NDGuy
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That’s an awesome hunt
Hairy Beasts and Smell Korns
- Thread starter Stone_Ice_1
- Start date
Caseknife
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That is a stud goat, congrats. I did a Euro on mine also and had the hide soft tanned.
Stone_Ice_1
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It is actually pretty good. I think the flavor is good. You do get a good workout chewing it though. I make my own summer sausage and am planning to make some more of that with some of my goat. He had a ton of fat on him, probably from eating all those huckleberries! I have no idea if he was actually eating the berries or not but he was definitely feeding through a great huckleberry patch.
Stone_Ice_1
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I got back home on Wednesday night and with Archery season for elk starting that saturday I was in a rush getting things wrapped up. I process my own game so I took care of the goat, got the head to the taxidermist and had a number of other things that needed my attention so I didn't actually get out for the opener. I did have a backpacking archery hunt scheduled in a couple weeks with another buddy that I was looking forward to.
Day 1 - On Sunday afternoon I had all my errands wrapped up. So I took both of my son's out and we went to a BMA that wasn't far from my house. I wasn't expecting much as it was hot and dry but this BMA was right below one of the spots I had a camera with some decent results. We hiked to the back of the property and went into public lands a bit. A nice area with some water that I thought we might see something just before dark, but it didn't happen. No elk spotted
Day 2 - After work I drove into a spot I had seen on google earth. It looked promising and was a short drive and hike in. The first mile was just getting in there but after that it looked like it would be good. On the hike in I could smell elk but didn't see anything except a couple deer. Its amazing how much light you have this early in archery season and how much country you can cover on just a hike after work. I hiked around 4 miles. This area certainly had some promise. There were stretches of old growth douglas fir with grass underneath everywhere that you could see 120 yards or so in with an opening in the bottom of the valley that ran along the small creek. Bugled a bit and did get a reply. The reply came from the neighboring private land and I knew there was a house up there a ways. At one point I could hear voices up above me where the bugling came from so I think it might have been people but one never knows. No elk spotted, not a great start to the season but neither hunts were serious affairs either.
Day 1 - On Sunday afternoon I had all my errands wrapped up. So I took both of my son's out and we went to a BMA that wasn't far from my house. I wasn't expecting much as it was hot and dry but this BMA was right below one of the spots I had a camera with some decent results. We hiked to the back of the property and went into public lands a bit. A nice area with some water that I thought we might see something just before dark, but it didn't happen. No elk spotted
Day 2 - After work I drove into a spot I had seen on google earth. It looked promising and was a short drive and hike in. The first mile was just getting in there but after that it looked like it would be good. On the hike in I could smell elk but didn't see anything except a couple deer. Its amazing how much light you have this early in archery season and how much country you can cover on just a hike after work. I hiked around 4 miles. This area certainly had some promise. There were stretches of old growth douglas fir with grass underneath everywhere that you could see 120 yards or so in with an opening in the bottom of the valley that ran along the small creek. Bugled a bit and did get a reply. The reply came from the neighboring private land and I knew there was a house up there a ways. At one point I could hear voices up above me where the bugling came from so I think it might have been people but one never knows. No elk spotted, not a great start to the season but neither hunts were serious affairs either.
Stone_Ice_1
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Day 3 - The next day I checked out another area after work that I had seen some bulls while scouting in the summer. It is a fairly well known area so was pleased when I got to the trailhead and nobody was there. I hiked in a ways and was seeing some fresh sign and rubs. The trail then drops a bit in elevation and follows a creek. this was the area I was interested in since it was still hot and there appeared to be plenty of water around. Walking down the trail I hadn't seen anything when I looked across the creek and there was a bush that was going back and forth. Something on the other side of it was taking out its agression on this bush. I walked a bit further and could see that the culprit was cattle. I got pretty excited at first because it happened to be a cow that was similar in color to an elk. But then before long I see cattle come walking out and around all over the creek bottom. This isn't good as I know the elk won't be right in this same area. I head further down the trail and bugle a few times. No responses but then shortly after I can hear something coming up the trail towards me. I step off the trail a bit and get ready. Out comes some more cattle. Not sure if they came to me because of the bugling or what. I have always been of the belief that cattle should be off of public lands during the season, especially rifle but I think even for archery.
