lightmag
09-12-2010, 11:59 AM
well just got back from a short 3 day hunt with me brother into our elk 'hole". Last year we had a huge 5x5 come in 3 times, a 3 point come in to 20 yards and cows and calfs around us. We knew there was a bigger herd bull as we he answered only once and we never saw him. They have been wintering, and hanging out in the spot year round, no reason to leave, food, cover, river, nobody pushiing them except us:-D.
So my brother did a little scouting early august and saw 3 cows 1000 yards from our "hole" so we left it alone and headed out the night of the 9th.
headed in at 1st light friday morning, cow calling for an hour, still hunting thru the forest, (we had it gps'd so we didn't get lost), started bugling, nothing!! very little fresh sign? and no new rubs? lots of old sign? after about 5 km of tough hiking we headed to camp.
left it alone that night and checked out another spot we had in mind and it turned out to be a flop, no sign and 100 hunters quadding around!!
Next morning back in, creep in at 5:30am, get 300 yards into the "flats" cow calling, brother turns and ...... a huge bull moose!! staring at us from 30 yards!! 3 o n each brow, big paddles and pitch black body!! nice bull, no LEH!!!! bull takes off and puts on a thrashing show and disappears, and we find his rubs everywhere!! anybody have a bull draw for 7-23:mrgreen:
hike all moring and NOTHING, not a peep, sign, nothing except finding what we were looking for last year!!
http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o298/dentonjohnson/huntingwithsteve003.jpg
http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o298/dentonjohnson/huntingwithsteve005.jpg
not a great pick, but a nice big 6 shed!! huge royal, nice mass, good 3rd and a nice wide "whale tail" type 6 split!! this was the heard bull that we couldn't to come in last year!!! so this got us hoping maybe they were still around but just further back!
that evening we took the quads out for rip, check a spot or two and i i shot my first .......
http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o298/dentonjohnson/huntingwithsteve007.jpg
60 yards facing me.. lets just say that 165 TSX in a 300 WSM isn't the best coyote medicine!! exit hole was the size of a dinner plate!!! still my 1st dog!!
Hit our spot again, nothing, i'm thinking they have moved out for one reason or another!! on to plan 2, check a couple other "holes" and see if they are still producing, heading out tuesday, thursday, friday and i will up date the local elk scene when i know more!! and good god was opening weekend a gong show, vehicle after vehicle 200 yards apart down the road, lol.. good love those road hunters!
also toasted a rabbit from 50 yards with the 22, perfect lung shot, lol.. had a nice barBQ treat at camp that night, seen atleast 30 grouse, shot 5, but there is lots out there!
here is the view from our camper
http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o298/dentonjohnson/huntingwithsteve009.jpg
So my brother did a little scouting early august and saw 3 cows 1000 yards from our "hole" so we left it alone and headed out the night of the 9th.
headed in at 1st light friday morning, cow calling for an hour, still hunting thru the forest, (we had it gps'd so we didn't get lost), started bugling, nothing!! very little fresh sign? and no new rubs? lots of old sign? after about 5 km of tough hiking we headed to camp.
left it alone that night and checked out another spot we had in mind and it turned out to be a flop, no sign and 100 hunters quadding around!!
Next morning back in, creep in at 5:30am, get 300 yards into the "flats" cow calling, brother turns and ...... a huge bull moose!! staring at us from 30 yards!! 3 o n each brow, big paddles and pitch black body!! nice bull, no LEH!!!! bull takes off and puts on a thrashing show and disappears, and we find his rubs everywhere!! anybody have a bull draw for 7-23:mrgreen:
hike all moring and NOTHING, not a peep, sign, nothing except finding what we were looking for last year!!
http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o298/dentonjohnson/huntingwithsteve003.jpg
http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o298/dentonjohnson/huntingwithsteve005.jpg
not a great pick, but a nice big 6 shed!! huge royal, nice mass, good 3rd and a nice wide "whale tail" type 6 split!! this was the heard bull that we couldn't to come in last year!!! so this got us hoping maybe they were still around but just further back!
that evening we took the quads out for rip, check a spot or two and i i shot my first .......
http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o298/dentonjohnson/huntingwithsteve007.jpg
60 yards facing me.. lets just say that 165 TSX in a 300 WSM isn't the best coyote medicine!! exit hole was the size of a dinner plate!!! still my 1st dog!!
Hit our spot again, nothing, i'm thinking they have moved out for one reason or another!! on to plan 2, check a couple other "holes" and see if they are still producing, heading out tuesday, thursday, friday and i will up date the local elk scene when i know more!! and good god was opening weekend a gong show, vehicle after vehicle 200 yards apart down the road, lol.. good love those road hunters!
also toasted a rabbit from 50 yards with the 22, perfect lung shot, lol.. had a nice barBQ treat at camp that night, seen atleast 30 grouse, shot 5, but there is lots out there!
here is the view from our camper
http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o298/dentonjohnson/huntingwithsteve009.jpg