Seeker
01-20-2014, 11:44 PM
Well back when I was well...younger, I had heard from a local taxidermist a general area where he knew elk had been shot in previous years. I don't know why, but I had a bee in my bonnet and was about as determined as I can ever remember being. I had decided I wanted an elk. I had just spent a week or so in the old home town and came up empty handed.
I headed out a little later than I had hoped. I really didn't know the area and really thought that it would be a scouting day more than anything. By the time I had parked and started hunting, it was well passed first light, but I thought what the hell. I started hiking up a rocky ridge and checking things out when I came across what I thought was a bovine cow track, yes that's how green I was, I thought it was beef! So I carried on, none the wiser, up another ridge only to spook this fella out of his bed.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c382/Seeker27/IMG_2213_zpse6373d9b.jpg (http://s31.photobucket.com/user/Seeker27/media/IMG_2213_zpse6373d9b.jpg.html)
That got the heart going, but he was not what I was looking for! Besides, it was only 4 point or better season and this guys was only a very nice three pointer. About 10 seconds after taking that picture, I heard the first bugle, at 9:30 in the morning! Well if my heart wasn't racing before, it sure as hell was then.
The bugle had come from up the next ridge and was still a good kilometre or more away. I had done some running that summer, but I think I may have set my personal best covering that next kilometre. Because the bugle was a ways off, I was figuring I could cover ground fast until the base of that ridge then catch my breath and creep up over the edge to see what was there. It kind of worked out the way!
After about five minutes of panting and gaining my composure(and many bugles later), I slowly worked my way over the ridge. Nothing like a bugle at close range to freeze you in your tracks and that is exactly what I did! FROZE. I slowly slipped my pack off and eased it to the ground. I figured it was only going to get in the way. So with only my gun, I once again slowly worked my way towards the bugles. It was about that time, I realized there was more than one bull, I was hearing two egging each other on. I continued towards the bulls when I poked my head around a tree to be staring at a bedded cow elk not 80 yards away. S&^T! Busted! Nope, I still can't figure it out because every cow elk that I have seen since has bolted at first sight of me, this one somehow missed my portly frame. I slowly crouched down and backed around to try and flank the herd. The wind was not good at that point and I thought I was going to give myself up. So back around, looping in behind the cow by about 100 yards and worked my way in, this time on all fours.
This time I rounded a boulder and heard this thump. Well if my heart was racing last time, my pants were full this time! I was 20 yards away from the 3rd biggest deer I have ever seen(my guess is around 180). I was shaking like crazy. This deer too did not appear overly frightened, it just slowly worked its way down the draw with those jerky little steps that mule deer have when they suspect something is not quite right, but aren't sure what to do. It was everything I could do not pull the trigger because at that time he was the biggest deer to date for me, but I was NOT here for a deer. The next bugle so politely reminded me of that!
So off I went. After waiting 5 minutes to let Mulie clear out, I once again worked my way towards the elk, the whole time cursing myself for not shooting the deer. I was in a mind frame we as hunters get into in those moments you feel your senses are in overdrive, every sound seems louder, you can hear your heart beating in your ear drums and feel the ever so slight breeze blowing across the sweat on the back of your neck, your eyes catch every flicker of movement, crap elk! There he was, white ass and antlers! This time I was busted, he stuck around for what felt like a tenth of a second and bolted! I used a few choice words, as he took two steps and was over the ridge and gone! Never to be seen again(well yes he was, but that's another story).
Faw! your thinking, what kind of story is that? The bull just got away! Just then, the other bull bugled about two hundred yards away. It's a good thing I was younger, I don't know if my heart could handle this at my age now. Back in the game! I slowly cruized over the next ridge to run into two more small bulls, a 3 pointer and a spiker. Off in the distance I could see the movement of few cows and figured that would be where the other bugler would be. Thankfully the two small bulls veered off to my left and followed the other bull down the mountain.
I figured at this point the elk were getting a little suspiscious as they began to act a little skitish and were working there way away from me to my right. At this time I had the wind blowing from my left to my right and started to get a little worried about giving myself away. Not to worry yet, the are not running, oh wait a minute.....damn, yes they are! Straight at me! Into the dirt I went! The elk had caught my scent and not knowing where the source was, had done a complete 180 from the direction they were going. There I was not thirty yards away, with my head just high enough to see over the rock I was hiding behind. I was frantically searching for the bull, There! 1,2,3,4,5...shooter! Problem was he was surrounded by cows, I had no shot! DAMN! Wait, wait for it, I told myself, he will give you something, but he didn't, there were so many cows and trees and whatever in the way he simply rounded up the girls and ran down to the base of a draw and up the other side, never giving me a shot. Then just as I was thinking he was gone, as though he was curious as to what was behind him, he slowed, turned perfectly broadside and looked directly back at me.....BOOM!
