I got down to Bill and Michells, on my way to their house, the refuge is on the right and there had to be five hundred six point bulls or better just laying about being lazy...
Bill and I headed out early the next morning to the upper end of our tags, I ran over a little hill while he checked out the flats. He had a heck of a time with the blow downs while I was into fresh tracks and closing when I ran out of time and head back to the truck for the appointed time...That's the way it seems to go alot. Dan and his friend Glen showed up that eve. They drove the thousand miles in a day and really looked done for..That had to be a tough one I'll tell you what..
For the next couple day's we ran over a number of hills and dales looking for the herds that should be appearing any time and werent. The snow in a few places was almost up to my waist, that is alot of good stuff to walk in, we were haveing temps in the single digets to minuses every night. Since I had been camping in this type of weather for the last month it wasn't bothering me much, but Dan and Glen were a little cold. The last day out, I had already planned on heading back at lunch. Things were just not seeming to going well and my wife was thinking I needed to be home since I hadn't been home much since fire season started..
We all decided to park along the road in a favorite crossing place of the migratory herds and wait to see if any would pass our way..It wasn't more than fifteen minutes past light when we started to hear shots. I jumped out of the truck when we saw the herd of 75-100 running by...Bill say's get back in well cut them off farther up the road. We hit the upper end of the butte and as soon as the truck stopped I was out in a shot, Bill motioned for me to go and not wait for every one else, There was the parking lot, then 75 yards of open space, a little rise of around 12 feet, all of which I cleared at a dead run. After hitting the top of the little hill, I saw the elk off at around 500 yards. Running across the open until I hit 300, I dropped down on my belly and tried to make a shot. There was another guy out there right in the middle of every thing not 30 yards from the herd just walking, he had apperantly shot one already. Brave soul he was with all the other hunters shooting into the crowd. I jumped up again and ran another 300 yards at a dead run to catch up to the milling elk and get a shot where I wouldn't have a chance of hitting this guy. Lying down in the snow, I took carfull aim as herd started up the hill. They were still 200 yards away from where I was, I noticed one towards the back wasn't moving so well, and the herd was really bunched, as they headed up the hill I waited for the hurt one to stop and present a shot, that is when I hit her. There was still shooting all around me so I just lay there until the girls were well up the hill. Walking over to my kill, there was one other downed animal and a couple extra blood trails running up the hill. One other fella came over and started up the hill following one of the blood trails..
This is when I realized I hadn't grabbed my pack, this has every thing including my licence in it and my knives..
Bill was nice enough to hike back to the truck and get every thing while I made sure nobody claimed my prize.. Very nice guy he is..
Well, we loaded the elk in the truck after a nice fellow and his son pulled it out with their horses. After lunch and saying my goodbys..I left a great group of people..Elkhunter, LB, DanR55, and his friend Glen...Thanks you guys were fun and I hope to do this again next year...
ps. The injury to the elk happened to be another shot that wiped out one whole hind quarter. This is why you must all make sure you have a good shot before pulling the trigger...The eye teeth on this cow were worn down to almost nothing..
Bill and I headed out early the next morning to the upper end of our tags, I ran over a little hill while he checked out the flats. He had a heck of a time with the blow downs while I was into fresh tracks and closing when I ran out of time and head back to the truck for the appointed time...That's the way it seems to go alot. Dan and his friend Glen showed up that eve. They drove the thousand miles in a day and really looked done for..That had to be a tough one I'll tell you what..
For the next couple day's we ran over a number of hills and dales looking for the herds that should be appearing any time and werent. The snow in a few places was almost up to my waist, that is alot of good stuff to walk in, we were haveing temps in the single digets to minuses every night. Since I had been camping in this type of weather for the last month it wasn't bothering me much, but Dan and Glen were a little cold. The last day out, I had already planned on heading back at lunch. Things were just not seeming to going well and my wife was thinking I needed to be home since I hadn't been home much since fire season started..
We all decided to park along the road in a favorite crossing place of the migratory herds and wait to see if any would pass our way..It wasn't more than fifteen minutes past light when we started to hear shots. I jumped out of the truck when we saw the herd of 75-100 running by...Bill say's get back in well cut them off farther up the road. We hit the upper end of the butte and as soon as the truck stopped I was out in a shot, Bill motioned for me to go and not wait for every one else, There was the parking lot, then 75 yards of open space, a little rise of around 12 feet, all of which I cleared at a dead run. After hitting the top of the little hill, I saw the elk off at around 500 yards. Running across the open until I hit 300, I dropped down on my belly and tried to make a shot. There was another guy out there right in the middle of every thing not 30 yards from the herd just walking, he had apperantly shot one already. Brave soul he was with all the other hunters shooting into the crowd. I jumped up again and ran another 300 yards at a dead run to catch up to the milling elk and get a shot where I wouldn't have a chance of hitting this guy. Lying down in the snow, I took carfull aim as herd started up the hill. They were still 200 yards away from where I was, I noticed one towards the back wasn't moving so well, and the herd was really bunched, as they headed up the hill I waited for the hurt one to stop and present a shot, that is when I hit her. There was still shooting all around me so I just lay there until the girls were well up the hill. Walking over to my kill, there was one other downed animal and a couple extra blood trails running up the hill. One other fella came over and started up the hill following one of the blood trails..
This is when I realized I hadn't grabbed my pack, this has every thing including my licence in it and my knives..
Bill was nice enough to hike back to the truck and get every thing while I made sure nobody claimed my prize.. Very nice guy he is..
Well, we loaded the elk in the truck after a nice fellow and his son pulled it out with their horses. After lunch and saying my goodbys..I left a great group of people..Elkhunter, LB, DanR55, and his friend Glen...Thanks you guys were fun and I hope to do this again next year...
ps. The injury to the elk happened to be another shot that wiped out one whole hind quarter. This is why you must all make sure you have a good shot before pulling the trigger...The eye teeth on this cow were worn down to almost nothing..
