Hunting Wife
Well-known member
Good luck! Can’t wait to read the recap. Your write ups never disappoint.
KHunter ID Elk bowhunt 2023
- Thread starter Khunter
- Start date
Elkhunter24
Well-known member
Good luck!
Khunter
Well-known member
ha. same state but not near where hunting.
Pahoundsman
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Good luck. I’m looking forward to reading your hunt recap.
BlacktailMaster
Active member
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2023
- Messages
- 42
Good luck!
BAKPAKR
Well-known member
How did the first hunt go?
Khunter
Well-known member
First trip to hunt was a good warm up. Arrived Saturday Sept 2 and returned late Tuesday Sept 5th.
Arrived and backpacked in 4+ miles beginning Saturday at 3:30 camp set at 7:30 pm. That was a real work out (for me).
And I clearly carried too much weight with no pre training with a pack but did get to exactly where I had E scouted.
Interesting old camps spotted on the hike in.
I knew rain was expected Sunday late through all-day Monday so paid close attention to trail condition thinking about how greasy it might be when soaked and the answer in my head was “This will suck to pack an elk out of if muddy” much less just me and my camp will likely be dicey. Lots of dirt, not a lot of rock base and narrow trail sloping sideways for much of it. So tucked that in the back of my mind for future reference as the hunt and departure for Colorado deadline loomed.
Met a cool 70+ bowhunter couple camped at trailhead that were just hunting the first pass about 1.5 miles in and they were informative and had hunted just where I was going for years when they were younger.
Sunday. morning was a slow start as the body was still beat from the pack in.
No bugles heard from camp to chase so head in further along the creek I hiked in along. Had E-scouted some great looking mixed timber and parks up the mountain from camp that I made my way to while unkinking sore muscles and still no sitings or elk vocalizations by time I gain a few hundred feet elevation at 9:30 am half mile from camp. Let a bugle rip and got three? Bulls to respond, all sounded close to each other and back toward camp albeit much higher on the mountain. Promising! They called just enough over time that I could loop up and around them to get the wind right.
Ended up taking a long break and a nap at what I guessed was 500-800 yds above and downwind waiting for afternoon action. Got to try out the new squeeze wter filter. Tons of fresh sign, torn up ground, green turds etc. as I was hiking which was great to see.
About 5 pm one of the bulls sounds off and then another. Seemed farther down the mountain than expected so closed distance some and tried to get more downwind.
The calling heated up and the wind settled in my favor so moved in to about 300 yds to the best sounding bull. Managed to call in two bulls to maybe 100 yds in pretty dense timber. Ultimately the cows with one of the bulls pulled the bull by me and further up the mountain in no big hurry at 100 yards. Saw four of the cows but just could not quite see the horns on the better sounding bull that was bugling and trailing them. As that group was my focus I lost track of the bull that came up on the other side of me but he was downwind so can guess what happened. Meanwhile the rain started and slipped on the rain gear that would be needed for the next 24+ hours.
Managed to call in a nice, young, couple and both had tags. They came into the basin from the north where I had come in from the south. As the rain was going and the sky looked to be ready to really open up, the chat was brief and since I was not inclined to drag my tired body up the mountain I hiked mostly down to camp in a steady rain and asured them there were elk up hill a ways.
The rain poured all night and was predicted to continue all the next day (Labor Day). As I was scheduled to get back to Colorado day after tomorrow on Tuesday and knowing the trail would be a treacherous muddy mess I decided to pack up in the rain and make my way back to the trailhead instead of going after the previous evening's elk so I could scout/hunt some other spots. Was the right choice as it rained the whole way out and I was fully soaked and had many near slips and falls along the way. Would have been a tough and unsafe pack out had I killed a bull. I was actually glad I did not.
My water supply got pretty muddy…
Just as I was getting to the truck, the old bow hunter camped at trailhead poked his head out of his camper and asked if I was “bloody”. I responded no but I am wet on wet He said he would put some coffee on and to come on over to dry out. Awesome folks and they shared a “secret” less than obvious unmarked trail and eminently easier route into the spot I had packed 4+ miles into that I expect to use next trip. Took 4 hours to pack in up the drainage and 5 plus hours to pack back down on the now muddy trail.
Did spot a bachelor group on the way out. And wet and tired as I was pulled out the spotter for a look-see. They were just laying in the open in the rain. Did not give chase.
