Wyoming Elk - I need a lucky break
- Thread starter Big Fin
- Start date
krshunter
Member
Awesome Randy. Glad it paid off to come back.
jones39
Member
Congratulations Randy! Awesome story! Can't wait to see it on film!
hardscrabble
Active member
Another well deserved trophy, congrats Randy!
elkantlers
Well-known member
Real nice looking bull! Congrats. Can't wait to see the show.
mdunc8
Well-known member
Nice bull. Well worth the extra cash to get back down there.
Back in town, and not any too soon. The forecasted snow is here and I am glad to be off the mountain ..... with the elk in the back of my truck. All five bags of him.
Was plenty windy again today. Makes it hard to do the final TV stuff, so we decided it was just best to start packing elk. Very thankful to have an energetic 25 year-old camera guy on a day like today. It is not their job to help pack, but Mason demanded that I fit him with a Mystery Ranch and allow him to help. Not too many arguments from me.
We walked in and there were elk tracks all over in our tracks from last night. Where did all the elk magically appear from? As we climbed the last rock pile where the bull was hanging, I looked south and two bulls were lounging around. One raghorn and one six point. Could have shot them both at 200 yards.
Funny how you can go weeks without finding a bull, then suddenly they are all over. Not funny actually.
On our way in, I noticed a very old two track road that was blown in with downed trees. It headed down canyon to one of the parking areas on this Walk-in hunting area. I made note of it and looked it over on the GPS. That possible outlet occupied my thoughts as we spent a couple hours getting the first loads to the ridge. Loose snow on icy rocks is worse that I expected. The hind quarters came first and it was a good thing.
We got to the ridge with that first load by 2:30PM. Threw them in the ice fishing sled and headed down hill for the truck. Given the challenge that trip presented, I was determined to find the outlet of the small two track I had found. It just seemed that it had to be easier than up and down and up and down of these canyons and rock piles. Even if it was longer, it would be all down hill. Down hill is good when carrying big loads.
We skidded the sled down off the ridge and were at the truck by 3:00PM. We threw the loads in the back and I followed one of the WIHA roads over to the west, in hopes we could find the place where this little road might give us some easier walking.
By 3:30 I was at the mouth of the creek. And there was this little road coming out that creek. Hmm. Looks too good to be true. Tracks went quite a ways up the creek bottom, so I followed those. Rules for this area say the roads can be used only for game retrieval and not hunting. Could I be that lucky?
Long story short - I parked where others had been parking and in the process, left us nothing more than a mile pack, all downhill to the truck. I cannot believe that good fortune.
Had I not stumbled upon the road and later found where others had used it, I think we would just be getting the final load to the truck about now. Whew.
If, and that is a big if, I ever draw this tag again, I sure learned a lot about the unit. I think the head of this canyon, where I shot my bull, is a great spot late in the season. Surely weather dependent, but I think the terrain keeps most people out. The parking area for the WIHA is a long ways away. Probably best to come in the way I did, even if it means scaling the ridges. Then, if luck shines on you, pack them out the bottom on that little two track.
Have a few more pics, but they are on my camera, which is out in the truck. Will load them up in the coming days.
Thanks for all your kind comments and all the support you guys have provided. Sure won't have any problems sleeping tonight. Need some rest, given the conditions of the roads I will driving home on tomorrow.
Was plenty windy again today. Makes it hard to do the final TV stuff, so we decided it was just best to start packing elk. Very thankful to have an energetic 25 year-old camera guy on a day like today. It is not their job to help pack, but Mason demanded that I fit him with a Mystery Ranch and allow him to help. Not too many arguments from me.
We walked in and there were elk tracks all over in our tracks from last night. Where did all the elk magically appear from? As we climbed the last rock pile where the bull was hanging, I looked south and two bulls were lounging around. One raghorn and one six point. Could have shot them both at 200 yards.
Funny how you can go weeks without finding a bull, then suddenly they are all over. Not funny actually.
On our way in, I noticed a very old two track road that was blown in with downed trees. It headed down canyon to one of the parking areas on this Walk-in hunting area. I made note of it and looked it over on the GPS. That possible outlet occupied my thoughts as we spent a couple hours getting the first loads to the ridge. Loose snow on icy rocks is worse that I expected. The hind quarters came first and it was a good thing.
