midwesthunter
Well-known member
I put my 13 YO son and his grandpa in for a WY cow tag this year. I thought about picking one up, but figured I would be hard pressed to get all three of us one, not to mention the work involved if we were successful. This was going to be their first elk hunt of any kind. We decided to hunt over thanksgiving as that would allow for minimal time off work as well as missed school. We arrived in WY on 11/27, the travel took us 8 hours longer then it should have because of weather, but we made it.
Thursday morning we are out before sunrise waiting for some light to decide what we were going to do. We were met with heavy snow and fog, could only see about 100-150 yards. We drove around to see if we could find any open spots with out any luck. So by 9AM we decided to take a break and wait and see if there would be a break in the weather. We went back out that afternoon driving around and not finding any elk or sign, later that evening we found a herd in the distance working their way towards where we could hunt. I have never seen any of the migrating herds in person but wow, we conservatively estimated this herd to be around 300?
Friday morning, we wake up to snow and fog, we go to where the elk were the night before and I see where they crossed the road, not sure if they crossed back or went up on the mountain in the timber. We drove around not seeing a single one, I decided I would go investigate the mountain and let grandpa and my son drive around. I found their tracks and started up the steep face and in the dark timber. With the wind and fog it made it hard to see very far up on the mountain, I decided to back out not wanting to blow them out and really not wanting to run into one of the grizzly's that the biologist told me live on this mountain.
Sat morning comes around, finally a break in the weather, we find a large herd off in the distance before shooting light . We drive around so we can come at them down wind. We start the treck towards them at the base of the mountain. The snow was deep, it was up to my knees and up to my waist in some drifts. My son was having a real hard time with the deep snow (wish I would have brought a sled to pull him). We traveled a mile now and his legs were really bothering him. I sent grandpa ahead as I knew my son wouldn't make it before we were seen or they were up on the mountain. He was able to get into 325 yards and make a good shot on a big cow.
I told my son that now he knows what he needs to do so he will be in better shape for our next hunt. I have my son going to the gym with me and he really likes lifting weights but hates cardio, so do I, I didn't push the cardio as much because I didn't want him to want to stop going to the gym.
Below are some pictures of the hunt, I have others on the DSLR I need to pull off the card.
The large herd
Up on the mountain
There is a mountain a 100 yards away
Success
Tetons
Thursday morning we are out before sunrise waiting for some light to decide what we were going to do. We were met with heavy snow and fog, could only see about 100-150 yards. We drove around to see if we could find any open spots with out any luck. So by 9AM we decided to take a break and wait and see if there would be a break in the weather. We went back out that afternoon driving around and not finding any elk or sign, later that evening we found a herd in the distance working their way towards where we could hunt. I have never seen any of the migrating herds in person but wow, we conservatively estimated this herd to be around 300?
Friday morning, we wake up to snow and fog, we go to where the elk were the night before and I see where they crossed the road, not sure if they crossed back or went up on the mountain in the timber. We drove around not seeing a single one, I decided I would go investigate the mountain and let grandpa and my son drive around. I found their tracks and started up the steep face and in the dark timber. With the wind and fog it made it hard to see very far up on the mountain, I decided to back out not wanting to blow them out and really not wanting to run into one of the grizzly's that the biologist told me live on this mountain.
Sat morning comes around, finally a break in the weather, we find a large herd off in the distance before shooting light . We drive around so we can come at them down wind. We start the treck towards them at the base of the mountain. The snow was deep, it was up to my knees and up to my waist in some drifts. My son was having a real hard time with the deep snow (wish I would have brought a sled to pull him). We traveled a mile now and his legs were really bothering him. I sent grandpa ahead as I knew my son wouldn't make it before we were seen or they were up on the mountain. He was able to get into 325 yards and make a good shot on a big cow.
I told my son that now he knows what he needs to do so he will be in better shape for our next hunt. I have my son going to the gym with me and he really likes lifting weights but hates cardio, so do I, I didn't push the cardio as much because I didn't want him to want to stop going to the gym.
Below are some pictures of the hunt, I have others on the DSLR I need to pull off the card.
The large herd
Up on the mountain
There is a mountain a 100 yards away
Success
Tetons
