My Utah Bull

So this is my first time blogging but I figured I would post about my elk hunt because a lot of you are interested. It started about 2 months ago. I was at work and got a phone call from the DWR. The lady told me that someone had given up their premium Manti elk tag and I was next inline for it. I was so so excited I had been putting in for this tag for 13 years and it was finally mine! One of the crazy parts of this story is that my brother Jackson drew a muzzle loader tag in the exact same area and he had been scouting since late May. Jack had several bulls on trail cams in the same area my Dad got his bull in 2007 and my Sister got a bull in the same area in 2008. With the premium tag I could hunt the whole archery, early rifle, muzzle loader, and late rifle. With over fifty days to hunt my goal was a 380 bull which are few and far between on the Manti but I had the time and Alisha was ok with it so that was the plan. For the next several weekends we continued to scout, I carried a bow through the archery but it was mostly scouting. Then it was time to head out for the early rifle hunt. We got the trailer ready, bought our groceries and packed enough to be gone for 10 days. The Friday before the hunt we saw several nice bulls but nothing quite the size I was looking for, still we were excited for the next day. Opening morning was disappointing at first, the elk weren't talking much it had been really warm. But around 8am they started in. We hiked up to a good area and there was a really nice bull we guessed he was probably in the 370 range but the problem was that he was over 600 yards away. I decided I would try to take a shot at him and I missed. Through out the rest of the day we had bulls all around us none that I was looking for. The next day was a lot like the first a lot of rag horns and a few 320 to 350 bulls. I almost shot a huge 5 he was probably a 340 bull but Jack talked me out of it. Monday was the day I had a feeling. This might sound weird but I prayed that we would be successful. We hiked up to a spot we call the corner. The bulls were talking and coming in to our calls. We hadn't seen anyone the whole hunt and then I looked down the ridge and there were 6 guys coming towards us. Jack said if they shoot our bull Im gonna be pissed. Then all of the sudden my bull stepped into an opening in the pines. He was standing head on and I could just see his fronts in the scope. Jack is a good judge of bull size and he had talked me out of several others but he said shoot so I thought if he said shoot its gotta be a nice bull. I shot and it knocked him flat on his back then he stood up and ran. After the way he went down I couldn't believe he got up. We stood there on the ridge and Jack said we should say a prayer that we would find him. We waited a few more minutes and went to find him. There he was about 30 yards away. Jack got there first and he looked like he was going to cry. When I got up to them I saw why it was only a 5 point not even close to the size I wanted. He had awesome ones twos and threes but then he was lacking. I gotta say I was pretty upset. I felt like I had just wasted my tag. I felt the worst for Jack he was so upset about it. At a time when it should have been high fives and smiles and it was two brothers crying. He felt like he was responsible because he told me to shoot. All he could say is I'm so sorry. The thought crossed my mind that I could just leave the elk and no one would know, but I couldn't especially after praying to be successful and praying that we find it. We had to get him off the mountain and I had to tag him. I don't know why I was blessed to get that elk. It sure isn't what I wanted. Maybe I will learn a lesson from it someday or I will be able to use it as an example. I don't know. I'm still trying to come to terms with it but he is my bull. All I can say is that even though it isn't what I wanted I wouldn't want to have done it with out anyone else my Dad and brother.