Tag Archives: elk hunting

A Spike in Elk Hunting

October 19, 2025blogelk, elk hunting, rocky mountain elk, spike, utah, venisoncoldboremiracle

Introduction

Few things compare to elk camp, and it is the highlight of my year each fall. The perfectly cool weather, in the high Rocky Mountains in the prettiest time of year. And perfected by the sometimes distant song of rutting bulls. This year I changed up my plan a little bit, and hunted a different area than I have been for the last five or so years. Changing your hunting plans can be a roll of the dice, creating potential triumph or bust. It wouldn’t be long before I would find out.

this mature bull spent 30 minutes bugling on this hillside as we watched him

Terrain and Weather

The mountains of Central Utah are a unique collection of geography. Interesting layers of rock, clay, and stone conglomerate you would normally see in the desert, have all been pushed up over millennia to an altitude over eight-thousand feet. And at this altitude, the typical alpine and aspen forests grow. That is where elk thrive, and we had made our way into this country in search of immature spike bulls.

At this high altitude, storm clouds crash into the mountain range and squeeze out all their precipitation. I actually enjoy a little bit of weather, mingled with good. It tends to keep animals active when they otherwise might not. And the weather we encountered had caused the local elk to endure their rutting mating rituals, which was a great help for us.

Junior and I enjoying a bit of sunshine as bulls bugle in the background

Despite the less than ideal weather, my son and I took every opportunity to explore, hunt, and even fish some handsome Cutthroats from the nearby creeks. Until he had to leave halfway through the hunt.

Bonneville Cutthroat filled the tiny creeks

Bull elk had been bugling so frequently during our time in the mountains, that I was beginning to develop elk tinnitus. I was beginning to hear bugles in my sleep and in my thoughts.

An Opportunity

After many days of hunting, I had seen quite a few elk including some mature bulls we couldn’t engage but through the binoculars. I’d even caught a glimpse of a spike running through the forest. But an actual shot opportunity had evaded me.

It was an evening hunt midweek, and three of us were stalking quietly through clearings in the forest. Sagebrush pastures surrounded by Aspen groves and thick pine covered ridges allowed us to move pretty quietly. Thick dark clouds hung overhead licking the tops of the tallest pines, causing the effect of a premature twilight as the sun hung low in the western sky.

With me that day was my old friend Nathan, and his son Jacob. The three of us approached a small open draw buried in the thick forest, hoping to see the brown and tan figures we were after. Moving very slowly to avoid detection, and with the wind in our faces, we crept over the edge looking into the draw below.

US Optics, USO, LXR, riflescope, x-series, 4-24x56, scope, 6.5 PRC, PVA Modus, cole tac, elk, elk hunting, — The **US Optics LXR** mounted on my PVA Modus rifle

Taking the Shot

I spotted one elk feeding calmly opposite us, down the draw and up the other side. We watched her through binoculars as a calf fed out alongside her from the thick pine trees nearby. We prepared our gear as we watched for additional potential targets. A third elk fed out of the trees, and I was sure it had short antlers. Watching through my scope, I whispered to Jacob who was on the spotting scope, seeking confirmation that the third elk indeed was a unbranched antlered bull. Jacob confirmed what I suspected, and it was time to shoot…

Hardware

The rifle I carried that day was my Patriot Valley Arms Modus rifle, chambered in 6.5 PRC. I had used the rifle several times before for both deer and elk hunting, I’d even managed to have some success the previous season. The Modus wore a brand new US Optics LXR 4-24×56, one of my favorite new scopes. Aside from the typical bipod and sling, I’d also installed my Anechoic Anechox 35 suppressor, to keep things quiet.

The rifle was loaded with my pet handloads, made from Peterson cases loaded with Hodgdon Powder and the Hornady 140 grain BTHP match bullet. Muzzle velocity was just over 3000FPS, and had been tested extensively out to distances well beyond 1000 yards.

As the young bull fed quietly 430 yards away, I rested the rifle atop my upright backpack, sitting behind it. As Nathan and Jacob both watched, we waited for the bull to turn broadside. I’d dialed the 1.6 MRAD elevation correction into the LXR’s elevation turret, and I evaluated the breeze as I tried to calm my elevated heart pace. The killshot came as his broadside show between two pine trees, I confirmed with my spotters that was indeed the bull, and sent one of the handloaded Hornadys through his chest. His shoulder rippled with the impact, and he charged out of sight into the pines.

Recovery

The centered shot just behind the shoulder looked good, I expected the bull to be dead a few yards away. But as we quickly hiked into the location I didn’t see him, and the increasing rain threatened to wash away any blood sign. So we quickly set to find a blood trail.

As we did, I heard the thrashing sounds of the dying bull. About forty-yards into the pine trees, his legs kicked against the brittle sticks where he’d fallen. We approached the fallen bull as the eerie sound of his last breath escaped from the wound in his side.

I knelt beside him as the rain continued to fall. We quietly revered him in the damp silence, listening only to the sounds of the forest and our thoughts of gratitude.

Food for Thought

After an exhausting extraction through rain and mud, the young bull hangs in a tree a few yards from camp. Using my pocket knife, I cut a tenderloin from his belly. I cleaned it and trimmed it up as I heated a dutch oven and butter. As Nathan, Jake and I sat to eat this fresh piece of our prize, I considered a thought that frequents my inner dialogue. There was a time, where I would hunt like this whether accompanied or not. But as I’ve aged, I find the solitude less entertaining.

