Vanish and FireTiger's 2019 Journal
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While we were in Norway, my Dad was shooting his bow ( just got it restrung about a month ago ) and blew out a limb. Its a Martin Pantera from ~2009 and nobody has parts for it anymore. Apparently the factory's warehouse burned down a few years ago, too. So ... not a great situation for him. He went ahead and bit the bullet and bought a bare new bow, but its going to be a bit before he's ready to shoot it at an animal.
Wanting to be prepared in case something more bad should happen this year, I pulled my old bow ( 1997 Pearson trophy hunter quad ) out of the basement and took it to the range with me tonight. I haven't touched it in ~3 years. Seems to be doing alright as it shot just as tight as my new setup at 40 yards. Look at those awesome aluminum arrows!
I also continued to dial in my new arrows / sight out to 60 yards. This feels so slimy to me this close to the season but sometimes you have to work with what you've got. Shooting again in the morning.
Wanting to be prepared in case something more bad should happen this year, I pulled my old bow ( 1997 Pearson trophy hunter quad ) out of the basement and took it to the range with me tonight. I haven't touched it in ~3 years. Seems to be doing alright as it shot just as tight as my new setup at 40 yards. Look at those awesome aluminum arrows!
I also continued to dial in my new arrows / sight out to 60 yards. This feels so slimy to me this close to the season but sometimes you have to work with what you've got. Shooting again in the morning.
dirtclod Az.
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Maybe this time you can share the load instead of making her carry all the weight.Ha!,Ha!We're back from Norway. A bit jet lagged. I may post some stuff from the trip, not sure yet. Little time.
This showed up while we were gone. Good work Gregory, Thanks for standing by your policy!
Its official, Firetiger bought a 4th season either sex elk license off the reissue list. It will be another unit we've never hunted before, so, adventure!
I went to pick up my otc archery elk and bear licenses on Friday and what do you know, the bear were sold out. I guess CPWs marketing and NR price reduction worked. I only usually see one bear a year and don't target them, so no biggie.
Archery elk started a couple days ago but I'll post more about that when I am home.
I went to pick up my otc archery elk and bear licenses on Friday and what do you know, the bear were sold out. I guess CPWs marketing and NR price reduction worked. I only usually see one bear a year and don't target them, so no biggie.
Archery elk started a couple days ago but I'll post more about that when I am home.
dirtclod Az.
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Keep it coming,I'm still following.
Archery elk season 2019 has begun. I held off buying a license as long as I could to give my dad a chance to evaluate his foot and bow his situation as well as possibly pick up a fancy reissue tag. It appears they have manually reissued all tags over 4 points ( my buddy actually got the call on a 76 archery tag ).
My dad had gotten the primo camping spot, which was nice. There was a fair amount of other camps along the way, but not as bad as last year.
Our plan for the morning was to return to the area where Dad took his bull on the opener last year. In my mind this meant the general area, but my dad literally went to stand by the tree. The first thing we noticed was the ridiculous amount of food this year. The elk had no real reason to visit any particular meadow.
We separated as daylight dawned and I continued towards a mudhole I had noticed last year when packing out his bull. The trail going through the area was so worn that I had to continue still hunting my way along it. After 50 yards or so I came to another mudhole, this one looking like it had received attention. I don't really want to call them wallows as I'm not certain that's what was happening here. The trail was just so attractive though, so I kept moving along it. I don't have a photo, but the trail I am following is slowly dropping down the side of the mountain towards a bench. The mountain itself is probably a 60 degree slope, so off the trail its dang steep.
After another 70 yards, I hear a sound and my hunter instinct is triggered. Sure enough, about 20 seconds later I see a small raghorn bull ease out about 70 yards in front of me. He's on the same level currently, but it appears he's dropping down to the bench below us. Soon after some crashing occurs and his older brother steps out. This bull certainly legal, and its game on.
I do a quick scan and see there is a trail dropping down more quickly a few yards in front of me, so I move to intercept. I close some distance but run out of cover as I near the bench. Assessing the situation, I spot the small bull already moving into the timber on the other side of the bench, but the big one is still on my side. Pulling my rangefinder out, I just start ranging some landmarks to determine if I need to get closer ( I don't know how, but that's not the point yet ) when all of a sudden the small bull bolts.