Also saw a group of 4 cows, a raghorn and a spike at 150 yards a little further as continued toward the truck.
The biggest bull on the pack out was a 5x6.
I got dried out and ‘coffeed’ up and moved on to check some other spots I had E-scouted. Rained off and on all day and set up tent in the rain about 15 miles south of first spot. I passed a ton of camps driving through the area south on where I had been.
A tad more to share on trip 1 another day that included a lot of barking from a bull but no bull killed yet.
After a couple weeks of working, I head back tomorrow and plan to hunt solo the 22nd through Sept 30 season end.It will have been raining for a couple days when arrive so may hold off on backpacking in deep to let the rain stop and trail firm up.
Think I saw the last living antelope in NW Colo. on the way home. We had a huge deer/antelope die off from a big winter.
Reports from a few hunters on the same unit I have been connecting with while working the last couple weeks suggests a slow arriving rut and little calling, except the older trailhead hunters I met reported pretty good bugling activity and calling in a couple bulls to close range.
Big weather change to much colder temperatures and rain today and tomorrow and mostly dry through season end. Hopefully the best and lots of rut activity will happen in the next 8 days. I may set a camp near the truck first couple days to let the trail into my pack in spot dry a bit.
More to follow….
Arrived and backpacked in 4+ miles beginning Saturday at 3:30 camp set at 7:30 pm. That was a real work out (for me).
And I clearly carried too much weight with no pre training with a pack but did get to exactly where I had E scouted.
Interesting old camps spotted on the hike in.
I knew rain was expected Sunday late through all-day Monday so paid close attention to trail condition thinking about how greasy it might be when soaked and the answer in my head was “This will suck to pack an elk out of if muddy” much less just me and my camp will likely be dicey. Lots of dirt, not a lot of rock base and narrow trail sloping sideways for much of it. So tucked that in the back of my mind for future reference as the hunt and departure for Colorado deadline loomed.
Met a cool 70+ bowhunter couple camped at trailhead that were just hunting the first pass about 1.5 miles in and they were informative and had hunted just where I was going for years when they were younger.
Sunday. morning was a slow start as the body was still beat from the pack in.
No bugles heard from camp to chase so head in further along the creek I hiked in along. Had E-scouted some great looking mixed timber and parks up the mountain from camp that I made my way to while unkinking sore muscles and still no sitings or elk vocalizations by time I gain a few hundred feet elevation at 9:30 am half mile from camp. Let a bugle rip and got three? Bulls to respond, all sounded close to each other and back toward camp albeit much higher on the mountain. Promising! They called just enough over time that I could loop up and around them to get the wind right.
Ended up taking a long break and a nap at what I guessed was 500-800 yds above and downwind waiting for afternoon action. Got to try out the new squeeze wter filter. Tons of fresh sign, torn up ground, green turds etc. as I was hiking which was great to see.
About 5 pm one of the bulls sounds off and then another. Seemed farther down the mountain than expected so closed distance some and tried to get more downwind.
The calling heated up and the wind settled in my favor so moved in to about 300 yds to the best sounding bull. Managed to call in two bulls to maybe 100 yds in pretty dense timber. Ultimately the cows with one of the bulls pulled the bull by me and further up the mountain in no big hurry at 100 yards. Saw four of the cows but just could not quite see the horns on the better sounding bull that was bugling and trailing them. As that group was my focus I lost track of the bull that came up on the other side of me but he was downwind so can guess what happened. Meanwhile the rain started and slipped on the rain gear that would be needed for the next 24+ hours.
Managed to call in a nice, young, couple and both had tags. They came into the basin from the north where I had come in from the south. As the rain was going and the sky looked to be ready to really open up, the chat was brief and since I was not inclined to drag my tired body up the mountain I hiked mostly down to camp in a steady rain and asured them there were elk up hill a ways.
The rain poured all night and was predicted to continue all the next day (Labor Day). As I was scheduled to get back to Colorado day after tomorrow on Tuesday and knowing the trail would be a treacherous muddy mess I decided to pack up in the rain and make my way back to the trailhead instead of going after the previous evening's elk so I could scout/hunt some other spots. Was the right choice as it rained the whole way out and I was fully soaked and had many near slips and falls along the way. Would have been a tough and unsafe pack out had I killed a bull. I was actually glad I did not.
