xlcc
09-28-2020, 03:13 PM
This season I have been out pretty steady,not every day but lots.
I have been working over 3 seperate locations giving each spot a rest to keep my presents unknown to the critters that live there.
The first day of the season I'm sneaking along as quietly as possible.The bush is fairly thick.Most of the time I can only see about 50 yards,sometimes 75 on a narrow shooting lane.
I catch some movement.It's a big yellow bull maybe 40 yards from me.I can't count points in the trees as he is moving along feeding.
I try some calf calls as I sneak along.He makes 3 eeeoh calls.I locate him standing in a depression.He is looking for me and wants me to expose myself.He disappears.He was a big bull but even though my sight was on him I couldn't be sure he was a 6 pointer.
A great hunt and a good way to start the season.
I go back the next morning.No elk but a close encounter with a sow and 2 cubs.
The elk buggered off.
I try another location.I see a cow and a 4 pointer.Lots of fun,no dice.
A couple days later I return to the first spot.Did some bugles trying to locate a bull.No luck.
I get permission to hunt on some private land after being turned down on some other places.
In the morning I'm out at the head end of an island in the river.The river is low enough I can get on the island.There are a few cow tracks and looks like one bull.
I do a bugle and some calf talk.
Across the river from me a sow and cub black bear show up.They wonder up the river looking for some high bush cranberries to eat then disappear around the point.
I go down the island to the other end and sit for a while just watching this eagle.More calf calls then answers from a couple of woodpeckers across the river.A few more calls then this monster black bear boar shows up opposite me.He sits down and on his honches and is looking across the river in my direction.He has got to be all of 500 lbs.His ears are on the side of his head he is so big.I don't think I could wrap my arms around his head.
No elk so I head back to my truck.
A few days have passed so I go back where I saw the yellow bull.
I made one bugle.No answers.I found a good spot to sit where some trails meet.While there I got my little saw from my pack and cut a shooting lane and made a small blind.
It was a perfect morning.Dead still with a low fog from the previous rain the night before.I do a series of calf calls like a lost calf.
10 minutes later I hear a squirrel chattering away behind me up on a ridge.A good place for elk to bed down.A bit later another squirrel closer to me is chattering up a storm.Mmmm,something heading my way.
Another 10 minutes go by and this 3 pointer shows up.He comes close to me looking for a calf.I just watch him and he starts to eat some leaves 50 yards from me.
I'm looking up another trail to my right then again to my left and a 4 pointer slips onto the trail 40 yards from me.Not enough points.
Those two wonder off.I don't really want to do any more calling in case those young bulls come back and find my sitting spot.
Another 15 minutes goes by and the squirrels are telling me something else is coming my way.
Another bull shows up way down the trail in a low spot.I put my glasses on him.Hard to count points as he is moving around.Turns out he's a 5 pointer.
I'm thinking it is getting late in the morning but I should stay a little longer.Then a black bear cub shows up 30 feet from me.Then the sow and another cub.This is not good.The cub is coming my way.I stand up and rush the bears waving my rifle and hissing at them.They peel'er.Good thing.
I'm thinking it could have been a cat.
Time to leave,back to my truck.
Yesterday morning I was out again.Pretty windy.Nothin'.
Now this morning was nice and still and I'm back where I saw the cow and 4 pointer.There is a small meadow that the trees are taking over.It is just good shooting light.I walk up this trail from my parking spot and as I approach the meadow but still standing in the aspen trees I spot 2 mule deer does.I continue glassing and see a cow elk butt disappear into the bush across the meadow.
I wait a bit glassing some more.Using the spaced out trees for cover I work my way across the meadow to a trail in the bush the elk headed up.About 400 yards up the trail is another big meadow.As I approach the edge of the tree line but still back in the bush I start glassing.Sure enough there are 6 or 7 cows in the long grass feeding.They don't know I'm there but I can feel a little breeze pick up and the aspen leaves start to quiver.
There has got to be bull here and if there is I must take the first opprotunity for a shot I get.
The cows are spread out from 50 to 75 yards in front of me.Sure enough here comes this bull walking towards the cows.All I can see is 6 points and his neck and head above the brush.I'm probably 20 yards inside the trees.I lift my rifle to my shoulder and try to find a window to shoot.He walks into my shooting lane at about a hundreds yards.Doing an offhand shot with my sling wrapped around my arm I steady the crosshairs on his neck and start squeezing the trigger after letting out a little breath and ...Click Pow.Kersmack and down he goes.
The cows don't know where the shot came from and bunched up.I look back at my bull and he is fumbling around trying to get up.I find another shooting lane and wack,he is laying there again.The cows bugger off.I walk out to where I can get a better look but are still in the bush and can see him still trying to get his feet under him.He gets up but can't lift his head then falls over.I get out where I can see better now.He rolls over onto his feet again.
I decide to let him stand up so I can poke a hole through his lungs.He takes off with his head down near the ground all humped up.Another offhand shot as he is making his way to the bush.As he is going through the scrubby trees I send another bullet his way.He piled up in the bush.
Not exactly what I wanted but after all the shooting was done.2 bullets in the neck,one pierced his ear and the lung was ventilated.
Wow,that was a rush.It amazed me how tough an elk is and how calm I was when I was shooting.
No BS here,that is my elk hunting this season.
