One of NRA Outdoors’ top elk-hunting outfitters successfully guided nine hunters to nine trophy bulls during the 2013 rifle season marking an incredibly successful completion to the hunting and fishing destinations service’s first NRA members-only elk hunt. Hunters who wish to experience the success of the first exclusive hunt will have their opportunity in 2014 as NRA Outdoors will host another event with the outfitter next year.
“I have the opportunity to host several of these types of events every year and it absolutely amazes me how you can bring a group of NRA members together from all walks of life that have never met before and by the time the last day of the hunt is here they are all asking for a master list of email addresses and phone numbers so they can stay in touch with each other,” said NRA Outdoors President Greg Ray. “We love putting together these events, especially when we have the opportunity to team up with industry leaders such as Weatherby and Swarovski.”
Of the nine hunters in camp, seven were first-time elk hunters and none had ever killed a bull elk. As part of the NRA members-only exclusive hunt, a pre-hunt shooting competition was staged on the ranch property where the hunters competed against each other in real-world shooting situations that replicated the cross-country shots that they would likely encounter during the hunt. Steve Shondell’s NRA Outdoors exclusive hunt experience began in memorable fashion as he won the shooting competition and claimed a Weatherby Mark V Accumark chambered in .30-378 Weatherby Magnum topped with Swarovski Z6 optics.
Two days into the hunt, Shondell, used this remarkably powerful and accurate rifle to shoot his first bull elk, a mature, 300-class, 6×6 bull.
“I let (my son) Stevie take the first attempt as we were hunting together and he was successful, taking a nice 5×6 bull on the first day. The next afternoon, we got on some elk that we heard bugling and I was finally able to get a clean shot at 310 yards through an opening in the aspen groves. The new Weatherby did the trick and when the bullet hit him he took a nosedive – didn’t have to track him at all,” said Shondell. “The facilities and the food were fabulous; our guide, Bill, was outstanding and everything was very professional. I enjoyed my time with all of the people in camp and was happy to be there with my son when he took his first bull.”
For hunters who wish to hunt the extreme terrain that is home to some of the West’s finest trophy bull elk but who can’t make it to camp during the NRA members-only hunt, the outfitter offers a separate 5-day hunt during rifle season as well as three different 5-day archery hunts.
For more information or to secure your spot with one of NRA Outdoors’ top elk-hunting outfitters, contact NRA Outdoors at (918) 258-7817 as these spots for these hunts are filling up quickly.
2014 HUNT OPPORTUNITIES
5-Day Archery Hunts
2014 Dates: September 6-12 or September 12-18 or September 18-24
Cost: $6,500 (1×1) or $6,000 (2×1)
5-Day Rifle Hunts
2014 Dates: October 14-20 or October 21-27
Cost: $7,500 (1×1) or $7,000 (2×1)
NRA Outdoors is a service provided to NRA members that gives these outdoor enthusiasts and Second Amendment advocates access to hundreds of the finest hunting and fishing destinations around the world. NRA Outdoors carefully vets each outfitter to ensure that every operation is equipped to provide clients with the best chances for success while maintaining the highest levels of quality, service and professionalism as set forth by NRA Outdoors’ Approved Destinations Program.
In addition to taking the guesswork out of booking outdoor adventures, NRA Outdoors allows sportsmen and women to continue their support for Second Amendment rights as a portion of the cost of each trip booked goes directly to defend the Right to Keep and Bear Arms.
For more information about NRA Outdoors, go online to http://www.NRAOutdoors.com.