I headed back to the truck. Once at the top I had to hike back down to the truck and there was a little creek that the trail crossed and ran down towards where the truck was parked. I knew there was a clearing down there with water in it. With it being later in the evening I headed down the creek through this trail, probably from cattle. It was super thick in here and I realized that the breeze was going downhill now and anything down here would smell me coming. I went back up to the main trail and walked around so I could get to the sides. I was about 200 yards from the truck when I could see a cow and calf elk standing in the meadow below me. They were about 300 yards down below me but if I had continued down that creek they would have smelled and probably heard me coming. After watching them a bit I figured there was probably more down there since I could only see one little area. I walked aroudn the side of them and when I finally got to where I could see down there again I could see aobut 6 elk, one was a bull. I used my rangefinder to get a better look at him. He was a small 6 point. I kept to the side of them and needed to get ahead of them a bit since the downhill breeze would get me busted. I got off the trail and hiked down this ridge. I only made it about 40 yards when I got busted by a group of whitetail deer. Was about 6 of them. They kept snorting and making all kinds of racket at me. I figured it was game over but by now I was ahead of the elk and they couldn't smell me. They knew the deer were alarmed but didn't know what at. The cow and calf went by me about 40 yards and continued on. I was lined up waiting for the bull to come by but he never did. I could see him below me about 80 yards. He was not a shooter but it was good for the spirit to finally see some elk. It was too dark to shoot by now so i headed back towards the truck and ended up busting that same bull when I got back up to the ridge.
I headed back to the truck. Once at the top I had to hike back down to the truck and there was a little creek that the trail crossed and ran down towards where the truck was parked. I knew there was a clearing down there with water in it. With it being later in the evening I headed down the creek through this trail, probably from cattle. It was super thick in here and I realized that the breeze was going downhill now and anything down here would smell me coming. I went back up to the main trail and walked around so I could get to the sides. I was about 200 yards from the truck when I could see a cow and calf elk standing in the meadow below me. They were about 300 yards down below me but if I had continued down that creek they would have smelled and probably heard me coming. After watching them a bit I figured there was probably more down there since I could only see one little area. I walked aroudn the side of them and when I finally got to where I could see down there again I could see aobut 6 elk, one was a bull. I used my rangefinder to get a better look at him. He was a small 6 point. I kept to the side of them and needed to get ahead of them a bit since the downhill breeze would get me busted. I got off the trail and hiked down this ridge. I only made it about 40 yards when I got busted by a group of whitetail deer. Was about 6 of them. They kept snorting and making all kinds of racket at me. I figured it was game over but by now I was ahead of the elk and they couldn't smell me. They knew the deer were alarmed but didn't know what at. The cow and calf went by me about 40 yards and continued on. I was lined up waiting for the bull to come by but he never did. I could see him below me about 80 yards. He was not a shooter but it was good for the spirit to finally see some elk. It was too dark to shoot by now so i headed back towards the truck and ended up busting that same bull when I got back up to the ridge.
Stone_Ice_1
Well-known member
I g
ot the plaque I ordered for my goat in the mail last week. This weekend I put it up on the wall. It looks great, although not as great as a shoulder mount would be.
ot the plaque I ordered for my goat in the mail last week. This weekend I put it up on the wall. It looks great, although not as great as a shoulder mount would be.Stone_Ice_1
Well-known member
Day 4 - This was the first day of a 6 day/5 night backpacking hunt with a friend. The plan for the first day was to hike in, get settled and maybe find something near camp in the evening. We got about halfway to our destination and my buddy swears he heard a bugle on the ridge opposite us. After a bit we hear another bugle way down the valley and the one on the opposite ridge from us responds. After watching the ridge for a bit we were able to get glimpses of a cow and calf walking around through the trees. We spent some time bugling but mostly he would only respond to the elk way down the valley. They were in the direction of our camp and so we headed that way. The trail we were on took us just above them on the ridge. We decided to push on towards camp since it wasn't much farther and we could come back in the evening as I didn't think these elk were going far. About another mile in and we get to where I had planned on camping, it a spot next to the creek and where the trail splits a few times and he could head in multiple directions. However we got to camp and somebody was already camped there. We went back up to the top of the ridge right before this and camped in the only real available flat spot around. The ridge is really exposed here (I knew this because I got stuck in the a hail storm here while scouting during the summer) and we pushed over a couple of scary looking trees that were dead and still standing so they wouldn't come down on us. Before long the hunters below us came by and we learned they were leaving the next day. We decided we would move camp down there the next day after they left. Camp is about 3 miles from the truck.
