This was my third attempt at unguided DIY public land hunting and I finally closed the deal with my Wyoming 2015 bull. The previous two trips were to Colorado in October and we back packed into the La Garrita Wilderness in snowy 15 degree weather. I will never do that again as it was miserably cold and uncomfortable. In my 20's I used to hump 30 miles with a 80lb pack in the Marine Corps so I thought surely I could hump 5 miles with a 70 lb pack in my mid 40's. I found I could do it but it sucked bad and took the joy out of the experience.
On my Wyoming hunt we hunted West of Moran, Wyoming by Lake Leidy and we rented some horses in Jackson Hole. Now that I have hunted on horse back I will never hunt in the West without them as I was able to get in deep and enjoy the experience along with the way. What we did different on this trip is we arrived a full 5 days before the season started and got to the know the area. Also, the season started on September 19th so we were hoping to hear of few bugles but I only heard one. We were also hampered by warm weather and a full moon.
Funny story-all of my hunting group is comprised of State Police Officers from Texas and none of us has ever hunted in Grizzly country. About a month before our arrival a person was killed by a grizzly less than 50 miles from our base camp. As we were driving into our canyon we stopped and visited with an outfitter who asked where we were planning on camping. We said up near Lake Leidy and he said be careful up there as there are a lot of griz in the area. We thanked him for the advice and went and set up camp. The next day we drove into Jackson Hole and picked up our horses and the outfitter asked where we were hunting and we said West of Lake Leidy. The outfitter said that is really pretty county but be careful because there are a lot of grizzlies in the area. We now had two locals telling us the same info. Next we went to the feed store to buy hay and grain and the clerk asked where we were hunting and we said up near Lake Leidy and he said the same as the other people as that is a good area to hunt but be careful with all the Grizzlies. Like I said previously, all of us are police officers and all of us our former military with plenty of hunting and back country experience but we were heightened due to us being grizzly county rookies. After having a few glasses of whiskey by the fire we all went to bed. Late that night the diesel heater in one of the tents went out and one of the guys went out to fix it and was still groggy and forgot his flashlight. As he was making his way back into the tent he was fumbling with the zipper when another guy woke up from a dream and thought a grizzly was coming into the tent. He grabbed his bear spray and was unfamiliar with the safety and it was pitch black in the wall tent. He finally got the safety off and accidentally sprayed the guy on the cot next to him which caused the victim to loudly scream. Our whole camp then jumped up, grabbed our bear spray and pistols only to learn it was a negligent discharge. We had a good laugh and went back to bed. Everybody thought it was funny except the guy who got sprayed.
The area we hunted was spectacularly beautiful and we were glassing in the shadows of the Tetons. On our ride out from camp we saw moose, black bear, mule deer, and a bunch of elk sign so we were excited with our prospects. We also saw an area by an old downed tree that was rooted up like wild hogs do back in Texas. Right next to the tree we saw a very large pile of bear shit and on the tree you could see claw marks which were higher than my head while sitting on my horse. We never actually saw a grizzly but it was obvious they were in the area which made the zero dark thirty scouting rides exciting.
Opening day finally comes up and I found a good area that I want to hunt that is about 4.5 miles from the end of the forest service road. We wake up at 3 am and ride out in the dark and get set up about 45 minutes before first light. I absolutely love watching the sun come in the mountains on opening day. About 7am I hear what sounded like a herd of cattle running through the woods then all of the sudden the elk start coming out of the heavy timber and into the small opening which was maybe 50 yards wide between two ridges. After about 15 cows come out I finally see the first bull but it was a very thin pencil horned bull but it was legal. This was the first legal bull that I had seen that was in range during hunting season so I was trying to get a bead on him to take the shot. I was just about to squeeze off a round when the herd bull stepped out and I immediately changed focus onto him. Now for the experienced elk hunters I can understand my bull is considered small but to me I couldn't have been more excited if it was a 400 inch monster. I didn't have much time and was he was just about to step off into the brush when I squeezed off my first shot at 219 yards. It didn't react the way I expected and didn't visibly flinch or jump he just changed directions. I dropped to my knees and got a steady rest and let another fly and he changed directions again and followed the other cows downhill into the brush. I was certain I had hit him and my hunting partner heard the shot and came over to help track. After about thirty minutes I couldn't take it anymore se we went over to the area and started looking for blood.
I got to the area where the elk was standing and didn't see a single drop of blood which was very concerning to me. I picked up the trail of the 20 cows and started tracking expecting to find my bull laid up by the trail. After about a mile up hill I was having serious doubts and thought the bull should have been laid up but the country was pretty thick and the hiding spots were endless. I was literally sick to my stomach and my feet were killing me because I had elected to ditch my hiking boots and wear cowboy boots because they were better for riding. Big mistake that won't happen again. After searching for about an hour I tell my partner lets go back to where I shot and start over. Once back I see a single track leading up hill and start to follow. After about a hundred yards I crest a ridge and the bull jumps up stares me right in the eye at 40 yards. I instinctively raise my rifle and put another round into him and he falls down a very steep hill and lands in a small creek. I was stunned because I had about given up hope. I went up this beautiful animal who was in his last moments when I heard what other elk hunters had described as the death moan. I have killed quite a few deer and wild hogs but this was my first elk and hearing the death moan actually left me with a sense of sadness for the animal. It was a strange dichotomy that some may not understand in that you can love the animals you are hunting and killing.
