Rocksteady's hunting thread for 2009

[rocksteady]

Well, I have been all over the province this year fighting fire and am finally able to hunt....Spent 43 days away since June 20th til Monday this week....

SO, needless to say I have not had any time to scout and/or find elk...

Went out on Tuesday bow hunting...On the highway, in the dark, herd of elk on side of highway....

Go up the logging road to my favorite place, turn off on a spur and there goes a herd in the dark, maybe a dozen or so and a decent bull....Too black to count points....Walked in and scouted around, waited for daylight...Not a sound to be heard, tried the bugles/cow calls etc...Nada....

Went to the chiropractor on Tuesday afternoon, could not get out of bed on Wednesday morning at 4:00....Hurt like a SOB, hurt like I did before I went to the chiro, just a little different spot...

Felt better this morning, so went out early, snuck into another area with the rifle well before daylight.....Sat on my arse, as first light came, there was 4 cow/calf in the block, slowly they grazed over a little hill into a back bowl and a bull let out one two-tone call.....I tried bugling and cow calling back, but no response...Tried to cut them off and intercept but that did not happen....Also bumped into a WT doe and her little spotted fawn.....He was just spunky as hell, bucking and farting all over the place when he saw me....Mom did not move.....

Oh well, that hunting season, off to a different honey hole tomorrow morning....On holidays til Sep 28th, so stay tuned as the saga continues....:eek:

[hillclimber]

definately had a better morning than me. i'd say by sept 28th most of your tags should be cut

[blaine]

going off topic here but i would just like to thank you and the rest of the brave firefighters for the hard work you people do
thx blaine

[Husq]

Sounds like you've got a good chunk of time to enjoy the out doors. I just finished my 9 days of vacation bow hunting near home, wish I had more though. I'm not to sad though, it ain't bad when you live right where you love to hunt.

What tags are you planning on filling?

[leadpillproductions]

good luck ....

[quadrakid]

Good luck, i always look forward to your day to day elk hunting updates.I,m headed out on Sat for a week in the east koots so don,t drop any critters till i get back.:grin:

[Ambush]

About time you got this thread going for this year!

Good luck and don't end it to fast.

[todbartell]

good luck and I will be watching this thread for some big elk action!

[shaner338]

Good luck, can't wait to see some pics!!;)

[sawmill]

Good luck Rock,I spent opening day pouring concrete for 10 hours.:cry:
Saturday morn can`t come too soon.

[Everett]

Good luck Rock,I spent opening day pouring concrete for 10 hours.:cry:
Saturday morn can`t come too soon.

Don't worry every other schmuck in the EK was out last night it was quiete in the morning though

[Little Hawk]

Ditto on the 'Good Luck' Rock!
Will await your updates with great anticipation.
It'll help keep me sane till we leave mid Oct for the EK.
Got a later moose draw near Chilko Lk so the whole deal gets moved later this yr.
All the Bull Elk will be sitting around smoking cigarettes by then...

[rocksteady]

Took a 5 by 6 at 08:00 this morning....Not bad for my 3rd day of hunting in 2009....

Presently its in the garage, taking the hide off it....


Will post the full story with a tonne of pictures in say, maybe 3 hours....

Can not guarantee I won't be into the cold beer by then and typing non-sense....

[brotherjack]

Took a 5 by 6 at 08:00 this morning....Not bad for my 3rd day of hunting in 2009....

Presently its in the garage, taking the hide off it....


Will post the full story with a tonne of pictures in say, maybe 3 hours....

Can not guarantee I won't be into the cold beer by then and typing non-sense....

Two things.

1. You suck for making me jealous like this!!
2. Congratulations!!!!

Ok, 3 things...

3. This thread is worthless without pics and a story!!!!

[Poguebilt]

sweet!!! you get him in the spot we went to last year??

can't wait for the pics!

[Kody94]

Took a 5 by 6 at 08:00 this morning....Not bad for my 3rd day of hunting in 2009....

Presently its in the garage, taking the hide off it....


Will post the full story with a tonne of pictures in say, maybe 3 hours....

Can not guarantee I won't be into the cold beer by then and typing non-sense....

Congrats Mike!! Nicely done. This is going to be a short blog unless you intend to regale us with deer hunting now! ;)

Just FYI, you are 3 days of hunting ahead of me already. Work and family ob's totally SUCK.

Waiting for pics and story......

Cheers
4Ster

[Ozone]

Can not guarantee I won't be into the cold beer by then and typing non-sense....

Its what we expect from you:razz:

Congrats

[Buckman]

Congradulations Mike!

[LYKTOHUNT]

going off topic here but i would just like to thank you and the rest of the brave firefighters for the hard work you people do
thx blaine
That goes for me as well. I was hunting in the mountains above the Yalocom River this past week where I could see a few fires on the side hills burning, that does not look like fun doing battle with the heat and steep terrain,again thanks.