I’ve found that without someone I love to share my adventures, they aren’t quite as bright. Without one of my kids to teach something, or a brother or friend who can share in the suffering and triumph, the memories fade faster than those I share with loved ones. Nothing will stop me from pursuing these adventures, but these days I spend as much time including kids and others as I do planning the adventure itself. And those memories are refreshed every time we taste a delicious deer burger, or slice a juicy elk steak.

-CBM

Hunting with Magnums: Does a Magnum’s Might Make Right?

September 5, 2025blogdeer hunting, elk hunting, hunting, magnumcoldboremiracle

Introduction

As the old saying goes; might makes right. Meaning that those with power can enforce their will. This doctrine has long been used when it comes to hunting cartridges. With hunting season right around the corner we figured it was worth the discussion to evaluate the premise. Does a magnum’s might make right when it comes to hunting? Does the heavy energy load of magnum cartridges make them the best choice for your hunt? Let’s get to the bottom of it.

I load my own with these **RCBS dies**, this allows me the ability to customize the energy applied

What Makes a Magnum?

Magnum cartridges are simply larger than typical cartridges of comparable bore. For example, the 30-06 Springfield is a common 30-caliber cartridge. The 300 Winchester Magnum is a larger 30-caliber cartridge, with more powder capacity. This allows the 300 to push bullets much faster all else being equal.

the 30-06 Springfield has been and will continue to take nearly any NA big game animal. This **Winchester model 70** is a classic example of an American hunting rifle

The whole premise of magnum cartridges is to bring higher velocities and energy. When you shoot larger bullets and faster velocities the energy imposed on the target goes up. This can be very important when it comes to hunting animals, as energy is key to quickly incapacitating our prey.

Ballistic Performance

Another reason magnum cartridges are popular is because of their ballistic performance. The same attributes that make them effective for hunting, also make them effective for long-range shooting. Being able to shoot bigger bullets at faster velocities, or standard bullets at even faster velocities makes them a better choice for shooting further. Heavier bullets and faster bullets hold onto their energy longer, which pushes out the envelope of their effectiveness. You can imagine how this would be helpful to both a hunter, and a long-range shooter.

Magnums like this 300 PRC do well for long-range shooting and hunting

Newer and better bullets are constantly hitting the market, which is making the ballistic performance grow ever better. The 180 grain bullets your grandpa shot weren’t as efficient as the latest and greatest 180 grain bullets we have today. But does that matter for many of us?

Real World Applications

As I peruse hunting and shooting forums, social media groups, and even the slums of reddit, you can get an idea of most hunting practices. It seems that the majority of hunters typically engage big game like deer at distances between 50 and 400 yards when hunting with firearms. Obviously that depends greatly on location and the animal they are after.

deer sized animals can easily be taken with smaller calibers like this 6mm GT in my **Desert Tech SRSM2**

If you are stalking a fifty-pound Roe deer on the green fields of Great Britain, you will probably use different tackle than a hog hunter in Georgia, or a Stone Sheep hunter in the Yukon. The size of your prey, and the environment you pursue them in has much to do with your cartridge selection.

Even large animals like a Rocky Mountain Elk are easily taken with short action cartridges like a .243 or a 30-30. So why do most people use heavy magnums for hunting them? Mainly because Rocky Mountain Elk live in places you don’t want to take your .243.

The Landscape

Western hunts often take place in big open country, where shots could be much further than average. Furthermore, a wounded animal might go for miles through the steepest miserable country you can imagine. So it makes sense to use a rifle with more power and heavy bullets. In many of these hunts, it is also important to drop the animal right where it stands to avoid strenuous extraction.

when hunting in the deep forest, you often want to secure your prey where it stands to make it easier to get out

Conversely, if you are hunting one of the gulf states you probably aren’t going to be making many 400 yard shots. And your chances of finding an elk down there are likely limited to exotic ranches. Consideration to location could have a lot to do with whether or not you really need a magnum.

in the thick woods where I took this bear, having a smaller rifle with lower recoil was beneficial

Biology

It is also very important to understand the body structure of the animals we intend to hunt. Some animals are tougher than others, and require a little more energy to quickly and cleanly put them down. Using an appropriately proportioned cartridge for the animal not only ensures a clean kill, but also reduces waste. I like to eat what I hunt, so blowing a deer in half with a super magnum is not on my list.

Hitting an animal in the right spot is more important than what you hit them with, read more about that here

Using a magnum on a small animal particularly at short distance is likely to cause more damage than necessary. This could cause meat to be lost and discarded. Shooting a 90-grain bullet from a 6mm Creedmoor might be perfect for hunting a Pronghorn antelope inside 400 yards. You could use a 300 Winchester for the same job, but you might have a few pounds less to take home for the freezer.

Continue Reading Here

when chasing big animals in big country, using a big magnum is always a safe bet

Hunting with kids: more effort with more rewards

July 25, 2023blog, huntingchildren, deer hunting, elk hunting, hunting, kids, youthcoldboremiracle

Kids and Hunting

My son started coming hunting with me as soon as he could walk. He would toddle along behind me always excited for whatever it was we were going to do. I took every opportunity to bring him along, though sometimes the days events were too rough to go hunting with kids. This was a lesson I learned myself as a youngster. But I was determined to make sure I pushed the endeavour as long as it stayed fun for him. My Ridley is a legal adult now, and I often wonder if I could go back in time, would I have done it the same way.

hunting with kids — My Ridley on one of his first deer hunts.

