Bull Elk 2017

Wow what a week this was. After waiting for 8 years to draw a tag, I commenced on my Bull Elk hunt north/east of Pioche NV. Throughout the week I had about 10 other hunters and friends in camp at various times to share the good times and hunt information.

Initial approach with Kapitan. Note he carried my knives, game bags and 4 water bottles. The perfect versitle hunter.

Noami and Kapitan watching the stalk and shot from about 1000 yards away. Garner and I stalked for about an hour, then took him down from 318 yards. Garner proceeded to the kill where he waited for us. Amazing how Kapitan knows exactly what is going on. When I later came to get him, he ran directly to the Elk and was biting at it when I arrived. Trying to fetch?  haha

Wow what a first hunting season 9 month old Ella (Vizsla) has had! Grouse, quail, now this? She's too young to carry a heavy backpack, but she did her job, stayed close to Ryan and filled her belly with scraps!

The ascent up the mountain was a challenge! We later found an easier but significantly longer route.

Here are some photographic highlights of the daily outings leading up to the success day

Breakfast Beer anybody? The week leading up to the final harvest of the bull elk was certainly once in a lifetime! Exhausting and worth it touches on it. 

Kapitan joined us at the Ghost Town Art & Coffee Company Pioche NV. Owner, Kelly Garni (Black Hat Center) is most noted as being bass player and founding member of the rock band Quiet Riot. He happily served Kapitan a burger, extra rare, hold the bread and vegis!

Garner wrapping up the hide. We plan to tan the entire thing. Bedspread!

9 hours and 13 trips down the mountain later, we have it all piled up in the truck.

Sunday, we had a cookout, took home the heart, liver, rib & flank meat. The rest went for processing. The hide will take about a year, sending it off soon.




We found buried treasure up in the hills! Turns out to be lead, not silver, bars, 1970's slot machine coins and Eisenhower dollars. Face value of the whole find is $100 at best, but still kinda cool!

Elk heart with Hatch Green Chilis

Elk flank charred after an overnight marinade

Tammy and I decided to do the skull mount ourselves. Letting nature do it's part for a week or two, then we will boil it down and mount

Nevada Quail off and running!

Week one: Virgin Peak NV area, headed out super early in 3 vehicles, through the canyon, to the hunt spot. Nice challenging off road obstacles to enhance the experience. No Chukar yet.

Hot day, so the dogs cooled down in fresh spring water. 

Ella checking out Kapitan and Jager holding gambles quail

Canyon up above one of the springs, the birds were up on the hills! 

Double plum from a male gambles quail

Kapitan retrieving quail

Week 2, went to Kane Springs road with Ryan, Mattie, Tammy and the pups.

Sage Grouse

Tammy and I headed up to Ely with the pups to try once again for the Nevada bird that has eluded me for 4 years. This adventure started 4 years ago after drawing a depredation Cow Elk tag. We saw them close to the road and I had no idea what the were. What they resembled to me were the Prarie Chickens that I had observed many years ago growing up in Muleshoe Texas. Further research yielded that they were Sage Grouse (Hens). Turns out there are Blue (Dusky & Sooty) Grouse in Nevada as well, but generally up in the mountains.

Jager posing with Sage Grouse (Hen)

Jager retrieving Sage Hen

Blue (Dusky) Grouse (Hen) vs Sage Grouse (Hen)

Jager and his 7 types of upland game - Bob White Quail, Gambles Quail, Blue Quail, Blue Grouse, Sage Grouse, Chukar and of course a whole pile of pheasants