What its like hunting with the MOOSIE

[JB Florida]

Whos your buddy

This joker is a hard huntin fugger.
He death marched me into the ground and then he would stop and do push ups while I tried to get enough Oxygen to pick up something to throw at him ......No Joke.

I didnt expect it to be so tough a hunt since im not in too bad of shape.
The first day we got up 3 hours before daylight to start the marching. I followed along behind him for 2 hours and 20 minutes in the dark and then another hour after we could turn off the flashlights. I'm pretty sure there is nowhere we went in that was not WAY Uphill. We got to "X" about 8am and sat down to watch and glass and Moosie instantly spotted a buck across the canyon
COOL Great start

I just tried to get the chill off and removed the ice from my mustache.
In just a bit, a bunch of elk began pouring into the canyon and we cow called a bit and they came by pretty darn close ....no bulls though...but still a great beginning to a memorable hunt.

Being a flatlander, I thought I was in pretty good shape for this but that country is fuggin tough. Later in the week, we went higher and farther in. I checked the altitude on my gps and it showed 2200 feet in the first couple of hours .....much of that was with me crawling on my hands and knees (ask elkgunner, it seemed more like mountain climbing, except with snow)

Ole Moosie can sure find the elk though

of course, if you cover THAT much ground, you are bound to come across a few

But he has obviously done his time to the habits of those MOUNTAIN ELK!

I'm almost rested up now (and caught up at work) so I'll post some pics shortly.

It was an AWESOME hunt and I had a blast but it was sure nice to get back here and put shorts on

At Moosies camp I slept in thermals (2 thick) and even a hat to try to keep from freezing to death.

 

[JoseCuervo]

JB,

You just thought he was doing push-ups...

Now you know why I am jealous when I see the pictures from Elkhunter of the country he gets to roam. And the country down in AZ, where they can drive to the 400+ bulls

That country we get to hunt (I hunt about 20 miles from Moosie's) probably is the most work for the littlest, thinnest racks around.

A 280 Bull would be a whopping trophy, and even a Spike is memorable, as you worked your a$$ off to get it. There are no easy Elk in that country.

Even in 80+ degree weather, you have to wear gloves, as you spend 3/4 of your time holding on to trees and bushes, trying to keep from sliding down the hill.

But, the harder the country, the more Elk, and the fewer hunters, so whaddya do!!!

Congrats on the Survival...

 

[T Bone]

JB,
Sounds like you had a great hunt. That Sawtooth country is fantastic. As Gunner has said its some unique country that you can buy an OTC tag and find yourself far away from anyone else. Looking forward to the pics.

 

[JB Florida]

Hey Elkgunner,

Moosie told me that you went down the STEEP side of that one area. He said we came up the easy way, so I cant imagine the hard way.
I beagn to wonder how I was gonna get down
before I was even half-way up.

Yall work your butts off for those elk, thats for sure. I told Moosie, most folks in the south dont walk 300 yards from a truck and they wine about the "Hike"

Did he tell ya he carried MOST ALL of a boned out big trophy spike (it was the Lead Spike)

It is nice to get home and not have to listen to Pink and that new cd of nele though

 

[JB Florida]

Thats right T-bone,

It would suprise the heck outta me to see another soul up there.........
Its some beautiful country

 

[Moosie]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR> Did he tell ya he carried MOST ALL of a boned out big trophy spike (it was the Lead Spike)
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Note to self : Quit carrying a backpack when hunting for elk with someone else...

JB Florida, I was truley tiered. I just like putting on a show that I'm not.

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR> At Moosies camp I slept in thermals (2 thick) and even a hat to try to keep from freezing to death. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I know I don't have Plush accomidations like DS's camp. But having the Microwave, heater, bunkbeds, freezer/fridge, and 27'x8' feet of space is better then nothing

(Didn't I show you how to work the Heater lever ?!?!

Get those pictures up and posted, I want to see the rack we found !!!

 

[Moosie]

Here is a Few Elk that we seen the First day :

Here's me saying :

"I have to hike this bull over HOW MANY RIDGES" ?!??!?!!

 

[Moosie]

Here is JB Florida looking at some Elk.. Debating how far to shoot :

Me looking good as Usual *WINK*

HE JB... I see MORE ELK !!!!

Not a bad Skull find EH ?!?!

Here is a Bear we came across on the first day too :

And here is his Elk :

 

[Wylee]

Sooooooo, is that relief on JB's face that the hill hiking is finally close to being over or dismay at realizing that now he thinks he has to pack it out, in the last photo???

 

[JB Florida]

Hey Wylee,

You know I was wondering how we would get that meat down the cliff elkgunner was talking about

Moosie was faster down hill than me too,
Of course he had about a hundred pounds more meat on his back.

 

[JoseCuervo]

JB,

Funny story on the Cliff route...

It was about an hour after dark, and I was going out with my MagLite. I could see about 10 feet ahead of me...

I come to a 3ft diameter tree, and get ready to vault over it and keep going. I think, maybe I should shine my light ahead, and I look over the tree...

There is about a 24 inch landing, and then a 30ft drop off a rock face....

Moosie never would have heard my screams...

 

[csutton7]

I don't think that's happy face ol' JB has there in the last pic--I don't see Moosie's hands!!!!

....chris

 

[Moosie]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR> I don't see Moosie's hands!!!! <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I was waiting for Someone to catch that

That reminds me of a Sign I once saw :

~~~~~~~~~

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR> Moosie never would have heard my screams... <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Gunner.. I knew Exactly were you were, I'd of come looking for you in a day or two

 

[JoseCuervo]

Hell, I would have been stinkin' and smellin' by then...

 

[Moosie]

What do you mean "BY THEN"... all that Sweat that you lost going up the hills I was Already smelling ya !!!! I'm surpized we saw all them DAM BULLs we did.

 

[JoseCuervo]

"We saw"?????

Might I remind you who saw them? And who had to whistle almost the complete William Tell Overture to get your attention, to come look at them???

 

[Moosie]

Alright.. I understand being a bus boy your Noggin isn't all that it should be...

But let's Recap what happened.

We were sitting on a ridge and you spotted the "$150 BUCK". I then said I wanted to walk a bit up the ridge becasue I wanted to go look at another ridge were I thought ther ewas elk. As I got up, I heard a Cow call in the Buches below... and then I waited to see. Meanwhile, You walked up to were I was going and Saw the Bull. You whistled and Scared it as I came up so I never got to drop the hammer (Or something like that

)

Then I waited there to see what it wass going to do and You went down to get the backpack and Whistled again becasue were I heard the Cow calling out come another 2 bulls... I was just a few Seconds behind you each time (Or something like that

)

I'm wishing I would have killed that 4 Pnt Bull now jsut to have you help Hike it out.. Becarefull gonig hunting with me next year, I might jsut do something like that for fun

 

[WH's OutdoorsChick]

UMMMMM NICE SIGN MOOSIE :S

 

[schmalts]

did you find yourself walking extra far away from him when it was time to take a dump on the hillside? I think i would

 

[Tom]

You guys didn't have a bear tag? Pretty neat picture and stories. That elk looks pretty beat up, a real fighter, eh Moosie. I couldn't resist it. Oh, shoot. haha Sorry.

Congratulations to you two, thanks for the pictures and stories!