By Cate Cook
An unusual silhouette caught the hunter’s eye, that of a big bull with some unusual branching.
A big game hunt lasts a long time. Consider it a year-long event, starting with tales of last years hunt, told and re-told everywhere from the Thanksgiving table, to the break room at work, and over a few brewskies at the neighborhood pub. Perhaps there is a new rifle under the Christmas tree, then late season and spring hunts. Get your special draw applications in on time, scout out the areas in the summer, get in shape, site in your rifle...why, there really is hardly time for anything else. All that preparation and planning, till high hopes hit the frosty ground for a few glorious days, culminating with a magnificent trophy and another cycle of big game tales.
John Guthrie likely has time to plan his hunting, as he installs carpet and flooring throughout Fremont County, but last season, he efficiently compressed his actual hunt into a brief few hours, bagging one big freak elk in record time!
John was hunting on foot with a special permit above Hyattville. Early Opening morning, he spotted about 30 elk, grazing casually in an open meadow. An unusual silhouette caught the hunter’s eye, that of a big bull with some unusual branching. Guthrie’s 30.06 easily dropped it, and he discovered a bull with six perfect points on one side, but a 24" dropped front tine and a unique clubbed tine on the other.
Two days later John took a nice mulie, and even after staying a few more days to help out in camp, he was done and home in record time. He didn’t mount his odd bull, but kept the rack of course, and continues to plan future hunts in the northern Big Horns.