My water supply got pretty muddy…
Just as I was getting to the truck, the old bow hunter camped at trailhead poked his head out of his camper and asked if I was “bloody”. I responded no but I am wet on wet He said he would put some coffee on and to come on over to dry out. Awesome folks and they shared a “secret” less than obvious unmarked trail and eminently easier route into the spot I had packed 4+ miles into that I expect to use next trip. Took 4 hours to pack in up the drainage and 5 plus hours to pack back down on the now muddy trail.
Did spot a bachelor group on the way out. And wet and tired as I was pulled out the spotter for a look-see. They were just laying in the open in the rain. Did not give chase.
Also saw a group of 4 cows, a raghorn and a spike at 150 yards a little further as continued toward the truck.
The biggest bull on the pack out was a 5x6.
I got dried out and ‘coffeed’ up and moved on to check some other spots I had E-scouted. Rained off and on all day and set up tent in the rain about 15 miles south of first spot. I passed a ton of camps driving through the area south on where I had been.
A tad more to share on trip 1 another day that included a lot of barking from a bull but no bull killed yet.
After a couple weeks of working, I head back tomorrow and plan to hunt solo the 22nd through Sept 30 season end.It will have been raining for a couple days when arrive so may hold off on backpacking in deep to let the rain stop and trail firm up.
Think I saw the last living antelope in NW Colo. on the way home. We had a huge deer/antelope die off from a big winter.
Reports from a few hunters on the same unit I have been connecting with while working the last couple weeks suggests a slow arriving rut and little calling, except the older trailhead hunters I met reported pretty good bugling activity and calling in a couple bulls to close range.
Big weather change to much colder temperatures and rain today and tomorrow and mostly dry through season end. Hopefully the best and lots of rut activity will happen in the next 8 days. I may set a camp near the truck first couple days to let the trail into my pack in spot dry a bit.
More to follow….
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duckhunt
Well-known member
Great thread
txco
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 27, 2017
- Messages
- 336
Good luck!
YZF-88
Active member
- Joined
- Feb 19, 2012
- Messages
- 83
Wishing I had a little more vacation left in the tank. Would really like to be up there to help out. It’s my favorite area and the next best thing to having a tag is help with one. The last week of the season was always my favorite. Could always get into them screaming at some point.
I’m still kinda jealous of that old alphamax, wish I never sold mine
Rack Daniels
Well-known member
Beautiful country, great photos! Good luck!
Khunter
Well-known member
Season ended yesterday. I was there for the last of it. As wa as another super cool, hunttalker. Very cool experience overall and coming out heavy.
More stories, and pics from last eight days to come. This pic is a nod to the poetic stylings of @Dinkshooter
Apologize for the excessive blood in the photo.
More stories, and pics from last eight days to come. This pic is a nod to the poetic stylings of @Dinkshooter
Apologize for the excessive blood in the photo.
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Khunter
Well-known member
Round Two: Sept 22 to 30th end of season if needed.
Step one, The launch.
Friday Sept 22nd arrived in the unit from Colorado in the evening just at dusk. It had rained a lot the last few days so, same as when I had departed from Round One in early September all the foot and vehicle two tracks and ATV trails were a greasy muddy mess. Darkness was coming on fast as was an approaching rainstorm that will further soak the muddy path I had already checked on foot for the first few hundred yards, so I am rushing about pulling hunting, backpacking and ATV camping gear together and loaded/strapped onto the ATV.
A more intelligent decision would be to pop the backpack tent up right where I was and jump into the hunt the next morng in daylight, but I was eager to get back to where the elk should be and loaded up with 9 days of supplies ready for ATV camping and backpacking deeper so I would not need to return to the truck till the 30th if the several hunting areas I had picked out (including the area I hunted earlier in the month) turned out to be productive.
My expectation was that a lot of the crowds of hunters will have tagged out or given up and that turned out to be the case, generally.
This is what my ATV looked like (ridiculous I know) as I headed out in a steady rain in the dark on unfamiliar muddy trails up the mountain although this photo was from a different day when I moved camps. But this depicts what I decided was akin to “If the Beverly Hillbillies went elk hunting in 2023”.
My Modern Beverly Hillbillie setup:
The original BHB setuup:
Kinda ridiculous to some folks no doubt, as I packed in a Mr. Buddy heater and pounder propane bottles, 6-man tent, 2 person Big Agnes 3-season backpack tent, too many supplies and too much food and a few gallons of water…but it was at least a one tripper instead of two tripper to get to initial ATV camp spot I had never seen but had pinpointed on a map. It got dodgy in a couple spots like when I went into a deep rut and almost rolled the ATV on its side.
