Monday morning feel good stories
Things are a bit quiet on the self-defense use today so I thought this would be a nice feel-good story.
From Jefferson County, KS
DJ Klenklen, 28, left, and his 23-year-old brother Kody pose with the bull elk DJ shot with a muzzleloader on Sept. 6 in Jefferson County. The bull will not be officially scored until Nov. 5, after the skull and antlers dry, but game wardens said they think it could be a Kansas record non-typical bull elk. Lacy Klenklen Courtesy
A Kansas hunter shot what may be a state record bull elk in northeast Kansas, and it was the first elk he’d ever seen outside of captivity.
Stories of a rogue bull elk showing up the past two Septembers at the same Jefferson County property where DJ Klenklen had just landed permission to hunt drove his imagination wild.
“If I see this thing, I’m buying a tag,” Klenklen, 28, said he told his wife during the summer months leading up to the season.
The landowner had told him about the elk and, knowing Klenklen was an avid whitetail deer hunter, asked him if he wanted to hunt it. But before he bought a tag, he wanted to make sure it was there.
“We’re thinking of packing up, it’s about 6:45, and he bugles, man, and it made the hairs stand up all over my body,” Klenklen said.
“I heard him start coming through those trees and he was just coming like a freight train. I’ll never forget the sound of him coming through those trees.
“He’s making this noise — I don’t even want to try to replicate it, but it’s like a drum. And it’s really deep and short. And then he came out of the woods, and, man, I have never felt adrenaline like that in my life,” he said. “I was shaking so bad.”
Klenklen said he got two clean, broadside shots at the bull at about 60 yards, and the bull didn’t go far before it fell.
“All’s you could see in the milo was his antlers sticking up, and it was a beautiful thing,” Klenklen said.
I remember my first Buck, the thing stomped through the woods just like that. I was using one of my friend’s fathers guns, a 303 British. I remember watching that huge beast stomp out under the power lines, steam blowing from its nostrils. I shot and it seemed like an hour went by and nothing happened…then the huge beast dropped with a tremendous thud. I could not have been any more proud than I was carrying all 3 points back to the truck. I no longer feared Godzilla.
Have a great day.
Category: Feel Good Stories
As big as elk are, I have always wondered if they are the descendants of the prehistoric giant Irish elk (deer).
I have no idea, my first one weight 125 lbs, but to me it was a Giant none the less.
I’ve been places where you do here the elk bulls bugle at each other. It is extremely primal, raises the hair on the back of your neck. (You should get that shaved, by the way.)
Camping out under the rising full moon does that, too.
I still remember the first elk I shot in Colorado up near Oak Creek! And I shot him with my Grandpa’s Winchester lever action, octagon barrel 30/30. Now my pos brother has that rifle and I wish the local law would bust him for felon in possession of a fire arm! I can always dream can’t I, maybe I will luck out and he will shoot himself with it???
Lived in Kansas over six years and never heard of elk there! Must have been sheltered. Hell of a reload; says he got two shots off from a muzzleloader?
Lots of good eating in that big boy, nothing better than elk. Also, lots of big time deep pocketed trophy hunters would have paid large dollars for a chance to take that one out. Property owner must think a lot of that young man. Curious as to what type of muzzle loader the fellow had that he could get off 2 quick broadside shots at 60 yards before the elk could/would bolt. A trained rifleman during the WBTS was expected to load and fire 3 aimed shots a minute.
SOMETHING YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW!
DID YOU KNOW…..that the kid who voiced Bambi grew up to become the youngest Marine drill instructor and served three tours in Vietnam!
Donnie Dunagan was only 6 when Walt Disney hired him to be the voice of Bambi. He was discovered at a Memphis talent show, and actually performed in 8 movies as a child.
He had a promising career that was cut short because his family fractured. He spent his time as a kid and teen in different boarding homes, until he joined the military as a teen.
He had a pretty good career there too. He was the youngest ever Marine Drill instructor and served three tours during the Vietnam war. He said he was fortunate to be in a leadership position for over 25 years.
However, his true identity as Bambi remained hidden while he was in the military. He thought people wouldn’t have taken him seriously if they knew he voiced the famous fawn. It wasn’t until years later, when he was 70, that he made it publicly known.
He was attending a banquet, when a casual comment tipped media off that he had been a child star.
After that, Disney got back in contact with him and he participated in the DVD feature about the Bambi cast. He’s now getting DVDs from them to give to orphanages.
Fans are ecstatic that he’s come back into the spotlight, and he’s now proud whenever someone calls out “Major Bambi” out on the street “I love it to death,” he says.
This story is NO BULL.
You’re just trying to horn in…
“all 3 points”
The entire story read like bull from the start but the punchline sealed it.
I can just picture that mount on the wall cradling your rifle.
Nice rack!
OH, and the elk’s not too bad either.