![]() He took the rope and climbed to the bull. He couldn’t have surprised me any better than that. There was a gigantic spool with 700 yards of very strong rope in the back. Ross was all smiles, and he said, “Let’s go back to the truck,” where he opened the tailgate. I then said to myself, “What now?” We were still a long way from the truck, and this was not a small bull. We climbed to where the bull was, and after removing and clearing some of the deadfall, we set him up for some pictures. God, the universe, or both, were on our side as there was a very narrow, old, and very short dead end logging road right below the bull. While driving, I was wondering how we were going to get to him on such a steep canyon and how we would get him out. After a few seconds, I remembered the very famous saying among professional hunters and one of my own mantras, “Always trust your guide.” When we wiped off the surprised looks from our faces, we did a few high fives and started up the road. Wow, what just happened? I was in disbelief. We both knew he was not going anywhere, but I shot him again and he went upside down about five or six feet from where he was when I first shot him. His right front leg did a 360-degree turn as he jumped over a log. I threw the rifle up and shot the elk in the front shoulder at about 180 yards up the side of the canyon with a steep angle. However, under the excitement, these questions quickly vaporized from my mind. Could we look some more and find a better bull? So many questions for such a prompt instruction to shoot. ![]() How big? How far? What does he score? It was only the first hour of the first day of the season, and he was the first bull we had seen. I didn’t say a word or look at him after his last “now,” but I usually have several important questions before taking a shot. I will never forget the short conversation that lasted not more than 25 seconds. He took a quick look in his Swarovski and quietly signaled for me to shoot. I quickly got Ross’ attention and pointed to the elk. Less than 200 yards away, I saw antlers moving between the trees. Most of the time, we had been driving in the dark canyons covered with mature timber on both sides, but just as Ross was closing the last gate behind the truck, I glassed the slightly open area above the road. ![]() The great expanse of the timber companies’ leases that Ken had under contract was truly impressive as we drove for hours in the dark and opened and closed many gates before it got light enough to start glassing. After the introduction and exchange of pleasantries, we took off for the hunt area. Early in the morning, Ken drove me to town where I met my guide, Ross Morris. I drove to Coquille, Oregon, got settled in a brand-new trailer, and prepared my gear for the opening day of my season. Interestingly, I had been talking to Ken for the past four years during the application season, and together, we would decide to apply for a tag or just buy a point. The desire to protect the Roosevelt elk was one of the primary forces behind the establishment of the Mount Olympus National Monument in 1909 by President Theodore Roosevelt Fortunately, I drew the tag and booked a hunt with Ken Wilson, the owner of Spoon Creek Outfitters. Hart Merriam named the species after his friend, Theodore Roosevelt, long before he became the United States President. The Roosevelt elk’s geographic range includes the Pacific Northwest and extends to parts of Northern California. However, in my opinion, the antlers of the Rocky Mountain elk are more majestic. ![]() The Roosevelt elk, also commonly known as the Olympic elk and Roosevelt’s Wapiti, is the largest of the elk in North America by body mass, reaching up to 1,200 lbs. Looking at my accumulated preference and bonus points in early 2022, I was sure I would have a great tag in several states for Rocky Mountain elk, and fortunately, I had accumulated enough points to be drawn for Roosevelt elk in Oregon.
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