For as long as I can remember, my dad has been putting in for a limited entry rifle elk tag here in Utah. As I got older into my teenage years, I began to be more and more hopeful that he would finally draw his tag for the Beaver unit and we would be able to enjoy the "once in a lifetime hunt." However, he would end up waiting longer than we would have hoped. Finally, after 22 years he drew the tag for this fall.
We were thrilled to have the opportunity to hunt big bulls on one of the best units in the state during the rut. As anticipation for the hunt grew, so did the need for us to pick up some necessary gear, so we would be well equipped for the hunt. We have hunted with our extended family for many years and they told us about SKRE and praised how it was fairly priced and had exceptional quality.
So, we decided to try it out and placed our order for the SKRE Hardscrabble Jacket and Pants. We put the gear to the test with many weekends down on the unit scouting and learning. Through rainy mornings to warm afternoons, our gear held up great and was much more comfortable than the traditional blue jeans we would usually wear.
The hunt finally arrived after many weeks of anticipation and preparation. I asked my dad what kind of bull he was hoping for and what he would shoot on the hunt. He said that, ideally, he would love to shoot a straight six point with good mass that would score around 350.
We set off in the early hours of opening morning to hike up high where we had seen a couple of nice bulls the day before. It was incredible to hear the bulls bugling back and forth all morning. We spotted a few nice bulls, but opening day came and went with no shots being fired.
We ended up moving spots and split up since we had many cousins and uncles with us helping my dad to glass and spot bulls. We found a nice bull one morning who was definitely the bull of the mountain. He had 26 cows with him and was just what my dad wanted - A straight six point with good mass that would score around 350.
That evening we set out to make a play on this bull. My cousins and I got up to a glassing point on the ridge where we could see where these elk had been feeding. The stage was set. My dad and uncle headed down the ridge to get to a point where he could get a shot.
Around 5:00 p.m. we spotted the herd of elk we had seen earlier that morning and were ecstatic to see this big bull again still protecting his harem. We hoped my dad and uncle were at a place where they could see him too.
After about 30-45 minutes of watching these elk feed we heard a loud rifle shot that echoed through the canyon. We happened to be filming the scene through our spotting scopes with Phone Skopes and saw the big bull go down after the shot!
After a brief, but exciting celebration at the top of the ridge, we hiked down the face of the mountain to meet up with my dad and uncle on the other side of the canyon where we were finally able to see this old herd bull we had tracked up close.
While taking pictures, we realized that each of us there was wearing some piece of SKRE gear, whether it was pants, hoodies, hats or jackets. I couldn't help but submit this story to share our story of the "once in a lifetime hunt" and share how satisfied we have been with all of our SKRE gear!