This season started out like most, not nearly enough time to scout, and barely enough time to hunt. I had been out one time for all of bow season and barely had enough time to check all my cams prior to that. Not good….The wolves were back and they brought their litter, not good either.
I did not have any big animals on my cameras this year, so with the price of fuel and beef I decided it would be more about the freezer this year.
Finally rifle season was here and I had 5 days off! Been working 13-14 hrs a day for weeks on end, so was so glad to be off but energy to do it right was going to be a challenge.
Opening day was wet, man was it wet. It poured buckets and buckets of rain. The entire forest was flowing, it was so loud no chance of calling in anything as they wouldn't hear us. We started the day and rain gear but were soaked through everything within a few hours. We checked all the cams we could and yes It was confirmed. No BIG bull elk this year and the whitetail bucks were at best 3-4 year olds. We packed in it early in the afternoon for the first time ever for an opening day. I knew everything would be hunkered down but with the recently graduated son having the weekend off we had to try. Sunday the fog was so thick you could not see 40m, the wind picked up and it started to pour again. We had one bull bugle once but he would not engage. Another early day for us, home by mid afternoon to dry everything out, again.
Monday morning, the 3 day I had off I woke to the house groaning to the wind, SOB. I looked at the forecast and rain was not on it but there was an extreme wind warning. I thought about going back to sleep as I was tired and pretty miffed about the weather that seemed to plague any rare day I had off. **** it, I wont get an elk from home and I have done great in the wind as they can’t hear very well.
As luck would have it a walked right into a bull on an over grown seismic line on the way in, it was maybe 10mins into legal light. He was a mere 40 m from me and stared curiously at me, I don’t think he new what I was in the early grey light and like I said the line was overgrown so we were partly hidden from each other. I could make out a small branch antlered rack with at least 3 points to a side, It was hard to pull the trigger so early in the season and know that my solo time hunting elk would be over for the year but I said I was going to fill the freezer every chance I had and it had been years since I hunted with that intent. A quick frontal shot to the neck put him down on the spot, right on the trail. Turned out he was a 5x6 rag horn so I still havent ended my 6 point only streak. Lol
He had a nice fat 2-3 year old body and very little smell to him. With my lack of energy I was happy he was on lighter side. I did the gutless on him and then took him out on the atv in two trips as I had the time for two trips and I felt bad for the atv last time I did the trip in 1 shot. I took the liver, heart and suit as I had learned they are super healthy for ones diet.
More to follow when time.
No sooner did I have the elk at the truck and I get a text from work, if you get an animal early please, please, please come back to work asap.
Reply With Quote
