Ranch Reviews!

A Well-Earned Bull

HUNTING, April 2001, by Blake Shelby

    We had been walking for more than an hour before the first light of day began to break. Now well above the snow line, westopped to watch the sun rise and listen for that haunting sound of a bull elk's bugle. A storm had set in, and although it was raining in the low country, we had faced a stinging mixture of sleet and snow ever since we had passed about 7,500 feet above sea level.
    As I sat trying to catch my breath, one of the most pristine valleys I have ever seen came into view below. Elk signs had been abundant on the hike up, and even though all was silent, my hopes were still high. My guide had said the rut had been over for more than two weeks, and we would spend much of our time walking and glassing the rugged canyon country that made up the incredible Broadmouth Canyon Ranch.
    After a short break we began to work our way higher into an area where there had been a big bull elk spotted in the week prior and where the open high country would be more suitable for glassing. The terrain was steep and conditions were icy and slick. It took more than four hours of hiking almost straight up to reach our vantage point atop of one of the highest mountains on the ranch. As we topped 10,000 feet, I realized that I was in for one of the most intense elk hunts that I had ever done.
    I had long looked forward to meeting the ranch owner and former All-Pro Denver Bronco defensive end, Rulon Jones, but quickly realized that I had a better chance of keeping up with a frightened mountain goat than walking step for step with this incredible athlete. Ten years of playing in the NFL had not taken a step away from this man; in fact, he is probably in better shape than any guide I have ever encountered.
    I knew that Rulon takes great pride in being able to cater to hunters who are physically unable to hunt in most of the rugged areas that elk usually inhabit, and has the resources to use trucks, ATVs, or horses to accommodate these hunters.