After all this writing I tried to get a picture happening but I can't seem to get it on here.
I have been working over 3 seperate locations giving each spot a rest to keep my presents unknown to the critters that live there.
The first day of the season I'm sneaking along as quietly as possible.The bush is fairly thick.Most of the time I can only see about 50 yards,sometimes 75 on a narrow shooting lane.
I catch some movement.It's a big yellow bull maybe 40 yards from me.I can't count points in the trees as he is moving along feeding.
I try some calf calls as I sneak along.He makes 3 eeeoh calls.I locate him standing in a depression.He is looking for me and wants me to expose myself.He disappears.He was a big bull but even though my sight was on him I couldn't be sure he was a 6 pointer.
A great hunt and a good way to start the season.
I go back the next morning.No elk but a close encounter with a sow and 2 cubs.
The elk buggered off.
I try another location.I see a cow and a 4 pointer.Lots of fun,no dice.
A couple days later I return to the first spot.Did some bugles trying to locate a bull.No luck.
I get permission to hunt on some private land after being turned down on some other places.
In the morning I'm out at the head end of an island in the river.The river is low enough I can get on the island.There are a few cow tracks and looks like one bull.
I do a bugle and some calf talk.
Across the river from me a sow and cub black bear show up.They wonder up the river looking for some high bush cranberries to eat then disappear around the point.
I go down the island to the other end and sit for a while just watching this eagle.More calf calls then answers from a couple of woodpeckers across the river.A few more calls then this monster black bear boar shows up opposite me.He sits down and on his honches and is looking across the river in my direction.He has got to be all of 500 lbs.His ears are on the side of his head he is so big.I don't think I could wrap my arms around his head.
No elk so I head back to my truck.
A few days have passed so I go back where I saw the yellow bull.
I made one bugle.No answers.I found a good spot to sit where some trails meet.While there I got my little saw from my pack and cut a shooting lane and made a small blind.
It was a perfect morning.Dead still with a low fog from the previous rain the night before.I do a series of calf calls like a lost calf.
10 minutes later I hear a squirrel chattering away behind me up on a ridge.A good place for elk to bed down.A bit later another squirrel closer to me is chattering up a storm.Mmmm,something heading my way.
Another 10 minutes go by and this 3 pointer shows up.He comes close to me looking for a calf.I just watch him and he starts to eat some leaves 50 yards from me.
I'm looking up another trail to my right then again to my left and a 4 pointer slips onto the trail 40 yards from me.Not enough points.
Those two wonder off.I don't really want to do any more calling in case those young bulls come back and find my sitting spot.
Another 15 minutes goes by and the squirrels are telling me something else is coming my way.
Another bull shows up way down the trail in a low spot.I put my glasses on him.Hard to count points as he is moving around.Turns out he's a 5 pointer.
I'm thinking it is getting late in the morning but I should stay a little longer.Then a black bear cub shows up 30 feet from me.Then the sow and another cub.This is not good.The cub is coming my way.I stand up and rush the bears waving my rifle and hissing at them.They peel'er.Good thing.
I'm thinking it could have been a cat.
Time to leave,back to my truck.
Yesterday morning I was out again.Pretty windy.Nothin'.
Now this morning was nice and still and I'm back where I saw the cow and 4 pointer.There is a small meadow that the trees are taking over.It is just good shooting light.I walk up this trail from my parking spot and as I approach the meadow but still standing in the aspen trees I spot 2 mule deer does.I continue glassing and see a cow elk butt disappear into the bush across the meadow.
I wait a bit glassing some more.Using the spaced out trees for cover I work my way across the meadow to a trail in the bush the elk headed up.About 400 yards up the trail is another big meadow.As I approach the edge of the tree line but still back in the bush I start glassing.Sure enough there are 6 or 7 cows in the long grass feeding.They don't know I'm there but I can feel a little breeze pick up and the aspen leaves start to quiver.
There has got to be bull here and if there is I must take the first opprotunity for a shot I get.
The cows are spread out from 50 to 75 yards in front of me.Sure enough here comes this bull walking towards the cows.All I can see is 6 points and his neck and head above the brush.I'm probably 20 yards inside the trees.I lift my rifle to my shoulder and try to find a window to shoot.He walks into my shooting lane at about a hundreds yards.Doing an offhand shot with my sling wrapped around my arm I steady the crosshairs on his neck and start squeezing the trigger after letting out a little breath and ...Click Pow.Kersmack and down he goes.
The cows don't know where the shot came from and bunched up.I look back at my bull and he is fumbling around trying to get up.I find another shooting lane and wack,he is laying there again.The cows bugger off.I walk out to where I can get a better look but are still in the bush and can see him still trying to get his feet under him.He gets up but can't lift his head then falls over.I get out where I can see better now.He rolls over onto his feet again.
I decide to let him stand up so I can poke a hole through his lungs.He takes off with his head down near the ground all humped up.Another offhand shot as he is making his way to the bush.As he is going through the scrubby trees I send another bullet his way.He piled up in the bush.
Not exactly what I wanted but after all the shooting was done.2 bullets in the neck,one pierced his ear and the lung was ventilated.
Wow,that was a rush.It amazed me how tough an elk is and how calm I was when I was shooting.
No BS here,that is my elk hunting this season.
After all this writing I tried to get a picture happening but I can't seem to get it on here.