# 2011 muzzy elk success



## shaun larsen (Aug 5, 2011)

let me start by saying, this was one of the funnest elk hunts i have been on and it has also been the hardest elk hunt i have ever been on. from what it sounds like, im not the only one who has been having a hard time this season.

i started scouting here and there in the summer with trail cameras. got lots of pics of great bulls all summer long through out the areas i would be hunting. once the bulls stripped the velvet and the archery hunt started, the elk became nocturnal. i figured this was because of the heat and all the pressure from hunters in the area. by about the 25th of august, the bulls left the area completely, never to return. this suprised me because i have hunted this area for awhile and know that alot of elk like to rut in this country. i started looking in other parts of the country and while the elk were still there, their activity was not normal and a sighting was few and far between. when the rifle hunt started, i started hitting the hills more and more looking, trying to get an idea of where all the people were hunting and where the elk were going to be when they got pushed. although i could still see elk, they were not vocal at all. in the 15+ scouting trips i had made during the hunts, i did not hear a single bugle or cow call. i talked with a few rifle hunters that had experienced the same thing and were saying that most of the bulls didnt seem interested at all in cows and some were still hanging out with groups of bulls. this wasnt looking good for me. at this point i was becoming a little nervous.

opening morning was alot warmer than i wanted it to be. when i left the truck, it was still 60 degrees. by noon is was 80 degrees. not the kind of weather i want for a elk hunt during the rut. i heard 1 bugle and saw one spike during the entire day. the 2nd morning was alot like the first. really hot, no bugles and no elk. that night i went up with Bustin Bucks to a spot he knows of. after hiking down into some awesome elk country, we heard and saw nothing until dark, at which point we heard 1 bugle. by the 3rd morning, i was becoming frustrated. that morning i had an opportunity at a small 4x5 down in a nasty hole. being alone for most of my hunt, i elected to pass on him in hopes of having another opportunity later in my hunt when i had some help to pack him out. saturday morning was the opening of duck season and i wouldnt miss that for anything, so i spent most of saturday in the marsh. that night i went up with some friends to a spot where they had seen some elk. we saw quite a few bulls and come up with a plan for the next morning. sunday morning, we all met up and started hiking. we got up to where we wanted to be at first light and started calling. instantly we heard a response. we worked up closer to where the bull was and called again. he bugled back at us from across the canyon. we slowly walked a little further when my buddy grabbed me and said there he is. the other guy i was with said hes atleast a 5 point and told me the range. he was standing at 223 yards. not knowing if i would get another opportunity at a bull and running out of time because of school obligations, i decided to take this bull. i got a good rest, put the cross hairs where they needed to be, squeezed the trigger and BOOM. i couldnt see through the smoke, but i heard that sweet "whack" sound and knew i had hit the bull. one of the guys watching said it looked like a good shot. we got up to the other side to start looking for blood and before we could even get to where the elk was standing, we found him piled up not 50 yards from where he was hit. he was quartered to me and i hit him low in the shoulder, taking out the heart and exiting behind the last rib on the opposite side.

i like hunting elk. but im not picky when it comes to the size of animal. for me, with elk any animal is a trophy in my eyes. hes only the 2nd bull i have had the privilege of harvesting. hes not the biggest bull on the hill. but he was plenty big enough for me and im thrilled with him and the opportunity and experience i had during my hunt. to top it all off i had some of my best friends there with me to share the experience with.

all i have right now is this cell phone pic, but i will add more pics when i get them emailed to me.


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## manysteps (Sep 28, 2009)

Awesome story, and a great bull (IMO)!


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## Markthehunter88 (Nov 5, 2010)

NICE WORK! Ducks and a bull! cant beat that! nice shot for a muzzy!


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## MadHunter (Nov 17, 2009)

Good job Shaun. Congrats on the success.


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## GaryFish (Sep 7, 2007)

That is AWESOME! I love that bull. The crowed out left side is way cool. Thanks so much for sharing your hunt with us. You guys are all killing me with the muzzy stories! The more of these I read, the more I just might be moving to the world of muzzleloader hunting. Thanks for sharing!


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## SureShot (Oct 2, 2007)

Cool. What kind of gun and scope is that?


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## Fritz (Mar 1, 2011)

Nice story.


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## shaun larsen (Aug 5, 2011)

SureShot said:


> Cool. What kind of gun and scope is that?


its a T/C Endeavor with a Cabelas Pine Ridge 1x scope


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## Bears Butt (Sep 12, 2007)

Congrats on a very fine bull! Good story!


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## middlefork (Nov 2, 2008)

Great story and bull. Sounds like they have been hard to come by this year.


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