Dually
10-13-2009, 09:33 AM
Well this thread is late since I got back from my trip on Sept 22 but I figured I'd wait till I got the pictures so I could post them, now I have them and cant figure out how to get them on here so here is my story.
Day 1 we set up camp and headed out to what I'll call Spot 1, we walked and bugled quite a bit but did not get even a peep back so decided to head to Spot 2 the next day.
Day 2 we head to the new spot and bugle, right away we get an answer and he is up high on a hill, we give him another and he answers back again so we start heading toward him, after alot of calling (Cow & Bull) and a hard hike we finally give up because he is not answering any more, so we carry on walking the area and looking for sign, we find quite a bit so we decide t head there in the evening. Evening brings more silence so we decide the next day to do some more scouting back at Spot 1 the next morning.
Day 3 we park the quads and get hiking down near a river Valley, we walk through a huge cut above the river and hike into areas we have never been before calling the entire time. We came across a well travelled trail and curiosity got the best of us, we needed to know where it came from because there was no other way into the area the way we had came except by foot. so we took the trail. This trail was up hill the entire way and we found quite a bit of fresh elk tracks, after about an hour of walking it figured it must be the same trail we were on the first night but way farther back so we kept going and it turned out we were correct so we continued on the walk back to the bikes. by the time we got back we had been hiking for 6 hours and had not got any answers back the entire time but found alot of fresh sign. That night we headed back out on the trail and walked to where it started to drop off into the valley, still no answers the whole way in, when we got to the top my buddy say's I'm not going down there unless I get an an answer. As he's finishing off his bugle we get a response immediately and he sounds pissed becuase he did not stop grunting and bugling from that point on. The wind was in his favor blowing from us right down into the valley so I sprayed this Elk sent constantly into the wind as we moved closer and bugled, We had at least thre bulls bugling to us from different spots in the valley but this one did not move and he sounded way louder and more aggresive than the others by a long shot. We did not have alot of time because it was evening, we decided he was not coming out so we better go after him, when we got to the bottom of the valley we left the trail and started into the thick bush, man was he getting angry, he would grunt like a bull moose about 20 times and then let out an ear piercing bugle at the end, it was unbeleivable. We got to an estimated 80 yards or so from him but just couldn't see him and the darkness overwelmed us and we had to pry ourselves away from this awsome experience. It was a long walk out in the dark with a tiny flashlight and in thick grizzley country but hearing that was worth it.
Day four, ( my buddy's birthday) Since it was my first time elk hunting my buddy was going to try and let me shoot the first elk but since it was his birthday I said your taking the lead today. (he had got elk on 2 of his last three birthdays so wy not try and make it 3 out of four) We got off our quads at the start of the trail at dark and started in, cow callling and bugleing every so often heading back to the top of the Valley, by the time we were a few minutes in it was light and a beutiful morning. when we were about half a kilometer from the top of the valley we got a load bugle back and he wasn't far away, after a short while we figured he wasn't coming out so into the thick bush we went and while Trev was setting his Gps I seen an Elk walk into view, it would have been a perfect shot behind the shoulder but of course his entire head and neck were behing the bush and we couldnt tell what it was. This elk got scared and went for a run to our right but away from us we went a little further to see if we could stop him with calls when another elk screams at us from our left. we decide to go after him, a few yards further and a bul moose goes crashing throught he bush ahead of us (Alsoopen season but there was no chance at counting brow tines) so we keep heading to our left, Trev was about 15 feet ahead of me and I see his body stop dead I take a quick look and can't see nothing so I freeze behind the tree, Trevor drops to his knee, I hear the safty click off and Boom, a milisecond later he jumps up and yells Elk down, I take a couple steps and there he is kicking a bit but down hard. 3 Elk in four seasons on his birthday and this was a 7 X 6. We got him hanging up just in time for a night hunt and back down the trail we go. We did not get any response and were heading back to the quads with a bit of light left when nature was calling, while I had a rest over a log Trev was bugling away and just as I got back to the trail we heard a chuckle in the distance, we got him to answer once more and said we'll be back for you tommorow.