In the evening we ended up not having much time before it got dark. We hiked back down to look for the elk we saw earlier but had no luck in relocating them. After it got dark we did hear a few bugles, some above us and some below.
In the evening we ended up not having much time before it got dark. We hiked back down to look for the elk we saw earlier but had no luck in relocating them. After it got dark we did hear a few bugles, some above us and some below.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Shoulder mounts, half mounts and full mounts all take up significantly more space and I've seen plenty that don't do the animal any justice. Part of what I love about the euro mount is that it isn't trying to look like what the animal looked like in life. It just is what it actually is. For whatever it's worth, I think it looks great.
HSi-ESi
Well-known member
I agree with @jakenbake - I think the mount turned out great. Part of the "hunt" is working through obstacles and dealing with them in the best way you can. I think it's a great representation of the hunt, so don't sweat not having a shoulder mount.
Caseknife
Well-known member
Definitely agree on the euro mounts. They are the true essence of the animal not essentially an artist's rendering and I can do them myself
Stone_Ice_1
Well-known member
Day 5 - We got up in the morning and went back to the opening we had been at the evening before. The trail goes right to it and comes out at the very top. As we were walking down to it about 50 yards from it we could hear bugles a ways below us. This is a big opening and as we got to the edge of the trees we poked our heads around the corner to see there were some cattle (they were here our entire stay) in the opening at the bottom. But on the far hill was a herd of about 6-8 elk. There were 2 bulls, one 6 point and one smaller one. The six point was spending his time chasing off the smaller one every time he would get somewhat close.
The dark spots at the bottom of the hill are the cattle. The elk are in the light colored spot at the top of the hill. The bigger six point in this picture is right at the end of the branch on the tree in front of me.
So we decided to go in silent. We got to the other side of the opening ( to the left in this picture) and walked the treeline almost all the way to where you can see the herd in this picture. We had seen 2 elk disappear behind those trees and I was pretty sure one was a bull but from the size of the body it seemed like a smaller one. When we got there I let my buddy go first because he was interested in shooting a cow or spike if we saw one. I was not interested in the 6 point because he wasn't what I was looking for. But I wanted to check out the other elk and make sure there wasn't a bigger one in the area. You know the saying, don't leave elk to find elk.
As we got to the top of that point we were walking slow, my buddy was right in front of me. I looked up and could see the spike and cow feeding away from us at about 30 yards. I looked at my buddy and he was looking at the ground trying to not make noise. He didn't see them! I grabbed his pack to pull him back and pointed. He saw them and knocked an arrow but by that time they had fed just over the hill out of sight. He used the one tree we had remaining in front of us to get up there but we had obviously been busted as the elk were clearing out the opposite side of the opening by the time we located them again. First morning of the hunt and I feared that might have been his best chance at getting a spike.
The rest of the day we didn't see much action. Lots of cattle in the area, which wasn't here when I set up cameras. We also moved camp to the spot we had originally planned to camp in.
The dark spots at the bottom of the hill are the cattle. The elk are in the light colored spot at the top of the hill. The bigger six point in this picture is right at the end of the branch on the tree in front of me.
So we decided to go in silent. We got to the other side of the opening ( to the left in this picture) and walked the treeline almost all the way to where you can see the herd in this picture. We had seen 2 elk disappear behind those trees and I was pretty sure one was a bull but from the size of the body it seemed like a smaller one. When we got there I let my buddy go first because he was interested in shooting a cow or spike if we saw one. I was not interested in the 6 point because he wasn't what I was looking for. But I wanted to check out the other elk and make sure there wasn't a bigger one in the area. You know the saying, don't leave elk to find elk.
As we got to the top of that point we were walking slow, my buddy was right in front of me. I looked up and could see the spike and cow feeding away from us at about 30 yards. I looked at my buddy and he was looking at the ground trying to not make noise. He didn't see them! I grabbed his pack to pull him back and pointed. He saw them and knocked an arrow but by that time they had fed just over the hill out of sight. He used the one tree we had remaining in front of us to get up there but we had obviously been busted as the elk were clearing out the opposite side of the opening by the time we located them again. First morning of the hunt and I feared that might have been his best chance at getting a spike.