A Father’s Guidance

I grew up under the watchful eye of my father, himself quite a dedicated hunter. I often speak of how my dad was also raised hunting these same dry desert mountains of Utah. So it should come as no surprise that as far back as I can remember I wanted to hunt. So many of my most memorable childhood experiences were related to the times that I was able to tag along with my dad or my grandfathers. You can read more about those Memories right here.

That was a different time I suppose, different rules and more hunting options that were much easier to participate in. My dad is a bowhunter, while he’s shot plenty of animals with a rifle I think in his heart he truly enjoys the thrill of the ancient art of archery.

I’ve been on a few bowhunts in my lifetime, and looking back I can better understand why I never got to go as a child. Sneaking into archery range of a Mule deer is hard enough when you have the wind, concealment and noise working against you. I can’t imagine trying to put the sneak on a deer hunting with kids by your side.

the freedom to roam and explore are the currency of boyhood, let him spend it often

My Experience with Kids

As a young man, I too was bitten by the bug carrying the archery pathogen. And spent countless hours preparing myself for an eventual bowhunting trip. Unfortunately I grew out of it by the time I had reached the age to go. That and the fact that teenage girls existed greatly reduced my dedication to the sport.

child carrying rifle — Ridley packing around his first rifle, the **Cricket EX17hmr**

Many years later I would find myself longing for hunting memories that never were. So when my lifelong dream of becoming a father was finally realized. I made a mindful decision that my own son would never want for the chance to join a hunting adventure. In fact I hoped that conversely he might someday look back, and wish he’d taken the opportunity more often.

A Hunting Opportunity

One of the many adventures hunting with kids involved my son, also happened to involve my dad. It was well over a decade ago, and my father and I were situated along the spine of a steep ridge in Utah’s Wasatch Mountains. One side of the ridge was a traditional slope that had a trail we had come in on ATV’s that morning. The opposite side of the ridge was as steep a hill as you can imagine. It was littered with thick brush and deadfall, and dropped for over a mile into a thick wooded forest below.

children with bull elk — I consider my kids lucky, I sure hope they do too

We were after Mule deer bucks that morning. I had learned the pattern of them crossing this ridge spine over the years. Dad and I had spread out several hundred yards across the ridge to better cover potential bucks crossing over. Ridley was probably four or five years old at the time, and he sat near me quietly munching snacks and watching the sunrise. We’d spent the morning softly answering his many questions about trees and squirrels and every other thing that caught his curious eyes.

As we sat there in near silence, I heard a noise that immediately captured my own curiosity. It sounded like sticks breaking and the occasional rustle. I closely paid attention to the sound, and told Ridley to do the same. It would come and go, but I knew that something was moving up the steep drop off below us. As minutes passed, I continued to listen.

Hunting with Kids

After a few minutes I knew action was at hand and I motioned to my dad to come toward me, in anticipation of something stepping out. As dad made his way towards me, my son in a whisper asked me if he could walk over to the fourwheeler to get something. Sensing his pocket-to-snack ratio reaching critical, I told him he could go as long as he stayed quiet and in sight.

Once again I heard noise coming from the drop off, and this time it was much closer. My heart nearly stopped when I heard the familiar chirp of an elk from below. Now, I had said we were deer hunting but it just so happened that my father also carried a cow elk tag in his pocket that was still good. I immediately started making frantic hand motions for him to hurry to me. He had clearly understood the message, all but the frantic and hurry parts.

As he made it to me I told him what had been happening just over the edge of the ridge. We sat there quietly listening to rustling brush, and the occasional elk chirp. Ridley was quietly refilling his pockets with goldfish from the backpack on my fourwheeler as dad and I watched carefully for the sign of an elk coming through the trees.

Like they often do, the elk made their way so close to us under cover that we were quite surprised when they emerged. Barely sixty-yards or so away, two cows came up through some aspen trees. It was quite obvious that they knew nothing of our presence.

The Shot

As dad lifted his rifle I remember thinking to myself; that’s it, we’re gonna have elk for dinner. As the front elk cleared the second one, I knew that dad was probably starting to press the trigger. That’s when things went south…

Perhaps fifty yards away in a different direction, my son continued his supply mission. I was of course looking at the elk. So I can only imagine what it was like from his little guy perspective when he too spotted the elk standing on the edge of the treeline. Forgetting all the counsel I’d given him that morning, he saw the elk and in the most excited voice he shouted out: “Dad there’s two elk!”. I can just imagine his big brown eyes wide open, spitting bits of goldfish as he belted out his discovery.

I’ll spare you the rest of the story, and the rest of that hunt for that matter. As it was uneventful after that morning. Hustling over to the fourwheeler to him, I saw his face lit up with excitement.

I remember a sense of calm that came over me, and despite my internal rage of missing an easy opportunity. Calmly I explained the consequences of him breaking silence. I distinctly remember wanting to make sure not to chastise him, and sour the experience of hunting for him. Dad and me were both a bit sour though, we’d been so close.

No Regrets

I’ve never regretted taking Ridley along, not that day nor any other. He learned his lesson about keeping quiet. That was his very first experience with elk, but it would not be his last.

cow elk — My 12yo Ridley with his first elk, you can **read that story here**

We’ve been on so many hunts together since, and my daughter too has come along with us. She has an elk tag of her own this year. I think back to all the times where I had to carry extra snacks, make fires to keep kids warm. And hold chubby little hands as we descended a sketchy trail. And there is no amount of venison, or bones on the wall that would mean more to me than the adventures we have shared together.

