Wyoming Elk, here we come

[Moosie]

A bunch of Pictures an WE need to fill in the captions....... ?? So many jokes, so little time

Anyone have a Good cation for BigFin's picture of his face ? It looks like someone farted and his mouth was open. He ain't looking to happy .

 

[IdahoBugler]

Good luck guys. Hopefully you guys will find that hidy hole today.

 

[drahthaar]

It looks kind of brutal, I am not ready for snow.

 

[1_pointer]

Glad to hear you got the bad luck out of the way prior to the season starting. Waiting for more...

 

[Big Fin]

Sorry I could not get a connection last night. Tried every hill within a quarter mile of camp. You really didn't miss much, other than posts about what a wonderful day it was. Cold and windy, but at least the visibility was enough that you could glass. Saw not one elk yesterday.

Today was almost tropical. Well, let's not get carried away. But, it was sunny and highs were probably in the 50's. Lots of interesting things today.

Saw nothing in our first spot. Glassed about 800 elk out on a private ranch, and watched as a few of them got close to the public land. Figured there had to be a lot of hunters watching that, but as the elk got closer, no shooting. So, we packed up and drove six miles, to a place where we could get within a mile and a half of the spot we thought some of these elk went into.

We hiked in, and as I stopped to read the GPS, looked down, and there was a very nice 6X6 walking in the timber, 80 yards below us., In the time it took to get in position and get the cameras rolling, he had disappeared, and our attempts to get in front of him and across canyon of him, were without result. Very frustrating.

We got down to the knob that overlooks the public private boundary, and set up about 300 yards inside the public. The elk on private bugled all day long. There were some bulls bugling below us, and I tried to bring them to an opening where we might get a shot. Twice, there emerged from the timber, but were probably 300 yards on the wrong side of the boundary.

That boundary didn't seem to slow down four other guys. I watched as they snuck in from a road, and weaved through the timber. They proceeded to chase the elk on the private, shooting one, upon which, the woods erupted with elk pouring out below us, back toward the private. I watched as they cut the head off and snuck out. I called the TIP Hotline, and told them what I had seen, and prefaced it with the notion that these guys may have had permission, and may go back for the meat tomorrow, but I doubt it on both counts. They took my information and said they would call me, if they could find out more details.

Following that fiasco, the woods were quiet for a couple hours. We then heard some bugling below us, on the private. I called some more, but only two spikes decided to make an appearance.

With dark drawing near, we started hiking out. As we leveled out on a bench, I looked up, and two raghorns were just coming out of the timber. We made eye contact at the same time, and they headed downhill. We hoped we might get a shot as they moved across the facing hill, but they stayed in the timber, and offered no shot.

So, today was a great day, even with no bull. Lots of activity, and we covered some new ground that was a very good place. Will be back there in the morning, even though it is raining/snowing as I type this.

Hopefully I will have a connection, where I can post again tomorrow.

A few pics of the last couple days.

Will, the tag holder, getting a good laugh at my expense, as I slipped down this rock pile, while trying to take a picture.


Discussing strategy - strategy about how to get out of the wind.


Still smiling, after a long and windy day. What's not to smile about.


What a beautiful day. Now if only the elk would cooperate.


Sun setting on a great day in the elk woods.

 

[Spitz]

Great pics Randy. Sounds like you guys are getting some opportunities. Best of luck!

 

[jabber]

Nices pics. Sounds promising.

I drove from Gillette south this morning with absolutely no wind blowing, compared to the last two days when we were hunting in about 40 mph wind all day.

Good luck on them tomorrow, hope you can get one down on film.

 

[Big Fin]

Well, we are headed out. The snow and blizzard of yesterday and last night, has us done. Will be tricky getting off the mountain. Will post pics later.

 

[sweetnectar]

I hope you filmed the poaching...it makes for an interesting story.

 

[Big Fin]

Wish I could say we shot the big one. But, like many hunters, Will only had a four days to hunt. With travel, that pretty much burned up the time he could allot, given all his work and family commitments.

Of those four days, two were spent in almost zero visibility conditions. The other two were great, and we did get into bulls. But, the additional efforts required to get a kill on camera, in a high quality way, were more than we could overcome.

I think this episode will be great. Great friends, great times, great scenery, and a lot of storyline, from all the other hunters, the private land sanctuary where most the elk seemed to congregate, to the blizzards, to ............

Research of talking to Wyoming elk hunters, and the biologists told me to expect a big migration to the low country, if it snowed. Well, it snowed before we got there, it snows when we were there, and I think it is still snowing there today. And yes, the elk did move to the low country, which like many places in the west is off limits. Oh well, we were still hunting, while the world was working.

Probably a lot like many hunts all of us have experienced. If it were all about the kill, I wouldn't be doing this. Don't get me wrong, for the sake of all hunters in our episodes, I wish we had a kill on every hunt. That would hardly provide the "reality hunting" experience we are trying to bring. Glad to have a show focused on the hunt, rather than the kill, so I don't feel that all is lost if we don't punch a tag. Maybe some measure a show, or their own hunts, as a bust without a dead animal. I don't.

If any of you get a chance to elk hunt Wyoming, I think you will have the time of your life. Just so much about it that is great.

A great camera guy filming the closing moments of a great hunt.


The blizzard rolling in yesterday.


As the clouds behind/below me show, the weather is about to change, and change drastically.



Trying to find a way to break the camera guys free of their schedule and join a friend who has a Missouri Breaks bighorn sheep tag. He passed on what he and his friends think was a 195" ram this weekend. He called me and told me to get my rear end up there and get filming this stuff. His goal is a 200" ram. Might be achievable, but a very high bar, regardless. Would hate for our cameras to mess up his hunt, but he is pretty adamant that he wants us there. Wonder if guys would like to see an episode like that? Hmmmm....

 

[Oak]

Randy, tell Troy it's only a few more days...and then get your butts up there!

 

[1_pointer]

Glad to have a show focused on the hunt, rather than the kill, so I don't feel that all is lost if we don't punch a tag. Maybe some measure a show, or their own hunts, as a bust without a dead animal. I don't.

A big kudo's for that sentiment, especially from someone doing this as a way to make a buck. IMO, the 'industry' is long over due in addressing that part of it!

 

[Buschy]

Randy,

A Breaks sheep hunt would be fantastic!!!

 

[Fish]

Tell the sheep hunter to hold off for a few days until you get there. And let those 195" walk for me and my featherstick. Best hunting isn't till November anyways...
Would love to see that hunt, and its not like your going to hurt the odds anymore by airing it...
-Fish

 

[rosco]

I would love to see the sheep hunt!

Just wondering here, but do you plan on 3 elk episodes w/o a kill?(UT,AZ,WY) or you going to roll them into one?

 

[Grizzley]

Regardless of the outcome it was nice to be along for the ride! The last few elk hunts have shown the true picture of what hunting is really like.

 

[Lawnboy]

With all the snow we've had I haven't been able to work so I've been watching the Outdoor channel a lot. I've seen at least 3 episodes of other shows that haven't even had any hunting at all on them just a bunch of talking. Even if Randy doesn't get kill shots they blow the doors off those that I had seen. Heck I 've hunted about 15 days so far and have nothing to show for it.

 

[elk_hunter]

Very exciting and some close calls -- the weather does have a habit of jacking things up, doesn't it? Thanks for the pics and play-by-play!