Elkhunter
New member
Well I took a friend out this year. He hasn't hunted in many years and has never hunted in Wyoming or anywhere in the west. He got the bug this year and hinted that he would like to get back into hunting so I asked him if he would like to go with me this year. He was tickled pink at the offer. We were to leave on September 21rst but had to leave a day early due to the weather forecast of rain. Once the road gets a little wet, there is no getting in when you have over 7000 lbs in tow.
His horse was delivered that morning, and a good horse he got to use, which was my old palomino. We got the updated weather and make the decission to head in while we could. We got there and set up camp, ran the electric fence around for the horses and fixed the old corral. Camp was set for the next 11 days by late afternoon. That evening the rain started, so the choice to head in ealy was a good one. Next morning we awoke, ate breakfast, saddled up and headed in to scout and do some deer hunting. When we got to the top, the elk were extremely vocal and were screaming until 11:15 that morning. We worked our way down through some timber looking for some deer, where MEATHEAD and I both jumped a couple of nice 5 pts last year.
This is when I was to learn that my friend needed some attention if he was to get an animal. Working down throught the heavy timber and deadfall was a chore in itself and he separated from me and went all the way to the bottom and did not meet up with him as planned that afternoon. I then spent the next 2 hours looking for him in the jungle before I finally found him as he was walking back up the mountain, nearly exhausted. We then headed back to camp to dry out and share a cold beer.
Next morning got up early and headed out again. Rain gear was put on half way in. By mid morning it was raining on us pretty good so we headed back out and then spent the next two days in camp staying dry. We moved the camp a lttle farther back into the trees to give us more shelter from the rain which did not let up until Saturday morning.
Headed out again and now my friend learned the lesson of wearing waterproof boots and wool socks. By 10:00 or so, his feet were not only wet, but quite cold. It is hear that he sat down and rung out his socks. I could see the misery he was in so we headed out. Next day was better, but did not see or hear a thing. I chose a nice little knob for him to sit on for opening morning of elk and showed him where I would also be.
Monday morning came early and were excited to head in after a hot breakfast. We made it to where he would be sitting at first light and tied the ponies up. He went to the knoll and I headed to the ridge where I have seen countless elk in the past. The bulls were screaming once again that morning, below me, to my right and to my left. I spotted a group of 16 elk about 1000 yards below me, one a very nice bull. At 7:15 AM I heard a shot go off, but was not sure where it was from as I was on the other side of a big ridge. I tried to contact my buddy but he had not turned on his radio. The group of elk below me were headed right up the mountain towards a place I could have cut them off and waited. That was my plan and on my way back up to get my buddy, I spotted a spike and pushed it towards my buddy as I told him he could have the first chance at an elk.
I could see him still on the knob where I left him and thought that he was sleeping. I continued to push the spike right to him as he sat there motionless while the spike was about 20 feet from him. When the spike got to the horses, it decided it did not want anything to do with them and bolted out of there in a hurry.
When I made it back to my buddy, I asked him why the ---- he did not shoot. He then told me that the one he shot was bigger. The shot I heard at 7:15 that morning was indeed his shot. Well he got himself a nice 6x the morning and now I had to show him how to deal with it and how to load it on the horses so we could head back to camp. It was a nice 5 mile walk to camp with the horses being lead all the way.
His horse was delivered that morning, and a good horse he got to use, which was my old palomino. We got the updated weather and make the decission to head in while we could. We got there and set up camp, ran the electric fence around for the horses and fixed the old corral. Camp was set for the next 11 days by late afternoon. That evening the rain started, so the choice to head in ealy was a good one. Next morning we awoke, ate breakfast, saddled up and headed in to scout and do some deer hunting. When we got to the top, the elk were extremely vocal and were screaming until 11:15 that morning. We worked our way down through some timber looking for some deer, where MEATHEAD and I both jumped a couple of nice 5 pts last year.
This is when I was to learn that my friend needed some attention if he was to get an animal. Working down throught the heavy timber and deadfall was a chore in itself and he separated from me and went all the way to the bottom and did not meet up with him as planned that afternoon. I then spent the next 2 hours looking for him in the jungle before I finally found him as he was walking back up the mountain, nearly exhausted. We then headed back to camp to dry out and share a cold beer.
Next morning got up early and headed out again. Rain gear was put on half way in. By mid morning it was raining on us pretty good so we headed back out and then spent the next two days in camp staying dry. We moved the camp a lttle farther back into the trees to give us more shelter from the rain which did not let up until Saturday morning.
Headed out again and now my friend learned the lesson of wearing waterproof boots and wool socks. By 10:00 or so, his feet were not only wet, but quite cold. It is hear that he sat down and rung out his socks. I could see the misery he was in so we headed out. Next day was better, but did not see or hear a thing. I chose a nice little knob for him to sit on for opening morning of elk and showed him where I would also be.
Monday morning came early and were excited to head in after a hot breakfast. We made it to where he would be sitting at first light and tied the ponies up. He went to the knoll and I headed to the ridge where I have seen countless elk in the past. The bulls were screaming once again that morning, below me, to my right and to my left. I spotted a group of 16 elk about 1000 yards below me, one a very nice bull. At 7:15 AM I heard a shot go off, but was not sure where it was from as I was on the other side of a big ridge. I tried to contact my buddy but he had not turned on his radio. The group of elk below me were headed right up the mountain towards a place I could have cut them off and waited. That was my plan and on my way back up to get my buddy, I spotted a spike and pushed it towards my buddy as I told him he could have the first chance at an elk.
I could see him still on the knob where I left him and thought that he was sleeping. I continued to push the spike right to him as he sat there motionless while the spike was about 20 feet from him. When the spike got to the horses, it decided it did not want anything to do with them and bolted out of there in a hurry.
When I made it back to my buddy, I asked him why the ---- he did not shoot. He then told me that the one he shot was bigger. The shot I heard at 7:15 that morning was indeed his shot. Well he got himself a nice 6x the morning and now I had to show him how to deal with it and how to load it on the horses so we could head back to camp. It was a nice 5 mile walk to camp with the horses being lead all the way.