The bigger bull starts running too, and not following his little brother, but rather across the trail to me. I drop the rangefinder and draw, as I can see this is going to be a sub 20 yard situation real fast. I'm still slightly uphill, and there isn't even a frontal shot because the bull's head is in the way. At around 8 feet he notices something in the trail and just starts to turn to the side when I release. He goes another 10 yards or so before he rolls down the hill into a marsh.
There's more to this story. Take your best guess. Lostinthewoods, keep your mouth shut.
My dad had gotten the primo camping spot, which was nice. There was a fair amount of other camps along the way, but not as bad as last year.
Our plan for the morning was to return to the area where Dad took his bull on the opener last year. In my mind this meant the general area, but my dad literally went to stand by the tree. The first thing we noticed was the ridiculous amount of food this year. The elk had no real reason to visit any particular meadow.
We separated as daylight dawned and I continued towards a mudhole I had noticed last year when packing out his bull. The trail going through the area was so worn that I had to continue still hunting my way along it. After 50 yards or so I came to another mudhole, this one looking like it had received attention. I don't really want to call them wallows as I'm not certain that's what was happening here. The trail was just so attractive though, so I kept moving along it. I don't have a photo, but the trail I am following is slowly dropping down the side of the mountain towards a bench. The mountain itself is probably a 60 degree slope, so off the trail its dang steep.
After another 70 yards, I hear a sound and my hunter instinct is triggered. Sure enough, about 20 seconds later I see a small raghorn bull ease out about 70 yards in front of me. He's on the same level currently, but it appears he's dropping down to the bench below us. Soon after some crashing occurs and his older brother steps out. This bull certainly legal, and its game on.
I do a quick scan and see there is a trail dropping down more quickly a few yards in front of me, so I move to intercept. I close some distance but run out of cover as I near the bench. Assessing the situation, I spot the small bull already moving into the timber on the other side of the bench, but the big one is still on my side. Pulling my rangefinder out, I just start ranging some landmarks to determine if I need to get closer ( I don't know how, but that's not the point yet ) when all of a sudden the small bull bolts.
The bigger bull starts running too, and not following his little brother, but rather across the trail to me. I drop the rangefinder and draw, as I can see this is going to be a sub 20 yard situation real fast. I'm still slightly uphill, and there isn't even a frontal shot because the bull's head is in the way. At around 8 feet he notices something in the trail and just starts to turn to the side when I release. He goes another 10 yards or so before he rolls down the hill into a marsh.
There's more to this story. Take your best guess. Lostinthewoods, keep your mouth shut.
Jape
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Well done! That's a considerable amount of blood on his neck. Did you hit him there on the other side and it exited at the spot in his middle you can see in the pic?
Pucky Freak
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Congrats!
dirtclod Az.
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Congratulations! Nice Bull.
Let me guess.Your looking over your Bull and a 300 incher walks out?!
Let me guess.Your looking over your Bull and a 300 incher walks out?!
TheBenHoyle
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Hey hey hey! Congratulations!
bowhuntmontana
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The rest of the story: "And we lived happily ever after."
Crossbowguy
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Congrats on a successful hunt!
As I'm packed for this weekend, I should finally get around to finishing this story. I'm surprised nobody guessed. Mtnhuntr spotted the clue in the photo, the blood on his upper-body. I spotted it as the bull passed me after the shot and immediately knew what had happened. The angle of my shot meant you can see the entrance in the photo above, while the arrow had buried to the fletching, stopping somewhere around the bottom back of his ribs on the off side.
You see, when those elk were 60 yards up the trail from me, another hunter positioned in a treestand shot this bull. That mark on his upper-body is the exit wound of his arrow. After proceeding over to check out the elk, I started whistling. Sure enough, about 5 minutes later I see a gentleman headed my way.