Step one, The launch.
Friday Sept 22nd arrived in the unit from Colorado in the evening just at dusk. It had rained a lot the last few days so, same as when I had departed from Round One in early September all the foot and vehicle two tracks and ATV trails were a greasy muddy mess. Darkness was coming on fast as was an approaching rainstorm that will further soak the muddy path I had already checked on foot for the first few hundred yards, so I am rushing about pulling hunting, backpacking and ATV camping gear together and loaded/strapped onto the ATV.
A more intelligent decision would be to pop the backpack tent up right where I was and jump into the hunt the next morng in daylight, but I was eager to get back to where the elk should be and loaded up with 9 days of supplies ready for ATV camping and backpacking deeper so I would not need to return to the truck till the 30th if the several hunting areas I had picked out (including the area I hunted earlier in the month) turned out to be productive.
My expectation was that a lot of the crowds of hunters will have tagged out or given up and that turned out to be the case, generally.
This is what my ATV looked like (ridiculous I know) as I headed out in a steady rain in the dark on unfamiliar muddy trails up the mountain although this photo was from a different day when I moved camps. But this depicts what I decided was akin to “If the Beverly Hillbillies went elk hunting in 2023”.
My Modern Beverly Hillbillie setup:
The original BHB setuup:
Kinda ridiculous to some folks no doubt, as I packed in a Mr. Buddy heater and pounder propane bottles, 6-man tent, 2 person Big Agnes 3-season backpack tent, too many supplies and too much food and a few gallons of water…but it was at least a one tripper instead of two tripper to get to initial ATV camp spot I had never seen but had pinpointed on a map. It got dodgy in a couple spots like when I went into a deep rut and almost rolled the ATV on its side.
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Khunter
Well-known member
While I envision hunting the same area as I backpacked into before, I am opening up more options with more trailhead access points with this starting point. I am at a different trailhead than Round One backpack trip because I had sorted out a much easier, less physically draining, access for hiking to the previous area via a side drainage that also should hold a lot of elk as well. Maybe I will not even need to pack into the previous spot to get into great hunting…. but options are good.
Remembering how greasy and treacherous the rainy hike out was with loaded pack on Round One, at a minimum, the plan is to hunt near where the ATV could access while the backpack trails hopefully dry out a bit.
Some may know that Idaho Fish and Game has AWESOME ATV rules/restrictions that if you are found in violation of it is a game violation. The OHV/ATV trails for my hunt area are OFF LIMITS entirely to ATVs for hunters unless they are packing in a camp (and staying) or are riding in to retrieve a tagged animal. A key element of the rule is once you get to a designated camping, or starting point to set a spike in camp, the ATV cannot be used to buzz over to different spots to day hunt different areas. It has to stay parked in the one spot and you have to walk everywhere. Perfect if you ask me and wish Colorado had similar rules. Anyway, as a game violation with stiff penalties if break the rules it will keep all but the clueless and the brazen scofflaws from chasing elk away from trails making for better hunting. Love it and it thins the crowd. I passed a good number of camps on the way in that chose comfort (campers/RVs wall tents, etc) over more remote ATV access which was great for me and the few ATV camp setters like me who are willing to rough it a bit more. Literally puts miles between you and those not wanting to ATV in deeper with the associated restrictions.
As noted, I was not super organized at arrival at dusk and I now had a lot more ATVing than expected to do to get to the hiking only trailhead via several miles of impassable by truck (for me and most) two track followed by several miles of ATV trail since the vehicle two track was a steep muddy mess with more rain coming as I got loaded up. I had been told by previous hunters that they often leave their truck at the bottom of the mountain even when the road is dry to avoid getting a truck stranded up high when the rains come so not a totally unplanned start to the trip.
Always nice to have fresh water arriving as you hit the trail. LOL.
It is just about dark as I head up the mountain on my overloaded mini Beverly hillbillies jalopy (23-year-old ATV). It all goes well but I am riding in a steady rain on messy roads and trail arriving at my previously chosen spot about 8:30 pm with me the ATV and everythng on it covered in mud. I had on a heavy rainsuit for that very commuting purpose and had bagged my ‘stuff’ so no big deal.
