Morning Gentlemen >> Headed down to the Rocking Heart Ranch in Chadron, NB on Thursday for an elk hunt that my brother and I had booked back in 2006. We had slotted this weekend, as it would be the first hunt of the year at this ranch after the bulls had rubbed their velvet. We'd have first crack at whatever was available. The two of us and my father had enjoyed some exotic hunting at this location last April and after seeing the lay of the land, we were real excited to see how elk hunting on the place would pan out. With a 6am leave, we pulled up to the ranch owners (Ron) house around 6:30pm, after checking into a Chadron hotel. Our hunt wasn't to start until Friday morning but we drove out anyway just to drop off guns and a trailer that we'd pulled down for hauling meat and horns. Ron had other ideas. He was just heading out to cut down some dead trees around his perimeter fence when we arrived and wanted us to jump in. A 15 minute ride on his motorized "mule" had us at the edge of his open prairie land glassing bulls. It was a neat sight. Nebraska regs. require ear tags for these animals (considered livestock in the eyes of the law) so it was that we would identify certain animals that we were interested in.
We pretty well knew going down which animal my brother was most interested in. A large non-typical 8 year old that Ron had been talking about for a long time tagged 81K. He would be the highest scoring bull on the place. We were able to find him easily, from earlier descriptions, and he was indeed huge. For me, I really had no pre-set ideas on what bull I'd be hunting. I just wanted to put time into it and see all the big stuff available. We knew that Ron had kicked out his 9 year old breeding bull for this years hunting season and I wanted to get a good look at him. He was easy to find as well, having the only red tag of the bunch. Last year they'd measured his sheds at 413" but this year he looked to have take that downward swing as maturity takes them past prime. Still a beautiful bull and one that I'd consider as I went to bed that night but a bull that had interested me most was an animal known as 9L, a seven year old. Loooong, even fronts is what grabbed my attention. Ron thought he'd score right around 385" +/- .
The sun had set by this time and darkness was quickly coming on so we did the cutting that was needed and headed back to the house. Ron said that there was one more bull he wanted me to see the next morning before I made a final decision. He called him 12K. A solid 6x6 he described as the widest on the place. We headed back to the hotel that night with some great images in our minds to dream about.
Early the next morning found us out on his empty prairie formulating a plan. Me with my .358 STA, bro with one of his .338 creations and my father handling video camera duties. We were able to jump a nice group of bulls in his heavy timber right off the bat. The non-typical my bro was interested in happened to be with this group but not the wide one Ron wanted me to see. We didn't push that group any farther and took the "mule" back to a deeper section of land and this is where we were first able to glass 12K. He was a nice bull. Probably pushing 400". Definitely the widest animal we'd seen of the bunch. Long mains ... one that interested me a lot, but I couldn't get the huge ones, twos and threes of 9L out of my head.
Ron said he believed that we'd seen everything large on his place. After hmming and haaing for a bit, I told my bro we knew the basic location of his bull. Lets go back and see if we can get on him (giving me a little more time to figure out what the heck I wanted to do). Everyone agreed.
Kinda funny how things work out, though.
As we were driving back, we saw several butts sifting through the heavy timber off to our right. We glassed as a large group of bulls were making their way deeper down into the steep, rugged ravine that cuts this hunting land pretty much in 1/2. The top of one particular bulls horns slipped in and out of view quickly and me and my bro looked at each other. We both knew instantly we needed a better look at that animal. What followed was a 2 hour chess match. Him making a move with the group. Us trying to get in position, unnoticed, to determine what we were looking at. It was obvious he was big from the first look, but after a couple glassing opportunities I decided he was the one I wanted. He was tagged 6K, an 8 year old. Ron had completely lost track of this animal on his place. He had solid mains, lots of mass, nice tine length, stickers everywhere and a palmation at the top end of the left side that reminded me of a caribou. Velvet had been rubbed clean long enough for the horns to get the beginnings of that nice dark color they get.
Sneaking into position for a shot proved a little tricky with all the other bulls around this guy. When one spooked, they all would follow. Made things fun.
At one point, we were able to locate some of the group bedded down on a steep side-hill below us. We couldn't see 6K but hoped he was there. We decided to split up. Ron would go around to the left and get below the animals in the bottom of the ravine. We'd circle back to the right, getting in position for a shot (and video) at a point where we hoped they'd funnel through.
We settled on the top, southern side of a mildly steep draw that ran from the top down into this ravine, hoping the animals would have to come right to us as they avoided Ron in the bottom. Nothing happened for the longest time and lots of things were running through my mind. Primarily, never hitting an animal this large before and not wanting to screw things up. At breakfast, Ron said that his K-series bulls (the 8 year olds) in the prime condition they were in right now would be tipping the scales at 1100 lbs. Again, I'd never had that much animal in the scope before. I thought about horn. Before the previous night, I had never seen 400" of horn in person. As we were talking about the rifles we'd be using, Ron told of a fella that chose to hunt his elk last year with a .458 WinMag and how seven hits later the animal was down. Good lord. Ron had said that if at all possible, we don't want these animals hit then have it run down to the depths of the ravine cause that's where we'd be working for the rest of the day getting the animal skinned quartered and walked out. All these things I was thinking about then we heard the first clutter of horn hitting branch, hopefully meaning animals were moving our way.
We glassed everything that went by, some at a full sprint, others at a leasurely walk. My bull wasn't there. Mildly disappointed, we had settled on the thinking that the big bull had given us all the slip. We were quietly discussing our next attack when we saw a smaller 5x5 come up the draw we were overlooking. A game trail had been worn up the middle of this draw that split two ways. Back up the far side to the north and over the top or straight up the bottom to us. The 5x5 wasn't concerned about much and had no clue we were watching. Eating here and there as he turned on the north route of the trail and slowly ambled that way. In view most of the time but not clearly, because of branch and tree. Then out comes my bull from the ravine bottom heading right up this same draw. Shocked the socks off of me. I had been leaning agains a large pine and that's where I'd need to manufacture a shot, if one was presented. Getting down on bipod was useless, anyway. Grass was way to high.
At the split in the game trail, the big bull stopped and looked up the trail towards us. We were in full camo with the wind in our favor so he wasn't alerted of anything. Even so, he turned on the north fork, following the little 5x5. He was only 75 yds. away but I had no shot as the brush was to dense on that far trail. I had one opening at the top of the far side of the draw but the bull would have to come off the path to his left for it to work. I mentioned earlier it's funny how things work out. As the small 5x5 crested the back of the draw with my bull close behind my bro whistled. The small guy stopped right in the middle of the path, turned and looked back our way. My bull took notice of the whistle and wanted to look but evidently wanted a better view then what he'd get under the small 5x5 because he crested to draw, walked off the path left into this 6' opening between two pine trees, stood full broadside and looked back at us. I didn't need any more invitation. The shot was 100 yds., maybe a tad over. We got no range as it happend quick. It was close enough to not need one, though. I centered the crosshairs on the shoulder and squeezed. The 280 gr. A-Frame zipped thought, taking out the tops of both shoulders and obliterated the spine. The bull droped where he stood. That'll be an image I never forget. Then it set in that I'd taken my first elk and I'll admit my hands got a little shake to them. Guess it's ok to shake after the shot's taken, maybe, rather then during. LOL. As we got close, I used one more mercy shot toend things quicker and that was that. My first bull was on the ground :




