through the scopes or had herds right off the roads. We also ran into a couple older gentlemen who had been hunting the Roadless for the rifle hunt, so we peaked at their elk and had a good chat with them. The two guys were by themselves and had killed a bull in the Roadless and had no horses or anything, I thought that was pretty impressive, especially since one of the guy had to be 70+ and the other probably high 50's. Well done for those guys. That evening we tried an area where my brother and brother-in-law had seen two different herds the night before the opener, unfortunately that area was dead that night and we only heard a few distant bugles. 

Tuesday morning we decided to head back into the area we were at the morning before, but try to get in front of the elk and cut them off on their way to their beds. I guess they never came up to the same area. But we could hear them talking, so we decided to throw out some calls and see what we could turn up. We ended up calling in a rag horn and a couple cows. One that came running to us. Got a quick glimpse of a good bull as it ran by, but it must have been spooked from somewhere else because it was in a big hurry. After that, things kind of died down. We moved down to the edge of the deep canyon just to look and see what it looked like. While we were talking I decided to throw out a couple cow calls just in case. Sure enough we ended up calling in a decent 5 in to about 10 yards and he just came in a looked right at me and was trying to figure out where the cows were. Finally he had enough and turned and ran, I made a cow call with my mouth just to see if it worked and he stopped in his tracks and looked back to double check that he wasn't missing anything. Then he just walked away. We still heard other bugles so we kept calling and called another cow into the same spot, but that wrapped up our morning. 

That night we went to another place that some bulls had been spotted the previous 2 mornings. We hoped to catch the elk coming back up at of the canyons on their way to feed. It was a pretty quiet night, until about 30-45 min before dark we let out some calls and within 15 minutes started hearing some bugles and before we knew it the whole herd fed over the hill to about 200 yards. There was a nice 5x6 in the group, but he wasn't quite what I was looking for so I let him walk. It would have been a tough shot, but we had a great day and was a good way to cap it off. 

Wednesday morning was tough one, we hiked out to a new place that we knew held elk. We seemed to be just behind the elk the whole morning. We finally made it out to the end of the ridge we were on just in time to hear the elk down again in the deep dark canyons that they all seemed to like to go late in the mornings. We followed suit from the previous couple of days and started to call at the edge of a clearing to see if anything would talk back. Instantly we had elk responding and got eyes on some cows at the edge of where we were. The cows eventually fed off but we looked up to see a bull come out of the cedars looking for the source of the cow talk. He ended up coming in to about 30 yards, but was only a small 3 point. It was still a lot of fun. As he was at his closest point, other elk started feeding through the clearing. As the little bull got closer I got worried that eventually he would bust the rest of the herd out of there as well. Lucky for us eventually he got our wind but ran the other way and the other elk continued feeding through the clearing. We heard another bugle getting closer and then the "Big Boy" walked out. The only problem was, the closest he got was 500 yards or so as he was at the end of the clearing. We called and he looked at us and bugled, but following his cows he didn't seem to have much interest in coming to us. 

We kept calling and he kept responding and about 15 minutes or so after he and his cows disappeared into the tress he came back out looking for more. I told Jon (my cousin) that he was coming and he came and stood next to me to range. He slowly made his way from 350 yards or so and came all the way into 150. I had the cross-hairs right on him but he was facing us so I chose to wait. He ended up turning and walking back to 175 and turned broadside. I decided it was now or never, so I pulled the trigger. In the haze of the smoke and commotion I didn't get to see if it was a hit. He walked away slowly and by the time I got reloaded and back on the shooting stick I watched him walk into the trees at 350 yards right about where he came out. 

During my summer shooting I had made that shot many times, but after spending the rest of the morning and early afternoon looking for any sign of him I determined that it wasn't a shot and I must have whiffed it. I was very disappointed as the setup we had and how everything worked out, it went just like you would write it up in a story. I just didn't do the job I should have been able to do. In the course of our wanderings I also looked down to see that my binos had fallen out of my bino case and I wasn't able to find them either. 

Eventually we called it and went back to camp and my spirits were kind of low. For those that have had their own LE tag, you can relate that your mind starts to play games with you. When we got back to camp though we found out that my friend who had the deer tag and I had spent literally hundreds of hours with scouting and prepping for the hunt had bagged his buck at first light that morning. I hearing about his success and admiring his buck really helped to boost my spirits and helped me realize why we were there and I still had plenty of time to get my bull. I was especially excited as in all of our scouting and everything he got the biggest buck we had seen. It was a nice 5x5 with an in-line on one side and a cheater on the other. Should score really well for a Books buck. 

There was also another friend in camp that had a deer tag so there was still lots of fun to be had, and I set my mind on staying positive and getting a good bull. That night we went to an area we hadn't hunted but I had spent time scouting but we weren't able to turn anything up. We also stopped by the Old "Honey Hole" to find that it was still empty and had nothing moving in it. 

