Duck-Slayer
Well-known member
Took 5 hrs but we made it to the top this morning. And I have service! That’s means another live hunt!
Matt
Matt
2020 Idaho elk w/Pack Goats
- Thread starter Duck-Slayer
- Start date
Duck-Slayer
Well-known member
Matt
TriStar Hunt
Well-known member
Looks like a great day. Can’t wait to see these goats earn their keep!! Good luck!!
Duck-Slayer
Well-known member
Sitting here cruising the Internet and posting my live elk hunt and my goat spots the first elk of the trip 540 yards on the opposite ridge! 
small 5 pt bull, 2 cows, 2 calves, and a yearling. Think we’re just going to watch for now.
Matt
small 5 pt bull, 2 cows, 2 calves, and a yearling. Think we’re just going to watch for now.Matt
sethkuhl
Well-known member
Those mountains dont look very blue! Can't wait to see the outcome!
Bowhuntrben
Well-known member
This is going to be good!
CUElk
Well-known member
Following closely. Enjoyed your deer hunt thread. Good luck.
blueridge
Well-known member
Good luck, Matt!
Idahoarcheryhunter
Well-known member
Looks a little Smokey? Bulls talking at all?
Duck-Slayer
Well-known member
Haven’t heard abugle yet. Laying in my tent right now listening. And the smoky is an understatement!
Matt
Idahoarcheryhunter
Well-known member
Thanks for the update, best of luck.
bowhuntmontana
Well-known member
Wishing you good luck. If this hunt is anything like the last one, I'm going to send you some cash to buy me some lotto tickets.
IdahoBugler
Well-known member
Good luck Matt. It will be fun to watch the play by play.
Duck-Slayer
Well-known member
Well that first day on top was the only day I had service.... but I wrote everyday down on my phone.
Day 1 & 2, we were pretty close to running out of water. We had filled our bladders up at a spring not to far down the mountain, problem was it was a lot of vertical climbing. I drank a little over a liter, Mark drank most of his 2.5L. We shared a mountain house that night. There usually is water in the basin we camped near but no go. We ended up spotting a small 5 point and 5 cows which I posted a picture of in the above post. We watched those elk feed down the opposite ridge line. Cow called a few times but there was no interest for the bull or cows to come over. Ate supper and crashed. Morning day 2 was warm no bugling heard as we packed up camp. Headed over the top to the basin I thought had water but did not! At this point we were debating on whether to drop of the mountain or not. If we did I knew it would take most of our day up. We gambled on finding water farther in near the top. I knew there was water a good 4 miles up the ridge, we were already 5 miles in at this point. We checked 3 more basins on that 4 mile trek. No water! And No elk!
we were almost to the very back of this drainage and we skylines ourselves but we found a bull! And a frickn big one at that. Watched him and 12 cows feeding on the opposite mountain side. Just happened to glance in the bottom, another bull! A big one too! But he had seen us on the skyline and was boogieing out. We quickly got off the skyline and made a plan to move in on the herd across the way. We would have to circle around the upper basin, hope the wind is still moving uphill and move in. We got almost to the head of the basin where we were going to drop in and cross. I glassed a quick minute and saw they were also moving down, waited till they got back into the timber and we hauled but off the ridge into a small stand of timber. We decided to tie the goats up here, grab our filters and head after the herd. Got over there, within 200 yards and the wind was swirling like crazy.... 
and that was that. Grabbed about 5L out of the spring went back to where the goats were and filtered!!!!! So thirsty 
. We ended up setting up camp right there in some old elk beds. We ate a healthy supper, Mtn House, honey stinger, cookies, and a Coors Light! Long day.
Matt
Day 1 & 2, we were pretty close to running out of water. We had filled our bladders up at a spring not to far down the mountain, problem was it was a lot of vertical climbing. I drank a little over a liter, Mark drank most of his 2.5L. We shared a mountain house that night. There usually is water in the basin we camped near but no go. We ended up spotting a small 5 point and 5 cows which I posted a picture of in the above post. We watched those elk feed down the opposite ridge line. Cow called a few times but there was no interest for the bull or cows to come over. Ate supper and crashed. Morning day 2 was warm no bugling heard as we packed up camp. Headed over the top to the basin I thought had water but did not! At this point we were debating on whether to drop of the mountain or not. If we did I knew it would take most of our day up. We gambled on finding water farther in near the top. I knew there was water a good 4 miles up the ridge, we were already 5 miles in at this point. We checked 3 more basins on that 4 mile trek. No water! And No elk!