Day Five up early and back to the trail at first light, just as we were getting to the spot from the night before, our cow calls were heard and he bugled to us again, this guy as well was not coming out so after him we went, and this guy must have had a destination in mind cause he kept about 200 yards ahead of us for a long ways throught the thick bush, we had crossed a couple of large ravines and were wondering what we were getting ourselves into but he kept bugling and we kept up the chase when we were getting to the third large ravine he was still ahead of us so we bugled again trying to slow him down, all of a sudden another elk scremed at us from the bottom of the ravine and he sounded pretty excited so we continued on the game trail that seemed to lead to him, we got to a decent spot with about an 80 yard view and gave a couple horney cow calls and he was coming, I got set up with my foot on a high log and my elbow resting on my knee, he came right up the game trail we were on, I counted points quickly 1, 2, 3 and that was all I needed, the next opening behind to trees that he crossed by, I waited for the shoulder to go throught the opening and Boom, he flinched hard but started runing away, I took a couple leaping steps, reloaded and tried to get a spine shot, Boom, he kept going. We headed down to where he was standing and not even a drop of blood, we hunted around the area for about 20 minutes when I decide to follow what I figured was the easiest path for him to take, along a game trail into the bottom of the ravine, I crossed the creek and found a big spray of blodd about 15 yards up, he decided he wasn't going to make it up there and turned back down the hill and died a short ways from the bfirst blood sighting, what a releif, my first Elk, it was a 5 X 5 and I was happy as could be. ( it was 3 point or better out there). Afetr a few high five's and pictures we realized we were in the middle of now where. it was 8:45 in the morning, at 5: 30 PM we got to the hanging pole. It was a long day of trail cutting and hard work but it was well worth it, and man did we sleep good after 5 days of hard hunting.
I have to thank Trevor for showing me what has taken him years to figure out , The art of Elk hunting.
I have a few pictures if I could send them to someone who knows how to post I would greatly appreciate it.
Day 1 we set up camp and headed out to what I'll call Spot 1, we walked and bugled quite a bit but did not get even a peep back so decided to head to Spot 2 the next day.
Day 2 we head to the new spot and bugle, right away we get an answer and he is up high on a hill, we give him another and he answers back again so we start heading toward him, after alot of calling (Cow & Bull) and a hard hike we finally give up because he is not answering any more, so we carry on walking the area and looking for sign, we find quite a bit so we decide t head there in the evening. Evening brings more silence so we decide the next day to do some more scouting back at Spot 1 the next morning.
Day 3 we park the quads and get hiking down near a river Valley, we walk through a huge cut above the river and hike into areas we have never been before calling the entire time. We came across a well travelled trail and curiosity got the best of us, we needed to know where it came from because there was no other way into the area the way we had came except by foot. so we took the trail. This trail was up hill the entire way and we found quite a bit of fresh elk tracks, after about an hour of walking it figured it must be the same trail we were on the first night but way farther back so we kept going and it turned out we were correct so we continued on the walk back to the bikes. by the time we got back we had been hiking for 6 hours and had not got any answers back the entire time but found alot of fresh sign. That night we headed back out on the trail and walked to where it started to drop off into the valley, still no answers the whole way in, when we got to the top my buddy say's I'm not going down there unless I get an an answer. As he's finishing off his bugle we get a response immediately and he sounds pissed becuase he did not stop grunting and bugling from that point on. The wind was in his favor blowing from us right down into the valley so I sprayed this Elk sent constantly into the wind as we moved closer and bugled, We had at least thre bulls bugling to us from different spots in the valley but this one did not move and he sounded way louder and more aggresive than the others by a long shot. We did not have alot of time because it was evening, we decided he was not coming out so we better go after him, when we got to the bottom of the valley we left the trail and started into the thick bush, man was he getting angry, he would grunt like a bull moose about 20 times and then let out an ear piercing bugle at the end, it was unbeleivable. We got to an estimated 80 yards or so from him but just couldn't see him and the darkness overwelmed us and we had to pry ourselves away from this awsome experience. It was a long walk out in the dark with a tiny flashlight and in thick grizzley country but hearing that was worth it.
