Lakotan Inmutanka
New member
- Joined
- Jun 1, 2017
- Messages
- 13
I'm posting to see how everyone did in Jarbidge. Jarbidge is no joke and it's the closest I've been to Colorado elk hunting in a while. The roads are tough driving, the terrain is steep, and the elk are ubundant. Had the weather stayed "ok" perhaps I could've stayed a few more nights. Now I am considering going back out, but running low on time.
I hunted for only a couple of days but had the chance to bivy in for a night after setting up and scouting the evening before. I felt like I was sleeping in the herd as bugles and cow bleeps where coming from every direction the night of opening day. The only reason I found this spot, was because of horseman and outfitters had a marked route where they where packing out elk for their clients. I grabbed my pack and gear set up for a night under a tree in a bivy sac 2-3 miles from the access area where everyone was camping. Every bugle and every bleep had me waking up with a pounding heart and a shot of excitement. I felt like clenching my gun for first light. It snowed off and on all night, but the bivy held up. After sun up, thinking it was just a matter of time before seeing cow elk. I was walking around my camp and a bull with a walked up a revine and bugled right in front of me at 60 yrds. He was a 5 X a messed up right antler that was hanging down and curved up. Then I heard a series of cow calls, which seemed unatural, frequently. Down came a group of hunters laying on the cow call and then in a flash a large herd of elk I was observing popped out and jumped to the next revine. I wasn't close enough to make a shot. I worked my way to where they might have possibly ran to the next revine, but man, they can sure travel far in little time. My opportunity came and went fast. If I had a bull tag, I would have had meat in the freezer.
After a long hike up to my vehicle the Elko Sheriff Dept. showed up, followed by a helicopter shortly after to take some guy, suffering from a heart attack, off the mountain. I drove to a lower altitude the next moring for a night to dry out for a night before calling it quits.
Jarbidge is good hunting, exciting, fun and difficult (mostly the pack out if you get one), which is something I like. It's a good way to get into the elk, with "less" hunters. A lot less than what you would see rifle hunting in CO. I'd definitely do it again, with better resources, a team perhaps and hopefully better weather. After seeing Randy hunting with llama's, I'd take those with me too. I was surprised that people where hiking in 8+ miles for a cow. Then again, elk meat is second to none. Also, outfitters and ranchers where charging anywhere from $300-$1000 to pack out elk. Someone dropped a young cow and paid $800 for a pack out. Jarbidge is vast, steep, and beautiful country. I can see why elk are thriving up there. This is not a yelp review, but rather a realistic assesment of what Jarbidge hunting is really like.
I'm not quite sure what happened to the hunter who had a heart attack though. I hope he's OK.
Who else did or is doing Jarbidge?
I hunted for only a couple of days but had the chance to bivy in for a night after setting up and scouting the evening before. I felt like I was sleeping in the herd as bugles and cow bleeps where coming from every direction the night of opening day. The only reason I found this spot, was because of horseman and outfitters had a marked route where they where packing out elk for their clients. I grabbed my pack and gear set up for a night under a tree in a bivy sac 2-3 miles from the access area where everyone was camping. Every bugle and every bleep had me waking up with a pounding heart and a shot of excitement. I felt like clenching my gun for first light. It snowed off and on all night, but the bivy held up. After sun up, thinking it was just a matter of time before seeing cow elk. I was walking around my camp and a bull with a walked up a revine and bugled right in front of me at 60 yrds. He was a 5 X a messed up right antler that was hanging down and curved up. Then I heard a series of cow calls, which seemed unatural, frequently. Down came a group of hunters laying on the cow call and then in a flash a large herd of elk I was observing popped out and jumped to the next revine. I wasn't close enough to make a shot. I worked my way to where they might have possibly ran to the next revine, but man, they can sure travel far in little time. My opportunity came and went fast. If I had a bull tag, I would have had meat in the freezer.
After a long hike up to my vehicle the Elko Sheriff Dept. showed up, followed by a helicopter shortly after to take some guy, suffering from a heart attack, off the mountain. I drove to a lower altitude the next moring for a night to dry out for a night before calling it quits.
Jarbidge is good hunting, exciting, fun and difficult (mostly the pack out if you get one), which is something I like. It's a good way to get into the elk, with "less" hunters. A lot less than what you would see rifle hunting in CO. I'd definitely do it again, with better resources, a team perhaps and hopefully better weather. After seeing Randy hunting with llama's, I'd take those with me too. I was surprised that people where hiking in 8+ miles for a cow. Then again, elk meat is second to none. Also, outfitters and ranchers where charging anywhere from $300-$1000 to pack out elk. Someone dropped a young cow and paid $800 for a pack out. Jarbidge is vast, steep, and beautiful country. I can see why elk are thriving up there. This is not a yelp review, but rather a realistic assesment of what Jarbidge hunting is really like.
I'm not quite sure what happened to the hunter who had a heart attack though. I hope he's OK.
Who else did or is doing Jarbidge?