After taking some pics the work began. We had also heard that the grizzlies in the area are conditioned to gun fire and it is actually a dinner bell to them. As I was skinning my buddy was keeping watch with his rifle and bear spray when we heard wolves howling not too far from us. That was the first time I had heard a wild wolf and it was exhilarating to me. We have a ton of coyotes and I know the difference and it was very special to me to be in wild county with my best friend with a bull on the ground. I actually like the feeling of being in an environment where you have to pay attention and be on your toes. We regularly work down on the Texas/Mexico border along the Rio Grande and I feel alive with a little bit a danger.
Since this was my first time to quarter an elk it took me longer than usual and we finally got the quarters and the meat back up to the horses and into the saddle panniers. It was very steep just to get to the horses and we were tired before we even started to walk the horses the 4.5 uphill miles back to base camp. It was hot and miserable walking in cowboy boots but I was in reasonably good shape and made it back to camp in one piece to be congratulated by the other members of the hunting party. It was a very good feeling to finally put a bull on the ground.
The next day I slept in as every one else was getting up at 3 am to head out and that was nice to get some much need sleep. The next day we messed around camp and cleaned and prepared the meat for the freezer. We took a small deep freezer with a generator which was very handy since it was 70 degrees during the day. That night all of the hunting parties from the area were coming out of the mountains and me and my buddy had been drinking whiskey all day and relaxing. Both of our grandfathers are from Scotland, and since the whiskey was flowing we decided to put on our kilts while wearing cowboy hats and boots. The Wyoming outfitters had never seen drunk Texans wearing kilts and cowboy hats/boots and we all had good laughs. When the ribbing got serious we pulled out our bull and informed them we had already tagged out and had never been to this area before. The banter was all in good fun.
The next few days were spent exploring and fishing and we found a hidden lake where the cutthroat trout had never seen lures. It was by far my best day of trout fishing and we kept a few for dinner and released the rest. That night we had grilled elk tenderloin and pan seared cutthroat trout and it was absolutely delicious. I am formally now an elk hunting addict and about June I start getting obsessed with scouting on google earth and planning my next hunt.
This year we are hunting an OTC unit in Northern Colorado and again have horses lined up for the trip. It is now 100 degrees in Texas and I can not wait to feel that crisp mountain air and maybe hear a wild elk bugle. Hope to see y'all on the mountain some day. God bless
On my Wyoming hunt we hunted West of Moran, Wyoming by Lake Leidy and we rented some horses in Jackson Hole. Now that I have hunted on horse back I will never hunt in the West without them as I was able to get in deep and enjoy the experience along with the way. What we did different on this trip is we arrived a full 5 days before the season started and got to the know the area. Also, the season started on September 19th so we were hoping to hear of few bugles but I only heard one. We were also hampered by warm weather and a full moon.
Funny story-all of my hunting group is comprised of State Police Officers from Texas and none of us has ever hunted in Grizzly country. About a month before our arrival a person was killed by a grizzly less than 50 miles from our base camp. As we were driving into our canyon we stopped and visited with an outfitter who asked where we were planning on camping. We said up near Lake Leidy and he said be careful up there as there are a lot of griz in the area. We thanked him for the advice and went and set up camp. The next day we drove into Jackson Hole and picked up our horses and the outfitter asked where we were hunting and we said West of Lake Leidy. The outfitter said that is really pretty county but be careful because there are a lot of grizzlies in the area. We now had two locals telling us the same info. Next we went to the feed store to buy hay and grain and the clerk asked where we were hunting and we said up near Lake Leidy and he said the same as the other people as that is a good area to hunt but be careful with all the Grizzlies. Like I said previously, all of us are police officers and all of us our former military with plenty of hunting and back country experience but we were heightened due to us being grizzly county rookies. After having a few glasses of whiskey by the fire we all went to bed. Late that night the diesel heater in one of the tents went out and one of the guys went out to fix it and was still groggy and forgot his flashlight. As he was making his way back into the tent he was fumbling with the zipper when another guy woke up from a dream and thought a grizzly was coming into the tent. He grabbed his bear spray and was unfamiliar with the safety and it was pitch black in the wall tent. He finally got the safety off and accidentally sprayed the guy on the cot next to him which caused the victim to loudly scream. Our whole camp then jumped up, grabbed our bear spray and pistols only to learn it was a negligent discharge. We had a good laugh and went back to bed. Everybody thought it was funny except the guy who got sprayed.
