# Altler Hunting



## ShoerFast (Mar 23, 2009)

Finally a big score! 

On a friends ranch, we spent a few hours riding the meadow-borders and draws, likely places for elk to pass from feeding - bedding areas, and I hear a shout to 'come here' !

Before riding up, I could see him off his horse with a fair 5X over his shoulder, again he mentions to come here! "Tie your horse and come here" . 

Walking up he points to what looked to be a limb off an Oak tree. What do you call that, he ask? $1500 bucks if you find the other, my first reaction! (nether of us would sell it/them) 

He asked if I can pick up a track or a direction, we couldn't, it has been a couple days, but we were sure not more then a week. 

We made a lot of sweeps in the area, riding and walking bigger and bigger circles and did not find the other. But it had to be close! How could a bull elk balance his head with only one of those beams?

We needed to get back to the other horses and shoe two more for the day. I left at around 5 , as he went out to search again for this beams mate. 





Just about the time I was back home, I get a message that he found the other half! 

The rack has since then been measured conservatively as a well past 400+ Typical.


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## 04ultra (Mar 24, 2009)

We have Whitetail's bigger than that !!!!!








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## ShoerFast (Mar 24, 2009)

04ultra said:


> We have Whitetail's bigger than that !!!!!
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Forgot to tell da part how that elk rack came off a woodtick, a limer!  

Maybe you never heard about my last Minnesota deer hunt?


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## ropensaddle (Mar 24, 2009)

ShoerFast said:


> Finally a big score!
> 
> On a friends ranch, we spent a few hours riding the meadow-borders and draws, likely places for elk to pass from feeding - bedding areas, and I hear a shout to 'come here' !
> 
> ...



Nice find shoer I would sure like to bowhunt those buggling elk


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## ShoerFast (Mar 24, 2009)

ropensaddle said:


> Nice find shoer I would sure like to bowhunt those buggling elk



Friends find!  

In a way i am glad i didn't ride onto it, as it would have been aquwierds.

Me thinking that I am invited to help him hunt antlers, and him thinking he owes the antler to me for seeing it first. 

Could not work out better, as another good friend has a good chance getting the privilege of mounting the rack. The bid can not be beat at $600 + cape for a removable-antler mount!

This bull is still alive! By the pedestals, there fairly flat and may grow as much or more antler this year?


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## ropensaddle (Mar 24, 2009)

I just ream for now but it seem so cool calling them in to bow range. I hear ya about the friend deal


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## ShoerFast (Mar 24, 2009)

ropensaddle said:


> I just ream for now but it seem so cool calling them in to bow range. I hear ya about the friend deal



I tell him that i tell his gate code to people as it makes a cute story.....

_If you would like to go drive around the ranch, the gate code is 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, if you forget the gate code, there is a sign on the gate "gate code 1 2 3 4 5"_

I might have to stop telling that story?

Really, i been shoeing for them for close to 20 years, and i have never asked to hunt elk there. It needs no words that 'no one' hunts elk there. But if someone wanted to hone the candence bulging, some monsters, bet we could arrange it. 

Bear, deer , anything else legal, very hospitable people, good folk!

In fact, was just offered land-owner doe tags for this fall, there are far to many deer. (but there is sort of a reason the elk are getting that huge!)


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## outdoorlivin247 (Mar 24, 2009)

ropensaddle said:


> Nice find shoer I would sure like to bowhunt those buggling elk



Been there done that...The hardest thing I have ever done...Packed 7 miles in on foot w/ enough crap to live for 10 days and never scored an elk...Saw several and even passed a couple of small ones...I kept telling myself, you know if you shoot one you have to pack it out SEVEN miles...


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## ShoerFast (Mar 24, 2009)

outdoorlivin247 said:


> Been there done that...The hardest thing I have ever done...Packed 7 miles in on foot w/ enough crap to live for 10 days and never scored an elk...Saw several and even passed a couple of small ones...I kept telling myself, you know if you shoot one you have to pack it out SEVEN miles...



