BuzzH
Well-known member
Just rolled into town and headed back out tomorrow morning for deer, but thought I'd post a story.
Left Sunday afternoon and set up camp in an area I've hunted elk before. I finally got to meet the guys in the neighboring camp. They've been hunting out of that same camp since 1970. Good guys and are all retired, they'd shot three elk on opening day, but hadnt had much luck since.
Monday morning I took to hunting and within a half hour of light I saw 2 spike bulls and several cows. They had no idea I was there, but I just kept right on walking. Over the next 9 miles I saw 17 more elk including 2 more branch-antlered bulls, but nothing close enough for a shot. But, I did hear some late bugling so, I made a plan to hunt near there the next day.
I woke up at 4 a.m. and had some breakfast...
I hiked about an hour and a half in the dark and heard some bugling the entire way. At daylight the bugling started to get more intense and I lit out in the direction of the bugling. I finally got close enough I started hearing some cows and pretty soon, I saw two cows. They saw me and moved off slowly, not sure what I was. Then a bull bugled about 200 yards below me, which was bad because the wind was blowing down hill. I tried to get past them, but I only made it 30 yards and I saw a cow standing below me. I knew I was OK with the wind, but barely. Pretty soon 10 cows and calves walked uphill and right past me at 18 yards. I could hear some more elk to my left coming up the hill, but I knew I'd likely never see them as the wind was drifting right to them. Sure enough, they got to about 80 yards and busted out of the country.
I sat down to re-group and heard another bugle uphill of me. So, I took off and after covering a quarter mile or so, I heard the unmistakeable sound of antlers clanking together. The trouble I had was crossing through a stand of sub-alpine fir with an overstory of Aspen. The leaves were really dry and crunchy so I only moved when the two bulls were sparing. I didnt cross quick enough and they just walked off. I moved another couple hundred yards and saw 2 cows feed through the timber above me. I moved uphill to get a better look and a third cow I hadnt seen saw me and busted off scattering elk both to the left and right of me.
I immediately just ran straight up hill toward the cow that spooked, which turned out to be a fortunate move on my part. Just as I got close to where the cow had been, a bull crossed in front of me 30 yards away. He stopped at 50 yards and I had a small gap to shoot through. I quickly found his shoulder and took the shot. He didnt make it but a step or two and that was that.
A closer look:
A couple more:
The packout wasnt that bad, slightly over 3 miles one way. Took my time getting him out and spent quite a bit of time BSing with the guys in the other camp.
Good times.
Left Sunday afternoon and set up camp in an area I've hunted elk before. I finally got to meet the guys in the neighboring camp. They've been hunting out of that same camp since 1970. Good guys and are all retired, they'd shot three elk on opening day, but hadnt had much luck since.
Monday morning I took to hunting and within a half hour of light I saw 2 spike bulls and several cows. They had no idea I was there, but I just kept right on walking. Over the next 9 miles I saw 17 more elk including 2 more branch-antlered bulls, but nothing close enough for a shot. But, I did hear some late bugling so, I made a plan to hunt near there the next day.
I woke up at 4 a.m. and had some breakfast...
I hiked about an hour and a half in the dark and heard some bugling the entire way. At daylight the bugling started to get more intense and I lit out in the direction of the bugling. I finally got close enough I started hearing some cows and pretty soon, I saw two cows. They saw me and moved off slowly, not sure what I was. Then a bull bugled about 200 yards below me, which was bad because the wind was blowing down hill. I tried to get past them, but I only made it 30 yards and I saw a cow standing below me. I knew I was OK with the wind, but barely. Pretty soon 10 cows and calves walked uphill and right past me at 18 yards. I could hear some more elk to my left coming up the hill, but I knew I'd likely never see them as the wind was drifting right to them. Sure enough, they got to about 80 yards and busted out of the country.
I sat down to re-group and heard another bugle uphill of me. So, I took off and after covering a quarter mile or so, I heard the unmistakeable sound of antlers clanking together. The trouble I had was crossing through a stand of sub-alpine fir with an overstory of Aspen. The leaves were really dry and crunchy so I only moved when the two bulls were sparing. I didnt cross quick enough and they just walked off. I moved another couple hundred yards and saw 2 cows feed through the timber above me. I moved uphill to get a better look and a third cow I hadnt seen saw me and busted off scattering elk both to the left and right of me.
I immediately just ran straight up hill toward the cow that spooked, which turned out to be a fortunate move on my part. Just as I got close to where the cow had been, a bull crossed in front of me 30 yards away. He stopped at 50 yards and I had a small gap to shoot through. I quickly found his shoulder and took the shot. He didnt make it but a step or two and that was that.
A closer look:
A couple more:
The packout wasnt that bad, slightly over 3 miles one way. Took my time getting him out and spent quite a bit of time BSing with the guys in the other camp.
Good times.