We got to the ridge with that first load by 2:30PM. Threw them in the ice fishing sled and headed down hill for the truck. Given the challenge that trip presented, I was determined to find the outlet of the small two track I had found. It just seemed that it had to be easier than up and down and up and down of these canyons and rock piles. Even if it was longer, it would be all down hill. Down hill is good when carrying big loads.
We skidded the sled down off the ridge and were at the truck by 3:00PM. We threw the loads in the back and I followed one of the WIHA roads over to the west, in hopes we could find the place where this little road might give us some easier walking.
By 3:30 I was at the mouth of the creek. And there was this little road coming out that creek. Hmm. Looks too good to be true. Tracks went quite a ways up the creek bottom, so I followed those. Rules for this area say the roads can be used only for game retrieval and not hunting. Could I be that lucky?
Long story short - I parked where others had been parking and in the process, left us nothing more than a mile pack, all downhill to the truck. I cannot believe that good fortune.
Had I not stumbled upon the road and later found where others had used it, I think we would just be getting the final load to the truck about now. Whew.
If, and that is a big if, I ever draw this tag again, I sure learned a lot about the unit. I think the head of this canyon, where I shot my bull, is a great spot late in the season. Surely weather dependent, but I think the terrain keeps most people out. The parking area for the WIHA is a long ways away. Probably best to come in the way I did, even if it means scaling the ridges. Then, if luck shines on you, pack them out the bottom on that little two track.
Have a few more pics, but they are on my camera, which is out in the truck. Will load them up in the coming days.
Thanks for all your kind comments and all the support you guys have provided. Sure won't have any problems sleeping tonight. Need some rest, given the conditions of the roads I will driving home on tomorrow.
avid_outdoorsman
Member
WY Bull
Randy,
Your tenacity was ONE of the reasons for your success. Congratulations on a fine animal. You definitely earned this one! Many more.
~AO
Randy,
Your tenacity was ONE of the reasons for your success. Congratulations on a fine animal. You definitely earned this one! Many more.
~AO
Dinkshooter
Well-known member
In that country I will never understand where the wind comes from, or where it goes to. Wish I was there this weekend.
Brandenbowhunter
Well-known member
Wow...step away and you kill something else...congrats Randy!
NVLongbow
Active member
Good job Randy!
highmountian
New member
Simply awesome!! Congrats randy.
Bwana
Well-known member
Way to stick with it Randy.
Just goes to show that good effort usually pays off.
Just goes to show that good effort usually pays off.
DaveHawk
New member
Congratulation Randy to you and your team. Now enjoy your Thanks Giving.
Finally got to some of the pics from the pack out. These rock piles are home to lots of elk, and very few hunters dumb enough to hike in there looking for them.
There has to be an easier way to do this, but I am too stupid to figure out how. So, I continue to do it the only way I know. Still makes me wonder how I see so many whole elk in the backs of pick up trucks during rifle season in MT.
Glad the network allows us to show the important details. Last I checked, boning and packing was part of the elk hunt. Nice that we can show a bloody game bag without our getting it sent back for re-edit.
If it was not so dark, so late, and so far from the truck, I would have done the entire gutless method and shown the viewer how to do it. That will get done the next time we shoot an elk.
There has to be an easier way to do this, but I am too stupid to figure out how. So, I continue to do it the only way I know. Still makes me wonder how I see so many whole elk in the backs of pick up trucks during rifle season in MT.
Glad the network allows us to show the important details. Last I checked, boning and packing was part of the elk hunt. Nice that we can show a bloody game bag without our getting it sent back for re-edit.
If it was not so dark, so late, and so far from the truck, I would have done the entire gutless method and shown the viewer how to do it. That will get done the next time we shoot an elk.
elkantlers
Well-known member
"There has to be an easier way to do this, but I am too stupid to figure out how. So, I continue to do it the only way I know. Still makes me wonder how I see so many whole elk in the backs of pick up trucks during rifle season in MT."
I was told once, You can't shoot them from the road in you don't hunt from the road.
I was told once, You can't shoot them from the road in you don't hunt from the road.
SWMontana1
New member
- Joined
- Sep 21, 2011
- Messages
- 337
Congrats!! Nice Bull!!! Pretty light colored antlers...
dan.kirkpatrick
Well-known member
nice bull,,,you have alot of determination ,,,good job.
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