megalomaniac
Well-Known Member
Got back in this afternoon... had to cut the trip a couple days short due to the entire family getting what we thought was the swine flu. Overall another great elk hunt despite it being only 6 days hunting....
Got out there for the opener... anticipation at probably my highest level ever after killing 2 cows the past two years in a row... I decided to hold out for a bull or bust until the last two days.
Opening morning, got up a 3 am, made breakfast, then rode by 4 wheeler over an hour to park. Hiked in from 11,500 ft up to 12,000 ft over about 1.5 miles. Man, I had forgotten how tough that altitude is. I was sucking wind first day... I worked my way around the bowl in the dark smelling for elk every step of the way. My heart rate was already in the 150's from the altitude, and when I thought I heard elk crashing off up the mountain, it must have jumped into the 190's... I hope I never lose that feeling. I posted up in a great spot an hour before daylight to allow other hunters coming in after me to push the elk right to me. Called my buddy on the radio on the other side of the mountain to confirm position and the hunt was on. As daylight broke, I saw a raghorn bull walking right to my buddy. Told him to get ready, then watched the elk walk right to him. At the last minute, the elk broke and I found out that the wind shifted and the bull caught his scent at 40 yards. Still exciting to watch unfold through the binocs.
Then my buddy radio'd me and told me I had 5 bulls right above me. Again, heart rate instantly up to 190's as I got ready. I worked my way up the steep meadow to make contact and got busted by a 5x5 at 130 yards. He wasn't too spooked and went back to feeding... just a matter of time before the bachelor group came down. Perfect wind, perfect cover... I was finally gonna get my bull. All of a sudden, the group blew outta there and ran by me at a little over 100 yards... darn other hunters moving in not paying attention to the wind. Game over, just like that. Turned out there were at least 5 other hunters who had arrived after I had.
Second day, same setup, but wind was terrible for what I needed to do. I posted up well before daylight at the same spot I killed an elk the year prior covering the escape route from the mountaintop, but nothing came by. My buddy had a 6x6 come in on him and after an hour stalk got to within 40 yards. The elk turned broadside and looked away allowing him to draw. He jerked the release and sent the arrow zipping right through the backstraps above the lungs and spine. He's been bowhunting exclusively for 15 years and said it was the worst case of buck fever he's ever had. Oh well, at least that elk will be just fine except for a sore back for a couple of days.
Third day I stuck with the plan, worked my way into position and got set up on 3 cows above me. Again, terrible wind and one may have caught a whiff of my scent as she moved down to me looking alert but not quite spooked. They stopped at 50 yards broadside and I thought hard about filling my tag, but I reminded myself to hold out for the bull which had to be just above them over the rise. I elected to pass as they went on by, but no herd bull with them. My buddy called me and said there was a 6x6 above me in the crease of the bowl, so I hauled a$$ (which isn't easy to do at 12,000 ft), but I went to the wrong crease
.
Fourth day... same plan.... by this time I had realized I didn't have as many elk to work as in years past and they weren't feeding at night quite as high on the mountain as in years past. Perhaps I realized it a bit too late, though as I walked right into the herd in the dark. Game over, even before legal shooting time. My buddy did manage to work himself over to my side and get onto the group I spooked in the dark. He ended up within 60 yards of another 6x6, but wind shifted before he could get within range and it was game over.
Fifth day, we decided to give the poor elk we had pestered to death a break and hunted another spot. On the hike in, we could smell elk so strong we knew we had to be right on top of them. I went to one side of the basin while my buddy when to the other. After climbing a few hundred feet I spotted two bulls on the other side of the basin at 550 yards. I owl hooted to my buddy to get him to turn his radio on, and unbelievably the elk spooked to the owl hoot and hauled butt straight up the mountain (too steep for even a human to walk up) and went into the next basin.
