wolfpup
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 14, 2015
- Messages
- 454
This year has been good to us. A little recap and back story. Application season was solid ish with one minor set back. I apply for tags for me, my wife, and good friend. I drew my either sex elk archery which was the first hunt so that’s where I chose to post. I only put in for points for my wife and buddy as they are fairly new and not quite ready for an elk hunt. My dad and brother also drew muzzleloader cow tags so they would join somewhat on the hunt. Due to my job as a CPA, mid September is rough month so I knew I needed to be at work until the Wednesday the 13th to take care of deadlines and I had a board meeting to present the annual audit the 13th at night. My dad and brother went up Monday the 11th and I chose to haul camp (fifth wheel + atv ) up the weekend prior. I got to camp about 9:30 that night…it had been raining all day so it was wet.
Elk
Day 1 - after raining all day the day before, everything was soaked. My gaiters and boots are good, just not good enough to keep that much wet out for that long. Feet and knees and thighs were soaked from the brush. Got excited when I thought I heard grunting over a ridge and got an arrow knocked … then I heard it as it got closer… glunking which was fun to hear and watch.
After the morning hunt out with no sign or calls. I bailed for a change of shoes and pants and socks. Went to a different drainage to check sign for the afternoon. Nothing.
Day 2 - woke up at 4 am to rain pounding on the camper. Shut off my alarm as I knew it wasn’t happening. Woke at 6 anyway and made coffee for dad and I and my brother cooked up some eggs from his chickens. Watched it rain and what not until 10. Rain stopped so out I went. Tried a spot with no luck. I hadn’t heard a bugle yet nor had a few others in the area I chatted with that had been there a week. Nothing spotted or heard but found a really cool area for future hunts. I guess these are blinds ???
Day 3 - my brother and dad left this morning.. they don’t really hunt hard at all but like to be up there and I like their company. I chose to go up to a peak to check it out and drop off the edge and finally get a bugle. I know where this bull is but it’s only 50 yard visibility in the fog. I try to draw him out of the bottom but he is not budging and not aggressive but still responding. I know where he is but is beyond my ability to recover him alone before the weather rots him as it looks to be 60 during the day. I’m hindsight I should have tried taking a tree or something to try to get him going but we bugled back and forth for 2 hours almost without a budge. Mistake here is that I didn’t check my map and thought I knew the direction I needed to go and dropped off the wrong side causing a few extra ridges and a steep side hill out and an extra hour… not all was lost though.
Perfect arrow.
More to come!
Elk
Day 1 - after raining all day the day before, everything was soaked. My gaiters and boots are good, just not good enough to keep that much wet out for that long. Feet and knees and thighs were soaked from the brush. Got excited when I thought I heard grunting over a ridge and got an arrow knocked … then I heard it as it got closer… glunking which was fun to hear and watch.
After the morning hunt out with no sign or calls. I bailed for a change of shoes and pants and socks. Went to a different drainage to check sign for the afternoon. Nothing.
Day 2 - woke up at 4 am to rain pounding on the camper. Shut off my alarm as I knew it wasn’t happening. Woke at 6 anyway and made coffee for dad and I and my brother cooked up some eggs from his chickens. Watched it rain and what not until 10. Rain stopped so out I went. Tried a spot with no luck. I hadn’t heard a bugle yet nor had a few others in the area I chatted with that had been there a week. Nothing spotted or heard but found a really cool area for future hunts. I guess these are blinds ???
Day 3 - my brother and dad left this morning.. they don’t really hunt hard at all but like to be up there and I like their company. I chose to go up to a peak to check it out and drop off the edge and finally get a bugle. I know where this bull is but it’s only 50 yard visibility in the fog. I try to draw him out of the bottom but he is not budging and not aggressive but still responding. I know where he is but is beyond my ability to recover him alone before the weather rots him as it looks to be 60 during the day. I’m hindsight I should have tried taking a tree or something to try to get him going but we bugled back and forth for 2 hours almost without a budge. Mistake here is that I didn’t check my map and thought I knew the direction I needed to go and dropped off the wrong side causing a few extra ridges and a steep side hill out and an extra hour… not all was lost though.
Perfect arrow.
More to come!
