Ron.C
09-13-2008, 12:06 PM
Well,
just got back from my archery elk/goat in the 4-25 area of the Kootenays. On the 30, and 31 of August I found I could not access the area I had planned to hunt goat due to one of the rivers I had planned to cross was just too high and fast so I had to try other areas within my LEH zone. I did spend 2 days trying to tag an antlerless elk in the cow zone as well.
Unfortunately, no elk or goat. On the 8th, I got 37 yards from two 3 nannys and could of easily made the shot but the same as for earlier in the week when I got close, there was little hope for recovery given their location so I didn't shoot. I did stay and watch them for almost 4 hours in the hope they would move to a ledge about 100 yards away that I could get to, but no luck. Although I never saw any large Billy's, It was a thrill to at least see some goats.
Early in the week I heard elk bugleing early in the mornings, but never managed to cow call any in. The only elk I managed to spot early in the week were in extremely remote high slides and I would have needed a team of Sherpas to get to them. On the morning of the 5th while in the cow zone, I called in a 3 point bull to 44 yards, but couldn't get a shot. Later that morning I had two cows/two calves come into calling and was up on draw on the first cow, but she was quartering to me hard and never presented a good shot. About an hour after calling in the cows I called the same 3 point bull in again but this time he never came closer than 60 yards. I finished that day by tagging my second whitetail doe.
On the way back into hunt goat on 6th, I was making my way quietly up an old skidder trail, looking at some fresh elk sign. As I rounded a small corner I looked up to see a Grizzly less than 50 yards on the trail right infront of me. He was heading the same direction as me but was stopped looking back over his shoulder at me. I stopped and tried my best not to make eye contact with this thing as I talked to myself, in a shakey voice, and started to back away. The bear turned to face me and took around 10 steps toward me alot faster than I was backing up. I froze for about what felt like 5 minutes and kept talking to myself. After a while I started to back up agin this time really slow. It was the hardest thing I had ever done as I wanted nothing more than to get out of there as fast as I could but I was pretty worried the bear was going to close the distance more if I moved at all quickly. I kept making little baby steps backwards until I was back around the corner in the trail at which time I increased my pace. I put what I thought was around 100 yards between us and I stopped and listened. I didn't hear anything so I turned around and got the hell out of there. My first and hopefully last encounter with a Grizzly because even though nothing came of it, the experience scared the shit out of me.
I returned to my truck and headed up to another area I went into earlier in the week for goat and hunted there. Up until that point I had seen lots of Grizzly tracks and sign, but since seeing the Grizzly I was very nervous after that and my couple nights in my little one man tent while looking for goats were pretty restless.
On the 10th I was set up for an evening elk hunt where I had spotted two nice bulls the night before. I called until I had about 10 minutes of light left and figured I'll pick up my decoy, pack up and head back. I got my decoy on my pack and was ready to go when I noticed movement to my left. I knocked an arrow and turned to get a better look. I was a cougar at a range of about 23 yards. I gave it a loud" HEY" and it just slowly slinked up the hill into the bush with no concern for me what so ever. Let me say I was looking behind me with the flashlight pretty often on the walk back that night.
Other highlights of my week, I called 4 black bears one of which was a gorgeous brownish blond, saw what seems like dozens of coyotes, saw 2 cow and 2 bull moose one of the bulls was calling frantically for about 40 minutes, two half curl bighorns, quite a few mule deer and an absolute ton of whitetails which I am not proud to say that while in my pop up blind, screwed up an shot at a gorgeous 4 point whitetail buck on the 2nd. But thats hunting......
On a final note, I would like to say thanks to Hunter1947 who over the past 6 months offered me some excellent information that helped me alot.
just got back from my archery elk/goat in the 4-25 area of the Kootenays. On the 30, and 31 of August I found I could not access the area I had planned to hunt goat due to one of the rivers I had planned to cross was just too high and fast so I had to try other areas within my LEH zone. I did spend 2 days trying to tag an antlerless elk in the cow zone as well.
Unfortunately, no elk or goat. On the 8th, I got 37 yards from two 3 nannys and could of easily made the shot but the same as for earlier in the week when I got close, there was little hope for recovery given their location so I didn't shoot. I did stay and watch them for almost 4 hours in the hope they would move to a ledge about 100 yards away that I could get to, but no luck. Although I never saw any large Billy's, It was a thrill to at least see some goats.
Early in the week I heard elk bugleing early in the mornings, but never managed to cow call any in. The only elk I managed to spot early in the week were in extremely remote high slides and I would have needed a team of Sherpas to get to them. On the morning of the 5th while in the cow zone, I called in a 3 point bull to 44 yards, but couldn't get a shot. Later that morning I had two cows/two calves come into calling and was up on draw on the first cow, but she was quartering to me hard and never presented a good shot. About an hour after calling in the cows I called the same 3 point bull in again but this time he never came closer than 60 yards. I finished that day by tagging my second whitetail doe.
On the way back into hunt goat on 6th, I was making my way quietly up an old skidder trail, looking at some fresh elk sign. As I rounded a small corner I looked up to see a Grizzly less than 50 yards on the trail right infront of me. He was heading the same direction as me but was stopped looking back over his shoulder at me. I stopped and tried my best not to make eye contact with this thing as I talked to myself, in a shakey voice, and started to back away. The bear turned to face me and took around 10 steps toward me alot faster than I was backing up. I froze for about what felt like 5 minutes and kept talking to myself. After a while I started to back up agin this time really slow. It was the hardest thing I had ever done as I wanted nothing more than to get out of there as fast as I could but I was pretty worried the bear was going to close the distance more if I moved at all quickly. I kept making little baby steps backwards until I was back around the corner in the trail at which time I increased my pace. I put what I thought was around 100 yards between us and I stopped and listened. I didn't hear anything so I turned around and got the hell out of there. My first and hopefully last encounter with a Grizzly because even though nothing came of it, the experience scared the shit out of me.
I returned to my truck and headed up to another area I went into earlier in the week for goat and hunted there. Up until that point I had seen lots of Grizzly tracks and sign, but since seeing the Grizzly I was very nervous after that and my couple nights in my little one man tent while looking for goats were pretty restless.
On the 10th I was set up for an evening elk hunt where I had spotted two nice bulls the night before. I called until I had about 10 minutes of light left and figured I'll pick up my decoy, pack up and head back. I got my decoy on my pack and was ready to go when I noticed movement to my left. I knocked an arrow and turned to get a better look. I was a cougar at a range of about 23 yards. I gave it a loud" HEY" and it just slowly slinked up the hill into the bush with no concern for me what so ever. Let me say I was looking behind me with the flashlight pretty often on the walk back that night.
Other highlights of my week, I called 4 black bears one of which was a gorgeous brownish blond, saw what seems like dozens of coyotes, saw 2 cow and 2 bull moose one of the bulls was calling frantically for about 40 minutes, two half curl bighorns, quite a few mule deer and an absolute ton of whitetails which I am not proud to say that while in my pop up blind, screwed up an shot at a gorgeous 4 point whitetail buck on the 2nd. But thats hunting......
On a final note, I would like to say thanks to Hunter1947 who over the past 6 months offered me some excellent information that helped me alot.