Year of the elk 2.0

[OverlordBear]

What a great trip and congrats to your wife on her first bull. Wyoming is a great time.

 

[Duck-Slayer]

I love watching antelope!
Matt

 

[Duck-Slayer]

I found my target bull for in the morning!
Matt

 

[Duck-Slayer]

No dice , I ended up spotting them about five minutes after it got light enough to glass. Had to take a super steep approach up to get into position, first time I think I’ve ever had the wind blowing uphill at daylight hunting ever. Thought I made the perfect stalk on the herd of elk, but for some reason they weren’t there when I got there a couple hours later lol. Even though I walked past a doe and fawn deer at 40 yards no problem. Very foggy and misting and raining. This is a first for me, it must be the old age catching up to me. But about halfway down the mountain, I had to stop two different times one for a calf cramp, that took about 15 minutes to go away. And then 10 minutes down the trail. I had both thighs cramp up and that took another 20 minutes to reside. Weird thing is I drink plenty of water, I almost drank an entire 3 L. I blame it on my old age ha ha. I will admit it’s probably the steepest 1.6 miles I’ve ever did in my life. The first .6 miles weren’t too bad but the remaining 1 mile I gained 1684 feet in that mile. I literally rested one knee on the hillside when I stopped after about five steps lol
Matt

 

[Duck-Slayer]

Found another decent 5 point I’m going to make a play for in the morning!
Matt

 

[Addicting]

Rooting for you!

 

[Duck-Slayer]

I have a gripe this morning, this is on other Hunter code of ethics, they’re kind of unwritten. But I spotted 15 elk about 2 1/2 miles from camp, the neighboring camp saw me with my spotting scope out looking at these elk. So they knew that I saw them. So I got in my truck and I ran to the top of the mountain to check on another spot, which is where I’m going this morning after a five point. But as I was pulling out, he set up his spotting scope and looked at these out. And he wanted to make sure he beat us to the trailhead and was there at 5 AM, two hours before it got light out and they’re only 2 1/2 miles on a closed logging road. He’s gonna at least sit in the dark for an hour. But unwritten code of ethics would be to walk over and discuss it with me and see what our plan was this morning. Instead of getting over there at some ridiculous time to beat us. And I know it’s public land, good for him. But still, why do you gotta be a dick like that.
Matt

 

[Straight Arrow]

I have a gripe this morning, this is on other Hunter code of ethics, they’re kind of unwritten. But I spotted 15 elk about 2 1/2 miles from camp, the neighboring camp saw me with my spotting scope out looking at these elk. So they knew that I saw them. So I got in my truck and I ran to the top of the mountain to check on another spot, which is where I’m going this morning after a five point. But as I was pulling out, he set up his spotting scope and looked at these out. And he wanted to make sure he beat us to the trailhead and was there at 5 AM, two hours before it got light out and they’re only 2 1/2 miles on a closed logging road. He’s gonna at least sit in the dark for an hour. But unwritten code of ethics would be to walk over and discuss it with me and see what our plan was this morning. Instead of getting over there at some ridiculous time to beat us. And I know it’s public land, good for him. But still, why do you gotta be a dick like that.
Matt

Matt, sadly you cannot apply ethics where it does not exist. Long ago I realized when it comes to elk, many hunters seem to "lose" their minds and any semblance of ethics.
Once alarmingly demonstrated by the hunter who ran in front of me, shooting on the run and even having to reload to get a shot at the nice bull before I could from my solid rest on a tree. The back of his head filled the scope of my 7 mm Rem mag and he darn near lost his mind and his entire topknot, as it scared the heebie-jeebies outta me! I still carry that image in my mind.

'Don't know what came of the morning, but as with my nitwit elk hunter episode, it is appropriate to express your disdain and then just walk away and go on to find a more enjoyable hunt. In my case there were other hunters who witnessed the incident and came over to see the elk as the nitwit asked for help in field dressing. I gave him a harsh piece of my mind, a middle finger salute, turned on my heel and walked off ... as did the other hunters who saw his unethical, unsafe behavior. (BTW, as I angrily stomped down the trail out of that drainage a herd of cow elk crossed in front and my elk hunt was successful.)

 

[Brittany Chukarman]

In hunters you will find the very best human traits and also the very worst. Just a microcosm of humanity.

 

[Deez Nutz]

Long ago I realized when it comes to elk, many hunters seem to "lose" their minds and any semblance of ethics.

Couldn't have said it better myself.