Rocksteady 2020.. Year of Corona

[rocksteady]

Went to the cam this morning. Only 50 pictures sinc the 9th. Half were deer , other half was of a 4pt solo bull.

No other elk on camera in daylight, but no pics at dark either. No bugling, no cow chirps..

I think they all went over the mountain or something..

[HarryToolips]

Sorry to hear about the horse passing away, and congrats on your nice WT buck..good luck on the elk, wish me luck too, about to head out for 5 days trying to get my first elk...

[835]

Nice buck Rock.. he looks real "clean" dont really know how to say what i mean.. but sleek?

[rocksteady]

Nice buck Rock.. he looks real "clean" dont really know how to say what i mean.. but sleek?

He still has his summer coat..

[rocksteady]

finally found the elk..

Sitting on a viewpoint overlooking river bottom, see a cow about 1 km off.. hike as far as i can before the bench drops straight down in bluffs.

Got within 500 yards.. watch them for 20 or so. Cow and calf.

Hike back to truck, look again.. crap, more elk out, better go look.. hike back over. Spotter set up..

Another cow and a good sizedbull. Could not tell for sure at 500 if he was a 5 or 6. Too much smoke in fading light. Will beback there at first light..

The smoke is brutal for glassing.. just like fog, hard on the eyes

[rocksteady]

K, so was out at the spot that i left the elk in at last light, first thing this morning.

Hiked to the bluff. Within 5 minutes i had 6 cows and calves feeding below me at 200 yards. As daylight dawned, they mossied along over the train tracks into the nasty river bottom stuff... strange, no bull..

Another herd of 5 or 6 crossed 600 metres south.

As i was hiking from one bluff to another i see elk ripping down a sheer sand bluff about 300 yards away going like a bat out of hell.. i get to a vantage point and wait for them to come out of the timber into the sleough before the tranks, which they do..

First came a big old cow (no surprise) followed by maybe 8 others, then out comes the bull from last night, i think. He is hot on one of the cows chasing her willy nilly.

Get the binos on him, 5.. 5... spotting scope... 5... 5... maybe some junk on the bottom(was hoping for a double brow) and then they followed all of the others general direction of going to the river.

Eventually, after a km i lost sight of them. Bailed off tge bluffs to try to get around them but it did not work..

Back there again right now, glassing in the smoke..

[Redthies]

Of course, it had to be the wifes gelding.

At least it wasn’t her stallion...


you know...


you!

[rocksteady]

2 groups spotted tonight.

3 cows in one group.. 8 cows and a bugling bull in the other. Could not determine if it was a 4, 5 or 6 due to the smoke and being 700 yards aware or so..

[rocksteady]

At least it wasn’t her stallion...


you know...


you!

I am a gelding too.. want to see a pic of my scars?

[rocksteady]

Morning update.. no bugles.. but saw 2 small bunches.. 3 or 4 in each.

Smoke is getting a bit better.

Saw the one group this morning and decided to check them out closer..

Off the cut bank i go, down the hill 200 metres to the tracks, across and start slow handing it through the willows on this internal area totally surrounded by big spruce. Only way you could see in here would be from the air.. so i spend an hour or so in there, seeing lots of elk poop and sign, as well as lots of does and fawns wandering aimlessly.

Got to the formal edge of the river bank, time for a rest..

Take off my pack, drink some coffee and start doing work emails..

A few minutes in i hear a noise and there are 2 coyotes drinking water on a side eddy about 10 yards straight in front of me. They were in total confusion as to what i was.. put phone away, reading glasses in pocket, slowly reached for the rifle, brought it up.. bang.. first one drops, second one jumps 5 feet sideways to see what happened to his buddy. That was the last thought #2 had before he checked out. First one at 10 yards, second at 12

Back out for the evening hunt..