What a trip

Wapiti Slayer

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Feb 24, 2004
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Meridian, ID
Went Elk hunting with my friend who got a land owners permit this last weekend! No sooner did I get out of the truck and Bugle we had 3 bulls within a 100s yards screaming there heads off.

So we loaded are fat asses on the 4 wheeler and headed up the road. This is one of the new restricted areas where you can only drive where a full size vehicle can go.

So we take off for the high country, get about half way up and 5 guys are watching a heard run up a ridge. We take off again and stop 3/4s the way up the hill and bugle again. Bam 2 Bulls screaming there heads off, we messed with them for about 15 minutes but they seemed to be going to the top so we took off again.

We hit where the road ended and just started hoofing it up this step ass hill and I let out another bugle, instantly a Bull screams. I tell my buddie to head towards him and I'll head back down cow calling. Worked perfect, the bull kept following my calls and he got within 10 Feet of my buddie till he had to jump up and scare him before the Bull ran his ass over. He was a small 260 Bull so he passed on him.

So we head up to a big saddle where we know they are gonna cross. I bugle again, 3 Bulls answer 2 on the left 1 on the right! One on the left has a deep ass roar and the other two sound younger. So we set a plan, I'll call and head towards the end of the saddle to cut him off before the big shell hill and he'll stay a little lower to see if he can cut him off down there.

We have radios to keep in touch. So I side hill around this step nasty shit and keep cow calling to draw him in. He keeps bugling his ass off and bugles every 45 seconds or better and answers every time I return his calls.

I could tell he was pissed ass hell and ready to kick some ass. I walked to within 30 yards of him and he was still coming at me. So I told my friend I'm to close and going back towards the saddle. He said he was about 40 yards of a bunch of cows and the Bull was right in front of them!

So I get back up and call again and he answers, he's following me back! Next thing I know I look up on the shell hill and he's following 4 cows and a calf! I hit the Hyper Hot and he looks down and starts checking for the sound with a nice braodside shot. If I had the tag I could have drilled him, he was a 310-315 Bull nothing huge but I'd have shot him.

My Buddie is on his ass and maybe 100 yards behind them by now. He follows them across the hill and down on the right side of the saddle where the other bull is going ape shit. I tell him where they are heading and he keeps on there ass. I keep calling, the bull runs over and stops within 30 yards and offers a nice shot but he's looking for something in the 350 or better range so he passes again.

We'll this other Bull is getting really pissed now that all these other Elk are in his territory. My Buddie see's him and takes off in a dead run for him, looks over and he's running along side cows who don't even pay attention to him. He trips and screws his ankle up BAD and has to stop. Well all the Elk head off down this nasty ass hill you couldn't pack one outta in a week. So he finally gets back up to me and says was that fun or what? I reply with a hell ya a lot better than sitting home doing nothing!

He's heading back up for 9 days in a another week once the pressure is off them and hopefully some weather moves in. It was a full moon and 48 degrees when we took of at 5:30. The next day the Elk moved WAAAAAY back into the Hell holes and never heard another bugle.

But we did spot a lot more a long ass way across the valley with spotting scopes. It's gonna take some weather to move them out, but I'm sure he'll be able to get a good bull. We also seen around 17 Bighorns, 1 nice Ram and a few Bannana Rams, tons of Turkeys, Antelope, Whitetail and Mule Deer. What a fun weekend. I also picked up 3- 6 point sheds, a raghorn shed, a 4 point Mulie shed and a Spike shed to put the icing on the cake. I can't wait to go on my Hunt!!!

[ 10-04-2004, 20:23: Message edited by: Wapiti Slayer ]
 
cool wish i was there too.
i'm heading out the 15th
went to thunder basin natinal grassland deer hunting sunday
saw 8 deer three spikes one forky and does and fawns also saw 8 elk but the only bull was a spike.
it was still worth the 300 miles on my truck.
hunted cow creek, saw 10 hunters. moved to the backside of black thunder mine and saw all the critters.
bad thing was i saw 2 sick deer,and 4 elk that looked to be poached about a year ago skin still on the bones, all there but the head antalope that had been caped and two deer with the top half of there skull gone. all just skin and bones.the skin intacked on the bones except the heads.
i'm going to talk to the G&F soon.
 
Damn that sucks! Hope you have a great Hunt and good luck! I'm heading out for Deer this weekend and am holding off for Elk until we get some crappy weather. I have until NOV 8th so I hope something rolls in. I'd rather be hunting in the snow.
 
Wap., Now THAT'S a good story! Sounds like you had a great time. Good luck for the rest of the season, but it sounds like it's a success so far, even if you don't get anything. Nothin' like lotsa action, huh!?
 
I just got back from the shop and it's 35 1/2" 28 1/4 main frame, 8x10 including eyeguards. What a killer Buck. If I can get pics I'll post em on the Deer Forum. We also took in two Monsters from Oregon tonight, if I can get pics of them I'll post em too. One of them looks 100% whitetail but is actually a Mulie and is amazing, biggest bodied Deer I've seen in my life!

[ 10-07-2004, 20:46: Message edited by: Wapiti Slayer ]
 
Great story. Sounds like you had a blast. Nothing like being in the hills and having action like that.
 
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