When we woke up the weather was still bad, but we went for it anyways. We headed for a big willow flat a few miles from camp that we had glassed several days ago from the top of a mountain. It was a seriously “moosey” looking spot. Thick timber on the edges for bedding, solid willows in the bottom for feeding, and a running creek in the middle for water . . . pretty much a year round moose spot, with lots of sign.
We found a clearing in the timber above the willows where we could see for miles. Literally as soon as we tied up our horses the weather started to break and for the first time in days, we could see patches of blue sky. I picked up my binos and instantly saw a bull coming across the valley 1,000 yards away.
He was a decent 50″ish bull. We let him go. As he cleared the valley we glassed another bull aways behind him, then another bigger bull about two miles further down the valley. After we got the bad weather we thought we needed, then the weather window we knew we needed, things started happening.
Long story short we saw four more bulls throughout the day, several really good-looking bulls, but just never where we could really make a move on them. We also didn’t want to settle for anything less than a giant. We knew the kind of bulls this area could produce, so we were going to be picky, I wanted an old one.
With about two hours of light left we started a slow ride back to camp to see if we could find a bull behind us in a part of the valley that we couldn’t see from where we were set up all day. We found a giant. He was across the creek 600 yards from us, so we hopped off the horses and tried to get closer. We lost him as soon as we got swallowed up in the willows.
This bull was everything we’re looking for – 60″+, lots of points, and super wide paddles – just a palmed-out giant. Losing this bull was a pretty heartbreaking way to end such a good day…but we saw bulls today. But…now we have a problem…I’m obsessed with this bull. I have to kill him. I WILL kill him.