I can guarantee that the elk we didn’t get that day isn’t the only animal lost because I had one of my kids along, but the experience is far more valuable to me. I don’t blame my dad for not taking me hunting more when I was younger. But someday when I’m long gone I hope my kids will remember all the adventures we made, and smile. And more importantly I hope it serves as inspiration for them to raise the next generation of adventure seekers.

-CBM

coyote hunting with children — Kids cant learn and enjoy if they dont come along

Ridley with his buck from last season, read more about it here

For more hunting stories visit our hunting section

Elk Hunting: Double down in deep snow

February 11, 2023blog, huntingelk, elk hunting, hunting, snowcoldboremiracle

Background

I have lived most of my life here at the feet of the Rocky Mountains. And I’ve been lucky to enjoy much of what this beautiful landscape offers. This winter (22-23) has been one to remember, not only because of a welcome change in weather patterns but also because of the circle of life that is affected by it. Come along on this elk hunting adventure.

Return to Normal

As a child and teenager, I remember epic snowstorms that would pile ice deep around our yard. So deep in fact that my siblings and I would burrow around through the piles of snow that Dad would stack up while cleaning off the driveway. But those distant memories have faded now, partly because snow like that has been scarce for nearly as long as I’ve had children. This year the snow came back, pummeling our mountains time and again with an ever deeper snow pack. So deep in fact that many of the herds of animals that often winter in the canyons around this valley have been driven right into town, even causing serious traffic delays on interstates.

As a hunter, I was excited to see how this welcome return to normal snow-pack would improve the hunting situation in the state. Surely the heavy snow-pack will help fill our water bodies back up, but what about the herd of elk that I chase every winter here in the mountains above my home?

A Return to Normal

The early snow had fallen, and had begun to push the animals down in elevation and much closer to the canyons and draws where I wait for them every November. This year myself and a good friend we’ll call Dustin both had antlerless elk tags. I’m torn by the premise of these tags, I have little faith that my state’s wildlife agency has anything other than budgets in mind when it comes to them. I suppose the purpose is to keep the number of elk from getting too out of hand, and perhaps the light hunting pressure on the herds keeps them just far enough out of suburbia to prevent unwanted interactions. In my experience from watching many other hunters with the same tag, I think it is a fairly low success for most.

Our experience however has been one of great success, due mainly to the fact that we live close enough to watch the mountain every day, keeping tabs on when they arrive and where they go every year. The fact that every year we return, to pattern their habits also adds a great deal of experience that improves to our success.

Finding Elk

With the return of heavy snows, Dustin and I spent weeks watching elk, calculating when the right time would be and where we could intersect with them. For those who have never taken elk, I’ll explain why. Elk can be very large animals, getting a whole elk off of a mountain in four or five feet of snow can be very taxing on your hunting energy.

A picture from a past hunt, in these conditions it can get dicy quick

Rather than overexerting ourselves and pushing everything to our limits, we prefer to tactfully engage with our prey. Waiting for the right time and place can greatly reduce the effort needed to extract our prize. I prefer to get them out whole, to reduce lost meat, so that is always my first choice.

After watching several bulls for weeks, I was starting to get worried that their cows had perhaps had gone another way this year. And our season was quickly coming to an end, with less than a week left I was becoming more desperate.

At Long Last

Luckily, Dustin was also looking, and he had a bit more luck on his side of the mountain. I walked into my office on a Friday morning, only to get a text from him that he’d spotted some cows, and they were definitely doable. I gathered my things and jumped back in my truck to head towards Dustin, knowing that I would at minimum be able to help him get one out should he shoot one and potentially shoot another myself.
Before I could get there Dustin already had put one down, taking a mature young cow from a group that numbered around a dozen. The rest of them made their way over the ridge into the next drainage. After showing up, I helped him get his cow the rest of the way back down to the trail. Despite being his first elk ever, Dustin already understood the how and when to shoot an elk. Ensuring it was all downhill to our destination, and with minimal obstacles allowing two guys to get her down without further assistance.

After a surprisingly easy extraction, we decided to see if we could find the others since it was still before noon. We knew the direction the herd had gone, so we decided we’d go that direction to see if we could find them, or another group of elk. This time of year, elk typically don’t go far even after having been shot at.

Round Two

We found ourselves looking up into another drainage, hoping that there were more elk hiding within it. The plan we agreed upon was to hike up to a small saddle that would give us better perspective of the area, and with any luck we’d get a shot from there.

Of course the sunshine was quickly covered up by menacing clouds as they began to drop snow on us and the temperature began to drop. Still uncommitted to making a full effort to the bowl above us, we chose to take the easiest path which was a game trail that worked around a south facing ridge with less snow-pack. We worked around the edge of the bowl until we had to directly cross over a hilltop through some trees. Our approach had unbeknownst to us presented us with a near perfect scenario, as we skylined over the hilltop our silhouettes were obscured in the treeline. It was at that point I picked out the shape of three elk, laying in the snow a mere 250 yards away.

