Chetwynd Elk Hunt 2010

[Caveman]

First of all, I'd like to dedicate this hunt to my mentor, best friend and long time hunting partner. My Dad. As many of us grew up hunting with our dads, and many now such as myself, are bringing our own kids into the sport we love, I thought it would be nice to show appreciation for what he has shown me over the years. As his health is failing, he's not able to do the things he loves to do as he did in the past, he feels this may be his last hunt. I hope not. At just short of 75 and having a heart attack in January, his stamina is not what it was and he feels useless on the hunt,but let me tell you, he made my hunt a whole lot easier and memorable with him there rather than not.

It had been raining for sometime and if you've been to the Chetwynd area, you know what the roads and mud can be like. We had got in late Saturday night to the same camp we have been the last three years, vacated earlier by a camp that went home with a bull. Talking to a couple that has been in the area since the 28th of Aug and had only heard the bulls bugle over two days the entire time, it sounded that we were in for a challenge, as both dad and I are far from experienced elk hunters. Being familiar with the immediate area and a plan in hand and tips picked up from Mark 2 years ago and whatever I read here I felt I was going to be up to it.

Day 1 Rain was the order of the day. I got up and headed out from camp on foot at 5:45am. I decided I was going to check out an area that last year I had success bugling elk but could not draw them in or get close. Very little sign on the trails. I crept through the underbrush through the big poplars in hope of hearing what no one else was hearing. All I got for my efforts was soaked through and through. Back to camp at mid day for some dry clothes and brunch I held out for an evening hunt as the rain let up. The evening didn't treat us any better as it brought some more rain showers, no bugling and no fresh sign. I was a little smarter and wore my watreproof gear this time.

[Caveman]

Day 2 started out much like day one with a little rain and everything wet. I slipped into my damp cold boots, gathered my things, and again headed out on foot. I had walked into the timber and had been slowly making my way around and decided I was at a point where I could call and see quite well. I let out a couple cow mews and a light bugle. I heard a noise that could only be described as a large branch falling in the bush. It wasn't bone on bone, as two bulls sparring might sound and only lasted a couple seconds. I heard the same noise several times over the next 30 minutes. A little earlier I had seen a cow and calf moose moving quite quickly in my direction as if spooked. Not sure what to make of it all I put it off as just that a couple limbs falling in the forest. Mid day I toured a much larger area looking for fresh sign as the rain had now given way to the sun with a few clouds. We were finally able to string a tarp over my trailer and collect some fire wood for a camp fire. We also had use a bunch a evergreen branches to corduroy a makeshift carpet rather than tracking mud everywhere. The evening hunt was uneventful except for a pine martin with an attitude that didn't like me under his tree, that was until I decided to burn the last hour of light on the edge of a lease. A truck pulled in an I thought well there goes my evening but Thought what the hell I'm here and they don't know it. The guys in the truck rolled down the window and let out one bugle and several cow calls as I did earlier. Almost immediately I heard the same sound I heard in the morning, and I knew roughly where it came from. As dusk quickly approached I stated to make my way to where the sound came from. I am walking the edge of a cut line as last legal light approached and I spot a large form dart across the cut line. I knew by the way he held his head it was a large bull that saw me first. A blown opportunity but a lesson leaned as I now knew what I had heard earlier

[Caveman]

Day 3. Finally things are starting to dry up. Still no bugling, but fresh tracks within 400 yards of camp in all directions. Leaving in the dark I elected to go back to where the bull was the night before in hopes that he and the cow that barked at me were still in the area. There was a light frost, it was nice and cool and I sat several hundred yards from the intersection of two cut lines where the bull crossed and just listened to no avail. After an hour or so I decided to follow my instincts and get back in the timber and sneak around and set up a couple times for a calling sequence. It brought no results as in the earlier days. Midday found me on the quad checking out a larger area for fresh sign and I found nothing better than right around our own camp. The evening found me back in the same spot I went on morning one. There were now fresh tracks back here but I also found another hunter. I elected to back off and leave the area to him and spend the latter part of the evening closer to where I had taken my bull two years earlier. As with every other morning and evening still no bulls bugling. It was becoming a little frustrating, but still keeping hopes up. Maybe another cooler night would change that.

