A Bull Named Top Gun
Story By: Nathan Theriault
It was 2021, the year of our pursuit for the Horseshoe Bull. Tom Hamilton waited for conditions to improve before moving in, but in the meantime, he decided to explore a promising patch of woods. Within a short while, he was calling in a great bull. As the shot was about to present itself, the wind betrayed him and the hunt was over. Though unsuccessful, Tommy caught a glimpse of the bull, an impressive animal.
Later that year during our late season aerial surveys, we photographed a massive bull in the same general area. With our small Husky bush plane and the upcoming release of Top Gun: Maverick, we had the perfect name for him, “Top Gun.”
In the months that followed, we pieced together more of his story. Tracks and rubs gave us hints of his movements, and as we gathered more information, we became increasingly certain that Top Gun was one of the most dominant bulls in the region. He occupied an area rich with prime habitat – dense spruce stands interwoven with muskegs and open ridges. It was a perfect stronghold, and he knew how to use it to his advantage.
In 2022, our good friend Dean Capuano, host of Swarovski Optik Quest, took up the pursuit. He had close encounters, but nothing materialized. Our scouting mission intensified. Finding sheds is crucial in tracking a bull’s movements, and Nathan located one of Top Gun’s antlers. The other side remained elusive until the winter of 2024 when a shed buyer informed Nathan that another hunter had found it in 2023. With the full rack together, the story of Top Gun was coming into focus.
The more we learned, the more we respected him. Each year, our aerial surveys became an obsession, scanning the timbered terrain for any sign of him. He had a knack for disappearing, evading hunters and slipping through our best efforts to track him. His dominance over other bulls was evident, not only in the way he held his territory but in how he outmaneuvered them.
In 2023, another bull we had history with, the Cross Bull, moved into the area, ran Top Gun off, and took his cows. Just like that, he was gone. It was our second year of pursuit, and we had lost contact.
As winter 2023-2024 arrived, our aerial surveys resumed. While reviewing photos of bulls, Bryce noticed something special. Upon closer inspection, we realized it. Top Gun was alive.
By the fall of 2024, Nick Sampson held a Maine bull moose tag, and with it came the opportunity of a lifetime. On opening day, hunting with his daughter running the camera, he had two bulls respond to his calls. One was at 80 yards, and another was at 150. However, neither was quite what he was looking for. That evening at camp, the excitement grew when another hunter brought in a 50” bull, proving the big ones were out there.
The next morning, as conditions improved, Nick received a message from an OMM guide, offering to help. That afternoon, they headed into remote country where fresh moose sign was abundant. As the sun lowered, they let out a bull call. Almost instantly, they got a response. A few more calls, and the bull was coming in hot, raking trees and smashing through the brush.
Suddenly, through thick pines and aspens, a massive palm emerged, then another. Top Gun stepped forward. Nick settled his crosshairs and squeezed the trigger. The bull lurched but didn’t go down. A second shot followed, and then silence. As they tracked the blood trail into the fading light, they finally found him.
Someone said it first, “That’s Top Gun.” The legendary bull had finally been taken.