Boyz Drool - Part 4

[ihuntelk]

Should have brought the thumbdrive to work today with my pics. I'll post a couple that I have and bring it tomorrow with the rest the pics!

Stu - you'd asked about some pack out shots of the Optics Hunter pack. Here's 2 front quarters loaded up.


I was bored during my 12 hour drive home and took this pic with my phone while driving I-80 in southern Wyo.................


Awesome hunt with my 2 brothers.


More to come tomorrow.

-Cade
www.HuntForeverWest.com

 

[ElkRx]

That is quite the view out your window, and I would imagine it makes the drive home a little easier. Looking forward to more pictures.

 

[ihuntelk]

As promised, here are a few more pics of my Idaho Elk hunt. Before I get into the pics therer were a couple things I learned (or re-learned!) about hunting elk.

1) Packing elk by yourself SUCKS!!! Especially all uphill.
2) Elk are Elk and big bulls only get big with AGE. It doesn't matter if it is a 'slam-dunk' late season tag. Elk will still find the biggest nastiest hole in the country and hide in there.
3) Trophy Hunting sucks! There's a reason I only hunt for big mature critters and don't care about score.
4) Don't believe anyone's opinion unless they've actully hunted the unit - recently. I heard from all sorts of folks that I should shoot a 380 bull........ if I killed a 330 on the last day, I'd wasted my tag, etc.... I hunt for myself and NEVER feel regret/remorse if I pull the trigger.
5) Hunting is funner with family and/or friends.
6) Packing elk by yourself SUCKS!!! Especially all uphill. (That one is worth repeating several times. :-D )

I won't go into long drawn out details on this hunt. The pics should suffice. Let's just say I saw over 150 bulls in 6 days. Saw 2 absolute tanks that I should have (and could have) killed but they were all busted up (see #3 from above). Ended up killing my best bull to date - even though he was broken up. He's my 20th elk; 16th bull; 14th branch-antlered bull. Killed him a day after my 2 brothers left (see #1, #5 and #6 from above).

Got there Wednesday eve and set up camp and glassed that eve. Saw a handfull of bulls and some awesome country.



Thursday, Jake and I saw 400 elk and almost 100 bulls. Most 2-3 miles away. Big Swarovski binos on an Outdoorsman Tripod is the BEST way to glass. That afternoon the snow and fog set in and you couldn't glass 400 yards.



Zane joined us that afternoon and we were still fogged in. The next morn we were on our glassing point. Truck said 13 degrees when we started hiking. It was cold glassing that morn.

Zane and Jake taking a break from glassing in the fog/snow.


Home sweet home for the week.



More Scenery Pics





The side of the line you hunt better match what's on your tag!



The bulls didn't know what state was what. If they saw human, they ran..............
Jake left late Sat night to head home. Zane stayed til early Sunday morning. We did drive up the mountain to see what tracks were in the new snow, but didn't hunt. I still believe that's a day of rest.



Fresh elk trails in the Ceonothus (buckbrush).


Monday I got to the top of the mountain at first light and saw 29 bulls and 150 cows/calves. Saw 2 TANKS. One was a 360+ frame but broke 4th's and 5th's on both sides. Other was a 380+ frame missing half his 4th and all his 5th on the passenger side. Drivers side had a broken 4th and then main beam was snapped after 4th. Unbelievable frame on this bull. Unbelievable fronts and mass but I knew he wouldn't score very well (see #3 above).

Big 360 frame bull and 2 buddies were here.


After glassing a few more elk, the 3 bulls moved down the mountain and joined 8 other bulls in the big aspen patch 4 or 500 yards South of where the arrow is above. I decided I was going to go get a closer look at the big-framed bull and his buddy. His buddy had great length but his 4th's and 5th's were inline with his main beam and probably alot longer than they looked from a mile. I hiked off the mountain and came over the ridge above all these bulls. After poking along and glassing, I finally found them bedded in the thick, nasty aspen patch. I was 250 yards and pulled out the Swaro spotter to try and get a better look. 2nd bull I saw was a new bull. I studied him as best I could through the dog-hair aspens. I knew he had mass and a good frame. I also knew he had a broken 5th on the passenger side. Other than that, I couldn't tell much........

I sat there for 3 hours as it blew, sputtered snow and blew some more. I couldn't find the big-frame bull or his buddy. I also really wanted a cleaner look at this new bull. They were finally up feeding a little and rubbing antlers on poor little aspens. I thought he was a potential shooter but I still didn't know. There was only one direction he could go that I wouldn't get a clear look at him. One of his 6pt buddies decided to take that exact route and he followed. I was worried that I better shoot or he'd walk and I'd never know. He immediately stopped with his vitals in a 2ft. x 2ft opening. Of course his headgear was still covered. I decided it was now or never. 2 shots at 250 yards from my Weaver 300 into his boiler and he was down. His buddies then ran out of the aspens and stood on the hillside smiling pretty for the video camera. The big-framed bull and his buddy never did appear. Hiking down to my bull, I saw where they had hiked over the ridge before I ever got over where I could look (see #2 above).