[Caveman]

Day 4 Up early with frost in the air again. I hiked back into the area I wanted to be the night before as I had success the year before bugling a few bulls. I a come to the edge of the two year old cut and glass the edges I can hear the birds chirping and have a mule doe feeding in front of me. Back in the direction of where I had bugled the bulls the year before I hear a half hearted attempt at a bugle. Not sure that it wasn't another hunter I decided to get around to that side and into the timber, to not make the mistake I made the year earlier. When I was in the timber a couple hundred yards and thinking I might be within reasonable distance of the sound I had heard I let out a couple cow calls. I waited a minute or two and let out a light bugle. Immediately I get a response. A bugle from in front of me about 200 yards. Just as he finishes his bugle I bugled again. It's quiet. I sit tight to see what his next move was to be. About three minutes pass and then I see a small evergreen tree violently shaking just over the small ridge in front of me 100 yds away. The heart skips a beat as I realize he's coming in. Next I spot the top of his rack just above the underbrush as he approaches just beyond the ridge. Almost instantly he stands not 50 yards away broad side looking in my direction. I let off the safety on my new rifle, pull up and release 150 gr fusion in his direction. It feels like a good shot, but he runs about 20 yds and stops. He turns to look back and gives me a shot at his neck, so I take it. He now ran out of sight. I made my way to the crest of the ridge to try and find him when I hear what I think is his thrashing on the ground but he is still standing but I could tell he was about to go down. He gave me one more shot at the neck and he dropped. My second bull elk was on the ground. As I approached him to admire I count the points, 5 & 6, beauty!! For those wondering my first shot was a double lung, the second narrowly missed the neck bone and the third connected. I retrieved one of the fusions and it mushroomed beautifully. The one surprise was that the 150 gr was not a through and through, but there was very little meat damage, but the lungs were a mess. Skinned and quarted on the hook the fronts were 120 lb and the hind were 146 lb each for a total of 536 lbs

[Caveman]

Dad was a little shaky on the camera

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c247/cavemn94/015.jpg

Dad in on the retreival

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c247/cavemn94/016.jpg

As we get back to camp with the meat train. The little quad by the way is a 250 Baja 2X4 from CT loaded with the hinds

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c247/cavemn94/003-1.jpg

Another look at the rack

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c247/cavemn94/004.jpg

[griz325]

Great story congrats for you guys.

[d6dan]

Nice bull Caveman!.. Great story and pics..Good to see you take Dad on a hunt, although he doesn't look to excited about carving up your elk.:wink:.

[ARC]

Nice elk, that's a beauty!

[Caveman]

Nice bull Caveman!.. Great story and pics..Good to see you take Dad on a hunt, although he doesn't look to excited about carving up your elk.:wink:.

As I mentioned it was a huge effort on his part to get back to the bull. He walked in and out four times, assisted in lifting the quarters on my bike, but it took it's toll on him. He wasn't feeling so great through the night so we decided cut our hunt short and get him home rather than try to get him on a bull or cow. By the way dad did his own short hikes etc while I pursued mine.

[Martin_Hunter]

Very interesting story and a majestic bull.Congrats.

[Bushman]

Congratulations! Hunts don't get much better than that, Caveman.
Cherish those moments hunting in the wilds with your Dad.

[shoot2kill]

congrats, and thanks to all the dads who taught us well.

[swampthing]

Nice hunt caveman. Yuou look familiar, you from loops, westsyde maybee.

[Caveman]

Nice hunt caveman. Yuou look familiar, you from loops, westsyde maybee.

Yes! Grad '80

[kennyj]

Very nice. A great hunt with your dad.
kenny

[Jelvis]

You did good again Caver, nice bull.
Jel .. good shooting .. Kamloops hunters are cool ..