The rest of the day we didn't see much action. Lots of cattle in the area, which wasn't here when I set up cameras. We also moved camp to the spot we had originally planned to camp in.
520 Road Sow
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What a thread! What a Billy!
Stone_Ice_1
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Day 6 - We had spent the previous two days hiking around near camp. There was a drainage two drainages over that I wanted to hike into. I had put one of my cameras in there and it just looked like a good area for early season elk. I had not hiked the trail from where we were camped to that drainage so I was a bit worried it would be full of blowdown. We started before light and shortly after heading up the trail started to encounter blowdown. It wasn't terrible, but just bad enough that it wasn't much fun either. We stopped and bugled a time or two on the way over to the drainage I wanted to hunt. No responses until just before we got to the drainage we finally heard one way up ahead of us, it was faint but in the direction the trail was headed.
We continued hiking and after we got to an area where we though the bugle was at we tried again. He responded after some time but still sounded far off but still in the direction of the trail. We continued over the top of the ridge that dropped into the drainage I wanted to hunt and tried again. He responded but it was now behind us, but still faint. Based on the direction of the bugle from both angles we assumed he was somewhere near the top of the ridge. We walked down the ridge a ways and got a response again just below us. It was a very hoarse and raspy bugle which made it seem faint, but based on our triangulations it had to be just below us. It was mid day by now as this hike had been farther and taken longer than expected. The elk bugling below us didn't seem intent on moving, he hadn't moved the entire time we had heard him. We had two options, wait until evening for him to get up out of his bed or push on. We decided to try and push into him, which pretty much isn't ever the best decision of an elk you think might be bedded. But we didn't want to wait in this spot all day when we had other spots we wanted to be. We headed down towards him about 30 yards apart from each other, didn't even make it 50 yards and I got a really strong whiff of elk and could see smoking hot elk droppings everywhere. I looked over to my buddy and he was motioning to me. They had been right there ran over the ridge, he saw 3 or 4 of their heads but no bull. We never did find them again. I do think this was either a very young bull or a very old one based on his raspy bugle but one just never knows.
I don't recall what happened that evening, must not have been too exciting because I don't remember.
We did head back before dark to get back to camp and ran into a grouse hunter coming up the trail, we had heard him shoot a couple times and he had his dog with him. He was a tag holder that had filled his tag the first day of the season. Said he waited almost 20 years for the tag and it was all over on day one. I wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing. He apologized for shooting since he didn't know we were in the area. I didn't really care but found it hilarious when he shot again within 3 minutes of leaving us because he saw another grouse.
We continued hiking and after we got to an area where we though the bugle was at we tried again. He responded after some time but still sounded far off but still in the direction of the trail. We continued over the top of the ridge that dropped into the drainage I wanted to hunt and tried again. He responded but it was now behind us, but still faint. Based on the direction of the bugle from both angles we assumed he was somewhere near the top of the ridge. We walked down the ridge a ways and got a response again just below us. It was a very hoarse and raspy bugle which made it seem faint, but based on our triangulations it had to be just below us. It was mid day by now as this hike had been farther and taken longer than expected. The elk bugling below us didn't seem intent on moving, he hadn't moved the entire time we had heard him. We had two options, wait until evening for him to get up out of his bed or push on. We decided to try and push into him, which pretty much isn't ever the best decision of an elk you think might be bedded. But we didn't want to wait in this spot all day when we had other spots we wanted to be. We headed down towards him about 30 yards apart from each other, didn't even make it 50 yards and I got a really strong whiff of elk and could see smoking hot elk droppings everywhere. I looked over to my buddy and he was motioning to me. They had been right there ran over the ridge, he saw 3 or 4 of their heads but no bull. We never did find them again. I do think this was either a very young bull or a very old one based on his raspy bugle but one just never knows.
I don't recall what happened that evening, must not have been too exciting because I don't remember.
