Forums >Off the Beaten Path>My 2013 Wyoming Elk Hunt
Some of you may know that the main reason that I started running was to be in better shape for hunting. In 2011 my goal was simply to run 6 miles in under an hour, then I progressed to a sub 2 hour half marathon in 2012 and a sub 4 hour marathon this year, but it all started to get myself in better shape for hunting.
Well, I was lucky enough to shoot what will probably be the largest elk of my life this past week and thought I would share a few pictures.
When I shot him, all I knew was that he was a legal bull (they have to be branch antlered in the area I hunt). As I walked up to him I realized he was more than likely the bull of a lifetime or maybe even two lifetimes. A beautiful animal.
This was the last load packing him out. We cut up and packed all the meat out first and then on the last load I packed the head and cape (the hide back to about his middle so that I can have him taxidermy mounted). We weighed the pack when we got back to camp and it was right at 95 pounds.
Thought I would share my other hobby, and the main reason that I started running in the first place. I very much doubt I will ever be able to shoot another elk anywhere near as nice as this one.
Nathan
Age: 50 Weight: 224 Height: 6'3" (Goal weight 195)
Current PR's: Mara 3:14:36* (2017); HM 1:36:13 (2017); 10K 43:59 (2014); 5K 21:12 (2016)
Very nice animal. It is one of my dream hunts one day.
I bet the steaks tasted wonderful that night.
Nohing better than fresh back strap back at camp!
Awesome animal
Awesome!
Thanks for the comments everyone. Still haven't eaten any of the steaks yet. I have a full day of butchering planned for tomorrow though.
I posted the full story on my blog with a bunch more pictures if anyone is interested.
It’s pretty much a novel so you can skip most of it and just look at the pictures if you want.
Still pretty much in shock at shooting such an amazing bull on a general tag.
Here’s the link -
http://padens.blogspot.com/
Feeling the growl again
Outstanding, thanks for the detailed write-up. I'm not very good at judging them but I would nnot be surprised for him to score 350 inches. That is going to be some fine eating for your family this year too. I hope you have somewhere big enough in your place to hang that guy!
"If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does. There's your pep talk for today. Go Run." -- Slo_Hand
I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills
I’ve taped him twice, first time I got 374 gross and 363 net as a typical, second time I got 377 gross and 366 net.
Looks like I have a 60 day wait time and then probably going to get him officially scored.
I have another elk hunt in New Mexico in a few weeks, I may have enough meat for a couple years when I'm done with this season!
I’ve taped him twice, first time I got 374 gross and 363 net as a typical, second time I got 377 gross and 366 net. Looks like I have a 60 day wait time and then probably going to get him officially scored. I have another elk hunt in New Mexico in a few weeks, I may have enough meat for a couple years when I'm done with this season!
I was pretty close.
Congrats again and good luck in NM. We didn't travel to hunt out of state last year and opted for waterfowl in North Dakota this year, but this is really getting my motivation up for another elk hunt.
flatland mountaineer
Congrats, where in WY did you hunt? My freshman college roommate at UW invited me to go with him to get his elk, they had a ranch with some BLM and or Forest Service leases on the continental divide west of Encampment. I regret it but had a college rodeo that weekend and that was my passion at the time. I had 2 Wyoming ranch kids as roommates and have to admit I never acquired the taste for elk, some were definitely better than others, but I did notice that mom and dad got the ranch raised beef and college boy got the elk. :-)
Really glad when I roomed with a Nebraska sandhiller ranch kid, we both brought home raised beef.........
The whole world said I shoulda used red but it looked good to Charlene in John Deere Green!!
Support Ethanol, drink the best, burn the rest.
Run for fun? What the hell kind of recreation is that? quote from Back to the Fut III
Not dead. Yet.
Congrats on taking a beautiful life out of this world. Too bad the elk couldn't hold a rifle to make it fair.
Not impressed.
How can we know our limits if we don't test them?
I hunted on public land in the Northwest part of the state.
Actually ate some of him tonight. Can't beat lean, organic meat that you took care of from the field to the table.
Congrats on taking a beautiful life out of this world. Too bad the elk couldn't hold a rifle to make it fair. Not impressed.
Here's a decent little 3 minute clip by the author of the book Meat Eater and he actually has a TV show that has as much of the show devoted to actually cooking and eating the animals that he hunts as the actual hunt itself.
He probably explains it better than I can.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2N0Utg7KYE&list=PLQ0ETHjS5nzt-IRyY7jBtiz4ENp19Aqwe&index=11
It's one thing to kill and eat an animal for sustenance. Why do you then take the head of the animal and put it on your wall?
In your thinking, to have killed an animal like that, you must be a strong man. Why not show everybody else by hanging it's head in your home. In reality, killing it with a bullet makes absolutely zero assumptions about your strength and will. All you had to do was aim and pull a trigger.
You are not stronger than the elk, or smarter. You just knew how to aim and point a stick. That does not make you a man.
mta: never mind, all good.
Trail and Ultra Running User Group
npaden, don't know if you ever hang out in any of the user groups, but there's a nice "hunt picture" thread going on in one of the trail runners groups. Look for trailer trash, and you should find it pretty easy, if you're interested.
Lots of like minds around there, and those that disagree stay out of threads with "hunt" in the title.