We quickly got into position to make a shot, the deep snow making a perfectly comfortable and stable shooting position. I laid my gun across my backpack to get the right angle on the unsuspecting elk. One of the three must have noticed the goings on, and stood up to get a better look at us. The other two lay next to each other, perfectly aligned.
I told Dustin I was going to shoot the standing animal, and we waited for her to present a perfect broadside shot. As usual, I carried my Desert Tech SRS M2 that day. But this time I had installed my 7mm Short Action Ultra Magnum barrel, something I hadn’t hunted with for several years. I’d taken another elk and a deer with it some years prior, but today it was chambered with something new. I was shooting the 151 grain Cayuga solid bullets from Patriot Valley Arms. The SRS M2 and the 7SAUM have been incredibly consistent and deadly for me, so as I closed the bolt looking at these elk I knew we were about to embark on a lot of work.

Trigger Time

As the young cow turned giving me a good broadside shot, I put my finger to the trigger and began to press. The snow slightly obscured the view through my Steiner scope, but I still had every confidence as the trigger broke. The incredibly fast bullet impacted the elk before we even heard the shot go off, but it echoed across the canyon, muffled by the dense and snow-filled air.
The elk immediately reacted, lurching forward into a sprint across the top of the ridge. I watched as she ran, favoring her right shoulder. The stiff leg she clearly didn’t want to use bounced as she hurried over the hill in what could only be described as a fast hobble. The other two elk followed her after leaping to their feet.
Much like times before, despite not seeing the elk after they crossed the hilltop, I had a warm feeling knowing that the 7SAUM does not take prisoners.

We hiked across the draw and found their bedded imprints in the snow, and easily found the ungainly tracks in the snow with the crimson confirmation that I had indeed hit the mark. We followed the tracks and blood which at first seemed less than ideal, but the closer we got to the downed elk, the blood trail became extremely evident. Surprisingly we never saw the other two elk again, but we laid hands on our prize for the second time that day. The Cayuga had hit the mark perfectly, breaking the right shoulder, passing through the lungs then exiting just in front of the left shoulder.

Clockwise from top left: Blood trail, bullet impact, broken shoulder, and pulverized lungs

I’ve lost count of how many elk we’ve shot with the **Desert Tech SRS**

Cleaning Up

I had to go against my own preferences, as the lay of the land would certainly not allow us to drag her our whole. We decided to cut her up, and pack out in pieces with the help of some friends who were quick to respond.

For the next couple hours, Dustin and I went to work reducing the animal to carryable portions. My dog Benson eagerly lent his assistance and attention while trying to stay warm.

Once again I stand here in my kitchen with freshly packaged meat neatly wrapped and ready to freeze. The venison we take every year fills our freezer and helps sustain the clean and healthy meals for our families. As I look out the window at the deep and cold snow in the mountains around us, I can’t help but feel thankful for the bounty we’ve been given. And thankful for friends with whom I can share the experience of thriving survival, and with whom I can share the delicious cuts of meat.

-CBM

I process all my own meat, with Outdoor Edge knives

Hard Effort and Elk Hunting

January 8, 2022huntingelk, elk hunting, hard hunting, hard work, huntingcoldboremiracle

As hunters, we seem to revel in the challenge and frequent suffering that accompanies the efforts of hunting. I believe this comes from deep in our DNA handed down from our ancestry, from generations of exceptionally hard people that lived on the edge of survival. Pushing ourselves to that same absolute edge of our abilities during a hunt seems to tap into the very root of our hunting heritage, and the feeling intensifies the closer we get to the precipice of danger and complete collapse. Today’s elk hunting story is one like that.

I was lucky enough to refine this discourse with a partner during one of my most recent hunts. Hard labor and putting in the time are a must when hunting Rocky Mountain Elk, and we were already deeply committed to a stalk high into the snowy mountains at seventy-five hundred feet.

Nick and I have been friends for years, but this was his first time with me hunting elk, his first elk hunt period in fact. He had only taken his very first big game animal a few months prior during the Utah general season mule deer hunt, so this hunt was as much a learning experience as anything else.

The weather that day was brutal to say the least, a winter storm had been producing freezing rain all night as the wind howled across the mountain range stacking the snow anywhere it could. Our time to hunt was short, so we’d decided to go for it since success favors the brave.

As the light of day continued to brighten around us, we climbed a ridge spine that promised to put us in shooting range of a small group of cow elk spotted from the bottom of the canyon. The wind seemed to increase with every step, at times causing us to lose balance and slip in the deep snow.

We took the opportunity to talk, as the noise of the wind could cover up a Peterbilt at fast-idle. I regaled Nick with hunting stories of the past, hardships endured, triumphs after failures and so on.

Nick being quite eager to learn and be successful as a hunter was happy to discuss all the finer points that make for a fortunate hunt. The wind battered our faces with bits of hail and snow as we lumbered up the ridge, and our discussion turned to a different subject. “At what point does the suffering endured during a hunt cease to be fun” in the traditional sense. After all, most of us hunt because we enjoy it despite the difficulty.

My inquisitive colleague also asked how this hunt stacked up against other difficult hunts I’ve been lucky to endure. If I recall correctly he asked; on a scale of one to ten, ten being the worst hunt I’d ever been on, how are we doing today?

Like a veteran of some awful war; my eyes glazed over and immediately took me back to a freezing cold evening on a slippery mountain deep in Montana’s Kootenai National Forest. For days we had hiked countless miles through clouds and freezing rain, taken several spills down rocky scree-piles and still had nothing to show yet. I found myself clawing up an incredibly steep and treacherous mountain, slipping and sliding grabbing at sticks to gain traction. I would have given up long ago but we’d taken a shot, and I swore to myself that I would either find it or confirm the fear that it was a miss. My heart pounded like I’d never felt before, rain and sweat both ran freely down my face. I couldn’t have cared less since the point of full soak had passed hours before. My patience and exhaustion threshold had been reached, and using my rifle as a crutch I dug into the hillside for every taxing step. After what seemed an eternity, I finally reached the landmark only to find that the better part of the day had all been a waste of effort. I was ready for complete surrender, ready to throw my rifle down the hill and leave my tag hanging in the nearest tree.