We did head back before dark to get back to camp and ran into a grouse hunter coming up the trail, we had heard him shoot a couple times and he had his dog with him. He was a tag holder that had filled his tag the first day of the season. Said he waited almost 20 years for the tag and it was all over on day one. I wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing. He apologized for shooting since he didn't know we were in the area. I didn't really care but found it hilarious when he shot again within 3 minutes of leaving us because he saw another grouse.
Stone_Ice_1
Well-known member
Day 7 - Every evening while sitting around the fire in camp we heard bugles above camp. We had not gone up that way yet so the plan today was to do that. We would hike to the nearby opening we saw elk in the first day and if nothing was going on we would head up there. I knew it was rocky and the blowdown looked horrendous up that direction but if thats where the elk were...
At first light we were walking down to the opening and an elk bugled right in front of us. Sounded like he was in the meadow we were headed to. When we got down there, sure enough there was a decent 6 point on the opposite side of the meadow, about 200 yards away. I looked at him through the rangefinder and determined he was worth trying to get closer to. We hadn't made any noise yet and checked the wind. Sure enough it was blowing directly towards him, almost as if the wind checker was pointing at him. With the structure of this opening right here we had pretty much zero options for moving and he was mostly likely going to smell us soon. So we tried a cow call. He looked over to our direction a bit, fed some more while slowly walking out direction. He then looked our direction again and put his nose in the air. I knew this was trouble and sure enough he smelled us and ran off the opposite direction. We spent a little time trying to relocate him but no luck.
So we headed up the hill to the blowdown hell hole. It was steep and didn't disappoint in being a blowdown hell hole. We slowly picked our way up the hill using a small finger ridge. We got up quite a ways and heard a bugle above us. We kept going that direction without replying and before long we could distinctly hear 3 different bugles. One above us and 2 at the same elevation as us but back over towards camp. Those 2 were close so we went that direction. I went up in front and got about 80 yards ahead of my buddy. He stayed back and bugled a few times. Every time we would bugle one of the bulls in front of us would respond. One of them was HOT and fired up, the other would just respond every once in a while. I slowly picked my way through the blowdown and it was VERY slow going, but the more I pushed that direction we just didn't seem to be getting any closer. Going fast in this blowdown just wasn't an option. After an hour of this I started to feel like I was getting closer and there were a few open spots without blowdown. I then found some more elk droppings that were very fresh and they were huge. This got me excited and just from the bugling and reaction of this bull I ahd a feeling this was a big guy. My buddy was behind me about 80 yards and following me across the hill side, occasionally bugling. All 3 elk were bugling back at us. We were super close to the ones in front of us, I kept expecting to get a glance of them but nothing so far. At one point I could tell the elk in front of us was bugling facing away from us and turned toward us mid bugle because of how much louder it got. He had to be right there! And as usually happens in these situations the eventually I saw elk, 3 or 4 heads, all cows looking my direction and then they turned and ran. All hell broke loose. I never did see the bull. The herd and the bull that wasn't making a lot of bugles took off to our left. The HOT bull went up the drainage to our right. We could hear him bugling all the way up over the pass but could not get him to turn around.
At this point I was getting frustrated. We had been so close to so many bulls and hadn't actually gotten to lay eyes on them.
At first light we were walking down to the opening and an elk bugled right in front of us. Sounded like he was in the meadow we were headed to. When we got down there, sure enough there was a decent 6 point on the opposite side of the meadow, about 200 yards away. I looked at him through the rangefinder and determined he was worth trying to get closer to. We hadn't made any noise yet and checked the wind. Sure enough it was blowing directly towards him, almost as if the wind checker was pointing at him. With the structure of this opening right here we had pretty much zero options for moving and he was mostly likely going to smell us soon. So we tried a cow call. He looked over to our direction a bit, fed some more while slowly walking out direction. He then looked our direction again and put his nose in the air. I knew this was trouble and sure enough he smelled us and ran off the opposite direction. We spent a little time trying to relocate him but no luck.