Thursday morning came with new determination and encouragement to get out there and get going. That was only to be met by heavy rain that didn't let up until late morning. I took the opportunity to catch a little extra and come to find out needed sleep. When we got going we went for a Ranger ride in between the storms and took a road we had heard people say they had seen elk in. Sure enough the elk must have got a late start too, we found a good size herd with about 25 cows with a couple spikes and 1 big bull. He was a beautiful 6 on one side but broke after his 3rd on his other. We decided just to watch and ended up watching for close to a ½ hour. Then another bugle we herd came over the hill. This was a beautiful 6x6 but just a young bull with short beams, that bull is going to be a true trophy in another year or two. He came off the hill with 5 cows and the bigger, broken bull promptly came in and took those cows and added them to his already large harem. Elk are fascinating to watch in the rut!

Eventually they ended up feeding into the deep dark canyon and we headed back to camp to make a game plan for the evening. The rain continued and the fog rolled in. When we got back to camp we also saw that or other friend had got his deer. So we spent time listening to his story and helping his get it hung and the work started. It was fun to share the camp with a couple guys with deer tags and now we were 2/3 for tags filled. The rain kind of broke up and we decided to go back to the same area from earlier in the day and see if any other bulls try to come in and steal any of the 30 cows from the broken bull. 

We get almost to the meadow where the herd had been earlier in the day and we look up to see about 12 cows. I was surprised that there wasn't a bull around the cows as I hadn't seen more than 1 cow without a bull to this point. They were pretty spooked and made their way up and over the little hill behind them. We stopped just to listen and see if we could hear any action in the area. We quickly heard a bugle to our side and continued to listen and within a minute he had bugled again and we figured he actually sounded pretty close. We decided that me and my brother-in-law would walk up and see if we could get eyes on him. 
As we got closer to the bull we debated on cow calling, but decided against it as it would give away our location and we wanted to keep it that way as long as possible. We made it up to the edge of the clearing and could see elk across the little valley that this old clear cut went through. I first saw the cows, so we made our way to the edge of the cut to try and get a better look. Once we did that, we got eyes on the bull. 

At first glance I decided he was too small but Shawn, my brother in law, said I better take another look. After looking again, his left side was gorgeous but his right side just didn't finish out quite as good. I decided he was close enough that we needed to see if we could make a play on him. I told Shawn to setup in the trees behind us and I would walk forward a little to find a good rest. If we could get him to come in I would then make up my mind if he was a shooter or not. I had left the shooting sticks so I found a stump and kneeled down by it, it was the perfect height. Shawn started calling and the bull responded right away. Just about then I realized that if the bull walked straight up the logging road we were on that I wouldn't have a good shot until he was literally 2-5 yards away. I thought about moving but the bull had started to come in and I didn't dare move from my position. I decided if he came that close I would just have to be quick on the shot before he saw me hiding there. 

There are few things in hunting, at least in my experience, as exhilarating as hearing a bull respond to cow calls and get closer and closer. I could tell him was getting close about the time my body decided that kneeling how I was, was not comfortable and my legs and back started to shake. I guess in all my running and getting in shape over the summer, I needed to practice sitting or kneeling in awkward positions. I was okay though as I had a solid rest and all I could do was sit and wait. 

The bull ended up getting so close I could hear him breathe and hear his glucking sounds. Unfortunately at the angle I was at I still couldn't see him. In this process I had determined that this was all so cool that if presented a shot I would surely take it. He ended up holding up and started to walk a little further away. At 60 yards though he walked out and stopped broadside partially quartering away and I let the hammer down.


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## Raptorman (Aug 18, 2009)

The pics are a few of the scenery, a herd of buffalo we watched, the 2nd buck in camp, and the view from my shot.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Cool deer! I hope my wife finds one like that in a couple weeks.


-DallanC


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## Clarq (Jul 21, 2011)

DallanC said:


> Cool deer! I hope my wife finds one like that in a couple weeks.
> 
> -DallanC


Jeez, Dallan. Your family is going to have a hard time beating this year, aren't you? Good luck!



Raptorman said:


> The pics are a few of the scenery, a herd of buffalo we watched, the 2nd buck in camp, and the view from my shot.


Thanks for sharing your story and photos. Great job. I've thoroughly enjoyed what little time I've spent in the Book Cliffs.

My first cousin once removed has a bison tag out there for the season that opens next month. I'm trying my best to clear my schedule for the week and go with him. Here's hoping! Those pictures just fueled my ambition a little more.


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## MuscleWhitefish (Jan 13, 2015)

Great Story and Congrats. 

I am growing ever so excited for my hunt in November.