Got him quartered and ready for the pack out then hiked out and got to the rig about 8:15. Had 2 Idaho Wardens waiting for me when I got there. Killed him about 400 yards from the state boundary! They checked my license and made sure I wasn't stuck down in that hole. Both were very courteous and professional and were out freezing their tails off trying to protect our game.

Killed him in the nasty aspen patch in the bottom of this photo -
to the right of the border!


Went back the next day and it took me 4 trips to haul him out (see #1 and #6 above). Trip #2 I was able to get both front quarters into my Outdoorsman Optics Hunter pack. I couldn't get a hind and a front in, but believe I could have on a 3.5 or 4.5 year-old bull. Head and Cape had to come in the last load so I could navigate the aspens and ceonothus better.


Did all 4 loads on Tuesday. Got back and tore down camp and STUFFED it into the ol' 4Runner.



Had 10 bulls cross the road in front of me on the way out - 1 raghorn and 9 spikes!
Stopped to take one last pic before I headed East.


Drove to Zane's and spent the night. Unloaded all his and Jake's gear that I still had and headed home to the fam. Was about home when the ol' 4Runner flipped 330K. If anyone knows someone at Toyota, I'd be glad to tell em my story for a new rig :-D
All Hiway miles!!!!


I couldn't believe how broke up all the bulls over there were. I was expecting some of them to be broken, but I would wager that 90% of the 6pts. were busted up. Lots of snapped main beams and 4th's and 5th's. I don't know if it's nutrition related or high bull/cow ratios or what it is. All I know is there were lots of bones missing. The bull I killed had the most bone still intact of any I saw in his class.

Way fun hunt with my brothers. I just wish they were there to help pack. The only real negative I can come up with from this hunt was not having my dad there with us. He took us 3 boys on EVERY trip when we were growing up and there was a void without him. My parents are serving as missionaries in Japan for 18 months and he will be home for next hunting season. The blessings my family have seen from their service far outweigh any selfish desires to share this elk hunt with him, but it would have been great to have him there. Next year, the critters in Idaho and Wyo better watch out. He swears he'll finally have his sheep tag in his pocket next Sept. I sure hope so..........

Zane was running video camera while he was there and I was able to pack it and film the rest while I was alone. It should make an interesting episode for next fall. Even if I don't make an episode of it, I can't wait to be able to share it with my folks and my wife/kids that couldn't make it on this one.

-Cade
www.HuntForeverWest.com

 

[worm]

Those pics looked like it joined units 061/071 in NV. The big bulls on the NV side are all broke up as well. During my wives NV bull hunt we saw several broken up bulls. Two of them had one side completely broke off . I would recommend deboning the meat where the animals lay to cut down on the pack weight get bull and great story. Congrats

 

[havgunwilltravel]

Excellent write up and hunt report, looks tough to find them intact in that region post rut eh..completely agree with point number #3, took me a while to get there, but i am all for it now...

 

[Duck-Slayer]

That was a badazz story and hunt.....
Matt

 

[nmelktrout]

Awesome story and pics man, great Friday night reading!

 

[Deleted member 20812]

That's a great story, thank you for sharing. Sounds like a fantastic hunt, what a privilege to get to enjoy that part of the world.

I'm guessing all the broken antlers is a calcium/phosphorus balance issue, or else those bulls are just really strong!

 

[Devil Diver Down]

Great story, pics and bull. Pretty cool looking area to be hunting.

 

[huntRme]

Thanks for sharing. As a father I'll bet your dad missed being with you as much or more than you missed him. I couldn't wait for my son to return from his mission in Tennessee. While he was gone I put in for a Montana combo hunt, and he was lucky enough to get picked on the first try, and we spent 4 - 5 weeks chasing whitetails and elk in Central Montana. The greatest hunt I've ever been on and I didn't have a tag. Can't wait to do it again.

That looks like an awesome place to hunt. What are the chances for a non-resident to get a tag for that area?

 

[gjflyfisherman]

Great hunt and pics

 

[arffdog875]

Congrats on a great bull and hunt!

 

[Loaded For Bear]

Awesome story and pics. Looks like you're living the dream!

 

[drahthaar]

I would be curious as to why THAT many bulls are all broken up too. That is crazy!

 

[ihuntelk]

Thanks for sharing. As a father I'll bet your dad missed being with you as much or more than you missed him. I couldn't wait for my son to return from his mission in Tennessee. While he was gone I put in for a Montana combo hunt, and he was lucky enough to get picked on the first try, and we spent 4 - 5 weeks chasing whitetails and elk in Central Montana. The greatest hunt I've ever been on and I didn't have a tag. Can't wait to do it again.

That looks like an awesome place to hunt. What are the chances for a non-resident to get a tag for that area?

Less than 5% odds. This year was the best they've ever been...................

I'll PM you another message. I also went to Tennessee. Would like to know if your son and I crossed paths.........

- Cade
www.HuntForeverWest.com

 

[WildThang]

Nice bull Kade

 

[MTClacka]

Great bull, and great write up!

 

[1_pointer]

Great bull and some cool country. I've hunted/worked along those two state borders. Neat stuff if one takes the time to look. Congrats and thanks for sharing.

 

[huntbux]

very cool hunt, thanks for sharing.