So we headed up the hill to the blowdown hell hole. It was steep and didn't disappoint in being a blowdown hell hole. We slowly picked our way up the hill using a small finger ridge. We got up quite a ways and heard a bugle above us. We kept going that direction without replying and before long we could distinctly hear 3 different bugles. One above us and 2 at the same elevation as us but back over towards camp. Those 2 were close so we went that direction. I went up in front and got about 80 yards ahead of my buddy. He stayed back and bugled a few times. Every time we would bugle one of the bulls in front of us would respond. One of them was HOT and fired up, the other would just respond every once in a while. I slowly picked my way through the blowdown and it was VERY slow going, but the more I pushed that direction we just didn't seem to be getting any closer. Going fast in this blowdown just wasn't an option. After an hour of this I started to feel like I was getting closer and there were a few open spots without blowdown. I then found some more elk droppings that were very fresh and they were huge. This got me excited and just from the bugling and reaction of this bull I ahd a feeling this was a big guy. My buddy was behind me about 80 yards and following me across the hill side, occasionally bugling. All 3 elk were bugling back at us. We were super close to the ones in front of us, I kept expecting to get a glance of them but nothing so far. At one point I could tell the elk in front of us was bugling facing away from us and turned toward us mid bugle because of how much louder it got. He had to be right there! And as usually happens in these situations the eventually I saw elk, 3 or 4 heads, all cows looking my direction and then they turned and ran. All hell broke loose. I never did see the bull. The herd and the bull that wasn't making a lot of bugles took off to our left. The HOT bull went up the drainage to our right. We could hear him bugling all the way up over the pass but could not get him to turn around.
At this point I was getting frustrated. We had been so close to so many bulls and hadn't actually gotten to lay eyes on them.
Stone_Ice_1
Well-known member
Day 8 - We woke up to that dreaded sound hitting our tent in the morning...rain, and lots of it. Forecast had a pretty good storm coming in for the last two days of our hunt. But we pushed through and walked all over. Unfortunately the elk were all in their hidey holes. We didn't see or hear much of anything. My buddy was pretty happy when I asked him if he wanted a beer and proceeded to get one for him. One of my stash's was at this location and I hadn't told him.
Around noon the rain stopped for just a bit.
This was our camp for the hunt. We were camped in the best flat spot around underneath an A frame for another hunting camp. One day the guy that had put this all up came walking up to camp. He was just clearing trail and making sure everything was set for him when he came in during rifle season. Said he had been doing this camp for 25 or so years, I don't remember the exact number. We visited with him and his buddy for a while. He had some stories of this area from before it became a special draw tag, to when it first started being that way and to now. He drew the tag the first year it was available and shot a monster. He also had a story of being life flighted out of camp because of a health issue and showed us the small location the helicopter landed. He invited me to stop in to his camp when he was in there in rifle but I didn't ever make it back.
Shortly after this it started pouring again. If you remember this storm it absolutely dumped on most of Montana for 2 days. It was pretty much the ONLY moisture we got last fall.
Day 9 - More of the same, rain and all the elk are hiding and staying in their beds. We heard a bugle on the hike out but that was it. A lackluster end to out trip but we had fun and saw plenty of elk. I did get back to service to find out my credit card number had been stolen on day 2 of my trip and somebody had been running around Florida spending at a whim. Always fun to come back to something like that but I was able to get it straightened out.
It was pretty socked in for 2 days. Very minimal activity, even the birds seemed to have disappeared.
Around noon the rain stopped for just a bit.
This was our camp for the hunt. We were camped in the best flat spot around underneath an A frame for another hunting camp. One day the guy that had put this all up came walking up to camp. He was just clearing trail and making sure everything was set for him when he came in during rifle season. Said he had been doing this camp for 25 or so years, I don't remember the exact number. We visited with him and his buddy for a while. He had some stories of this area from before it became a special draw tag, to when it first started being that way and to now. He drew the tag the first year it was available and shot a monster. He also had a story of being life flighted out of camp because of a health issue and showed us the small location the helicopter landed. He invited me to stop in to his camp when he was in there in rifle but I didn't ever make it back.
Shortly after this it started pouring again. If you remember this storm it absolutely dumped on most of Montana for 2 days. It was pretty much the ONLY moisture we got last fall.
Day 9 - More of the same, rain and all the elk are hiding and staying in their beds. We heard a bugle on the hike out but that was it. A lackluster end to out trip but we had fun and saw plenty of elk. I did get back to service to find out my credit card number had been stolen on day 2 of my trip and somebody had been running around Florida spending at a whim. Always fun to come back to something like that but I was able to get it straightened out.