When I arrive at my spot I have seen zero other ATV trail camps once I left the two track so I am thinking how awesome it will be to have such a head start each day one the roadside campers that would have to hike in, except the inevitable scofflaw day hunters and any guy packed in deeper than I was.
It is still raining so instead of messing with my 6-man I pop up the little backpack tent and set up basic supplies for dinner/breakfast and the morning hunt and roll into a wet tent to fire up a mountain house on my little butane stove at edge of vestibule and get my mind reset to hunt mode. I was surprised it took me 20 minutes to find an acceptably sorta flat spot to pitch the tent jammed against a tree as best temporary option. And of course, I forgot my daily BP meds so it in fact was gonna mean a trip back to the truck for those after the am hunt darn it. So a two tripper afterall…
A bit later about 11 pm, the rain has now let up and I start hearing quite a few bugles on three sides of me in this drainage. WooHoo, should make for a great morning. One bull was a great sounding growler to boot. Sleep fitfully and excited for the morning hunt and to lay eyes on my hunt area for the first time. End day 1.
Remembering how greasy and treacherous the rainy hike out was with loaded pack on Round One, at a minimum, the plan is to hunt near where the ATV could access while the backpack trails hopefully dry out a bit.
Some may know that Idaho Fish and Game has AWESOME ATV rules/restrictions that if you are found in violation of it is a game violation. The OHV/ATV trails for my hunt area are OFF LIMITS entirely to ATVs for hunters unless they are packing in a camp (and staying) or are riding in to retrieve a tagged animal. A key element of the rule is once you get to a designated camping, or starting point to set a spike in camp, the ATV cannot be used to buzz over to different spots to day hunt different areas. It has to stay parked in the one spot and you have to walk everywhere. Perfect if you ask me and wish Colorado had similar rules. Anyway, as a game violation with stiff penalties if break the rules it will keep all but the clueless and the brazen scofflaws from chasing elk away from trails making for better hunting. Love it and it thins the crowd. I passed a good number of camps on the way in that chose comfort (campers/RVs wall tents, etc) over more remote ATV access which was great for me and the few ATV camp setters like me who are willing to rough it a bit more. Literally puts miles between you and those not wanting to ATV in deeper with the associated restrictions.
As noted, I was not super organized at arrival at dusk and I now had a lot more ATVing than expected to do to get to the hiking only trailhead via several miles of impassable by truck (for me and most) two track followed by several miles of ATV trail since the vehicle two track was a steep muddy mess with more rain coming as I got loaded up. I had been told by previous hunters that they often leave their truck at the bottom of the mountain even when the road is dry to avoid getting a truck stranded up high when the rains come so not a totally unplanned start to the trip.
Always nice to have fresh water arriving as you hit the trail. LOL.
It is just about dark as I head up the mountain on my overloaded mini Beverly hillbillies jalopy (23-year-old ATV). It all goes well but I am riding in a steady rain on messy roads and trail arriving at my previously chosen spot about 8:30 pm with me the ATV and everythng on it covered in mud. I had on a heavy rainsuit for that very commuting purpose and had bagged my ‘stuff’ so no big deal.
When I arrive at my spot I have seen zero other ATV trail camps once I left the two track so I am thinking how awesome it will be to have such a head start each day one the roadside campers that would have to hike in, except the inevitable scofflaw day hunters and any guy packed in deeper than I was.
It is still raining so instead of messing with my 6-man I pop up the little backpack tent and set up basic supplies for dinner/breakfast and the morning hunt and roll into a wet tent to fire up a mountain house on my little butane stove at edge of vestibule and get my mind reset to hunt mode. I was surprised it took me 20 minutes to find an acceptably sorta flat spot to pitch the tent jammed against a tree as best temporary option. And of course, I forgot my daily BP meds so it in fact was gonna mean a trip back to the truck for those after the am hunt darn it. So a two tripper afterall…
A bit later about 11 pm, the rain has now let up and I start hearing quite a few bugles on three sides of me in this drainage. WooHoo, should make for a great morning. One bull was a great sounding growler to boot. Sleep fitfully and excited for the morning hunt and to lay eyes on my hunt area for the first time. End day 1.
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Khunter
Well-known member
Day 2, Saturday:
A few elk are still bugling around camp at dawn, pretty darn close by so I get my pack and gear ready inside the vestibule and hop out just before light enough to see.