[Whiskeyjack]

Good job Greg !! It was a little smaller than the bison, imagine lifting those 1/4's onto the quad. Good for your dad. say hi to him.
Jack

[Caveman]

Good job Greg !! It was a little smaller than the bison, imagine lifting those 1/4's onto the quad. Good for your dad. say hi to him.
Jack

I remember it well, Jack, and I will say hi. I hear you guys had a fantastic week as well

[mark]

Nice going Greg, beauty bull!
Its killing me not being up there!
Elk hunting here is 10x harder or worse, sure hope it pans out for me, freezer is nearly empty.

[Caveman]

Nice going Greg, beauty bull!
Its killing me not being up there!
Elk hunting here is 10x harder or worse, sure hope it pans out for me, freezer is nearly empty.

Thanks Mark! It was no treat hunting blind, as in no talking. Walter stopped by a said Hi! , and said to say Hi to you guys. He had his son with him. No luck as of yet for him, but I think they've only been up a short time. Good Luck Buddy! It sure is great to take the pressure off our freezer as it was gettin low as well. Ron has a bull moose draw in three weeks we'll be on.

[Rattler]

A hunt to remember with your Dad, no doubt...

[lp270win]

Unreal story and pictures! Great to see your old man out there even after the heart attack.......... shows he truely loves being out there.

[todbartell]

nice work!

[moosinaround]

Good story, nice payoff for the persistance!! I sure love that Chetwynd area, which is where I met Mark, of all places in the boonies!! My luck was not so good again up there! Gonna try these PG elk and see what happens!! Thanks again for the awesome story and motivation!! Moosin

[BimmerBob]

Great story, congratulations on a fine bull.

[Mik]

Great story, awesome bull, congrats.

[doubled]

Awesome Caveman. I too am taking my dad out for our FIRST hunting trip together. We have hunted day trips alot and he has taught me almost everything I know, but this is our first BIG trip. Great story and pics. Thanks for sharing.

[Caveman]

Awesome Caveman. I too am taking my dad out for our FIRST hunting trip together. We have hunted day trips alot and he has taught me almost everything I know, but this is our first BIG trip. Great story and pics. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks Derek! Dad and I have been doing week long trips together the last ten years up north for sure. We did a ton of weekend stuff when both lived in Kamloops. Great memories for both of you so enjoy it, and don't take it for granted he'll be around forever. I know several guys that regret the fact they didn't spend more time with their fathers late in life.

Thanks for the comments guys!

[mudNblood]

"I know several guys that regret the fact they didn't spend more time with their fathers late in life".


truer words have not been spoken. I've hunted with my dad since i was a kid, when he got cancer and couldn't come, i kept sending him pics from my phone. Last year was the first trip without him. It was the emptiest feeling trip ever. Until the second to last day when I shot a nice bull moose with his new 300wm that he hadn't been able to shoot anything with. Miss him lots but it has inspired me to spend more time out there with my 8 year old son and help teach him what I can.

[alpinetreker]

good Job!! it was great to see you and your dad out there together.your dad seemed like a great guy and not having my dad around anymore i know how much that would mean.My friend and I were in the grey dodge that had stopped to take a look at your bull.Good job again and all the best.

[Stone Sheep Steve]

Great story Cavey...and not one either of you will forget anytime soon!:)

Congrats!

SSS

[jasper]

good job caveman i just got back from a 12 day hunt up there with my dad.We didnt have any luck with the elk but shure enjoyed our hunt and time spent together.Man was that first week ever soggy.Took a couple hours to wash off all the chetwynd goo i brought home with us.

[Caveman]

good Job!! it was great to see you and your dad out there together.your dad seemed like a great guy and not having my dad around anymore i know how much that would mean.My friend and I were in the grey dodge that had stopped to take a look at your bull.Good job again and all the best.

Thanks! Did you guys manage to track one down?

[alpinetreker]

Nope we didn't end up with any elk but all in all it was a very memorable trip and learned alot.