MT archery elk - We're baaack!

[Big Fin]

Well, they had two options - 1) come out the way they came in, right past us, or 2) leave via the private. They chose option number 2. Heard one faint bugle this evening.

Damn, this is no cake walk. The heat and full moon continues. But, we have logged enough miles to now know where they aren't, and a few places where they are. For the next four days we focus on the places we know they are.

Battery power in both the laptop and the phone is almost toast, so I am hooking up to Mr. Brunton to see if I can get some good charge over night.

Hope to have big stories and even bigger pictures to show.

Lawnboy - Sorry to hear about the miss. Hope he isn't the one you have chased there the last couple years. That would be a downer.

 

[ashersdad]

Good luck guys!! Thanks for the updates. It's fun to follow along.

 

[rutdog]

Keep the faith, there is a bull waiting for ya..

 

[wingman1]

I predict you will get a nice bull the day before you have to leave.....That is If you dont get medivac out from a snake bite first.

 

[Big Slick]

I predict you will get a nice bull the day before you have to leave.....That is If you dont get medivac out from a snake bite first.

Or heat stroke.

 

[Big Fin]

Watching a herd of about 100 elk down on private. They are feeding southwest and it looks like they are comfy in the scattered timber below and south of us. If they would only come 500 yards north, we would be in business. Hard to believe they will spend the heat of the day in that spot. Gonna stay here above them, in hopes they move to a place where we can go after them.

 

[DreaminofMT6X6s]

Good luck man! I bet you can't wait to hear some bugles and smell those bulls. IT'S AWESOME...be safe!

 

[kansasdad]

Waving his hand like Obi-won......you must move north.....pay no attention to the men in the Sitka camo.

 

[Up North 8]

Waving his hand like Obi-won......you must move north.....pay no attention to the men in the Sitka camo.

hahahahaha

 

[wingman1]

Stalemate. They have everything they need over there. Including a great big tub full of ice cold water. All you can hope for is pressure from the landowner to push them back to you. It could be a long wait. I really hope you guys the best luck. Just so you know, this land owner is not going to let you retrieve an elk off his prop. Make sure you give yourself at least a 100 yard buffer. I know this is not your first rodeo. But if you need some advice in there, pm me. Mark

 

[Big Fin]

So, here is the gig. They have bedded about 200 yards on the public side, in some timber. We can get around on them, if the wind is correct. Best chance is to get them when they are coming in from feeding. Trying to get in there while they are bedded is not going to work. And, probably will blow them out completely away from where we can get at them again.

So, we hoofed it back to camp. We are paring down every piece of equipment we have. Nothing but necessities will be coming with us. In the dark, we will hoof it over there and be set up for them in the morning. If they come back to this same timber, just as they have the last two days, we will be ready.

There is a very small seep of a spring on public, so that is where we will have to get our water. We will burn half our water just getting over there. If we stay there for a couple days, we need to be near a water source. We have Aquamira tablets. The water will taste like crap, but at least we won't get sick.

Desperate condition require desperate measures. This heat and full moon result in tough conditions. If we shoot one, we have our work cut out for us. When we went over there two days ago, it was 4.25 miles on the GPS. We have another half mile to go, beyond that.

We did get a look at some of these bulls today. A couple are real whoppers. Just need a huge stroke of luck and get a chance at one of them, while 80 cows are looking at us. Reality is, even if one of the small bulls gives us a chance, i am shooting.

Wingman - thanks for the offer. I am sure you are correct about them not allowing any retrieval. We will be set up about 300 yards into the public when they get to their bedding spot. Hopefully the wind allows me to be between the boundary and where they bed, so if I shoot, or if I scare them, they go further into the public, rather than out to private. If it looks even the slightest bit iffy, I am not shooting. Not going to shoot a bull, only to have him run to private and become coyote feed.

Going to catch some zzz's, rest our feet, and get out packs leaned down to the minimums. This evening will be watching them again to see if they do the same thing of the last two days. If so, we launch our plan well before daylight tomorrow. One good thing about a full moon - we will be able to walk over there without headlamps. And, hopefully the snakes will be sleeping in the cool darkness. If I never see another snake, I will not feel slighted.

 

[thecrittergitter]

I'm pretty sure they HAVE to let you retreive so long as you can prove it was shot on public. Only problem is, you will have to call FWP and be escorted in for retrieval. We had this happen with a mule deer that was crossing a narrow strip of public and we intercepted him . Shot him on the public but he then went onto the landowner who HATES hunters and did not want to let retreival. We ended up getting to go get the deer.

I'm not positive its that way, but i've always understood it to be that as long as you can prove it ran on after it was shot, they have to let you get it.

Course, i've been wrong before
.

Stalemate. They have everything they need over there. Including a great big tub full of ice cold water. All you can hope for is pressure from the landowner to push them back to you. It could be a long wait. I really hope you guys the best luck. Just so you know, this land owner is not going to let you retrieve an elk off his prop. Make sure you give yourself at least a 100 yard buffer. I know this is not your first rodeo. But if you need some advice in there, pm me. Mark

 

[Oak]

I'm pretty sure they HAVE to let you retreive so long as you can prove it was shot on public. Only problem is, you will have to call FWP and be escorted in for retrieval.

That might be the case in MT, but definitely not in Colorado. You can take the game warden out there and show them the blood trail and the animal laying 20 yards on the wrong side of the fence, but if the landowner won't let you retrieve, it will lay there and rot. Not a thing anyone can do about it.

 

[Horn Seeker]

I would be willing to bet thats the rule here too Oak... I think a warden could put a little pressure on a landowner to "do the right thing" is about it...

 

[Carrion Carrier]

Good luck Big Fin! Can't wait till tomorrow.

 

[Elkwhisper]

Bulls were responding well to cow c9alls this morning not to far south of you. If I could shoot straight I would be tagged out. Called in three different bulls in a 20 minute period. Just couldn't connect. Filled my antlerless tag last night though.

 

[sweetnectar]

Fin are you sure you don't mean there are lots of elk to the North West when you say South West....hint, hint.

 

[wingman2]

Gotta love the state land!!!!

 

[wingman1]

Gotta love the state land!!!!

My thoughts exactly. But lets not disclose that over the net.. We dont want that billion dollar ranch knowing where they are hunting. We are on the DYI team. Get em FIN!!!!!

 

[MuddyBull]

Good luck and Praying for cooler weather across the West!