Best part about packing in is that it is usually down-hill out.


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## outdoorlivin247 (Mar 24, 2009)

ShoerFast said:


> Best part about packing in is that it is usually down-hill out.



I was probably in the best shape of my life and still thought I was going to die...It took me 6 hour to pack in...We stayed 7 days and had planned to stay more, but a storm was coming in and we did not want to get stuck up there...I will say the pack out was much easier, a little over an hour and I could breath the entire time...Asthma sucks...


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## ShoerFast (Mar 24, 2009)

outdoorlivin247 said:


> I was probably in the best shape of my life and still thought I was going to die...It took me 6 hour to pack in...We stayed 7 days and had planned to stay more, but a storm was coming in and we did not want to get stuck up there...I will say the pack out was much easier, a little over an hour and I could breath the entire time...Asthma sucks...



Give yourself time, it takes better then a day per thousand feet to get used to the altitude alone. Thinner air, steeper slopes and it knocks the wind out of any ones sails. 

Takes more water also, thinner air is dryer and evaporates more from your lungs, asthma can not help.


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## 2000ssm6 (Mar 24, 2009)

That is a monster rack!:jawdrop::jawdrop:


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## lfnh (Mar 24, 2009)

Really nice find ! And to wind up with the other side for a pair is rare.

The only thing good about spring time fencing was spending time looking for antlers. Found a couple of nice halves in Wy and E Or. Never a pair.

Get back out there !!


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## deeker (Mar 24, 2009)

ShoerFast said:


> Finally a big score!
> 
> On a friends ranch, we spent a few hours riding the meadow-borders and draws, likely places for elk to pass from feeding - bedding areas, and I hear a shout to 'come here' !
> 
> ...




Nice antler, we need to have the barrel dweller to show a real and fair comparison.


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## ShoerFast (Mar 24, 2009)

deeker said:


> Nice antler, we need to have the barrel dweller to show a real and fair comparison.



And make them look small?

Cracks me up, using my* big* brothers picture!


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## deeker (Mar 24, 2009)

Damn pnemonia, just hacked up a lung all over the computer after posting that one...

More pics of the antler. Nice sized bull.


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## ShoerFast (Mar 25, 2009)

By the looks of the sorrel sp 4th (wolf tine, the one my right mitten is on) 

The elk we found antlers from will maybe trump this bull?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=326ADM1KEHc


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## deeker (Mar 25, 2009)

I would be happy to shoot one as big as you are holding.

Here is one shot last fall in Utah.

http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0oGkw2Vr...go.com/outdoors/hunting/news/story?id=3667063


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## deeker (Mar 25, 2009)

ShoerFast said:


> By the looks of the sorrel 9sp (wolf tine, the one my right mitten is on)
> 
> The elk we found antlers from will maybe trump this bull?
> 
> ...



I would love to hunt one that size!


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## ShoerFast (Mar 25, 2009)

deeker said:


> I would be happy to shoot one as big as you are holding.
> 
> Here is one shot last fall in Utah.
> 
> http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0oGkw2Vr...go.com/outdoors/hunting/news/story?id=3667063




The Spider Bull is just crazy huge! 

We might never know how much it really cost but there are stories that Denny Austad paid MossBack Outfitters upwards of $150K for the hunt the new world record!


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## Austin1 (Mar 25, 2009)

ShoerFast said:


> The Spider Bull is just crazy huge!
> 
> We might never know how much it really cost but there are stories that Denny Austad paid MossBack Outfitters upwards of $150K for the hunt the new world record!


Dam that guy is a true monster!
On the topic of antler hunting I have never found a truly big set yet, except for one Moose antler right close to home a 10 min drive. I talked to the landowner about it and he did see the Moose all summer and fall near a pond on his land, off course I hunted for him but as luck would have it never got close for a shot. As it's a bow zone only it would have been something for me to get a Moose as a newbie to bow hunting.
It sure makes one appreciate the amount of growth that goes into a antler for 6 or 7 months it's amazing when you think about it.


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