I flashed back to the windswept ridge where Nick stood awaiting my answer.

I quickly evaluated the labor and suffering we had seen already that morning. And I multiplied it as I looked at what lay ahead, compounded by the unknown that was sure to stand out later. I told Nick; “right now we’re at about a six.” And we carried on.

The snow got deeper, and we found ourselves moving from one hole to another, digging our feet out with each step. I found myself looking for small trees and bushes protruding from the snow, and stepping on them to use like a natural snowshoe. If only I’d been smart enough to bring a pair I could use for every step.

elk — our herd, scraping out survival on the side of the mountain

It was early afternoon when we finally neared the ridge-top where I expected we might have a shot, and it was time to make ready. The wind had only gotten worse, and our condition hadn’t improved, but Nick prepared his rifle for the shot we hoped would come. Removing ice from the rifle to ensure everything was ready, Nick dry fired it several times to make sure we wouldn’t have a malfunction, and then finally chambered a 338 Lapua Magnum cartridge in his Desert Tech SRS. He backed of his riflescope to six power, and we crept across the crunchy snow between the scrubby trees.

Everything moved with the wind and blowing snow, so I cant be sure when it happened, but almost without any indication, there stood a cow elk a mere forty-yards in front of us behind a small tree.

I motioned Nick who was in the process of raising his rifle to bare, but before he could, she bolted from view. We followed her with our eyes as more elk appeared from behind the trees, and moved in a huddled mass away from us. As clouds blew in between us, we used the cover to move below the tree-line where we might have a clear shot at them.

We found a tree trunk that provided a solid shooting position and peered into the cloudy breeze waiting for an opening. As Nick continually wiped the snow accumulating in the objective of his Kahles scope, I peered through binoculars to where I’d last seen the elk. Through several courses of clouds we waited, getting ghostly glimpses of them but nothing long enough to make a shot. The wind was now blowing at us directly from twelve o’clock, and pelting our eyes and faces with every look.

But just as we had nearly reached our threshold for the bone-chilling cold, the wind blew another patch of clear air into our canyon, exposing a few of the elk that stood among the trees. Nick spotted them through his scope, and I watched through my binoculars. When both of us were ready, he finally let the Lapua off the chain. The muffled shot wasn’t particularly loud with the roaring wind around us, but my ears were focused downrange.

Among the sounds of ice bouncing down my ear canal, I over heard the old familiar whap come back a second or so after the shot. Both Nick and I watched through our respective optics as the cow stumbled backwards then faceplanted into the snow before her. The three-hundred grain Lapua Scenar had broken one shoulder and perforated her heart, and she slid down the steep slope leaving bright red snow patches along the way.

The final approach, after hours of hard work

It took us another grueling trek through the deep snow to get to where we last saw her, the whole way we spoke of the excitement and our individual perspectives. As we laid eyes on our prize finally, we went in for a high-five that turned into a bro-hug halfway through. And like we had hundreds of times that morning, we again fell over, finally able to laugh at our hardships.

“Now it was all fun” Nick said as he descended towards his first elk, up until that point it had been indeterminate extreme effort and endurance.

That magical act of laying your hands on a prize that you’ve worked your ass off to get, the one you’ve daydreamed about since last season, when you finally have a tangible trophy you can take home and justify all the effort you put in seems to tie it all together into an adventure you will never forget.

In spite of the overwhelming imbalance between exertion, suffering, and the few minutes of celebration, that simple act of winning seems to atone for every negative challenge endured to get there.

the snow got so deep we could barely move ourselves, much less an elk

Our frozen hands were soon warmed as we again set to work on dressing the animal, and the even harder work of getting her out began. Luckily I have some good friends who volunteered to help us get her out, and as I write this she is quietly aging out in my woodshed.

There are few things I enjoy more than sharing this incredibly rewarding and at times crazy lifestyle of hunting, watching Nick take his first elk was the ice cold icing on the cake for me. Watching him dig deep into the snow and pushing beyond what may have seemed rational. I’d like to think he reached his roots down in that deep snow, and felt the same connection I often do when we join the circle of life around us.

I expect Nick will hunt again, I think the affliction of big game hunting has grabbed ahold of him. And he surely has become too accustomed to the taste of venison to stop now.

elk meat, venison — we butchered the elk after aging for a week, she made a lot of food

I too will be back elk hunting next year, by then all the aches and pains will have been forgotten. And I’ll again be ready to make seemingly poor choices that will put me in range of my objectives, and I look forward to sharing it with new friends and family.

-CBM

If you like this hunt, here is another first elk hunt to read

Elk Hunting Carnivores

December 22, 2021huntingelk, elk hunting, recoil, recoil magazinecoldboremiracle

I had the great opportunity to take Iain Harrison (editor of Recoil Magazine and Carnivore Magazine) on a cow elk hunt here in the Utah mountains. I got sick during the trip (turned out to be Cofeve) so I was hurling literally minutes before the action went down in this video. Surprisingly I was able to make it through the whole thing without getting any worse, and even managed to help pack out. Give it a watch, hope you like it.