We got him back to the shop, skinned, cap in deep freeze, horns cut and then rolled the whole carcus into the walk-in cooler. He unofficially measured 414" SCI as a non-typical 10x7, 394 1/8" SCI as a typical 6x6. I couldn't be happier with the way the STA performed. I had it built specifically for this purpose and it did a number on 6K. This was the rifles first blood. I had a ball !!!!!!!
We ate lunch then spent the rest of the day looking for my brothers elk. We'd catch glimpses of him here and there and tried several unsuccessful stalks but the truth of the matter is this older bulls know the place as well, if not better then Ron. Sometime early afternoon he simply vanished and holed up for the day. There's so many dark, deep, heavily wooded spots on this property, even with this size of animal, we probably walked relatively close several times without a clue.
We called things off and went back to the house for a drink and a little social time with the family. They are all (3 kids) a pleasure to be around. Wife's a wonderful cook, taboot. As evening was getting on we decided the best thing would be to inch our way up onto Ron's prairie land and see if anything had started moving for the evening. That's where we found my bro's bull. He had bedded smack dab in the middle of this open area with various bulls all around him.
Kirby's intention was to take a shot of longer range and this presented a wonderful opportunity. There was hardly a skiff of breeze so that posed no problem. The bull was ranged at 604 yds. where he lay. Kirby wasn't really interested in taking a shot at a laying animal as it was quartering from us so we waited him out. At this range the animals were oblivious to us. We got a good show with various bulls sparing while we waited.
Towards the end, a Fallow Deer and her young walked behind the bull and soon after he got up. He turned with his head to by brothers right and gave as perfect a broadside shot as you could ask for. Kirby was testing a new lighter ULD .338 bullet from Wildcat Bullets and it performed like a charm. I was watching with the bino's when the shot was taken. The bull didn't even know he was hit and there was no visual sign that he was hit. Just the familiar thud of connection. Honestly, I was suprised we heard that at this range. He stood motionless for 4 or 5 seconds just looking straight ahead, then lifted his off side front leg and did the off-balance, leaning trot that they do before falling over 10 yds. or so from where he was hit. He was hit just back of the shoulders. The bullet penetrated completely making short work of the lungs. He is a awesome bull :