No sooner do I cross the ATV trail to start hunting my camp elk herd and I hear an ATV coming my way. Crap, must be one of those scofflaws? So, I wait in the trail to see whats up. Here is a guy rigged for hunting and no camp. I am near the end of the atv trail and he looks to be planning to pass by. He stops and I enquire. His name is Justin, he is super nice and he indicates he is legal, and I had camped smack on top of him!
Sure enough, his camp, unseeable in the dark, is brushed up great a mere 150 yards away. Because of the rain since he had departed I had no seen any fresh atv tracks coming in. He has been camped there all season hunting about half the days so far mixed with some work days and had left a few days ago to dodge the constant rain that had come and was now gone. He says is he happy to fill me in on the habits of this local herd which he quickly does and he is headed straight down valley to hunt all day which is great as I was headed up the mountain 90 degrees to his planned path and he invites me to stop by for a visit that night and we both head out for bugling elk.
I chased around a couple different bulls. Those chases petered out and about 10:30 am I found myself with the spotter up the mountain on a little knob in the middle of a sage slope with a timber line just a few hundred yards above me and a saddle above and just behind me. I am on a slight finger ridge of sorts. I am glassing the surrounding drainages and hearing occasional ‘bedded bull’ bugles. Also hear what sounds like a small bull behind and to the east of me in the timber within a few hundred yards. He sounds way to close to timber edge and I have nothing but wide-open sage to cross to check him out so I ignore it after considering a stalk. I am, best estimate, likely shielded from the bull's view by the knob am just over the lip of.
Soon I hear a constant thrashing of crunchy vegetarion sound behind me and immediately see horns then a raghorn and cow come into view coming over the saddle of this finger ridge I am on. The sound was hooves thrashing all the dead skunk weed or whatever you call that prolific arrowhead leaf shape plant we all see and hate as summer green yields to fall dried vegetation that makes it hard to sneak around. Noisy even when wet. The wind was from me to them when they crossed the saddle so the bull and cow trotted opposite directions after alerting to my scent, the cow continued over the saddle then angled up the hill in view for 30 seconds and the bull trotted back the way he came from.
Here is the cow, did not quite get a photo of raghorn that trotted te other direction from the cow
A few elk are still bugling around camp at dawn, pretty darn close by so I get my pack and gear ready inside the vestibule and hop out just before light enough to see.
No sooner do I cross the ATV trail to start hunting my camp elk herd and I hear an ATV coming my way. Crap, must be one of those scofflaws? So, I wait in the trail to see whats up. Here is a guy rigged for hunting and no camp. I am near the end of the atv trail and he looks to be planning to pass by. He stops and I enquire. His name is Justin, he is super nice and he indicates he is legal, and I had camped smack on top of him!
Sure enough, his camp, unseeable in the dark, is brushed up great a mere 150 yards away. Because of the rain since he had departed I had no seen any fresh atv tracks coming in. He has been camped there all season hunting about half the days so far mixed with some work days and had left a few days ago to dodge the constant rain that had come and was now gone. He says is he happy to fill me in on the habits of this local herd which he quickly does and he is headed straight down valley to hunt all day which is great as I was headed up the mountain 90 degrees to his planned path and he invites me to stop by for a visit that night and we both head out for bugling elk.
I chased around a couple different bulls. Those chases petered out and about 10:30 am I found myself with the spotter up the mountain on a little knob in the middle of a sage slope with a timber line just a few hundred yards above me and a saddle above and just behind me. I am on a slight finger ridge of sorts. I am glassing the surrounding drainages and hearing occasional ‘bedded bull’ bugles. Also hear what sounds like a small bull behind and to the east of me in the timber within a few hundred yards. He sounds way to close to timber edge and I have nothing but wide-open sage to cross to check him out so I ignore it after considering a stalk. I am, best estimate, likely shielded from the bull's view by the knob am just over the lip of.
Soon I hear a constant thrashing of crunchy vegetarion sound behind me and immediately see horns then a raghorn and cow come into view coming over the saddle of this finger ridge I am on. The sound was hooves thrashing all the dead skunk weed or whatever you call that prolific arrowhead leaf shape plant we all see and hate as summer green yields to fall dried vegetation that makes it hard to sneak around. Noisy even when wet. The wind was from me to them when they crossed the saddle so the bull and cow trotted opposite directions after alerting to my scent, the cow continued over the saddle then angled up the hill in view for 30 seconds and the bull trotted back the way he came from.
Here is the cow, did not quite get a photo of raghorn that trotted te other direction from the cow
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