It was pretty socked in for 2 days. Very minimal activity, even the birds seemed to have disappeared.
Caseknife
Well-known member
The elk were probably dancing around everywhere after the weather cleared and you weren't there. Usually how it goes anyway.
Stone_Ice_1
Well-known member
Yep, we even talked about that when we hiked out.
Stone_Ice_1
Well-known member
Day 10 - 2 Days later I was back at it. This was a solo hunting trip for the weekend, I was camping in my tent at the end of a road. It was an area I had found during the scouting this summer. When I arrived there were 2 side-by-sides parked at the end of the road and a camp just before where I was camped. I set up camp and decided not to hike behind the gate because there was already a few people in there. Instead I took the 4 wheeler down a side road and wanted to check out an area I had driven this summer. It is mostly open with pockets of thick trees here and there. This is the area I had seen the mature buck during the summer.
I drove down to it and parked the 4 wheeler. I started hiking up the edge of a treeline and my plan was to work my way through the top of the treeline and hopefully catch some elk coming out at last light. As I am hiking up I look to my left and see an elk feeding in the trees. It is a spike with his head down, no idea I am there. He was about 50 yards away and I watched him for the next 15 minutes feed towards me to about 15 yards and then feed away from me. He never did spook or see me, if only the mature bulls were as easily fooled as these guys! It wouldn't be near as much fun though.
So with a spike I figured there should be more in the area. I continued a little farther to the top of the treeline and then walked down through it to see if I could relocate the spike and possibly some other elk. I cow called a few times and never did see another elk or hear one.
Day 11 - I got up early and my plan was to hike in past the gate. I was happy to see nobody else was there when I got up. I hiked in the dark and go in to the area I wanted to hunt, I headed up the ridge and didn't hear or see much. Was a little worried that all the hunter activity the day prior had spooked them out. I headed up a ridge in the timber, saw a few deer and was getting near to the top when off to my left I saw an elk, he was walking right at me with his head down. This was a small raghorn about 100 yards away. He was heading straight toward me, so I just stayed put, and made no noise or anything. He walked to about 30 yards of me and picked his head up. I assume he smelled me because he took off down the hill but not at a rate that said he was really spooked. I took about 5 steps in the direction he came from and saw there were 3 more coming, unfortunately they had seen me first. All 3 were bulls each a little bigger than the last. The last one in the lineup was a decent 6 point but nothing big. They were about 60 yards off and all spoooked down the hill pretty good. It was alittle odd to see 4 bulls together, 3 mature ones, at this point in the season, this was Sept 20.
I went back to camp at lunch and the afternoon crew showed up again at the trailhead. So I headed down a little farther than I had the day before on the four wheeler. I stopped at a glassing knob that didn't have a tree within 1/2 a mile of me. I looked around for a while and spotted a cow on the ridge to my left. She was only 200 yards or so off and had her head down. She was right on the ridgetop and I figured there were probably more on the other side. I dropped in evelavation so she couldn't see me and tried to get behind her on the ridge in order to get the wind in my favor. When I got over to the ridge I could see this ridge was the edge of a timber line. I started slowly towards her. Checked the wind again and it had changed directions, it was now blowing right at her. I went a few mroe steps and saw 4 cows take off down into the timber. Never saw a bull in this group but there was probably one in there somewhere. this was mid day.
I headed down farther to walk another timber line ridge with no luck until right at last light. I spotted a few elk even farther below me with one raghorn bull. I bugled a few times to get their reactions but besides picking his head up from feeding, the bull didn't have much interest. It was getting too late to get closer and I watched them for a while, the raghorn seemed to be the biggest one in the group.
The bull is the one in the middle of the picture looking my direction.
I drove down to it and parked the 4 wheeler. I started hiking up the edge of a treeline and my plan was to work my way through the top of the treeline and hopefully catch some elk coming out at last light. As I am hiking up I look to my left and see an elk feeding in the trees. It is a spike with his head down, no idea I am there. He was about 50 yards away and I watched him for the next 15 minutes feed towards me to about 15 yards and then feed away from me. He never did spook or see me, if only the mature bulls were as easily fooled as these guys! It wouldn't be near as much fun though.
So with a spike I figured there should be more in the area. I continued a little farther to the top of the treeline and then walked down through it to see if I could relocate the spike and possibly some other elk. I cow called a few times and never did see another elk or hear one.
