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Hunting With Moosie.... (LONG winded gibberish)

Moosie

Grand poopa
Joined
Dec 9, 2000
Messages
17,666
Location
Boise, Idaho
It’s funny how a hunt can change a man’s life. I think this last one did. Thursday we went up to Elk camp that had been set up already. From there we drove down the road to check in with some Friends on what their plans were and to shoot the crap around the fireplace for a while. Getting back to camp and thinking of big Elk it wasn’t till after midnight I hit the Hay. Hiking in the dark at 4:15AM is a bit early but we wanted to get to the right spot before Daylight. My dad had come up from AZ to hunt with me. Unfortunately the place I hunt isn’t Hiking friendly and it wasn’t long till the huffing and puffing started with me and my dad. He decided not to slow me down and do a different spot so after the game plan was set, I took off up the hill on a "SOLO" adventure of a lifetime !!

Daylight had me glassing across the way at a nice heard of elk. I didn’t have a spotting scope so I couldn’t identify how big any bulls were but figured with 10 more hours of hiking I’ll be on that side in the right spot for an evening hunt.

The morning went on unsuccessful with jumping a buck up with no shot and seeing ½ dozen deer or so. So I hiked around the mountains till I was where I needed to be for the evening. By 6:30 PM, I knew I was coming off of the hill in the dark but I wanted to be up top because that what a “REAL HUNTER” (Whatever) does *WINK*.

UUUUUUuuuhhheeeeeeeeeeeeeeahhhhh (that’s a Bugle if ya didn’t catch that.) came from the Back side of this canyon. It was a Side we never hunted before due to the Rocks, cliffs and just flat out never seeing much in there. But I crested the hill to see. And Elk I did !! About 1 mile off I glassed a heard of elk… So Speaknig of real hunters, a good one would have glassed them till dark and Bolted and came back in the AM. But not Moosie. I’m thinking , “I can Bail off into this Craphole, shoot across the bottom, get an Elk opening day, walk out the stream in the bottom and walla !!!!”

So, the game is on, trying to beat the fast approaching darkness I bail off into this canyon. It’s amazing how a guy can loose 1500 feet of elevation in a matter of 10-15 mins. So I get to a perching spot and look across at the elk. And there he is. The elk I was dreaming about. Right across the canyon. Within my grasp…… So I though !!!

I’ll be the First to admit I can’t judge distance, I can’t say if it’s 20 or 30 yards as well as 300 or WELL over 600. Fortunately we have rangefinders that we can go back the next day and be able to tell it’s 600 and not 300 ;)

Long story short, I don’t get a bull and It’s dark now. I still have to bail to the bottom and start the outward endeavor. I cross some canyons (and finger ridges) trying to side hill it but quickly find myself in a canyon I’m sliding down and can’t really get out of. Except down. So I start the slide. I get to were I can hear the Creek below and am in a rocky area full of that Dam thick brush plowing my way through. The Next step was a Long one. I like to exaggerate and Say it was a 50’ vertical slide but realistically it was only 15’ or so of wet Rock face with a slide from here to the river which was another “LITTLE” bit.

So I’m hanging on (with dear life) in the dark swinging like a Jungle monkey trying to get a grasp of something that isn’t vertical or wet or flat and hit a little shelf and then go down a little more and hit the Area I can point my size 123 boot down and Ski the rest of the way.

YIPPEEE !!!! I’m at the river !!! I take off my backpack, re-tie my shoes, put the Backpack on and Grab my gun….. I grab my gun….. I….. CHIT !! I don’t have a Gun anymore !~!~!~!!!!!

I look up the vertical face (As far as I could see with the headlamp) and try to climb it. No luck in the dark. I can’t see anything. I’m tiered, and realize The odds of climbing back up are nil and to find the tracks in the dark will be next to Impossible…

SO….. I give up, hang my head and Start the Trek out without a gun..

Now, It sounds bad until here, Being beat tiered, missing a NICE 6 point bull, loosing a $1,000 rifle/scope and sitting on the side of a Creek several hours from the truck in a canyon I’ve never hiking out before...

... "but Wait !! there’s more to come !!!”
 
What ? No comments yet ?!?!?! ;)

So…. I decide to put it ll behind me and figure out how to get out. It wasn’t 10 steps before I found myself on a log crossing the river with a 7-10’ waterfall drop with water cascading over the top of the log. I’m not sure what compelled me to step across the log but the next thing I know I feel like I’m in a Slow motion movie…

My Left foot goes in the air and I’m parralell with the earth hovering in the air like I was in a Magician show being levitated. The only problem was there was no Magician and gravity was working fast !!! Although I claim to be cat like, my reflex’s could only work fast enough to Rotate my Left side and put my left arm out to catch the rocky river below. Although I hit with a little force. I’m assuming it was the Full sized Backpack weighing me down, It couldn’t have been my over weight belly *SMILE* but let me just say hitting the water in 40 degree weather wakes even a tiered boy up !!!!

