powderburn
Active member
Well it was actually a short season when we finally got around to getting serious about snapping tags. We knew a front was coming hard and luckily I had that week off. Not so lucky was how quick the weather closed us in. We new the Elk would head for the flat land and usually they kind of stage up in a couple area's and were on them like ugly on a frog. Monday found my partner and I riding in to the bottom edge of the valley from about 2 miles to the south. My son and his gal were walking in about 3/4s of a mile to the north of the valley.at the top end. We rode in crossing lots of elk tracks heading straight east. When we got to our vantage point we caught a glimpse of my son and his girlfriend and after making contact via radio they confirmed that there were many tracks heading over the top to the safety of private ground. They bugged out as the storm intensified, couldn't blame them. As for my partner and I we stuck it out much to the horse's disapproval arriving back at the truck later in the day with horizontal snow blowing and accumulating to around 20". Day 2 my son his girlfriend and I set in on foot knowing it would be a task with the horse's. That was a bust with waste deep snow but at least the wind had stopped blowing mach1. Day 3 I was solo so I spent it in the flatlands checking out a couple area's with nothing but a couple pictures of the mulies I was playing with and the temperature was climbing back to above freezing. Seeing as elk was basically out my son pulled another day off so back to the mountains to see it we could snap his mulie buck draw tag. We were hoping the storm brought some of the big guys down from the higher reaches. After a 3/4 mile hike back through knee deep snow we stopped and I grunted a couple times and 2 bookend bucks appeared 80 yrds away. They were almost identical and with it being my sons last day available he put one down. All in all it was again a stellar year spent afield.
My son and his gal breaking over the top end of the valley.
Snow day 2
My sons buck 142"
My son and his gal breaking over the top end of the valley.
Snow day 2
My sons buck 142"
Here is a quick video of the conditions that day. On a good day you can spot 4 different valleys and make a play for any of them off the horses in a couple hours. Only draw back is it could take 6 hours back to the truck depending on which way you go. Saving grace in the dark is those two horses have done it so many times you just put on the auto pilot and have a nap.