I, unfortunately, had made the mistake of requesting a more rugged hunt that would take me to the more remote areas of the fenced portion of the ranch in order to find a trophy bull. Although I had considered myself in pretty good shape, a saddle horse would be a welcome sight to a Southern boy who was not in nearly as good of "mountain" shape as he had thought.
    We had hunted hard until well after noon and spotted plenty of game. But despite a great morning of hunting, I must say that I was glad to see the beautiful and rustic lodge finally coming into view below. During the morning hunt, it had become apparent that the harsh weather had pushed the big bulls down into the lower country, just below the snow line. As I met up with the other hunters in camp to hang our clothes to dry over the fire and trade stories of the morning hunt, the guides formulated a plan for the afternoon hunt.
    Rulon and I hunted an area in the far northwest corner of the ranch, and as we were returning to the lodge, we had glassed a mature 6x6 bull through a spotting scope feeding along a ridge on the opposite side of the valley. After only a short break and a hot lunch, we set out to hunt that area from horseback.
    We were no more than an hour into the hunt when we heard the distant crack of a rifle across the valley. A call soon came over the radio that another hunter, a rancher from Texas, had taken a tremendous 7x7 bull that would score well over 370 Boone and Crockett points. No sooner than we had heard the news, we spotted our 6x6 bull feeding in a meadow not more than 500 yards from where we had seen him that morning. Unfortunately, the bull must have caught a glimpse of the approaching horses before we caught a glimpse of him because he quickly moved into heavy cover.
    We tied the horses and began to slowly stalk closer to the area where we had seen the bull. We had made our way to within 250 yards when he briefly moved back into the meadow. He was an excellent bull with tremendous bottoms and would no doubt make a fine trophy. But as I searched for a solid rest, he disappeared into the brush and presented only marginal shots as he worked his way away from us.
    We continued to hunt hard that afternoon, and late that evening we spotted a group of three mature bulls on a distant ridge. Although there appeared to be a trophy bull in the group, it was difficult to tell in the fading light, and there was no time left in the day to try and close the gap. We decided that our best option was to gamble that in the harsh weather, the bulls would stay in the same area; we'd try to find them in the morning.
    Rulon woke me early the next morning. We had already eaten breakfast and were heading out afoot as the other hunters in camp began to stir. An hour later, as the morning light began to illuminate the mountain, we were glad to see that the bulls were not only in the area but virtually in the same spot as the evening before. Even more fortunate, there was a trophy bull in the group. The only downside wasthat they were in a difficult spot.
    They were on the very top of the mountain; it was not only extremely steep, but there was about a 30-foot bluff just belowthem that would make a stalk virtually impossible. Our only option would be an extremely long shot from the opposite ridge. We worked our way as close as possible and decided to try to bugle in an effort to draw the bull off the ridge into the timber below so that we could close the gap. That turned out to be a mistake. When we bugled, the massive 6x7 bull simply turned and faced us. He stood motionless as he studied the valley below looking for the bull that had made the bugle.
    Not only was it apparent that he wasn't going to come any closer, but now moving on him would be extremely difficult. We were pinned down, and this was the only opportunity we would have at this tremendous bull. Although I could tell that it made Rulon extremely nervous, he asked if I was comfortable making a shot of that distance. We estimated the bull to be from 475 to 500 yards with a stiff crosswind blowing between the ridge that the bull was on and the one where we were standing.
    Under most circumstances I would not have felt comfortable making the shot and would have loved to get closer. But it was the only shot available, and I had the perfect rifle for it, a custom built Remington Model 700 chambered in the impressive .300 Remington Ultra Mag topped with a 10x42 Swarovski scope. I reassured Rulon that I could make the shot if I had a solid rest.
    I slowly eased behind a small scrub oak and trimmed away the smaller limbs so that I would have a good, solid kneeling rest. I had spent a lot of time practicing at long ranges with that rifle and knew its trajectory very well.
    Calculations began to race through my mind. The handloads I was shooting were loaded with the 180-grain Sirocco bullet that should not be affected much, if any, by the crosswind. With a muzzle velocity pushing 3,460 fps, a zero of 350 yards, altitude and a pretty steep uphill shooting angle, I estimated that I would have slightly less drop than the normal 16 to 18 inches at that range.
    I felt confident in the situation, but the shot would be difficult. The bull remained motionless as he stood facing us with his huge body and tremendous rack silhouetted against the skyline. He refused to move. It was probably only a span of 10 to 15 minutes, but it felt like hours.
    Finally, the two smaller bulls began to feed away, and he turned to join them. The long wait had suddenly changed into a hurry-up-and-shoot situation. I held the crosshairs slightly below the top of the bull's back and squeezed off the shot.
    "You hit him good," Rulon said as the bull lunged forward and disappeared over the top of the ridge.
    Not knowing for sure if the bull was down, we gave him more than half an hour before we slowly began to work our way through the rugged terrain. I tried to remain positive, but it is almost impossible to keep the negative thoughts from racing through your mind at a moment like this. What if I hit high, or too far back? Why didn't he go down immediately? Are we giving him enough time?
    It took nearly 15 more minutes to work our way down the ridge and up the steep terrain to his location. It was an indescribable feeling of elation and relief as we topped the ridge to find the magnificent animal lying within feet of where he had been shot. It was an incredible end to an incredible hunt on a wonderful ranch.
    As we loaded our gear for the long trip home, a new hunter arrived early for an upcoming hunt and nervously asked about the quality of the hunt. I looked at one of my hunting partners, and we had to smile as we thought back on the experience at Broadmouth Canyon Ranch. "I know it is a cliche, but you will have the hunt of a lifetime," I told him. "And we will see you again next year."

    Rulon Jones is not just a former athlete with the finances to buy a hunting ranch. He is the son of the great archer Larry Jones, who was one of the early pioneers of wildlife anematography and bowhunted with the likes of Fred Bear. Rulon grew up in the mountains of Utah and has hunted his entire life. His trophies decorate the rustic and comforable lodge he primarily built himself next to a beautiful creek in some of the best elk habitat in the country.
    The ranch includes more than 2,000 acres under high fence, a tract that's managed for elk and the place where I killed my big bull. In addition, Broadmouth has 12,000 more acres that are not fenced and are extensively managed for trophy mule deer, moose, and elk. All five elk hunters in my camp harvested nice bulls, and one gentleman took a nice 5x5 trophy mule deer. But in addition to abundant game and an excellent lodge, Rulon has taken every possible precaution to ensure that his hunters have a great experience. Every detail of the hunt from airport pick-up to taxidermy and meat processing is well thought out. His guides are some of the hardest working and knowledgeable I have ever worked with. His cook is friendly and meals are great.

Hunt with former Denver Broncos All-Pro RULON JONES
Request a free DVD: Send your name and mailing address to: rulon@utahelkhunt.com