[dawn2dusk]

WOW! Well done. I look forward to the story and pics.

[sawmill]

Way to go!!!!!!!!!!!!:biggrin:Save the heart?I`m jealous but hopefull,going out tonight for a look around.

[valleycowboy]

didn't you just start this thread??lol
congrats and can't wait to see the pics and hear the story!!

[eastkoot]

How long does it take to skin an elk?????????????????

[Everett]

That depends on how many beers you have while skinning I usualy have three while doing a deer so an elk has to be at least a halfsac:tongue:

[killman]

Here ya go.:tongue:

http://randazza.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/easy-button.jpg


And Congrats!

[rocksteady]

Settle down now....Jeesh..Guy can't skin an elk and after its at the butcher sit around and slay a 6 pack????

Okay, so I go into the same spot as yesterday that I saw the cows/calves and heard the bull....In there by 6:00, quiet like ninja...Along comes first light, nothing, along at about 7:00 here comes a quad...Frack !!! Road hunting on a quad at first light????

So got all pissed off at the goof, he never knew I was there, so I went to a little different area, close to where I got my bull last year...Usually the elk don't move into this area until they get a lot of hunting pressure....But I figured might as well go for a walk rather than sniping the nitwit on the quad...:mad::twisted:

So I go for a nice little leisurely stroll for about 2 or 3 kms, no fresh sign/tracks , nada...What I figured, no pressure yet, no elk....

So I am coming up a little hill that comes into open grasslands, look off in the distance, looks like a couple deer, up goes the binos...Calf elk and then a third elk puts up his head...BULL....And I see 6...This is about 120 yards away or so.......Patients grasshopper !!!!

So I belly crawl up the hill about 50 yards or so, cause just with the rise of the land I could only see antlers and part of its head....Get close to where I wanna be, cow elk steps out at about 30 yards and I am sitting in an open grassy field...I frreze, wait til she turns her head, pull up my face mask and wait....All total close to 15 cows/calves wander by and I know the bull is coming but can't see him,, except for the occassional antler tip...

Seconds/minutes seemed like hours....Eventually he walked out broadside at maybe 50 yards in teh open grasslands, put the x-hairs just behind the shoulder and BOOM....He bucked and started to run parallel, so on the run I dumped another into him.....He went 30 yards and piled it up....Watch says 08:00 Mountain time...SWEET !!!!

Called the wife, (woke her up, not too impressed), called couple other guys, had it back home by 11:00 ish, now at the butcher.....

The only picture I can post right now is this one, as all of the others are on my other camera and I can not retrieve them onto this computer.....There are some beauts, so be patient, I will try to get them downloaded from a different PC tomorrow.....

Sawmill - Sorry no heart Bud, first shot...Dead smack in the pumper, 2 nd shot, right through the liver....

Pogue - You betcha.....

Weight at the butcher....370 lbs... I would say a 3 1/2 year old bull....

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c372/rocksteadyrifle/DSC00805.jpg

[rocksteady]

That goes for me as well. I was hunting in the mountains above the Yalocom River this past week where I could see a few fires on the side hills burning, that does not look like fun doing battle with the heat and steep terrain,again thanks.


Thanks guys...It has been a VERY long and drawn out season....Been a lot of places, saw a lot of fire....I am ready for some rain and /or snow....

Fire fighting is like elk hunting, its an addiction that oyu cannot get rid of....I don't ever plan to give up either...

[quadrakid]

Well done Mike, sounds like a great morning.

[J_T]

Rocksteady, congrats on a successful hunt. Feed the fever.

[Ambush]

That's one short book there RS. "Once upon a time there was an elk. I killed it".

I was looking forward to coming home at night and reading your daily report, just like last year. You could'a drug it out a little.:razz:

Congratulations anyway!! I hope to do that someday.http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/images/icons/icon14.gif

[nano]

congrats!!!

[rocksteady]

That's one short book there RS. "Once upon a time there was an elk. I killed it".

I was looking forward to coming home at night and reading your daily report, just like last year. You could'a drug it out a little.:razz:

Congratulations anyway!! I hope to do that someday.http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/images/icons/icon14.gif


Oh be patient, remember I still have a shared moose tag in 4-05 and a Goat Tag up the Bull River....

Plus still couple whitey tags in the wallet....

[Everett]

I new there had to be a 6 pack in the mix nice looking elk you should buy one for the ass on the quad

[6616]

Settle down now....Jeesh..Guy can't skin an elk and after its at the butcher sit around and slay a 6 pack????

Good job mike, sounds like fun after a summer of firefighting.
Way to go.

[ELKOHOLICBC]

Congrats Mike on a very nice bull. Where in the Bull River is your goat tag, and when you heading out there. I'm leaving today for two weeks to the bull. Stop in for a cold one.