The area we hunted was spectacularly beautiful and we were glassing in the shadows of the Tetons. On our ride out from camp we saw moose, black bear, mule deer, and a bunch of elk sign so we were excited with our prospects. We also saw an area by an old downed tree that was rooted up like wild hogs do back in Texas. Right next to the tree we saw a very large pile of bear shit and on the tree you could see claw marks which were higher than my head while sitting on my horse. We never actually saw a grizzly but it was obvious they were in the area which made the zero dark thirty scouting rides exciting.
Opening day finally comes up and I found a good area that I want to hunt that is about 4.5 miles from the end of the forest service road. We wake up at 3 am and ride out in the dark and get set up about 45 minutes before first light. I absolutely love watching the sun come in the mountains on opening day. About 7am I hear what sounded like a herd of cattle running through the woods then all of the sudden the elk start coming out of the heavy timber and into the small opening which was maybe 50 yards wide between two ridges. After about 15 cows come out I finally see the first bull but it was a very thin pencil horned bull but it was legal. This was the first legal bull that I had seen that was in range during hunting season so I was trying to get a bead on him to take the shot. I was just about to squeeze off a round when the herd bull stepped out and I immediately changed focus onto him. Now for the experienced elk hunters I can understand my bull is considered small but to me I couldn't have been more excited if it was a 400 inch monster. I didn't have much time and was he was just about to step off into the brush when I squeezed off my first shot at 219 yards. It didn't react the way I expected and didn't visibly flinch or jump he just changed directions. I dropped to my knees and got a steady rest and let another fly and he changed directions again and followed the other cows downhill into the brush. I was certain I had hit him and my hunting partner heard the shot and came over to help track. After about thirty minutes I couldn't take it anymore se we went over to the area and started looking for blood.
I got to the area where the elk was standing and didn't see a single drop of blood which was very concerning to me. I picked up the trail of the 20 cows and started tracking expecting to find my bull laid up by the trail. After about a mile up hill I was having serious doubts and thought the bull should have been laid up but the country was pretty thick and the hiding spots were endless. I was literally sick to my stomach and my feet were killing me because I had elected to ditch my hiking boots and wear cowboy boots because they were better for riding. Big mistake that won't happen again. After searching for about an hour I tell my partner lets go back to where I shot and start over. Once back I see a single track leading up hill and start to follow. After about a hundred yards I crest a ridge and the bull jumps up stares me right in the eye at 40 yards. I instinctively raise my rifle and put another round into him and he falls down a very steep hill and lands in a small creek. I was stunned because I had about given up hope. I went up this beautiful animal who was in his last moments when I heard what other elk hunters had described as the death moan. I have killed quite a few deer and wild hogs but this was my first elk and hearing the death moan actually left me with a sense of sadness for the animal. It was a strange dichotomy that some may not understand in that you can love the animals you are hunting and killing.
After taking some pics the work began. We had also heard that the grizzlies in the area are conditioned to gun fire and it is actually a dinner bell to them. As I was skinning my buddy was keeping watch with his rifle and bear spray when we heard wolves howling not too far from us. That was the first time I had heard a wild wolf and it was exhilarating to me. We have a ton of coyotes and I know the difference and it was very special to me to be in wild county with my best friend with a bull on the ground. I actually like the feeling of being in an environment where you have to pay attention and be on your toes. We regularly work down on the Texas/Mexico border along the Rio Grande and I feel alive with a little bit a danger.
Since this was my first time to quarter an elk it took me longer than usual and we finally got the quarters and the meat back up to the horses and into the saddle panniers. It was very steep just to get to the horses and we were tired before we even started to walk the horses the 4.5 uphill miles back to base camp. It was hot and miserable walking in cowboy boots but I was in reasonably good shape and made it back to camp in one piece to be congratulated by the other members of the hunting party. It was a very good feeling to finally put a bull on the ground.
The next day I slept in as every one else was getting up at 3 am to head out and that was nice to get some much need sleep. The next day we messed around camp and cleaned and prepared the meat for the freezer. We took a small deep freezer with a generator which was very handy since it was 70 degrees during the day. That night all of the hunting parties from the area were coming out of the mountains and me and my buddy had been drinking whiskey all day and relaxing. Both of our grandfathers are from Scotland, and since the whiskey was flowing we decided to put on our kilts while wearing cowboy hats and boots. The Wyoming outfitters had never seen drunk Texans wearing kilts and cowboy hats/boots and we all had good laughs. When the ribbing got serious we pulled out our bull and informed them we had already tagged out and had never been to this area before. The banter was all in good fun.
The next few days were spent exploring and fishing and we found a hidden lake where the cutthroat trout had never seen lures. It was by far my best day of trout fishing and we kept a few for dinner and released the rest. That night we had grilled elk tenderloin and pan seared cutthroat trout and it was absolutely delicious. I am formally now an elk hunting addict and about June I start getting obsessed with scouting on google earth and planning my next hunt.
This year we are hunting an OTC unit in Northern Colorado and again have horses lined up for the trip. It is now 100 degrees in Texas and I can not wait to feel that crisp mountain air and maybe hear a wild elk bugle. Hope to see y'all on the mountain some day. God bless
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