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c382/Seeker27/IMG_2228_zpsf8d3440d.jpg (http://s31.photobucket.com/user/Seeker27/media/IMG_2228_zpsf8d3440d.jpg.html)
I've been addicted ever since! Sorry for being so long winded.
I headed out a little later than I had hoped. I really didn't know the area and really thought that it would be a scouting day more than anything. By the time I had parked and started hunting, it was well passed first light, but I thought what the hell. I started hiking up a rocky ridge and checking things out when I came across what I thought was a bovine cow track, yes that's how green I was, I thought it was beef! So I carried on, none the wiser, up another ridge only to spook this fella out of his bed.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c382/Seeker27/IMG_2213_zpse6373d9b.jpg (http://s31.photobucket.com/user/Seeker27/media/IMG_2213_zpse6373d9b.jpg.html)
That got the heart going, but he was not what I was looking for! Besides, it was only 4 point or better season and this guys was only a very nice three pointer. About 10 seconds after taking that picture, I heard the first bugle, at 9:30 in the morning! Well if my heart wasn't racing before, it sure as hell was then.
The bugle had come from up the next ridge and was still a good kilometre or more away. I had done some running that summer, but I think I may have set my personal best covering that next kilometre. Because the bugle was a ways off, I was figuring I could cover ground fast until the base of that ridge then catch my breath and creep up over the edge to see what was there. It kind of worked out the way!
After about five minutes of panting and gaining my composure(and many bugles later), I slowly worked my way over the ridge. Nothing like a bugle at close range to freeze you in your tracks and that is exactly what I did! FROZE. I slowly slipped my pack off and eased it to the ground. I figured it was only going to get in the way. So with only my gun, I once again slowly worked my way towards the bugles. It was about that time, I realized there was more than one bull, I was hearing two egging each other on. I continued towards the bulls when I poked my head around a tree to be staring at a bedded cow elk not 80 yards away. S&^T! Busted! Nope, I still can't figure it out because every cow elk that I have seen since has bolted at first sight of me, this one somehow missed my portly frame. I slowly crouched down and backed around to try and flank the herd. The wind was not good at that point and I thought I was going to give myself up. So back around, looping in behind the cow by about 100 yards and worked my way in, this time on all fours.
This time I rounded a boulder and heard this thump. Well if my heart was racing last time, my pants were full this time! I was 20 yards away from the 3rd biggest deer I have ever seen(my guess is around 180). I was shaking like crazy. This deer too did not appear overly frightened, it just slowly worked its way down the draw with those jerky little steps that mule deer have when they suspect something is not quite right, but aren't sure what to do. It was everything I could do not pull the trigger because at that time he was the biggest deer to date for me, but I was NOT here for a deer. The next bugle so politely reminded me of that!
So off I went. After waiting 5 minutes to let Mulie clear out, I once again worked my way towards the elk, the whole time cursing myself for not shooting the deer. I was in a mind frame we as hunters get into in those moments you feel your senses are in overdrive, every sound seems louder, you can hear your heart beating in your ear drums and feel the ever so slight breeze blowing across the sweat on the back of your neck, your eyes catch every flicker of movement, crap elk! There he was, white ass and antlers! This time I was busted, he stuck around for what felt like a tenth of a second and bolted! I used a few choice words, as he took two steps and was over the ridge and gone! Never to be seen again(well yes he was, but that's another story).
Faw! your thinking, what kind of story is that? The bull just got away! Just then, the other bull bugled about two hundred yards away. It's a good thing I was younger, I don't know if my heart could handle this at my age now. Back in the game! I slowly cruized over the next ridge to run into two more small bulls, a 3 pointer and a spiker. Off in the distance I could see the movement of few cows and figured that would be where the other bugler would be. Thankfully the two small bulls veered off to my left and followed the other bull down the mountain.
I figured at this point the elk were getting a little suspiscious as they began to act a little skitish and were working there way away from me to my right. At this time I had the wind blowing from my left to my right and started to get a little worried about giving myself away. Not to worry yet, the are not running, oh wait a minute.....damn, yes they are! Straight at me! Into the dirt I went! The elk had caught my scent and not knowing where the source was, had done a complete 180 from the direction they were going. There I was not thirty yards away, with my head just high enough to see over the rock I was hiding behind. I was frantically searching for the bull, There! 1,2,3,4,5...shooter! Problem was he was surrounded by cows, I had no shot! DAMN! Wait, wait for it, I told myself, he will give you something, but he didn't, there were so many cows and trees and whatever in the way he simply rounded up the girls and ran down to the base of a draw and up the other side, never giving me a shot. Then just as I was thinking he was gone, as though he was curious as to what was behind him, he slowed, turned perfectly broadside and looked directly back at me.....BOOM!
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c382/Seeker27/IMG_2228_zpsf8d3440d.jpg (http://s31.photobucket.com/user/Seeker27/media/IMG_2228_zpsf8d3440d.jpg.html)
I've been addicted ever since! Sorry for being so long winded.