Day four, ( my buddy's birthday) Since it was my first time elk hunting my buddy was going to try and let me shoot the first elk but since it was his birthday I said your taking the lead today. (he had got elk on 2 of his last three birthdays so wy not try and make it 3 out of four) We got off our quads at the start of the trail at dark and started in, cow callling and bugleing every so often heading back to the top of the Valley, by the time we were a few minutes in it was light and a beutiful morning. when we were about half a kilometer from the top of the valley we got a load bugle back and he wasn't far away, after a short while we figured he wasn't coming out so into the thick bush we went and while Trev was setting his Gps I seen an Elk walk into view, it would have been a perfect shot behind the shoulder but of course his entire head and neck were behing the bush and we couldnt tell what it was. This elk got scared and went for a run to our right but away from us we went a little further to see if we could stop him with calls when another elk screams at us from our left. we decide to go after him, a few yards further and a bul moose goes crashing throught he bush ahead of us (Alsoopen season but there was no chance at counting brow tines) so we keep heading to our left, Trev was about 15 feet ahead of me and I see his body stop dead I take a quick look and can't see nothing so I freeze behind the tree, Trevor drops to his knee, I hear the safty click off and Boom, a milisecond later he jumps up and yells Elk down, I take a couple steps and there he is kicking a bit but down hard. 3 Elk in four seasons on his birthday and this was a 7 X 6. We got him hanging up just in time for a night hunt and back down the trail we go. We did not get any response and were heading back to the quads with a bit of light left when nature was calling, while I had a rest over a log Trev was bugling away and just as I got back to the trail we heard a chuckle in the distance, we got him to answer once more and said we'll be back for you tommorow.
Day Five up early and back to the trail at first light, just as we were getting to the spot from the night before, our cow calls were heard and he bugled to us again, this guy as well was not coming out so after him we went, and this guy must have had a destination in mind cause he kept about 200 yards ahead of us for a long ways throught the thick bush, we had crossed a couple of large ravines and were wondering what we were getting ourselves into but he kept bugling and we kept up the chase when we were getting to the third large ravine he was still ahead of us so we bugled again trying to slow him down, all of a sudden another elk scremed at us from the bottom of the ravine and he sounded pretty excited so we continued on the game trail that seemed to lead to him, we got to a decent spot with about an 80 yard view and gave a couple horney cow calls and he was coming, I got set up with my foot on a high log and my elbow resting on my knee, he came right up the game trail we were on, I counted points quickly 1, 2, 3 and that was all I needed, the next opening behind to trees that he crossed by, I waited for the shoulder to go throught the opening and Boom, he flinched hard but started runing away, I took a couple leaping steps, reloaded and tried to get a spine shot, Boom, he kept going. We headed down to where he was standing and not even a drop of blood, we hunted around the area for about 20 minutes when I decide to follow what I figured was the easiest path for him to take, along a game trail into the bottom of the ravine, I crossed the creek and found a big spray of blodd about 15 yards up, he decided he wasn't going to make it up there and turned back down the hill and died a short ways from the bfirst blood sighting, what a releif, my first Elk, it was a 5 X 5 and I was happy as could be. ( it was 3 point or better out there). Afetr a few high five's and pictures we realized we were in the middle of now where. it was 8:45 in the morning, at 5: 30 PM we got to the hanging pole. It was a long day of trail cutting and hard work but it was well worth it, and man did we sleep good after 5 days of hard hunting.
I have to thank Trevor for showing me what has taken him years to figure out , The art of Elk hunting.
I have a few pictures if I could send them to someone who knows how to post I would greatly appreciate it.