- Details
- Category: Elk
- Published: Monday, 27 October 2025 22:37
- Written by Greg
In Less Than a Day!
I wasn’t so sure I’d make it back for the Wyoming rifle elk hunt, but I made it happen. The chatter from people and hunters I knew from the same area where I planned to hunt said, elk sightings were almost non-existent. But some advice from a friend (Jordan) who said “if you go, you always have a chance” is what convinced me to make the 7 hour drive.
The first people I encountered when I arrived late Friday afternoon were a couple of landowners who were also hunting elk. These two gentlemen confirmed that the elk just weren’t around. They hunted the first 4 days of the season, 10 days ago, and never saw a single elk. However, they did think the elk would move back in once the snows hit, and wished me good luck.
Greg's happy to have had Jordan's help
That afternoon I was able to spend a couple of hours glassing before dark, but didn’t see a single elk. When I arrived back at my camp, I saw that I had a text message from a buddy of mine who said he’d be willing to come help me find an elk since he only lived just over an hour away. Without hesitation I took him up on the offer.
When I awoke the next morning at 3:53 a.m., the thermometer inside my trailer read 34 degrees. I hadn’t expected such a big temperature drop overnight, given the fact that it was 60 degrees when I arrived the afternoon before. The plan was to meet Jordan at an agreed upon destination at 5:00 a.m., so I loaded my gear and headed out.
As I pulled into the turnoff to where we were to meet, I saw headlights in the distance which turned out to be Jordan. Perfect timing, my clock displayed 4:55 a.m. But within minutes we had made a change of plans since the wind outside was howling. The previous plan was to take a 40 minute ATV ride and then hike a couple of miles to the top of a mountain, but we figured we’d be exposed to extreme winds which would likely create impossible shooting conditions; not to mention that any nearby elk would probably seek shelter in the practically unhuntable dark timber. It was Jordan who proposed to hunt a different area and made it clear that there were no guarantees we’d find elk, but presumed the wind would be less severe. So without hesitation I said let’s go!
Hillside where bull was feeding way up the mountain
After a several mile slow-going ATV ride we arrived at the base of a steep incline which would transition onto a plateau. From there we’d be able to scan the hillsides above us. Off we went. We finally topped out at exactly 7:00 a.m., legal shooting time. There in the low light we began glassing up the mountain but saw nothing. The wind was blowing steadily at about 20 mph, with gusts possibly hitting 30 mph; definitely a concern I made known. About every 20 yards we’d stop and glass, not wanting to get busted by an elk before we saw them. Suddenly Jordan whispered that he spotted a 6 point bull feeding in a grassy opening above. Sure enough, there in my binoculars was the big bull broadside just over 600 yards away. We had to get closer.
Browning 7 PRC did the trick on mature 6-point bull elk at 464 yards
Ever so cautiously, we moved down toward a small draw and worked our way forward up the mountain toward the bull. Once we hit the 460 yard mark we realized there was no way to get closer without moving onto the same hillside as the bull, but at that point we’d likely not be able to see up the mountain above us due to the uneven rocky terrain. At that moment I made the decision to attempt a shot from where we stood.
The wind was no longer blowing constantly at the edge of the ravine, but it was still gusting to 20 mph at times. My plan was to wait for a lull before attempting a shot, even though understanding the wind conditions up and across the canyon was a complete unknown. With my sights squarely on the bull, I whispered to Jordan that I was ready to shoot as soon as the next gust subsided. He confirmed that he had eyes on the bull and to shoot when ready.
Happy to have the weight on my shoulders Getting ever closer to the ATVs
Boom…the shot rang out across the canyon and Jordan exclaimed “you missed.” In total disbelief I asked “where did I hit?” and Jordan replied that he couldn’t tell, just that I missed. I racked another shell and steadied for the shot. Boom…the roar of the 7 PRC again echoed across the canyon but this time Jordan exclaimed, “you hit him!”
The bull recoiled then stumbled, Jordan said “he’s going to go down.” The bull took several steps and disappeared behind a rock ledge. From where I was I could not see the bull drop, but Jordan, standing 10 yards to my side, assured me that he saw the bull go down.
No easy way to transport, navigating creek crossing Loaded and headed home in less than a day
We high-fived, Jordan pulled out his phone, it was only 7:20 a.m. and we had a mature bull elk down! We made our way across the ravine and up the mountain and there behind the rock ledge lay my 15-year-in-the-making 6 point bull elk! I was ecstatic, I had tagged out! The pack out to our 4-wheelers was only .93 miles, very doable between the both of us, so glad to have had the help of a good friend!
On a side note, the bull had broken off a 5 inch piece of his 3rd antler tine as he stumbled to where he fell, but we followed his tracks up through the rocky crag and found the broken-off piece about 20 yards from where he lay.
Jordan examining broken off antler tine, but we found it!