Yesterday, my last day, I went back to my old spot. Knowing the elk were feeding lower and moving back to dark timber earlier than usual, I took a much longer route to the hunting ground via lower elevation. Perfect wind for the first time of the week. This was it! I waited till about 10 minutes before legal shooting time and slowly worked my way around the finger about 1/2 way down from the crest to the timber. After a few minutes, I spotted a cow 80 yards above me. Still another 5 minutes to legal shooting light. Perfect downhill thermal, I was directly downwind. All of a sudden, a huge 6x7 stepped up to the crest of the hill. Again only 80 yards away! I waited and the cow fed off to my right, the bull raking pine saplings. The hill I was on was too steep and too rocky to try to make elevation without spooking the bull, so as the cow fed off, I decided to cow call to the bull. I called once and the bull began raking pine saplings again. I called the second time, and the bull walked straight away from me over the crest. Crap, I already had this bull mounted on the wall in my mind and now he wasn't following the plan. Question is, which way did he go over the crest? To the right, to the left, or straight over? I gambled and moved to my right in the direction the cow went, but couldn't find either. I moved back to my left, again, no elk. If I went up to the top, my thermal would be unpredictable and potentially blow the elk out of there. After 10 minutes of indecision, I worked my way up to the top, and no elk. Realizing that they must have already made it down to the timber, I hauled butt back to the timberline and started sidehilling. I heard rocks rolling around 100 yards ahead and continued toward what I knew was my bull. But by then the sun had come up and thermals became unpredictable and my scent blew right toward the crashing rocks. Game over once again, as I heard the bull blow out down through the timber.
Overall, no regrets, nothing left on the table. I gave it everything I had, and the elk were just a little bit better. But now I'm pissed. In the past 4 years, I've had probably 20 bulls within muzzleloader range, another 20 in gun range. I've got more than enough points to pull a ML tag, so I'm actually thinking about dropping my standards and going out with a ML next year instead of a bow. Woe be to the poor elk if I do end up doing that
Tons of great fishing in the afternoons... I probably caught over 100 trout, many in the 13-18" range. I've never eaten so well in my life Now for the 365 day wait till next year.
Oh, btw PO Cedar... mulies are still in poor shape after the winter kill of '07. I only saw one decent mulie- a 5x5 which would have scored in the high 150's. Although many of the does had twins and the few deer I did see were extremely fat and healthy. I'm gonna keep sitting on my mulie points until the herd rebounds in another couple of years.
Got out there for the opener... anticipation at probably my highest level ever after killing 2 cows the past two years in a row... I decided to hold out for a bull or bust until the last two days.
Opening morning, got up a 3 am, made breakfast, then rode by 4 wheeler over an hour to park. Hiked in from 11,500 ft up to 12,000 ft over about 1.5 miles. Man, I had forgotten how tough that altitude is. I was sucking wind first day... I worked my way around the bowl in the dark smelling for elk every step of the way. My heart rate was already in the 150's from the altitude, and when I thought I heard elk crashing off up the mountain, it must have jumped into the 190's... I hope I never lose that feeling. I posted up in a great spot an hour before daylight to allow other hunters coming in after me to push the elk right to me. Called my buddy on the radio on the other side of the mountain to confirm position and the hunt was on. As daylight broke, I saw a raghorn bull walking right to my buddy. Told him to get ready, then watched the elk walk right to him. At the last minute, the elk broke and I found out that the wind shifted and the bull caught his scent at 40 yards. Still exciting to watch unfold through the binocs.
Then my buddy radio'd me and told me I had 5 bulls right above me. Again, heart rate instantly up to 190's as I got ready. I worked my way up the steep meadow to make contact and got busted by a 5x5 at 130 yards. He wasn't too spooked and went back to feeding... just a matter of time before the bachelor group came down. Perfect wind, perfect cover... I was finally gonna get my bull. All of a sudden, the group blew outta there and ran by me at a little over 100 yards... darn other hunters moving in not paying attention to the wind. Game over, just like that. Turned out there were at least 5 other hunters who had arrived after I had.
Second day, same setup, but wind was terrible for what I needed to do. I posted up well before daylight at the same spot I killed an elk the year prior covering the escape route from the mountaintop, but nothing came by. My buddy had a 6x6 come in on him and after an hour stalk got to within 40 yards. The elk turned broadside and looked away allowing him to draw. He jerked the release and sent the arrow zipping right through the backstraps above the lungs and spine. He's been bowhunting exclusively for 15 years and said it was the worst case of buck fever he's ever had. Oh well, at least that elk will be just fine except for a sore back for a couple of days.
