Tim’s Turn

[Gerald Martin]

My son Tim has been on a lot of hunts with me and his siblings over the past ten years. Until this year elk have eluded him.

A favorable result from this spring’s permit draws gave us renewed focus on prioritizing his elk hunting this year.

Some sound advice from several generous friends gave us some starting points to begin looking for a bull for Tim. So we started looking.

Nothing like last minute work issues to eat up your scouting day. We rolled into our hunting area sight unseen at 10:30 the night before the oener.

 

[Gerald Martin]

Opening day was met with anticipation of big bulls slipping through coulees. We found old elk tracks but saw no elk. We did find a few forked horn muleys to keep it interesting and looked at a lot of beautiful country.

Prairie sunrises and sunsets are always memorable.

 

[Gerald Martin]

Day two was a repeat of day one, just in a different direction. We did see a nice mule deer buck that got us interested enough to interrupt looking for elk. Unfortunately, as Tim was trying to get set up for the shot the buck slipped over the ridge and we ended up bumping his companion as we tried to get closer.

Hard boiled eggs make a great ridge top breakfast rather than cooking in camp.

We took a drive in the afternoon to glass a different vantage for the evening. A badger entertained us for a few minutes as he hunted prairie dogs in their holes.

 

[Gerald Martin]

Day 3 dawned with our enthusiasm for this spot waning. It was evident there were plenty of elk here in the past but either they had gone underground or we weren’t glassing where they were walking. A friend’s suggestion of a new spot to try out was looking better as the morning unfolded.

I was watching this small 3x3 muley as he bedded on a high point on a distant ridge when a large flock of sharp tail grouse buzzed down and landed in the trees next to our glassing knob.

After they flew off the sound of a distant motor broke the morning stillness. A side by side was driving (legally) up an ATV trail about 800 yards below the bedded buck. I watched him get up and move up the ridge away from the approaching ATV. He was joined by a copy more bucks that I hadn’t seen previously. Several minutes after they disappeared the three hunters packed into the ATV drove past where the bucks had been and eventually past us without giving any indication they had seen the deer.

By then it was mid morning and we hiked over a few more ridges to see if we could find any elk bedded in the sparse timber in the draws. We spotted more deer and several bucks but no fresh elk sign.

We made the call to break camp and drive to another part of the unit to check out the new spot our friend had suggested might hold elk.

 

[Caseknife]

Unique color pattern on those sharptails, kind of looks like a maze.

 

[DFS]

This thread could use less Gerald selfies and more hunting. I’m sure this will get good.

 

[antlerradar]

following

I am already jealous, Tim found that Montana monster shed antler before me.

 

[Gerald Martin]

With a new spot in mind and no evidence of elk in the country we’d just spent the last 2 1/2 days in we pulled camp and headed for new ground.

We were hoping to make it in time to set camp and get in an evening hunt but by the time we got gas, ice and replenishment our supply of tortilla chips and queso at the grocery store along the way it was apparent we’d only have enough time to get camp set before dark.

Imagine our surprise and delight when the first elk of the trip were grazing in a meadow just a couple of miles from where we intended to camp. Less than 1/4 mile from the road, on legally accessible land. When I stopped the truck several of the cows looked up and stared. I could see another elk on the hill behind them and he had antlers. Game on!

By driving a few hundred yards further we were able to park out of sight of the elk and a mad scramble for putting on boots and grabbing packs and a rifle ensued. Was this really going to work out within sight of the road?

There was a low ridge between us and the elk and it didn’t take long to get within 320 yards of the herd. Turns out there were multiple bulls among them, but the largest was a young 4x4 and not what Tim was ready to hang this tag on.
After watching them for nearly half an hour we backed out and let them feed undisturbed. Apparently there are elk in this unit!

 

[Gerald Martin]

A new dawn on a new glassing knob in new country had us hopeful and excited that this was the spot. Sharptail grouse and half a dozen mule deer made the morning glassing interesting but no elk were seen.

I did find a new glassing knob that looked like it might give a more comprehensive view of this canyon for another day.

We made the decision to drive to a different drainage for the evening hunt and expand our range.