Don’t picture a Deap water hole, the stream wasn’t that bad, most places averaging only 1’ deep. The Hole I landed in might have only been 3’ deep, but being parralell with the ground and landing on the left side everything got submerged. When I pulled my head out of the water to grasp for Air, I quickly stood up and crawled to the shore. It was then I realized I was Screaming in pain cuz My Left arm and Hand was throbbing..

After a little bit I realized it wasn’t broken from the rocks but the next couple days I’d be one Sore mo fo….

So, let’s Recap !!!!

I’ve been up hunting since 4:15AM, missed an Elk, Lost my Brand New Rifle, In the bottom of a canyon that’s wet, thick and rocky, I’m wet, hurt, bruised and…. Well pretty much thinking hunting isn’t as fun as it once was.

I’ll save more typing of the trip out but fumbling down a creek in the dark isn’t very fun, but good news was I still had light. I was expecting that to go at any time ;)

So I make it out and my dad had been waiting for Hours wondering what the deal was, I shared part of the story and we get back to camp and slither out of my wet cloths. We go to deadeye270’s camp and share the story…. He says “We need to get back in there and get your rifle”. Since I knew about were it was I couldn’t argue to much. So Although I was hurting and down he talked me in going back to “FALL” creek, which it’s now named


After a few cokes I regain my thinking ca and sugest that if we’re going to go back in, we might as well leave early and Get him a elk right ? The night was a little bit longer but the 5:15AM start was still early enough. We start the trip up the hill and just after Daylight We see some Deer. And a Little buck steps out. I talk ol Deadeye270 into talking it. Him with his 300 mag (not 270) shot downhill and hit ½ inch over the bucks back. And that’s were the bullet went. The deer busted out and I video taped them another 50 yards out about 3 mins later looking back at us and Dead eye lets them walk.

So we head up the hill and 1 hour later get into a Bugleing match with a bull. The last bugle we heard sounded like a Hunter. A bit disappointed we continued in that direction. I slipped over to the Ridge line and Deadeye was going to do 20 min loop to see if he could see the bull…. I had just gotten out my Candy bar and “BOOM !!!” I smiled right away knowing exactly what just happened.

I ran over and there was Deadeye standing over a bull elk. We took a few pics and heard another elk in the canyon below. Although it was away from the direction we were going I bailed off (Although slower and more carefully) after this elk. Never saw it but the hike back up was fun


By then he had the elk dressed (Field dressed that is) and drug in pieces under a tree. And We went to go Find the Ol’ 300 mag I left in the hills the night before.

With much effort We drug ourselves to the top of the ridge, Bailed to were I shot and tried to restep my steps, we missed it somehow and ended up in the bottom of the valley. We had to Backtrack (With Deadeye noticing my footprint from the night before) and headed upstream till we found the Log I spilled over. We hiked (Climbed) up the side and in a rock shelf upabove was the ol’ trusty 300, laying in the rocks. With Rope, Crampons, and climbing gear outfitted *SMILE* we retrieved the gun.

We made it out the hills just before dark and I was happy it was Over…. Well.. Untill the next day when We climbed to the top again to pack out a 4x5 elk. But evn in the Snow, rain, and full pack of the elk on our backs, We were safe, and happy to be done ready for Trip #2 next week
Stay tuned for more next weekend when Moosie takes to the Hills Thursday and Friday on another Solo trip !!!
 
(Long ways off and pulled from a Camcorder :

Deer duck fast !!!

10_15_04_deer1.sized.jpg


Walking away :

10_15_04_deer2.sized.jpg


You can't see us by this tree !!!

10_15_04_deer3.sized.jpg


10_15_04_deer4.sized.jpg


Looking back up to were I came down in the Dark :

10_15_04_canyon.sized.jpg


Looking down the Waterfall I fell into :

10_15_04_canyon1.sized.jpg


Some sticks and boulders to the Left I missed thank heavins :

10_15_04_canyon2.sized.jpg


Ol' Dead eye laughing at me about my prior days adventure Knowing he just shot a Bull and we need to go back in to get it !!

10_15_04_canyon3.sized.jpg


[ 10-18-2004, 18:17: Message edited by: Moosie ]
 
Holy Crap!!!!!

I been lost overnight and lost a few toe nails due to minor frostbite. Your story makes my hunt look like childs play. I'm glad your still alive bud! :D
 
Damn what an adventure, glad yer ok and got yer gun back! I'm heading up the 22nd through the 31st, hope I don't have to go through any of that. Congrats to Deadeye on the Bull!

