Handgun Hunting Afield

So far, Christmas 2023 was the latest in the season I hunted elk. That weekend was brutally cold, with wind chill pushing temperatures to -40 degrees, making me skip morning hunting. I hiked in 2.5 miles with over 2500 ft elevation gain. As the sun began to set, temperatures dropped again, prompting thoughts of retreat. However, I spotted one cow elk and made a move to get closer. One shot from 240 yards brought her down. After taking photos, I made a fire for warmth during the quartering process. I decided to make two pack-out trips: the first for hindquarters, shoulders, backstraps, and tenderloins; the second for the remaining half and the hide. I completed the first trip the same evening, returning the next morning for the rest. The intense cold froze the meat on my back during the hike and solidified it overnight. Both trips were extremely challenging but nothing impossible.

Wyoming Game and Fish Department introduced type 8 tags for the 2024-2025 hunting season, targeting cow or calf elk in the eastern part of the state. These unlimited tags, exempt from Wyoming’s maximum tag limit, aim to boost cow elk harvests for effective population management.

Handgun hunting and involvement in HHC and HHA led me to meet many people, including Joe Sandrini and Chris Rhodes. Joe secured private land access for our hunt, while Chris joined me. 

We planned our hunt for the first January weekend. Joe got us access to some private land for this hunt and since he was recovering from surgery, Chris came with me to help me on this hunt.

Friday morning, we left around 5 AM, and first, we checked some lower fields. Despite glassing before the legal time, we found no elk. After checking several locations near these fields without success, we decided to explore the hilltop.

Upon getting to the hill, I noticed a small group of bachelor elk across the valley. We continued walking and and then we spotted elk that we could go after. We attempted a brief stalk but soon after we ran out of cover. The distance was too great for the revolver, and my indecision, no wind noise, and the presence of crunchy snow worsened that situation. Numerous deer in the area got spooked and alerted the elk, causing them to move. Chris led us along the hillside, just below the top, to avoid being seen by the elk. Our goal was to either intercept them or at least get within 500 yards, which is the maximum range I feel comfortable to shoot on the game with my single shot pistol.

After covering over half a mile, we returned to the top and saw elk in the distance. We mistakenly assumed this was the entire herd, but they were actually spread along the hilltop, with some closer than we realized. By the time we understood this, the elk began moving rapidly, some even running. We continued our pursuit, occasionally spotting elk, but I was hesitant to take a 400+ yard shot at a moving animal. Many elk descended into the valley, observing us from about 1000 yards away, near the hill’s end. We proceeded in that direction while staying out of the large herd’s sight.

Upon reaching the hilltop’s end, I positioned my gun on a rock, but the herd had vanished. Chris suddenly spotted elk directly below us and urged me to shoot. Initially, I couldn’t locate them, and when I finally did, it was too late as they started moving again. Deer remained in the area, seemingly aware we weren’t hunting them. Chris attempted to determine the herd’s new location, and we followed their trail. After another mile of seeing only tracks and no elk, it was nearly noon, so we decided to return and check the fields again.

As we were walking back, I had time to reflect on what happened. I realized I had hesitated too long before taking action, even considering this was my initial attempt at getting an elk when they are in so large herds. Even having no rangefinder was not an excuse to take that long. 

Later that day, we ventured out again but stayed relatively close to our vehicle due to the increased wind chill that began gusting in the early afternoon hours.

The next day, we started on a hilltop. Despite the fog, strong winds, and unfavorable wind direction, it was our only option. As we walked, I reflected on my previous day’s mistakes, concerned we had driven the elk out off the property. As the fog lifted, we were near the hilltop’s end, and we started glassing the area. I spotted some elk, but Chris’s map check left us uncertain if they were on land we had permission to hunt. While approaching to check that, Chris noticed another group of elk in a nearby bowl, close to where we had seen the large herd the day before. Initially, we only saw bulls, but I then spotted two cows among them. We decided to go after the second group, keeping the first one as a backup option. The strong, loud wind provided good cover for our approach. I retrieved my BCG XP 100 6.5 Creedmoor from my pack, aware that I likely wouldn’t get within revolver range. Determined not to repeat yesterday’s mistake and take too much time, I focused on making this opportunity count.

As we got closer, Chris signaled me to set up after peeking over the hill. I crawled through deep snow and positioned my single-shot pistol on a shooting bag. The elk were close enough, eliminating the need for drop adjustments, and the bowl sheltered us from the wind. I searched for elk through my scope as Chris directed me which one to shoot, I understood that it was the closest one, not realizing he could not see those elk. The cow was slightly angled away, presenting an ideal shot to pierce both lungs by exiting through the opposite shoulder. Once I had her in my sights, 127-grain LRX bullet was sent in her direction.

The elk began to run, and I lost sight of her in the herd. Chris questioned why I hadn’t communicated which elk I was aiming at, preventing him from spotting for me. This time, I did not want to be slow again, and the sheer number of elk made me think we would get busted easily if I took too long. This was my first experience hunting with a spotter, as I had primarily hunted alone during my brief hunting career.

The elk vanished from our view as they escaped the bowl. I hoped my shot was good. Chris spotted one still in a bowl, that elk bedded down during their run. Once again, I could not see what he saw, this time due to a tree obstructing my view. The elk had only moved about 50 yards before bedding down, suggesting it might be the one I had shot. After Chris ranged the distance, I repositioned and took another shot. She dropped. Once I packed my stuff, we headed towards her.

After taking photos, the real work began. As I quartered the elk, Chris attempted to start a fire to help with the intense cold. Initially, it appeared I had shot too far back, but I soon realized the entry wound was near the end of the right ribs and lungs, with a perfect exit through the opposite shoulder. While I continued working, Chris went in search of more elk, hoping to get a cow. About an hour later, I heard a gunshot and assumed Chris had been successful, anticipating a long but rewarding afternoon ahead. To my surprise, Chris returned empty-handed. A brief conversation revealed that the shot had come from a neighboring hunter, likely targeting the same group of elk.

Despite knowing we were far from the vehicle, I was determined to save the hide, having the one from December 2023 ruined at the tannery. Chris warned me about its weight, but I persisted, recalling a previous successful attempt. I failed to consider the lack of snow and the lighter pack I packed out then. On that occasion, I’d made two trips. Hide was packed out on the second trip along with only a hindquarter and a shoulder. This time, my pack was significantly heavier probably 40-50 pounds, which made it around 135-140 pounds, with poor weight distribution. The hide was further from my back, and I had additional items, making my pack disorganized. Yard sale, as Chris named my pack, and he was right. He helped by carrying a hindquarter and shoulder. With his humorous encouragement, I managed to exit the bowl, but after half a mile, I decided to abandon the hide. Realizing I couldn’t complete the remaining two and a half snowy miles with that much weight. I left it behind. We were already late for dinner at the HHCF (Handgun Hunter’s Charitable Foundation) President’s home, leaving no time for a second trip. Otherwise, I would go back for that hide.

The pack-out was challenging for me. Contributing factors included a 30-pound weight gain over the past year, decreased fitness, deep snow, and overloading myself for the initial half-mile. This experience taught me a valuable lesson: I need to improve for the next hunting season. Enhancing my organization skills and physical fitness will significantly ease future hunts. Elk hunting is indeed hard, especially everything after the shot is made and the animal is down, but that is probably still my favorite hunting.