# LE ML Bull Elk



## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

After a long wait, I drew a LE Bull Elk tag this year for the Muzzleloader season. Throughout the summer we had lots of elk visiting wallows and watering holes. It started to get really exciting in August when the different bulls started showing up. Each week a new larger bull would show up. Got some fun videos of them.

My goal going into the hunt was simple, I wanted a nice solid 6x6. Didn't care about scores, just wanted a nice mature 6pt.

I headed down Sunday to camp and as I was setting up I could hear elk bugling off in the distance. As the evening faded it got louder and louder with bulls screaming all around me. The next morning it was just as frantic, with bulls screaming back and forth. I picked what sounded like the baddest bull around and moved to intercept. I got on a hill overlooking a valley with the bull hidden in trees 500 yards out and gave some cow calls... the bull immediately answered and immediately came right towards me. I was dumbfounded when he reached a clearing and I saw BOTH antlers broken off at the skull! I glassed around and saw several other bulls that were all busted up.

I hiked up a ridge overlooking a small canyon and saw a really nice 6x6 high above me, I gave a couple cow calls and that thing made a bee-line right off the mountain stopping across the canyon from me. Should have been a chip shot, I'd been shooting 1" groups at 130 yard zero all summer with this gun. Carefully took aim... and missed. What...? How...? Why...? I'll have nightmares of that miss for years to come. I hiked over and spent a good hour searching the area for any sign of a hit, absolutely nothing. Discouraged I went back to watch a popular wallow but never saw anything come near it.

That evening I could still hear some bugling but it was a fraction of the night before. I counted 8 different broken and busted bulls far above me on the ridgeline. I was amazed just how many bulls were busted up. Still kicking myself about my miss, I returned to camp.

Next morning I was back at the wallow... it was pretty silent with only the rare bugle being heard way way off in the distance. An hour later a shattering scream jolted me out of boredom. I didnt catch the overall location but I knew it was within 400 yards of me. I held tight and 5 minutes later another scream shattered the silence. Ok, I had a direction now. I figured I could wait and see if he came into wallow, or go hike up carefully and maybe, maybe find him in a clearing of the junipers. I decided to sneak up to where there is an intersection of two fences, where I knew I could see at least a bit further and have a shooting lane. I got in position and gave a couple cow chirps. The bull screamed back each time but couldnt move. I couldnt see him, this went on for at least 30 minutes. He finally sounded like he was moving off away from me so I decided to carefully, quietly follow and see if I might catch him in an opening or something.

40 yards in, ran right into 2 cows that saw me and took off. Arrrrggg! I figured they were going to jump the one fence and head back over to the wallow I originally sat on. I hustled back out of there, crossed the fence, and looked down into the wallow area and saw.... nothing. Confused, I went back up to the fence intersection and watched down the one fence line I thought the cows and crossed. Suddenly, I see a cow jump over... and another. Crap, I realized I needed to get closer... ASAP!

I hustled down the fence with as little motion as I could, oddly none of the elk looked up the fence. More and more elk were crossing and I knew with that many cows leaving, the bull would follow them no mater what. I got about 60 yards from where they were crossing and got setup. A few more cows crossed, not in a big rush... suddenly out he stepped, I literally had 2 seconds to decide on shooting or not. I clearly saw his right side was a very nice solid 6, as he turned to jump I saw his left side was unbroken... and *BOOM* just as he jumped. I was looking into the sun and the smoke from the gun obscured everything, I took a quick step to see around the cloud and I saw the bull thrashing on the ground. I quickly reloaded and stuck another one into him and he laid still.

Holy crap. I couldn't believe it. As I walked closer he kept getting bigger. I was ecstatic, way way bigger than anything I hoped to get, especially considering all of the busted up bulls I'd seen. I really thought I was going to end up with a 1 horn bull or something haha.

Anyway I honestly couldn't be happier with how this hunt ended and this DIY muzzleloader bull.



















-DallanC


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## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

Great story and very awesome bull...congrats!


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## Azar (Oct 21, 2014)

Dallan,

Great story and awesome pics. Man, makes me wish I had an elk tag this year!

Thanks for sharing.


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## dididraw (Sep 1, 2016)

Great bull, sounds like you had an exciting hunt.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

That's one sweet looking bull and to get it where you can get a wheeler to makes it even better. 

I might of missed it but what unit did you draw?


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## Dunkem (May 8, 2012)

You're a stud!! What a bull. Gonna go on the wall by the wifes sheep?