[ 10-18-2004, 18:27: Message edited by: Wapiti Slayer ]
 
Some elk (Dark, but not that I need to tell ya ;) )

10_15_04_elk.sized.jpg


10_15_04_elk2.sized.jpg


What I saw after I heard the Shot, Look close you'll see an Elk :

10_15_04_warren.sized.jpg


And Finally some Better pictures taken with a Digital Camera and not pulled from a camcorder, At least this country is Flat and we're only 100 Feet from the road .... ;) :

warren.sized.jpg


warren_me.sized.jpg


[ 10-18-2004, 18:54: Message edited by: Moosie ]
 
Damn Moosie, you do anything the easy way?? I never heard anyone break a rifle in that way.
 
Schmalts, then what in the Heck do you know about rifles ? Almost all good rifle specialists tell you to drop in down a cliff and leave it overnight in the Creek (Pronounced crik) and get it the next day.

Trust me ;)

Spoted Owl, Don't let my exagerated story sound like it was worse then Frostbite :eek: I was able to get out at least.. A little late, but i knew the river ran to the road, and being wet, I could still swim down it if need be


WapSlayer, Need a guide ? I can get you down most cliffs and streams in Idaho now ......
shhh.gif
 
Originally posted by Moosie:
Schmalts, then what in the Heck do you know about rifles ? Almost all good rifle specialists tell you to drop in down a cliff and leave it overnight in the Creek (Pronounced crik) and get it the next day.

Trust me ;)

Spoted Owl, Don't let my exagerated story sound like it was worse then Frostbite :eek: I was able to get out at least.. A little late, but i knew the river ran to the road, and being wet, I could still swim down it if need be


WapSlayer, Need a guide ? I can get you down most cliffs and streams in Idaho now ......
shhh.gif
HAHAhah I think I'll take a rain check and wait till next year for an early Sept scouting trip when it's a little warmer!
 
Now I know whose fault it is that I lost my rifle!! :mad: I left mine out on the ground Sat. nite and it snowed 6 inches. Needless to say I couldn't remember where I set it from the night before. SH$T!! It took me over an hour to find it and by then I had missed the morning hunt. What a pisser. Oh well, just look at the bright side. At least I didn't have to pack any meat out of that sh$t hole. The water I had packed in was frozen too so I decided I was gonna hunt some of the lower elevations that held deer. My son and I dropped down and got on a pile of deer. When we reached the area we were interested in we found a beautiful 4x4 buck wheels up. It was a dandy. The guy was happier than a clam at high tide! We had a great time though as we seen 34 deer that day.
You're right Moosie; Now that gun is broken in and is a real gun.
 
I've been to that water park before,but it was a nice touch to the hunting "STORY" ;)
hey deadeye300! congrats on killin' Moosies elk for him,somebody has to show that fella how to hold a rifle and do it! Hahahahaha!
Ok! Moosie put your sling like this,no!no! silly rabbit it goes over your shoulder.Oh! Man! ya have me laughing Moosie! remind me not to loan you a fourwheeler.Daniel
 
Geez look at the mess he gets in on two feet. I'd hate to see what you would get into on one of them there ATV'S. ;) ;) Great story Moosie and be careful out there. Congrats to Deadeye 270 on the elk kill also.
 
You had me rollin. Not laughing at ya, just maybe relating to some of your mishaps. Glad to hear you made it through and meat in the fridge too. Congrates on the bull, and that is hunt'n them the hard way. LOL

WW
 
At least when I get messed up a Helicopter came and got me....Ahhh cold water, snickers and a warm helicopter ride, the perfect thing after a long walk in a snow storm!
 
Moosie posted....."Spoted Owl, Don't let my exagerated story sound like it was worse then Frostbite I was able to get out at least.. A little late, but i knew the river ran to the road, and being wet, I could still swim down it if need be"

...........and let's not forget he got his survival instruction from this very site and could have hunkered down and eaten grass had he not been able to get out
hump.gif



Draftstud.......won't be no helicopters or extraction teams where we are going. Get your ass in shape and say yer good byes before you leave just in case ;) ......
 
Moosie, thats the kind of story I expected on your sheep hunt, I didn't figure you'd get in that much trouble on an Elk hunt, but its Idaho so a train wreck is always possible.
 
Moosie
Nice story and pics and congrats to Deadeye on the bull. Good to see you made it out alive, thats much better than making it out dead.
 
Dang Moosie,you sure have a way of making hunting look fun. :eek: :eek:
Nice Bull Deadeye.

Im real happy you both made it back safe.
Im not sure if what moosie did should be called hunting or (Moosie's Wild Ride)
 
Great story Moosie. You nimrod.

By the way, I need to figure out a good night for poker, what days are you available next week? Any day except for Wednesday.
 
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