Essential Gear for Elk Hunting

May 14, 2020blog, huntingelk, elk hunting, gearcoldboremiracle

Elk hunting is a dream hunt for many of us, I am lucky enough to have had the chance over and over throughout the years. If an elk hunt is on your list of must-do hunts, here I have put together my thoughts on the gear you won’t want to be without when you go.
The Rocky Mountains are a bountiful and impressive place to hunt, whether you are after monster mulies, elk, or one of the other beautiful species herein, it can be quite a job. Today we’ll speak specifically about the elk hunting side of it, and the differences you should know between elk hunting, and smaller animals like deer.

The Bugle of a Bull
Contrary to what you see on all the hunting shows, calling elk is not as simple as it appears. Elk are most vocal during the rut, which is usually in September. If you are hunting outside of their rutting schedule, then your bugling tube and all your practice might be nearly useless. If it is a general season hunt, or any hunt where there will likely be people around adding hunting pressure, elk tend to shut up unless they are rutting. So keep in mind when your hunt is, and the kind of pressure they will be under. Elk are quite smart, and a call under the wrong circumstances may send them charging off into oblivion. Whereas during the rut, they can be hormone-driven fools, that come in fast looking for a fight.
Cow calls and other noises can be useful depending again on the general mood on the mountain you are hunting. I’ve brought in several bulls just raking the trees with a broken branch. If a big bull is what you are after, you have to play to his attitude.
Whether you are after a bull or a cow, you will want to keep an eye out for the cows. There are lots of eyes and ears in a herd of elk, and the ladies are usually the ones to bust you. Minimal sounds and calls may be all you need to find them and get into place for a shot. If you are hunting active herds, make sure you bring your A level calling game, a good bugle can bring in a monster on a string.

Boots of Hermes
Elk hunting will drive you right to edge of sanity, plodding through soft mountain soil, chasing towards a ridgeline in pouring rain or snow, your legs and feet will take punishment like never before. Having a good pair of boots is absolutely essential, or even better, have more than one pair. Sometimes you might find yourself sneaking quietly through dense forest, and other times clawing your way up a loose rock pile or chute. Having good boots and perhaps several different pairs for these differing terrains may keep you fresh. Make sure you have good comfy shoes waiting for you back at camp as well, with clean fresh socks. You’ll want to care for your feet as best as possible because they will be punished.
Lightweight is a must, but the weather can dictate the rest. If it’s cold and snowy then you will obviously want insulating boots to keep the heat in, and if it’s wet and raining, you’ll want waterproof footwear to keep from getting soggy and cold. The best practice is to have several good options, that way your feet get a pleasant change from day to day and hike to hike.

Extraction: Rope and a Plan
Until you walk up to your first downed elk, they just look like a big deer from a distance. But as soon as you lay hands on your prize, you will realize just how big they are. The realization shortly after recovery, offers quite the challenge, even with a buddy just turning a large elk around is hard enough. So one of the most important things you can have before leaving camp is a plan to extract the animal, that could be quartering it and packing it out, or hauling it away in one big piece. Whether it is horses, ATV’s, or just some good backpack frames, make sure you have everything in place beforehand.
A good extraction plan could just be a large group of friends with an affinity for intense labor, or it could be as simple as a profane and indecent amount of cordage. I’ve been party to several different types of elk recoveries, but whole is by far my favorite, and for that, you usually need enough rope to reach the animal with either a vehicle or a hypothetical team of mules. We’ve pulled elk nearly half a mile up steep canyons with enough rope, other times we have carried quarters from a pole carried by two, and the most ingenious plan ever, we built a sled from fallen trees and used it to drag an entirely butchered elk up a steep hill to the truck. There are hundreds of ways to do it, research the country you intend to hunt, and see what kind of work it will take to get your prey back to camp. Sometimes if you are lucky, you can drive an ATV or truck right up to them, of course, those stories don’t sound as adventuresome.

Bag it
As I mentioned already, elk are very large animals, handling a fallen animal the size of a horse can be a lot of work. If you are lucky enough to get it out whole, you will need to get it cooled down and skinned asap. If you end up having to pack it out, it will likely be in large pieces, and nothing beats some high-quality game bags to keep those pieces in. Typical game bags may be a bit small for an elk unless its in pieces. Make sure you have enough game bags to protect your meat from contaminants and insects, it will make it that much better to eat and butcher once you get back home.
It’s also a good idea to have a bunch of twine or paracord you can use to tie-up open ends, or to hang it from. Many times we have had to make multiple trips to pack out an elk, and sometimes overnight. Paracord is great for hanging up those pieces left behind to keep out of reach of foraging animals, it also keeps the meat clean and elevated where the air can maintain it cool and as fresh as possible.

Eternal Optimism
Elk hunting can be feast or famine, days can pass with little to no sign. One day they could be everywhere, and the next day they may have evaporated into the atmosphere. Elk hunting requires a good attitude, and if you couple that good attitude to diligence you can be successful. Study the area, know where the animals go when spooked, get a feel for their safe zone, and unless its a last-ditch effort, do not push them out of their safe zone. You’d be better off waiting for them to come back out on their own, whereas if you push them, they might run for thirty miles and never look back. In my experience, you don’t get the prize without putting in the effort, only after your hopes are broken, and your body pushed to the edge, does that magical moment happen when stars and sights align.