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## GR8Hunter (Sep 12, 2016)

Great Bull! Congrats on a successful harvest


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## AF CYN (Mar 19, 2009)

Missing sucks, but I guess it worked out for you in the end. 

That is a great bull, with some unique features on his antlers--trophy of a lifetime. Congrats!


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

Congrats! Great bull, and I love hunting elk in the red dirt!


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## hazmat (Apr 23, 2009)

Nice Dallan it looks like you got the one that was on your cam. Congrats on a beautiful bull


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## MWScott72 (May 23, 2011)

Way to go! Great looking bull and sounds like the overall hunt matched it as well. I'm curious what unit as well.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Thanks for the comments. I drew the Nebo unit.


-DallanC


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## 3arabians (Dec 9, 2014)

Great bull! Congrats Dallan


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## Calling all ducks (Apr 22, 2009)

Wow sounds like you had a super hunt I had no idea they could break there horns off clear down by the skull congrats Dallas !

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## Bowdacious (Sep 16, 2007)

Pretty bull right there!! Nice and symmetrical with some character! Huge congrats!!

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## brendo (Sep 10, 2013)

Very cool!! How do you feel about killing a bull on the second day?


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## KineKilla (Jan 28, 2011)

This rifle can't be real pictures because you're not sitting a zip code away!

Great story and great bull! I don't know a thing about scores but I like those long 4th tines and wide whale tail.


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## Size Matters (Dec 22, 2007)

Awesome nice job!!!


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Holy moly, I'd run the other way if I seen that big SOB. 

Congratulations!!


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## Springville Shooter (Oct 15, 2010)

Awesome Dallan......I know a taxidermist-----SS


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## elkfromabove (Apr 20, 2008)

That's a great looking bull with a story to match! Ya done good!


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## DeadI (Sep 12, 2007)

Awesome Bull. Congrats.


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## colorcountrygunner (Oct 6, 2009)

Beautiful bull! Congrats!


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## willfish4food (Jul 14, 2009)

That's an awesome bull! Great write up of you hunt too.

Those little extra nubs down by the base add a lot of character!


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## stillhunterman (Feb 15, 2009)

What a neat looking bull Dallan, well done! Great write up of the experience, thoroughly enjoyed it!


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## BigT (Mar 11, 2011)

Nice bull! Congrats!

I can't wait to draw a LE elk permit.. Muzzy would be my preference.


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## Ut.juice (Aug 25, 2016)

Good job and great bull dallan


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## hunting777 (May 3, 2009)

Congrats on your successful hunt! Great Bull


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## BradN (Sep 25, 2007)

Fantastic bull. Thanks for sharing the story.


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## High Desert Elk (Aug 21, 2012)

Beautiful bull, like those two little kickers.


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## OldRookie (Jun 30, 2016)

Congrats!


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## bekins24 (Sep 22, 2015)

Great looking bull. Congrats Dallan!


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## cdbright (Aug 24, 2016)

i love everything about this !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

Nice work man! Congrats on an awesome bull!

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## ISHY (Dec 4, 2015)

Great story and bull!


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## muleymadness (Jan 23, 2008)

Man that is cool, REALLY cool. Congrats and thanks for sharing.


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## Bow hunter mojo (Oct 12, 2013)

Well done Dallan! That is an awesome account of events. Thanks for sharing.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Thanks everyone.

Picked him up from the butcher today. Last years cow had a rail weight of 248lbs, this guy went 440lbs! 5 shelves of meat vs the normal 2-2.5 we get from an elk... 

Also on a side note, I was given some pictures of this bull taken while he was alive, pretty neat.


-DallanC


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## CPAjeff (Dec 20, 2014)

Awesome bull and wonderful write up! Congrats!


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## 35whelen (Jul 3, 2012)

awesome bull! great story ! congratulations!


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## 35whelen (Jul 3, 2012)

I like his little nubs at the base of the brow tines


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## tigerpincer (Dec 5, 2009)

Great bull and awesome adventure. Congrats!


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## Kwalk3 (Jun 21, 2012)

Congratulations! That is a beautiful bull. Everything it seems you were looking for on your hunt. The devil tines are pretty sweet as extras too. Thanks for sharing the story!


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## silentstalker (Feb 19, 2008)

Very cool bull! Congrats!


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## Idratherbehunting (Jul 17, 2013)

Awesome bull! Congratulations!


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## Raptorman (Aug 18, 2009)

Great Bull Dallan! Congrats!


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## middlefork (Nov 2, 2008)

Nice! Congrats Dallan.


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