Third day I stuck with the plan, worked my way into position and got set up on 3 cows above me. Again, terrible wind and one may have caught a whiff of my scent as she moved down to me looking alert but not quite spooked. They stopped at 50 yards broadside and I thought hard about filling my tag, but I reminded myself to hold out for the bull which had to be just above them over the rise. I elected to pass as they went on by, but no herd bull with them. My buddy called me and said there was a 6x6 above me in the crease of the bowl, so I hauled a$$ (which isn't easy to do at 12,000 ft), but I went to the wrong crease
.Fourth day... same plan.... by this time I had realized I didn't have as many elk to work as in years past and they weren't feeding at night quite as high on the mountain as in years past. Perhaps I realized it a bit too late, though as I walked right into the herd in the dark. Game over, even before legal shooting time. My buddy did manage to work himself over to my side and get onto the group I spooked in the dark. He ended up within 60 yards of another 6x6, but wind shifted before he could get within range and it was game over.
Fifth day, we decided to give the poor elk we had pestered to death a break and hunted another spot. On the hike in, we could smell elk so strong we knew we had to be right on top of them. I went to one side of the basin while my buddy when to the other. After climbing a few hundred feet I spotted two bulls on the other side of the basin at 550 yards. I owl hooted to my buddy to get him to turn his radio on, and unbelievably the elk spooked to the owl hoot and hauled butt straight up the mountain (too steep for even a human to walk up) and went into the next basin.
Yesterday, my last day, I went back to my old spot. Knowing the elk were feeding lower and moving back to dark timber earlier than usual, I took a much longer route to the hunting ground via lower elevation. Perfect wind for the first time of the week. This was it! I waited till about 10 minutes before legal shooting time and slowly worked my way around the finger about 1/2 way down from the crest to the timber. After a few minutes, I spotted a cow 80 yards above me. Still another 5 minutes to legal shooting light. Perfect downhill thermal, I was directly downwind. All of a sudden, a huge 6x7 stepped up to the crest of the hill. Again only 80 yards away! I waited and the cow fed off to my right, the bull raking pine saplings. The hill I was on was too steep and too rocky to try to make elevation without spooking the bull, so as the cow fed off, I decided to cow call to the bull. I called once and the bull began raking pine saplings again. I called the second time, and the bull walked straight away from me over the crest. Crap, I already had this bull mounted on the wall in my mind and now he wasn't following the plan. Question is, which way did he go over the crest? To the right, to the left, or straight over? I gambled and moved to my right in the direction the cow went, but couldn't find either. I moved back to my left, again, no elk. If I went up to the top, my thermal would be unpredictable and potentially blow the elk out of there. After 10 minutes of indecision, I worked my way up to the top, and no elk. Realizing that they must have already made it down to the timber, I hauled butt back to the timberline and started sidehilling. I heard rocks rolling around 100 yards ahead and continued toward what I knew was my bull. But by then the sun had come up and thermals became unpredictable and my scent blew right toward the crashing rocks. Game over once again, as I heard the bull blow out down through the timber.
Overall, no regrets, nothing left on the table. I gave it everything I had, and the elk were just a little bit better. But now I'm pissed. In the past 4 years, I've had probably 20 bulls within muzzleloader range, another 20 in gun range. I've got more than enough points to pull a ML tag, so I'm actually thinking about dropping my standards and going out with a ML next year instead of a bow. Woe be to the poor elk if I do end up doing that
Tons of great fishing in the afternoons... I probably caught over 100 trout, many in the 13-18" range. I've never eaten so well in my life
Now for the 365 day wait till next year.Oh, btw PO Cedar... mulies are still in poor shape after the winter kill of '07. I only saw one decent mulie- a 5x5 which would have scored in the high 150's. Although many of the does had twins and the few deer I did see were extremely fat and healthy. I'm gonna keep sitting on my mulie points until the herd rebounds in another couple of years.