-CBM

The 2019 Late Season for Elk

January 3, 2020hunting260, 6.5creedmoor, cow, elk, elk hunting, hunting, wintercoldboremiracle

Video at the bottom of article

Every winter, after the cold snow starts to build up in these Rocky Mountains, I get a bit of fever going. Not the kind of fever that normally comes with the cold season, this fever is far more profound. Its a fever born not from germs or microorganisms, but rather comes from my DNA. Like many of you I was born to hunt, and the knowledge that hunting season is around the corner fills me with excitement and a feverish desire to get after it. The late-season elk hunts in our state of Utah give a much-needed extension to this natural high, and it’s one we all seek out every year. This year was certainly no exception.

My herd of elk is a small one, it consists mainly of cows and their offspring. There is usually a few yearling cows, and spikes as well, and even more infrequent are the occasional mature bulls that follow them onto the winter range. Every year they come back the same pass they did the year before, and miles away, hunched behind a spotting scope gnawing on a cheese stick you will find me. Usually, I have all my gear ready by the time they show up, and this year it was only a matter of hours before we were on them.

Both friends and family participate in this yearly ritual, and today it was me and a good friend who we’ll call “Russ”. We had seen part of the herd heading in the right direction the evening before, and this morning we returned to our glassing post to see if they were still there. I say the right direction meaning a place where we knew we could get a downed elk out without extreme difficulty, we made our way towards the small group as they fed through the snow.

At seven thousand feet the air is thin and cold, and the fifteen to twenty mile an hour winds were not making it any better. We continued our stalk through the cold wind, knowing at least that it would cover both our sound and scent. We closed the distance to five hundred and twenty yards, any closer we would lose them with the rise of the hill. So we planted ourselves and set up our equipment, Russ was shooting a custom-built .260 Remington Ackley improved, on the end he had a Delta P Design 6.5 suppressor, and a Bushnell Elite Tactical scope mounted on top. In the magazine were a handful of Hornady 140 grain ELD-m handloads. Russ pushed his rifle up a snowy embankment pointing towards the elk herd, and I slid up to another spot, with my Desert Tech SRS A2 sitting in the saddle of my Precision Rifle Solutions tripod. I had been using the twenty-four inch 6.5 Creedmoor barrel in my rifle, and had very recently installed a new optic, the Riton Optics RT-S Mod 7 4-32 riflescope. I was shooting a new experimental lathe-turned solid bullet from Patriot Valley Arms, it is a 123 grain copper solid hollow point. Both of our rifles were shooting very close ballistic patterns, in fact, at the five-hundred and twenty yards we both dialed 2.2 MRAD of elevation, and with the wind blowing at a slight angle, we both held about .2 MRAD left wind. A wind call we would later rejoice over.

As we lay there freezing in the snow, we had to wait for a good shot. The low angle against the ridge made interference from brush and branches an issue, so we waited as the wind carried snow over our rifles and faces. The plan was to execute a command fire, both of us shooting in near unison to hit both animals before the rifle report ever reached them. Sounds easy enough, unless your trigger finger is freezing into a stiff hook while you wait. After a few long and shivery moments, we had two cows that offered us an acceptable shot. After loudly whispering back and forth about who was shooting at what, we counted down, fingers on triggers. In my mind, I decided it would be better to just shoot upon hearing the report of Russ’ rifle, so that’s what I did.
I was already pressing the trigger shoe on my SRS when I heard the rip of his 260 go off, so I finished my pull and sent the second round uphill towards the unsuspecting elk. Russ’ bullet found its mark perfectly, hitting just behind the left shoulder. She immediately lurched forward from the startling impact, while a few yards behind her, the second cow chewed bark from some of the brush. She may have seen the other cow leap forward, but it was too late. My bullet also impacted just behind her shoulder passing through her lungs and tapping her vertebrae as it passed by. This impact dropped her in her tracks, and she rolled down the steep and slippery slope. The first cow had just made it perhaps forty or fifty yards, both of us still trained on her with our rifles. And we watched as she stumbled, and tipped over, leaving a bright red blood trail through the pure white snow. It was over so fast, and yet my trigger finger was nearly frozen. I stowed it between my cheek and gum for a few minutes to bring back sensation.

We stood up in the breeze and watched as the remainder of the small herd slowly worked away from us. High fives were exchanged, and even a hug from the excitement. The work, however, had just begun, I doubted we would be getting too much aid in our elk extraction. So we left everything we wouldn’t need and carried only the bare essentials like knives, warm clothes, some rope and a few snacks. The steep mountain and snow-covered ground made the going slow, but an hour or so later, we stood over one of the two elk. After investigating her injuries and condition, we triangulated the other elk’s location based off the tracks leaving the first. The other cow lay exactly where expected, and left us a good trail to find her with.

As we began the decent with our two prizes, the morning had given way to a beautiful and sunny midday. We took our time, rolling and sliding these two ladies down the hill, taking breaks as needed.

As the afternoon went on however the clouds came back in, and threatened to freeze over the whole mountain. As we sat reposed in the snow, I watched as Russ’ dark pants steamed in the sunlight. But as the clouds came over us, it was like an icy blanket, and we both watched as the steam from his pants quickly turned to frost before our eyes. It was time to move.

After another four or so hours, we made it back to the truck, where we were met by other good friends who helped load our prize. An incredible blessing to have good friends to help after such a labor intensive day.

We have shot several other elk this winter, the most common factor is good friends and solid relationships. Elk hunting seems to forge relationships between like minded hunters, the intensity of labor, and overwhelming obstacles seem to sort fair-weather friends from what I consider to be the finest group of dear friends. I consider myself lucky to have them.

-CBM