I picked a likely looking spot on OnX and hiked out a trail to glass. As is often the case boots on the ground revealed that what looked to be a good spot to glass from was actually obscured by trees. Remembering my friends advice to be mobile and cover a lot of ground I made the call to leave a half hour before sunset to try and find a better spot for last light. We made a quick hike back to the truck and started it up.

Just like that, two bulls spooked from the edge of the timber not more than 200 yards from where we were parked. Thankfully, they were smaller raghorns as well and Tim would not have shot them if he could have but this is getting ridiculous! Of all the country we’re hiking and glassing, all the elk are within eyesight of the road… maybe we need to start road hunting….

 

[Johnny Bravo]

Man I hope y’all get a good one…dinner looked good

 

[Oak]

following

I am already jealous, Tim found that Montana monster shed antler before me.

Have you checked to see if you have the other side?

Good story so far.

 

[Gerald Martin]

Plan for this morning in the same as yesterday morning with a slight tweak. I wanted to shift to a different glassing position that should allow me to look into a few additional areas.

We were running a little bit behind schedule in leaving camp and legal shooting light was on us a we walked out to the glassing point. I wasn’t even where I wanted to be when in the first sweep of the area with my binoculars revealed what we had been looking for the past five mornings. Elk! And even better, a solid 6x6 still hanging out with the herd.

Through the spotter we could tell he wasn’t a monster but he satisfied Tim’s minimum of being a mature 6x6 and we were ready to pursue.

We are watched them until they filtered up into the timber to bed and then it was decision time. Should we drive around closer and wait for them to hopefully come back into the meadow in the evening or should we stalk them now? They were almost a mile away and I knew the thermals would shift before we could get there so I was inclined to be cautious.

We decided to drive around to a different road and try to get closer so we could come in from a different angle and relocate them through the trees. However, when I stopped at the first high point we drove around I was able to locate a cow bedded in the timber. With their location pinpointed that gave us the confidence to drop in immediately and try to get close enough for a shot.

A quick refuel with hard boiled eggs and queso ensured that I wouldn’t run out of flatulence on the way down…

 

[Gerald Martin]

Getting down to the elk wasn’t hard but a swirling wind prevented us from being comfortable with getting into shooting range without detection. We elected to hold back for several hours until the wind stabilized in the early afternoon. By about 2:30 I was unable to contain my impatience anymore and we made the decision to try to get within shooting distance and regain a visual on the elk.

With careful maneuvering we closed to within 250 yards and could see multiple cows and a raghorn bedded. It wasn’t long before we saw the bull he wanted moving around back in the trees behind the herd but brush blocked any potential shot.


We watched and waited for at least 45 minutes until a couple of the cows stood and began feeding. Then the lead cow gave a couple of cow calls and began walking up the ridge away from us. All of the elk followed at a walk and just like that they were out of sight.


As soon as the last elk went out of view we started looping around with the wind in our faces trying to catch back up with the herd. Nearly 3/4 of a mile later we did just that and the bull walked out about 150 yards in front of us. Tim made the call that this was a big enough bull to make him happy and he wanted to shoot him. So he did.

 

[Gerald Martin]

Taking care of the elk and walking back to the truck that night was the icing on the cake for us. Tim was thrilled with his bull and I was happy that he was happy. We’d shared five hard days of hunting and we’d have another day of packing his elk to the truck. All was good with the world.

 

[noharleyyet]

Awesome share Gerald...

 

[Gerald Martin]

The rest is gravy as they say. Or should I say Sunday pot roast…
A huge thanks to a couple of Hunttalkers who helped us out tremendously by sharing information with us. You know who you are. We would have had a much more difficult time getting Tim’s first elk without your help and I am tremendously grateful for your assistance.
The end.

 

[CPAjeff]

Congrats on the success - thanks for sharing!

 

[BAKPAKR]

Nice bull! Congrats to both of you.

 

[Oak]

Superlative accounting. Congrats to Tim and you.

 

[antlerradar]

Great story Gerald, If I had know you had T bone steaks, I would have made more of an effort to crash your camp.