Average years to kill a decent bull?

[Trackchaser (Guest)]

It took me three whole seasons elk hunting before I killed my first 4x4 bull last year in northern Idaho, and got skunked again this year. How many years did it take to kill your first raghorn or better.

 

[dakotakid]

Killed a 330" 6x6 on my first hunt, been drawing cow tags since then. This was in a LQ hunt area.

Mike

 

[dutch]

I didn't get a bull for the first 12 seasons, there were probably 4 seasons though I had a cow tag. Nothing big but a nice 6x6. Since then out of the last 5 seasons I have another 5x5, 2 cows and 2 years skunked, one of those years I was skunked I missed a very small 4x4 raghorn.

 

[Jake_Sorensen]

I got my first bull this year and was lucky enough to have it be a 6x6 after hunting(carrying a gun) for 13 years, I know my dad didn't really get his first one (a big 5x5) until he was about 30 but he shot several other decent 5x5's since then. I just hope I can get another one next year, cause we just hunt in anybull open areas.

Jake

 

[Slu (Guest)]

I nailed a 350 class bull on the first morning of my first elk hunt back in 1988.I thought it was easy, been at it since and I still have not taken a better bull.

 

[Bobbby]

It took me five seasons before I got my first bull which was a 300 class 6x6. I certanly felt like I had paid my dues, but I hunt with about 10 others guys that have been hunting in Colorado on public land for 30 years longer than me that have not taken a bigger bull. Two of the seasons that I got nothing prior to getting my first bull I had shots at respectable 5x5's and missed and I've gotten a couple of cows since I got the bull two years ago.

 

[idahonative (Guest)]

Average success in general season units= 16%. Percent of harvest that are 6pt.+ = 16%. If you are an average hunter with average success on public land general season hunting, you can expect to kill a six-point bull once in every 30-35 years. Now of course road hunters and people that never use those tags are figured in, but six-points aren't easy. I killed a 5 point one hour into my first hunt at twelve. Eight years following- no bulls. Ten years since-9 bulls. Go figure.

 

[Hawkk33]

LAST EDITED ON Dec-16-03 AT 11:32PM (MST)[p]2 days of hunting in 2002 but I lucked out and I know it but I ended up with a dandy 6x5 in my first year elk hunting. This year ended up different as I switched over to a bow but I will keep on trying until I get one with a bow then probably switch to a muzzleloader and try again.

 

[BUTTSHOT (Guest)]

I have been hunting the elusive Wapiti for twenty years , I nailed a 3x4 with a Limited Entry tag in the Spirit Lake area in Utah back in 96 . I have been able to shoot 5 or 6 cows before that bull and nothing since . I don't believe this last year counts , since I've been in Kuwait , hoping to leave here soon and maybe get back to Utah and try a hunt at home as well as Idaho and Colorado again .
KEEP YOUR POWDER DRY
BUTTSHOT

 

[fisrtcoueswas80inches]

the area that my family and i hunt always gets a lot of pressure but we know the area well and know where the elk are going to be. we dont pass on any humane shot at any bull because we hunt for the elk's meat, not a huge head. one year(my first year carrying a gun) my dad, grandpa and i all got bulls. we went 3/3. i shot a spike the 3rd evening, grandpa shot a 2x3 on the 5th morning, dad a decent 5x5 on the last evening. but the point is any elk is a "decent elk" first of all, the hunts here in az are hard to get drawn for so if u get draw ur a winner. second of all a non guided hunt on public land with 9999999 other hunters out there and still beaing able to find a bull should be a sence of pride as it is. i would love to shoot a 350 bulls and in fact, one morning on a juniors only cow hunt i had, i had about a 330 and a 360 both in a opening at a water hole in front of me not more than 100 yards away. but i got them on video and actually shot my first cow elk from that same waterhole.
casey