we were almost to the very back of this drainage and we skylines ourselves but we found a bull! And a frickn big one at that. Watched him and 12 cows feeding on the opposite mountain side. Just happened to glance in the bottom, another bull! A big one too! But he had seen us on the skyline and was boogieing out. We quickly got off the skyline and made a plan to move in on the herd across the way. We would have to circle around the upper basin, hope the wind is still moving uphill and move in. We got almost to the head of the basin where we were going to drop in and cross. I glassed a quick minute and saw they were also moving down, waited till they got back into the timber and we hauled but off the ridge into a small stand of timber. We decided to tie the goats up here, grab our filters and head after the herd. Got over there, within 200 yards and the wind was swirling like crazy.... and that was that. Grabbed about 5L out of the spring went back to where the goats were and filtered!!!!! So thirsty . We ended up setting up camp right there in some old elk beds. We ate a healthy supper, Mtn House, honey stinger, cookies, and a Coors Light! Long day.Matt
Duck-Slayer
Well-known member
Day 3, woke up as it was just getting light out. Made a much needed coffee, for both of us! Enjoyed the peaceful morning. Got ready to roll. The plan was to go right down the bottom bugling as we went trying to keep our wind going down the creek bottom. We got 2 miles from camp and I let out a bugle and got a response! We were pretty sure it was that same bull and cows. Sent Mark up above us about a hundred yards. Not to long after the bull started moving up the hill. So now I was beginning to think there were 2 bulls. The big bull was moving away, Mark tried to stay with him, no luck. I would say at least 40min later there was a bugle close, above me now, maybe 200 yards away! Tied the goats up quick and moved across the meadow to some timber on the other side. Called a few times with no response, well crap! Went back to the goats, Mark was there by the time I did. We discussed what to do since it was 10:30 already. We decided to work a little further down and check out a side canyon that those elk could have moved over the top into. No luck over there so we parked it for 3-4 hrs, waiting for the wind to switch. We did glass 2 guys backpacking in on the trail below us, they were headed up the side canyon. Hopefully away from us. Crazy to see them 7 miles in with no pack stock! After the wind switched we went back to the meadow with water, we are going to sit and see if anything returns. We sat from 3:15 till 5:15 with nothing returning. We than work our way back to camp, stopped and bugled a couple times with no response. Stopped and filtered about 10L of water and proceeded back to camp. Ate a healthy Peak breakfast skillet with coffee and peanut butter M&M’s for desert. Went up above camp and glassed the rest of the evening with no success. Not sure what is planned for tomorrow.
Matt
Matt
Duck-Slayer
Well-known member
Day 4, we got up and made coffee about 7am, heard a bugle below camp. Got our stuff and headed out. Got down about a mile and spotted a nice 6x6 along the creek. We were out in an old blow down so kinda open. We saw each other at the same time, we froze. He worked his way up hill into some timber. We circle around to get a better wind. Mark crossed the creek, I stayed back about 100 yards. After a little bit of a calling session he finally came closer. Mark spotted him 45 yards through the thick timber. No shot! Bull got bored and moved off. Mark came back to my location, we regrouped and made our way slowly down through the blow down dark timber. And it was slow slow going. Not to far maybe a mile down I gave out a soft bugle and immediate response, close too, maybe 100 yards. Told Mark to setup right there and I dropped down a bit with the goats. I guess he was on us right away, Mark said as soon as he started ranging stuff he looks up and the bull is staring st him from 40 yards. He turned and left, circled up wind and started alarm barking.... By this time we’re 4 miles down hill from camp. The hike back wasn’t the funnest. But we took a different route and hit a bench up high. Problem was it’s basically straight up steep to get there. After a lot of huffing, puffing, and lots of breaks I could see the crest. At that same moment I got to the crest i spotted an elk.... it’s a calf, nocked and arrow, clipped on my release, started ranging. 60 yards, another calf comes out, than a monster cow, ranged the cow 50 yards. Adjusted my site, drew and settled my pin just in front of her chest to compensate for the strong cross wind, released. Elk scattered, F I missed. Apparently the gust of wind died right as I released. Clean miss 
it was a disappointing rest of the walk back to camp! Hard to sleep after that choking job by me! Luck would have it that it was a good thing I missed, as the wind picked up to 30-40 gusts 
and sleeting mixed with rain. We hunkered down for a loud night at 9k feet.
Matt
it was a disappointing rest of the walk back to camp! Hard to sleep after that choking job by me! Luck would have it that it was a good thing I missed, as the wind picked up to 30-40 gusts and sleeting mixed with rain. We hunkered down for a loud night at 9k feet.Matt
Duck-Slayer
Well-known member
Day 5, we got up at daylight, made coffee and waited for our other buddies on Horse back to ride up to our saddle we were camped in on there way back to the trailhead. They had similar luck as us but no shots. My buddy with the horses had to go back home. So Jake is stuck day hiking and spiking out from the truck. Since he got slightly wet and was sharing Wayne’s tent. After they left we were planning on doing the same thing as yesterday. Unfortunately we walked 8 miles and came up with diddly squat! And we got snowed on/sleet almost the entire 4 miles back to camp from where we stopped. Lots of sign, just no elk. It was a sit in tent to boil water and eat kinda evening. Oh and getting out of damp clothes. The plan is to move camp in the morning. On the bright side we saw 7 Mountain Goats 800 yards from camp this morning. That was our highlight reel of the day.
Matt
Matt
