44hunter45
Well-known member
What an amazing day in the woods today. I wish I had pictures of it, but taking off your gloves every time you want a pic is a PITA.
I had a couple of hours of daylight after work today here on the 46th parallel. Despite being in Idaho, I work on Eastern Time to match my client. I'm off the clock at 1:30PM every day unless there is a crisis. Official sunset today at 3:59PM, last legal shooting light at 4:29PM.
The late muzzle loader season for Idaho's Palouse A tag runs from December 2nd through December 9th. Antlerless or spike elk through the 5th, spikes only from the 6th to the 9th. Antlerless whitetail deer muzzie season in 8A runs December 2nd through December 14th.
I have written in other threads that I hit a cow elk in August and drew blood, but it was not a lethal hit. I switched that day from hunting for an elk to hunting for one elk.
Since drawing blood, I have spent about ten additional days in that drainage looking for that one cow. I did not find her today. I did have 3 other cows within 30 yards of my 54 Hawken. They were safe because today is the first day of the spike only part of the season.
It was the first time I've ever checked a running elk with a cow elk call. I was standing in the wide open on a snow covered skid road but they could not make me out in my camo and backpack. I "talked" with them all in plain sight of each other, all within offhand Hawken range. I consider myself the worst diaphragm caller on the planet, but they stopped! It seemed like we were interacting for more than 15 minutes. I finally walked on by them and the watched me warily, but did not blow out.
I did not see any deer and was not tempted to break my vow to shoot no other elk than the one I hit earlier this year.
A two mile loop in a winter wonderland without another soul around, and a elk close encounter. A perfect day.
I had a couple of hours of daylight after work today here on the 46th parallel. Despite being in Idaho, I work on Eastern Time to match my client. I'm off the clock at 1:30PM every day unless there is a crisis. Official sunset today at 3:59PM, last legal shooting light at 4:29PM.
The late muzzle loader season for Idaho's Palouse A tag runs from December 2nd through December 9th. Antlerless or spike elk through the 5th, spikes only from the 6th to the 9th. Antlerless whitetail deer muzzie season in 8A runs December 2nd through December 14th.
I have written in other threads that I hit a cow elk in August and drew blood, but it was not a lethal hit. I switched that day from hunting for an elk to hunting for one elk.
Since drawing blood, I have spent about ten additional days in that drainage looking for that one cow. I did not find her today. I did have 3 other cows within 30 yards of my 54 Hawken. They were safe because today is the first day of the spike only part of the season.
It was the first time I've ever checked a running elk with a cow elk call. I was standing in the wide open on a snow covered skid road but they could not make me out in my camo and backpack. I "talked" with them all in plain sight of each other, all within offhand Hawken range. I consider myself the worst diaphragm caller on the planet, but they stopped! It seemed like we were interacting for more than 15 minutes. I finally walked on by them and the watched me warily, but did not blow out.
I did not see any deer and was not tempted to break my vow to shoot no other elk than the one I hit earlier this year.
A two mile loop in a winter wonderland without another soul around, and a elk close encounter. A perfect day.
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