Ha Ha! I'd need an army. It's too far and he's way too big and heavy for backpacking, so I'm hiring an outfitter with horses for later in the day. But I could use help tomorrow morning prepping him for the packout. Above Brainard from the Long Lake trailhead it's 1.7 miles in on a fairly easy trail. I promise an adventure for anyone who wants the experience. PM me if you're interested. I'll be out of internet and cell phone service after about 9 a.m.
What time do you plan on being at the trail head? Sending a pm.
"There are no finger prints under water."
Ha! There were plenty of hikers at Lake Isabelle where we were watching him with a cow and calf. And they knew what I was doing there. I'm not bashful about educating the public. We watched the bull swim across the lake and move up the mountain with the cow & calf. I lost then re found them in a back cirque meadow at 10944 ft. Spent half an hour watching before deciding to take him. Two shots at 42 yards offhand, 7mm-08, 120 grain Barnes Vor-Tex. He took three steps and fell.
He must have sure been tame to let you take a pic while he was relaxing for an afternoon nap.
I hear copper supplements have a taming effect on wild animals.
Oh, and congrats!
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Irving, thanks for volunteering to help! I'll see you (and anyone else) at the Long Lake trailhead 9:00-9:30 tomorrow. Who knows, maybe we'll call in another bull moose.
Here's a photo this morning from where I first saw the bull by the SW corner of the lake, then tracked him way up the drainage and up to Lake Isabelle, then up Pawnee Pass. I tracked him up the valley left of the far mountain in the center, over a saddle behind it, and up into the clouds to the right.
Watched him swim across the lake. Too cold for me. He got out slow and stiff legged too.
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The bull was lying down and napping when I shot him. Not an ideal shot forward of the shoulder and quartering back as it was a potential one lung shot. But I expected him to stand and offer a perfect double lung broadside second shot behind the shoulder. Happened just like that. The second round really wasn't necessary as the first took out the aorta.
The cow and calf were laid down by the bull and the suppressor made the shot so soft they didn't even get up. I had to throw rocks at them to get them to leave. It's my first time using a suppressor for hunting. Did I need to carry an extra pound on the end of the rifle? Not so much for moose where I could take time for ear plugs, but for snap shooting elk in the timber, absolutely!
It also was my first time using Barnes Vor-Tex lead free ammo. It's a copper slug with a plastic expansion driver tip. I was concerned about the effectiveness of the 120 grain bullet, but no longer. I will use it for elk in a couple weeks.
Last edited by Hummer; 10-09-2018 at 00:10.
Thats awesome! Figured you would be getting one down! Persistence paid off! Congratulations on a beautiful bull!
Oh wow. Congratulations indeed. : )
My airstream has been stolen by dopers