[rocksteady]

I don't plan to go for goat until about end of October, weather pushes down a bit, so less of a climb....

I think my tag is up Galbraith Creek area...Have not dug into it that deep yet....Had to get the elk out of the way first...

[Stone Sheep Steve]

Crap Rock! You sure know how to ruin one of my favorite yearly threads!:mad:
How am I (and the rest of us landlubbers) going to get our daily elk hunting fix??!!:wink:

Way to get'er done!! Congrats!:cool:

SSS

[BlacktailStalker]

Hey congrats, glad that spot produced.
Now we expect a ''drunken" reply in the near future :cool:

[d6dan]

Nicely done Rocksteady, that said now its on to other critters:smile:. Good luck.

[rocksteady]

Hey congrats, glad that spot produced.
Now we expect a ''drunken" reply in the near future :cool:


Trying to avoid doing that again, I was pretty embarassed...:oops::oops::oops:

Not having a few too many, just avoiding the net afterwards.....

[Little Hawk]

Way to go Mike!
I'm jealous as hell. This year will be my 7th kick at killing an elk.
Been going to 4-26 and if it don't happen this year I think it'll be time for a change next year.

Good luck to you!

[rocksteady]

Will be starting another thread today...Rocksteady's great whitetail adventure.....

Readers Digest version - Went scouting for elk, came back to truck, saw buck, shot buck...buck already at butcher....Photos and longer story to follow in seperate thread..:mrgreen:

[Stone Sheep Steve]

Will be starting another thread today...Rocksteady's great whitetail adventure.....

Readers Digest version - Went scouting for elk, came back to truck, saw buck, shot buck...buck already at butcher....Photos and longer story to follow in seperate thread..:mrgreen:

Muley diary next???:-?

SSS

[rocksteady]

Okay, so to bring this story full circle, I got my butt in gear to download the better pictures...

Here is one with me and my critter, once the Wife and team showed up to assist with the extraction...
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c372/rocksteadyrifle/012.jpg


What I forgot to put in the original thread was that I had got my elk, in a motorized vehicle closure area. (Why do I do this to myself???)

Anyways, to get it out we utilized my quad trailer that I built (search the threads and you will see better pictures of it..)...Winched him on board, cut a couple of Douglas Fir trees, lashed them to the trailer like handles and we were off to the races....

To go the distance of maybe 500 yards, it took the 4 of us maybe 10 minutes....Enjoy....

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c372/rocksteadyrifle/014.jpg

[BlacktailStalker]

Your elk has a log in its pooper !
Nice work!

[rocksteady]

Got this picture off a buddys camera.....Ultimate in redneck elk transport, drove right down main street Cranny with it like this, lots of honks and thumbs up....

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c372/rocksteadyrifle/DSC03995.jpg


I love being a redneck !!!!

[1899]

That little trailer (and the extra hands) sure makes packing it out easier. How far did you have to go? Congrats on the hunt.

[Amphibious]

Great Elk! I approve of the main-street drive. Ask WillyQBC about the time we went through McD's drive trough with an un-tarped bear on the roof ;)

[budismyhorse]

next time put those dang hay-burners to work.

they gotta earn their keep!

[rocksteady]

That little trailer (and the extra hands) sure makes packing it out easier. How far did you have to go? Congrats on the hunt.


Probably 500 to 600 yards through the open grasslands, with a couple little hills...

[Tikka270wsm]

Nice pictures and congrats on your bull!

[Poguebilt]

Im kinda torn between.. Rocksteady for Mayor of Cranbrook or Rocksteady... The Todd Bartell of Cranbrook!

[hillclimber]

nice pics and nice bull. hope the rest of the season goes smooth too.

cheers
stefan

[sawmill]

Got this picture off a buddys camera.....Ultimate in redneck elk transport, drove right down main street Cranny with it like this, lots of honks and thumbs up....

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c372/rocksteadyrifle/DSC03995.jpg


I love being a redneck !!!!
You da MAN!I also aprove of the mainstreet drive:biggrin:

[Kody94]

Im kinda torn between.. Rocksteady for Mayor of Cranbrook or Rocksteady... The Todd Bartell of Cranbrook!

Whoa there....let's not get carried away. ;) Mayor is a slam dunk, but lets not pull an Icarus here and fly too close to the sun!!


You da MAN!I also aprove of the mainstreet drive:biggrin:

+3!

Rocksteady rocks. :)

[trigger]

great thread rock. congrats on a very fine bull. I would have loved to bring a bull like that home. good luck on all the rest of your hunts this year.

[hunter1947]

Thanks for putting up your 2009 hunting tread Mike ,I love the pick and the stories of your hunts ,congrats on getting your elk http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/images/icons/icon14.gif http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/images/icons/icon14.gif http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/images/icons/icon14.gif.