The way the conversation started, I could tell he was unsure how this was going to go, as he knew his shot had been high. I asked him if he had friends nearby to help him pack out the bull, and the conversation turned much more friendly as he realized I wasn't about to argue about who was taking this bull home. He had a bunch of guys hunting not too far away, so I took his photo with the bull, said congratulations, and set about trying to find an elk of my own.
I'd like to say I had all the fun without the work, but it does ring a bit hollow.
I finished out that morning with a cow+spike walking past at 15 yards ( I have enough meat and other tags that I'm not shooting a cow yet ), a calf you could barely see over the tall grass and the realization that small game hunting didn't open until the next day.
Did I mention how crazy lush it is this year?
You see, when those elk were 60 yards up the trail from me, another hunter positioned in a treestand shot this bull. That mark on his upper-body is the exit wound of his arrow. After proceeding over to check out the elk, I started whistling. Sure enough, about 5 minutes later I see a gentleman headed my way.
The way the conversation started, I could tell he was unsure how this was going to go, as he knew his shot had been high. I asked him if he had friends nearby to help him pack out the bull, and the conversation turned much more friendly as he realized I wasn't about to argue about who was taking this bull home. He had a bunch of guys hunting not too far away, so I took his photo with the bull, said congratulations, and set about trying to find an elk of my own.
I'd like to say I had all the fun without the work, but it does ring a bit hollow.
I finished out that morning with a cow+spike walking past at 15 yards ( I have enough meat and other tags that I'm not shooting a cow yet ), a calf you could barely see over the tall grass and the realization that small game hunting didn't open until the next day.
Did I mention how crazy lush it is this year?
bowhuntmontana
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Good on you! That is some good karma for the rest of the season.
We regrouped back at camp for lunch and a midday nap. I think the temps were in the low 80s, just not great for hunting, though it may have been a mistake on opening day. We headed out together in the evening and ran into mama bear with her two cubs. I've only seen one bear in this area in 10 years, so that was cool. Neither of us saw any elk that evening.
Sunday morning we headed back into the same area and I found another bear hanging out my mudhole, a mere 30 yards away. Bear season opened the next day, but of course I don't have a tag. I proceeded to explore some benches I had never seen before and found a single sublegal bull that decided it didn't want me to admire.
As the day heated up, I decided to go sit that mudhole with the thermals and prevailing wind being very favorable. Just after 10am, I started hearing crunching, and about 5 minutes later two cows shuffled through at 20 yards. That was it for the morning.
We headed up a different drainage in the evening, running into a cow along the way. It was much drier up in this area, and with much less sign.
Monday morning we made a mistake and stayed in the same area. I realized while walking in where we should have gone, but we had already split up and it would have taken us too long to head to the other area. Live and learn. It was a beautiful morning, but no elk were seen.
Sunday morning we headed back into the same area and I found another bear hanging out my mudhole, a mere 30 yards away. Bear season opened the next day, but of course I don't have a tag. I proceeded to explore some benches I had never seen before and found a single sublegal bull that decided it didn't want me to admire.
As the day heated up, I decided to go sit that mudhole with the thermals and prevailing wind being very favorable. Just after 10am, I started hearing crunching, and about 5 minutes later two cows shuffled through at 20 yards. That was it for the morning.
We headed up a different drainage in the evening, running into a cow along the way. It was much drier up in this area, and with much less sign.
Monday morning we made a mistake and stayed in the same area. I realized while walking in where we should have gone, but we had already split up and it would have taken us too long to head to the other area. Live and learn. It was a beautiful morning, but no elk were seen.
I'm just about all packed up and will be meeting my dad up in the elk woods again this evening. He's got his new bow all dialed in, so he won't have to use my old one this time. FireTiger and I shot our bows last night but boy was it windy. That makes it a lot harder! This big guy teased us as we were pulling out. He doesn't appear to be concerned that it is hunting season. He's only about 60 yards from public land, too!
FireTiger on her way to go look for a turkey in eastern CO with her girlfriend right now.
FireTiger on her way to go look for a turkey in eastern CO with her girlfriend right now.
Jape
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You're a good man. Hoping to see more great photos!
dirtclod Az.
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Good Times,Keep it up and soon you'll be elbow deep in "FUN" and packin'.
