Spencer J Verhelle

It is very hard to put all the emotions I am having in to words. Since June, I have had this hunt on my mind. Honestly, I didnt know what to expect.

With 9° temperatures (-10° real feel) at 1 in the afternoon, we cut on to some fresh Bull tracks in the snow. A few hundred yards later, and I see an elk start to slowly jog away. I felt heart broken. Suddenly, another one jumped out, then another. 4 bulls slowly worked their way away from us. But I KNEW the first bull I saw was the one I wanted.

After a good 5+ minutes of waiting, we slowly crept forward. Over the next hill, I spotted a bull. Wrong bull. Then another, and another, also the wrong bulls. Where did he go!?!

They walk over the hill and we give them another 5 minutes. We go two hills over and we spot another bull. Little one. Just to his right, FINALLY, the big one! I told the guide and my brother “thats him, im taking him!” He was broadside at 150 yards with NO CLUE we were there.

We settled down, and I got rested on the shooting sticks. Im zeroed at 200, I am confident. This is the moment I’ve been practicing for, been dreaming of.

Bang! He doesnt move. He takes two steps, while I am reloaded and waiting. He is gone, vanished. We watch two other bulls walk away, and we wait. The emotions are starting to flow through me. I had to have missed.

We decided to head to where the shot location was, and only travel about 40 yards. The guide stops, looks back at Scott and I and says, “There he is!! Dead bull!” The high fives and cheers began. We continue walking and he disappears!! 2 bulls begin leaving where we just saw him, HOW IS HE ALIVE!?

Well, he wasnt. He was laying in a hole, and those two bulls walked right by him. My brother saw him and said “there he is, he’s dead!”

What a truly amazing experience. Thankful my brother and father could experience it with me!! Thank you Carroll’s Creek Outfitters