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## Raptorman (Aug 18, 2009)

The bull dropped in his tracks and I hurriedly reloaded and got read for a follow up shot if one was needed. Shawn came up to me and the bull was kicking but down. I tried to shoot but only had a view of his head and belly because of the angle he was at and I didn't want to take either of those shots. Eventually it looked like he was done so we exchanged high fives and man-hugs. In disbelief how perfectly that had gone. I got on the radio to my dad and brother and they said the logging road we were on lead back to the main road and they could get the Ranger right to where we were. (It was an open seldom used road so no laws were broken. When they pulled up though I guess it woke that elk up and he got up and started walking away. I pulled up and shot again and he just kept walking. At this point I am freaking out, but confident in my shots. He ended up walking to the bottom of the valley (200 yards) but I could only see his head. So I inched closer and he was just standing there but started to walk up the other side. I put another one in him and he disappeared into the trees. 

We decided at this point to wait it out and make sure he had time to expire. It was getting dark and the storm was rolling in so I was getting nervous. After a couple minutes could hear the "death groan' though so I was sure he was down in the tress. I was still trying to contain my excitement until I had my hands on him. We decide to take the long way to him, and follow the blood and we did find good blood in his tracks. We peaked into the trees and there he laid. 

A rush of emotions came over me, from joy to relief to almost a sense of respect and gratitude for the bull that laid before me. It was a neat experience and one I will never forget. I wanted to wait for my dad and brother to make it to me, but they seemed to take forever so I couldn't take it anymore and Shawn and I walked up to get our hands on the magnificent animal. 

As I got my hands on the bull again, I was overwhelmed by the whole experience and I took a second to thank for Man Upstairs for the opportunity and just tried to soak in the few minutes we had there. My dad and bro made it down to us and we exchanged more hugs and congratulations. It was awesome to have my dad and brother there as well as Shawn as they are probably the 3 of the 4 guys who I have shared the most time with in my life hunting. So it was pretty cool to share that time with them. 

Then the work started; luckily, with the help of that old logging road, the pack-out wasn't bad and we got him taken care of just as the rain hit. We made it back to camp late that night, got in the trailer and kind of just let everything sink in. Part of me was sad that the journey was over but I couldn't be happier with how it all turned out. I called my wife that night and she kept my daughter up and I was excited to answer her "Did you get your elk daddy?" question with an enthusiastic yes!

With all the rain there was no way we were going to get the trailers through a few slick spots in the road, so we decided to relax for the day and get the meat boned out and on ice. It wasn't very relaxing though as that is no small chore. But we got it done, shared stories with those left in camp and just enjoyed out last day there. As we were looking through phones at pictures we also figured out that my friend had video on his phone from his Phone Scope of my bull that we got the night before the hunt. That was pretty cool, and I was surprised that where we got the video and where the actual elk was taken were about 5 miles apart as the crow flies. Amazing animals. 

This year was one I will never forget and I will always have a special place in my heart for the Bookcliffs. Like I said, part of me is sad that it is all over. However, the memories, meat in the freezer, and eventually trophy on the wall keep that to a minimum. Our family has been spoiled with 6 LE elk tags within 6 years, so we can't complain even a little bit. It will be nice to make it back to our old spot in the Uintas for a general hunt and also decide what to do with some of my out of State points in the coming years. 

I know this is cliché, but I would like to thank my Dad, brother, Bro-in-law, cousins, and friends that helped on this hunt. I didn't get the biggest bull on the mountain but he is one that I am proud of and will happily have displayed on the wall. My wife was very supportive as well and I couldn't have done this without her. Also, thanks to everyone on the forum for you advice and encouragement it was been appreciated. 

PS Sorry for the sideways pics not sure how to fix that.


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## CPAjeff (Dec 20, 2014)

Awesome write-up! Congrats again!


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## bekins24 (Sep 22, 2015)

Thanks for the story Raptor! Congrats on a great bull


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## middlefork (Nov 2, 2008)

Nice bull! your family has had some great years of adventures. Hope they continue.


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## Clarq (Jul 21, 2011)

MuscleWhitefish said:


> Great Story and Congrats.
> 
> I am growing ever so excited for my hunt in November.


I got to tag along on my dad's November Book Cliffs elk hunt a few years back. It was enough to convince me to stop applying for LE pronghorn and work toward drawing that tag for myself someday.

It should be a good time.


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## Raptorman (Aug 18, 2009)

Thanks guys, we did have a great time. Hopefully some other friends or family will draw it so I can go back out there sometime soon.


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## Raptorman (Aug 18, 2009)

I decided to do a shoulder mount of my bull. But in the meantime until that is done, my bro in law did the Euro Mount for me I think it turned out pretty good.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Thats cool... x2


-DallanC


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## CPAjeff (Dec 20, 2014)

Turned out awesome!


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