king' s outdoor world - Index

king' s outdoor world - Best of 2007 Feb-March 2008 - Index

72
Jim Giles with his daughter after a successful
hunt for this 393 gross bull in 2004
his tracks and started tracking him. I tracked him 150 yards
further into the trees and then out onto a sagebrush fl at. As I
stood at the edge of the fl at, the big 7x7 got back to his feet
about 100 yards away. I hit him two more times and put him
down for good.
As I started across the fl at to go get a look at the
bull, I looked behind me and could see my buddy, Nate
Jacobson, running for all he was worth. I waited for him
to catch up. We walked up to the bull and I grabbed his
antlers and turned his head. I could not believe my eyes. He
just kept getting bigger and bigger. About ten minutes after
Nate and I walked up to the bull, my two other buddies,
Barry Fullmer and Steve Forman, caught up to us and the
high fi ves started all over again.
It is hard to put into words what it felt like walking
up to a bull of a lifetime after hunting and scouting for
literally hundreds of days over fi ve years. I will probably
never have another opportunity to take a bull of this caliber
but, I can tell you this, I will have fun trying. My bull has
been green scored at 417 5/8 gross and 404 7/8 net typical
B&C and could be one of the biggest typical elk taken in
2007.
Almost exactly 24 hours after I had harvested my
bull of a lifetime, Steve and Barry climbed to the vantage
point that I was headed to the day before and, standing
below them in the same fi eld with the same group of cows,
was Barry’s bull of a lifetime. He made the shot count and
harvested a huge 6x6 bull grossing in the high 390’s and
netting in the high 380’s. In two consecutive days, two
buddies had taken two Boone and Crockett bulls. It does not
get any better than that. It truly was the hunt of a lifetime.
I would like to give a special thanks to my wife
Heidi and my three girls Kira, Kenzee and Katelyn for letting
me pursue my addiction for hunting and the outdoors. I
love you. I am grateful that, when time permits, they spend
their free time with me in the fi eld in pursuit of big bucks
and big bulls. Whenever possible, take a child with you and
let them experience the magic of the outdoors. Start taking
them early even if they are going to be in the way and are
too noisy and could cost you an animal. I have heard all the
excuses. Remember, it is never too early, only too late.
Hunter: Jim Giles • Location: Southeastern Utah • Area: Private land • Guide: Self • Date: September 5, 2007 • Time:
Evening • Days scouted: 10 • Days hunted: 4 • Weather: Partly cloudy and very windy • Temperature: 40’s • Moon: 32%
waning crescent • Terrain: Cedar’s, sage and CRP • Camoufl age: King’s Mountain & Desert Shadow • Gun: Christensen
Arms • Caliber: .300 Ultra Mag • Bullets: Custom 180 grain Nosler Accubonds • Scope: Swarovski • Recoil pad: Limbsaver
• Binoculars: Docter Optics 20-50x80 • Range fi nder: Leica Geovid 10x42 range fi nding binoculars • Footwear: Vasque
Boots • Pack: Pack: King’s TX Daylite
HUNTING ILLUSTRATED.com
Hunting with his kids and wife, Jim took
this unique drop tine bull in 2005