Day 11 - I got up early and my plan was to hike in past the gate. I was happy to see nobody else was there when I got up. I hiked in the dark and go in to the area I wanted to hunt, I headed up the ridge and didn't hear or see much. Was a little worried that all the hunter activity the day prior had spooked them out. I headed up a ridge in the timber, saw a few deer and was getting near to the top when off to my left I saw an elk, he was walking right at me with his head down. This was a small raghorn about 100 yards away. He was heading straight toward me, so I just stayed put, and made no noise or anything. He walked to about 30 yards of me and picked his head up. I assume he smelled me because he took off down the hill but not at a rate that said he was really spooked. I took about 5 steps in the direction he came from and saw there were 3 more coming, unfortunately they had seen me first. All 3 were bulls each a little bigger than the last. The last one in the lineup was a decent 6 point but nothing big. They were about 60 yards off and all spoooked down the hill pretty good. It was alittle odd to see 4 bulls together, 3 mature ones, at this point in the season, this was Sept 20.
I went back to camp at lunch and the afternoon crew showed up again at the trailhead. So I headed down a little farther than I had the day before on the four wheeler. I stopped at a glassing knob that didn't have a tree within 1/2 a mile of me. I looked around for a while and spotted a cow on the ridge to my left. She was only 200 yards or so off and had her head down. She was right on the ridgetop and I figured there were probably more on the other side. I dropped in evelavation so she couldn't see me and tried to get behind her on the ridge in order to get the wind in my favor. When I got over to the ridge I could see this ridge was the edge of a timber line. I started slowly towards her. Checked the wind again and it had changed directions, it was now blowing right at her. I went a few mroe steps and saw 4 cows take off down into the timber. Never saw a bull in this group but there was probably one in there somewhere. this was mid day.
I headed down farther to walk another timber line ridge with no luck until right at last light. I spotted a few elk even farther below me with one raghorn bull. I bugled a few times to get their reactions but besides picking his head up from feeding, the bull didn't have much interest. It was getting too late to get closer and I watched them for a while, the raghorn seemed to be the biggest one in the group.
The bull is the one in the middle of the picture looking my direction.
Deez Nutz
Well-known member
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Maybe I'll just tag this thread and come back and take a look in July or August?
Stone_Ice_1
Well-known member
Day 12 - I hiked back into the same area I had been the previous morning. As I was hiking in during dark I could hear bugles ahead of me. As I got close to the opening where I wanted to start hunting and it was just barely getting light enough to see anything I saw movement in front of me. It ended up being a deer and the deer moved off to my left, just off the road I was walking. She wasn't taking much interest in me and I took a few more steps. At that moment a bull bugled RIGHT in front of me. It was really loud and I couldn't see him but I knocked an arrow. I could see a small portion of the opening in front of me and located 2 cows. It was still too dark to shoot but the bull sounded like he was probably 50 yards from me. At that time the deer then snorted, at me or the elk I don't know, and ran out of there. The elk then spooked and headed up the hill to my right. I could hear him bugling all the way up the mountain. I could see the 2 cows in the opening headed off to my left. There was also a bull with them as I could hear it bugling as they wandered off. I wasn't sure which way to go since I hadn't seen either of the bulls. I chose the right and tried to catch up with the herd but shortly after this they got quiet and I couldn't relocate that herd. I could still hear the bull bugling up the mountain that went to my left so I went up that way. He was way up the mountain by then and I couldn't catch him or get him turned around. I did find some interesting country on my hike up the mountain that I was thinking might be good for rifle season. that was the end of my weekend solo trip
Day 13 - The next day after work I went into an area that I had been given a tip about. It was the next drainage over from a spot I had scouted and set up cameras. It ended up being a couple mile hike one way. This was one of my few hunts all season where I didn't hear or see anything. It was pretty dead.
One of the many sunsets I experienced during my hunts was on this evening.
Day 13 - The next day after work I went into an area that I had been given a tip about. It was the next drainage over from a spot I had scouted and set up cameras. It ended up being a couple mile hike one way. This was one of my few hunts all season where I didn't hear or see anything. It was pretty dead.
One of the many sunsets I experienced during my hunts was on this evening.
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