He turned out to be the largest bull ever taken off the place. Unofficially he scored 467" and change SCI.  He had two huge kickers coming out of one base, long mains and was heavy all around. If anyone wants specifics on Kirby's wildcat cartridge used on the hunt, I'll be more then happy to get it. Suffice it to say, it worked well for what it was built for ... a relatively light sporter for long range big game hunting. It did turn into a late night getting him back, skinned, caped and in the cooler but dinner was on the table when we walked in.
Drove back to the hotel Friday night still on a high.
Saturday would be butchering day and hunting for a breeder Black Hawaiian that Ron had set out for this years season. Dad would be taking the shot on this hunt.
We headed out after breakfast. From the start we knew this would be tricky. Ron had an Ibex in this plot of land that was extremely jumpy. He kept the other sheep on edge the whole time and made the hunt quite interesting. When Dad did finally get his late morning shot, he made the most of it. He used his .25-284 on a relatively short shot :

This ram had a beautiful coat for being late summer so he was caped for a shoulder mounted. He was a heavy horned animal with 27" curls. A nice little jump up from the Mouflon my Dad shot last April and a nice way to end a very enjoyable hunting weekend in Nebraska.
We got both elk cut up, in large travel coolers and back in the walk-in cooler by dinner time Saturday.
Loaded everything onto the trailer 6am Sunday morning and made the long trek back to MT. Very tired but thrilled with the way all hunts worked out. >> korey

beautiful trophies, congrats!

Impressive animals KL...

And impressive story telling, Thanks

Hmmm I am thinking that somehow they would not fit in my suitcase :undecided: .

  Wow those are some awesome beasts  Congratulations .

    Honestly I have nowhere I could mount such trophies, the place simply is not large enough to take them . Heck it's proving hard enough deciding where the Whitetail shoulder mount will go .

I know absolutely nothing about elk, but those seem awfully large. congrats and a heck of a story. very impressed with your brothers shot, well beyond my range. God Bless.

Thanks, Guys.  Glad you enjoyed the story and/or pics.  I experienced a lot of new things this last weekend.  It's a hunting memory that I'll cherish a lifetime !!!  Talk to ya later.  >>  korey