Brambles 2019 Elk Season

[Brambles]

We look at Google earth and use my GPS to estimate where he is and drop a thumbtack...we look for other roads that might get us close to him. Closest road was 2km away....let's go.

The elk feed into the timber and disappear. We make a plan to get above them and the wind should be going uphill by the time we bushwack our way to them.

It took us a few hours to drive to the trucks load the quads, find the other road and figure out the best place to jump in the timber

It just so happens that the thumbtack on Google earth was damn near spot on....we ended up hiking the slope and coming out right on top of where they went into the timber..fresh poop and stank everywhere.

We sit for 20min or so to listen and let things settle.

I start calling and after about 5 minutes the bull lites up about 150-200m below us....perfect.

[Brambles]

After another 30 min or so of calling its clear he isn't going to leave his cows unattended.

We make a plan for Rattler to go Ninja and sneak in on him while I keep him busy.

The wind for the most part is reliable but it did have the occasional swirl that made you think that this was gonna be the end.

As Rattler closed the gap I continued to call....that is until I hear rustling below me...I see an elk come out of the timber to my right....Rattler is too my left...

[walks with deer]

To say 2019 Elk season was a challenge would be an understatement.

Anticipation was high as I had prepped all year for a sheep hunt and was lean and mean (Covid has since fixed that). I spend quite a few days cutting trails into places we have hunted before as well as some new places. Countless hours on the brush saw and chain saw, also learning the importance of carrying a spare chain to your chainsaw when your 4km back on a trail and your chain gets pinched in a tree.....doh. This ordeal actually happened 3 times over the spring/summer and was getting old....slow learner I guess.

good thread man thanks for sharring..if you had undercut that log first you would not have got pinched.

[Brambles]

I freeze as this strung out panting cow elk walks up the slope to within 30 ft of me...she smelt great too...pure elk stank...

A couple times she would walk into the timber and I would cow call and she would come back out. After she left for the last time I concentrated back on Rattler.

It was clear that this bull was starting to pace back and forth below me, a couple time I though he was going to show himself....all the time wondering how close Rattler was.

After probably an hour and a half I hear Rattler cow calling, he's close to the bull and trying to seal the deal....The wind swirls and after that the bull is starting to sound further away. Rattler breaks off the chase and hikes back up to me.

He informs me he was 15 yards from him in his bedroom but it was so thick he could hear him screaming at me but couldnt see him...then the bull started running around all over the place below me but he couldn't keep up to him or his changes in direction.

[Brambles]

October 12th

The next morning is full of anticipation...we offload the quads, drive up the opposite mountain, start glassing at first light.

It takes a bit of time for the light to be good enough to spot them, but eventually Rattler spots the elk, they have moved about another kilometer away from the road we hiked off of the day before....OH..FUN..

Probably 30 min after locating the bull, a 5 point and 9 or so cows they head off into the timber to bed.

We make new thumbtacks and head back down the mountain...load the quads...and find a new access point.

Turns out the shortest distance was to actually park on the mainline and hike straight up 2km.

We made a plan to circle to our right along side a deep canyon and get on the same elevation as them..

This was going well until we spooked another group of elk on the way up the hill and they bolted in the same direction of the other herd..

Once we got to the same elevation as the bull we settled down and let things get quiet.

I start calling...aannnnnddd...nothing...we slowly work our way in the direction we figured the bull was. A short distance later we hear crashing as something is running away...I call but nothing.

We don't want to mess the situation up any more so we back out and regroup for the AM.

[Brambles]

October 13th

Rattlers last day

The morning starts out the same unload, drive, glass, spot, drive, load, drive, park, hike.

This time the bull had 18 cows...oh man thats a lot of eyes and noses we have to get through to find the bull.

We hike up with the same plan as the day before...hike up, circle to the right, get on the same elevation and try and get inside his comfort zone as long as we don't blow out the 18 cows first....

Well the latter is exactly what happened, the cows were spread out over a bench they were bedded on and when we bumped them, there was no amount of calling that would make him turn and fight...this shit is getting old...

We back out and hike back to the trucks.....and now I've gotta say goodbye to Rattler as he's gotta go to work..

[Brambles]

October 14th

Get to the glassing spot and wait for glassing light.

Start picking out elk but no bull, after about 20min I see an elk with its head in the bushes feeding..and sure enough its him.

I wait for them to enter the timber and bed down.

So after the last 2 encounters they have bedded in the same spot and did the same thing...they are traveling along this timbered bench for about 200m-250m before bedding down.

This doesn't leave me with a lot of room to circle right because of the canyon on the right.

Today I'm circling to the left...its longer and an unknown route but I gotta mix things up.

I hike up and find a nice route and make good time, have to scale 1 rock bluff but it all worked out and I get to the bench where they headed into the timber.

[Brambles]

I pick up an elk trail and slowly stalk along it. Visibility is about 40 yards. Things are going perfect...wind is in my face and I'm slowly sneaking along the bench...likely going to go another 75m and set up to call....i advance another 25m and I feel a breeze swirl on the back on my neck....i freeze.....nnnnnooooo...nnnooooo.....then 45 seconds later.....crash crash crash as over a dozen elk spook....i throw out some cow calls and bugles but nothing...they smelt me and ain't nothing gonna fix that....I pull out immediately and feeling like I'm gonna puke from disappointment. The plan... regroup for tomorrow...in the remote chance I can find them again after them winding me...

[Brambles]

During the hike down and the drive out I have time to reflect on all the encounters over the last 4 days....wind is my biggest enemy...which means scent is my biggest problem.

These elk are behaving like 700lb whitetails. Time to pull out all the stops...tomorrow's the last day.

Back in town I go to the store and find the "dead down wind" de-scenting kit and a bottle of elk estrus (synthetic of course).

I wash all my clothes with unscented detergent and put them in a garbage bag. Spray my boots with the de-scenting spray and anything else that couldn't be washed.

[Brambles]

October 15th Last Day

I wake up and take a shower with the "dead down wind" soap and shampoo.

Arriving at the lookout to my surprise the elk were in the same opening as yesterday. There were 12 cows, a spike and the bull.

While watching them the spike decides to get frisky with the bull and start dominating the bigger bull....

I'm thinking to myself...obviously the second rut is over and this boy has zero fight left in him. The spike mounts him countless times while I shake my head.