Originally Posted by
j270wsm
Just after day light dad walked us into an area where he hunted elk and even though I’d listen to dad practice with his bugle......I wasn’t prepared for the next 30min. We were up before daylight, had our breakfast and drove to our destination arriving just as it was getting light. We slowly walked the trail into the big meadow and got set up with a few trees as a blind. After a few quiet min of watching the meadow dad let out a bugle....200yds across the meadow a bull screamed back at us, after a few more bugles back and forth the wind changed and the bull went silent and disappeared. I wasn’t prepared for how electrifying that first response would be. I was scared, nervous and excited but most of all, in that instant I was hooked on elk hunting.
There is nothing like having a bull with in 20-100yds, screaming and charging through trees/alders to find a challenging bull or the cow that’s desperately calling out to him.......
I live in elkford which is pretty much dead center of the elk valley. As many on this site know we have a very healthy grizz population in this corner of the province. For the last 18yrs I have hunted elk alone more than I have with a partner. The last 6yrs I have spent a ton of time helping my son with getting his first 6pt.
With the exception of a few yrs where I didn’t buy a tag or just couldn’t get a shot, I have taken an elk every yr since my first bull when I was 19. Between myself, my dad, my son, my uncle and friends...I have been in on at least 30 successful elk hunts over the last 18yrs, 15 of those successful hunts resulted in my elk tag being cut.
Some of these bulls were standing in the open when we were driving, some were called into cut blocks with lots of visibility and some were called into close range through thick timber and alders. During 95% of these hunts I was packing a 270 with 130gr tsx......and not once did I worry about not having enough rifle in case a grizz was encountered.
I can honestly say that encountering a grizz is something that rarely crosses my mind. Yes they live where I hunt and I have seen them while hunting but if your more focused on grizz and what to do if encountered or being out gunned.......your missing out on a lot of hunting opportunity. After all how often do you actually see a grizz while hunting let alone get within 200yds of it?? Get out hunting.....be smart, be safe and if that bad encounter happens.....make the first shot count!!