Elk Hunting Withdrawals?

[fishing4sanity]

Now that most all the seasons are over, do you suffer from elk hunting withdrawals? It was fun while it lasted, now all I can do is look forward to next year. The first 5 photos are Washington elk in late winter near the unit I hunted this year, the last couple are from Yellowstone. I was just looking at pics on my computer and thought I'd share a few photos.

 

[Big Fin]

I really like that last photo. Thanks for sharing.

 

[fishing4sanity]

Big Fin, I'm doing my best to help you out, hope it works. The other night I watched 'PigMan' and for the life of me I'm just not sure what that panel was looking for in 'Best Show' category, but that episode didn't work for me.

 

[BiggWimm]

Yep, I am missing it. Now it is time do do like you, and stalk them with a camera!

 

[shoots-straight]

Who has any time to miss it? I mean, wolves, lions, coyotes, bobcats, Fisher, Martin, etc. The list goes on. There's more to pursue than time.

 

[Intothewindoutdoors]

Yes please!!

 

[BuzzH]

Kind of relieved its over this year...seems like thats all I did was hunt elk.

 

[highmountian]

Those are some cool pictures thanks.. n the awnser is yes it do!

 

[idelkhntr]

I definitely am suffering from withdrawals. I got my elk on opening day of archery season all the way back on August 30. I'm ready to start my scouting routine for next year, but I think the weather is going to keep me from that for a while. Great pictures!

 

[Sytes]

Just a joe deer / elk hunter - so yes, I am missing the action. This year was a quick bust for me...
Picked up friend and his two kids at the airport. Took them to camp that was setup prior to opening day - at my main location... (Tjones, this time I got my spot and lesson learned about chatty posts on locations from last years event... haha~! )

Unfortunately, my wife returned to our camp the next day with bad news, My buddy's father had a heart attack back home and we had to pack them back out and got them on a flight asap... Unfortunately (x's 2) his father passed away a few days later. At least they were able to spend some time...

I went back to camp where my brother in law and his two boys were there for the opening weekend / monday... We ran into elk though no shots fired. They left and I was solo the next three days - checked a few areas... spotted a few cows (had a b tag) and a decent bull - though he took off before I knew what was going on... I must have sat for 5 minutes on two sets of cows contimplating whether I could pack them out from where they were and for a cow, I just watched.

Frustrating though that is life. Hindsight, I should have knocked one of them down and just bit the bullet on packing it out. Reason I went in the area was due to unusual heavy pressure from walking road access area on one side of a ridge. The other side is a tough jaunt and extended difficulty to access. I figured it was worth checking out and had set myself to pack IF I ran across a decent bull...

Oh well, hindsight 20/20... I still go back and forth whether the next few days to get a cow out would have been worth it...
Meh, t'is life.

Until next season.

Oh and to note - great pics, thanks for sharing and I dig the last pic!

 

[2rocky]

The week after elk hunting is the hardest for me. By now I am just getting through the workday and planning how I am going to get one of my 2 daughters to basketball practice and what route I am going to run when they are practicing.

I was lucky that this year I had a 10 day back country hunt where I was the head horse wrangler and packer. I even managed to kill a raghorn bull on day 2 of the season. I think this year I really got the fact that it is the "whole elk camp experience" with hunting with family, seeing some one kill their first elk , taking an old timer into elk camp since he couldn't do the work himself, all adding to the flavor of a 50% tag out.

But man, it sure is nice knowing the only thing I have to "do" in that day is get to the top of the next ridge and if I don't hear, smell or see elk, go to the next ridge. Repeat until dark then turn around. The simplicity is soothing.

 

[arffdog875]

Yep, going through withdraws bad! Still kicking myself for not taking the time to get an accurate range on a cow on the last day of season...shot right over the top of her, she topped the ridge and was gone! Lessons learned, take the 5 seconds to get the exact range, instead of guesstmating! Start planning for next years hunt! I will agree...GREAT photos!

 

[Oak]

Great photos, thanks for sharing.

Still have a cow tag in my pocket if I feel the need to punch another tag.

 

[putm2sleep]

Buzz, yer killin' me smalls ('all you did was hunt elk' that is righteous!) Oak -- punch that tag please, and I will be happy to come get the meat. Please do not let 'er go to waste. (only 1 deer to make into italian brats and german sausage --- hardly worth getting the grinder out for.)

Regardless, yes I start having withdrawls as soon as I am unloading the meat pole and we are coming off the mountain) Great pics.

 

[DreaminofMT6X6s]

My wife and I are eating some of my elk tonight. I shot him in the first 3 hours of my archery season. I haven't been in the woods since the 15th of September and a week later I started to have the cold sweats, nausea and crazy wapiti dreams. I went to the doc and he said the only cure is forested mountain sides at 6 am with with smell of elk must in the air. So yes, I'm having the equivalent of full blown heroine withdrawals everyday!!

 

[Jon Boy]

Great lookin bulls. Were the pics taken at oak creek?

 

[fishing4sanity]

Thanks for the comments on the photos everyone and Jon Boy the second picture is at Oak Creek, the first one is down by the Naches River and #3,4 & 5 are going up Chinook pass near some creek that I can't remember, Corral or Clover I think.

 

[Devil Diver Down]

Kind of relieved its over this year...seems like thats all I did was hunt elk.

Wow, you're really breaking my heart! Let me pull out the world's smallest violin for you.

I have withdrawals big time. Another year of failing miserably. 0-for-elk lifetime.

Sometimes I suspect that I'm actually in my own personal hell, where I'll never kill an elk.

 

[----]

I went mature bull or nothing this year.

With about an hour of light left on the last day of the season, I found a group with a couple in them. About a half day's hike away, of course.

I'm not regretting pulling the trigger on a raghorn. Not one bit

 

[kansasdad]

Randy, where do you find those cute little elk filled snowglobes!?