Kalum
10-15-2010, 05:29 PM
We were lucky enough to get an early moose and what with the freezer taken care of we decided to spend our main camp time scouting new grounds and looking for elk. We’d been armchair scouting on G-earth for the past year and had picked out a likely looking area.
This was my first serious trip focusing specifically on elk. I’ve been lurking this board picking up all the hints I could, drooling over the computer screen of the posted pics. Since we decided to go I’d been practicing like mad on my pack bugle and hoochie to the sounds of youtube elk screaming away back at me and my wife laughing in the background. Success on this trip meant that I could at least get an elk to bugle back. After packing and repacking over and over in anticipation the day finally arrived and I hopped in the ol’ dodge and put the pedal down.
No trailers in the launch parking lot had us wondering if we hadn’t arrived a little late for the rut. One fellow pulled in just as we were trying to cram the last piece of gear into the boats and told us that their group had been waiting for the last 2 days for the winds to die down and head out to camp. Words we’d come to think about later in the week as we seriously underestimated both the size of the area and the winds that rip down through it.
With a few G-earth spots in mind for base camp we set off, ducking in and out of areas for a likely spot all the while keeping our eyes on the hills for any hint of game. First clue in finding a good camp is to always look for an old meat pole, which in our eagerness to get set up we overlooked in 2 areas. We hummed and hawed over a relatively sheltered area. Discussing the merits of the spot over a few brews we were taken in by the view of the surrounding slopes and ease of access and convinced ourselves that it was far enough around the bend to escape whatever light breezes that might come up on. You can read what’s coming can’t you?
Camp set up and dinner settling nicely into the gut’s we spent some time glassing the surrounding slopes. Much to our amazement the last animal we expected to see stepped out for some late night tucker, spotting scope on- it’s a freaking ----- and legal at that. Tags? Anyone got any tags? Uhhh no... Every animal in my booklet but that one. Make a grown man weep. We tucked away into the sleeping bags with dreams of 6 points dancing through our heads and were up and at’em the next day scouting the area. The group split up, one boat to the south side and the other stayed north. South side called in a nice bull moose but not the “unicorn” moose that the regs demand for this area so he walked right by not 40yds from the caller.
Fuzzy shot but he's missing one tine to be legal
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/unicorn_moose.JPG
North side boys busted out the fresh legs and tackled as much ground as we could manage. If you’re up in the area please keep an eye out for one of my lungs, I spat it out in the first hour of going straight up those beauty hills.
The next two days were calm and peaceful and we saw lots of game though low on elk other than a big bull scurrying across an opening over a km away. We set up low on the hills later that day to see if we could bring him in but our calling was for naught.
The third day saw us roaming further afield until the wind “freshened” up to the point where we started to take water over the bow of the boat. No worries as we've been out in way rougher seas but better head back to camp and see how it’s holding up... not well, not well at all. The wind had flattened the area and after cursing myself for not thinking the area through and listening to our crews doubts we abandoned the area for a MUCH more sheltered site and the joy’s of doing set up all over again.
It’s great to get into new country and scout it out. We soon found some likely spots, a few old wallows (no stink) and four hunter kills we estimated to be 1-2 weeks old. We weren’t having much luck getting call backs and after four days of hiking and thinking the rut was over the south side guys figured they’d have better luck hunting back in their moose LEH zone and decided to pack up and head out. My brother and I were there for elk though and decided to stick it out. As it turns out the south side boys got 2 moose for their freezer but I’ll leave that for them to tell if they want. Couple of shots for you...
Open slopes make for a nice change of pace than the swamp thickets we usually hunt
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/open_slopes.jpg
Bit of a scramble to get up the banks
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/steep_banks.jpg
Though the ridge walks are something else...
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/ridge_walk.jpg
After the crowd left we had the area totally to ourselves, which is a rare thing when out hunting. The feeling of solitude and isolation from the worries and pressures of everyday work/life is one of the greatest draws in hunting for me. Walking through a world of silence listening for the crack of a branch or the rustle of a leaf that signals game is near is as close to a religion as I’m likely to get. We had some great stalks and a couple of close encounters but alas this story will not end with an elk on the ground. We had however found a great deer spot and I set up on a morning still hunt. Not half an hour goes by and in walk’s a little 4X3 whitey totally oblivious to the fact he was being scoped. As it turns out a 180g from a 30-06 will obliterate the spine on a deer which made for an easy halving. The tenderloins done up over the fire that evening laced with garlic and bacon were awesome.
Somebody better let thumper know that bambi's dead
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/bambi.JPG
On the last day of the hunt the winds died down once more and I finally got my wish of calling an elk in. I had him roaring away at me for what seemed like an eternity but couldn’t get him out of the thickets to show me his tines and what with me on one side of an inlet and him on the other- no way to move in. Frustrating as all hell. The trip’s got me hooked for life, calling an elk in puts moose hunting to shame and I damn near pissed myself the first time I heard one scream at me. Though I haven’t even washed all the wood smoke out of my hair I’m already planning our trip for next year. The season’s still young and we’re off to chase goats next. Great reading all the stories on here and any advice on elk for next year... send it my way!!!!
This was my first serious trip focusing specifically on elk. I’ve been lurking this board picking up all the hints I could, drooling over the computer screen of the posted pics. Since we decided to go I’d been practicing like mad on my pack bugle and hoochie to the sounds of youtube elk screaming away back at me and my wife laughing in the background. Success on this trip meant that I could at least get an elk to bugle back. After packing and repacking over and over in anticipation the day finally arrived and I hopped in the ol’ dodge and put the pedal down.
No trailers in the launch parking lot had us wondering if we hadn’t arrived a little late for the rut. One fellow pulled in just as we were trying to cram the last piece of gear into the boats and told us that their group had been waiting for the last 2 days for the winds to die down and head out to camp. Words we’d come to think about later in the week as we seriously underestimated both the size of the area and the winds that rip down through it.
With a few G-earth spots in mind for base camp we set off, ducking in and out of areas for a likely spot all the while keeping our eyes on the hills for any hint of game. First clue in finding a good camp is to always look for an old meat pole, which in our eagerness to get set up we overlooked in 2 areas. We hummed and hawed over a relatively sheltered area. Discussing the merits of the spot over a few brews we were taken in by the view of the surrounding slopes and ease of access and convinced ourselves that it was far enough around the bend to escape whatever light breezes that might come up on. You can read what’s coming can’t you?
Camp set up and dinner settling nicely into the gut’s we spent some time glassing the surrounding slopes. Much to our amazement the last animal we expected to see stepped out for some late night tucker, spotting scope on- it’s a freaking ----- and legal at that. Tags? Anyone got any tags? Uhhh no... Every animal in my booklet but that one. Make a grown man weep. We tucked away into the sleeping bags with dreams of 6 points dancing through our heads and were up and at’em the next day scouting the area. The group split up, one boat to the south side and the other stayed north. South side called in a nice bull moose but not the “unicorn” moose that the regs demand for this area so he walked right by not 40yds from the caller.
Fuzzy shot but he's missing one tine to be legal
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/unicorn_moose.JPG
North side boys busted out the fresh legs and tackled as much ground as we could manage. If you’re up in the area please keep an eye out for one of my lungs, I spat it out in the first hour of going straight up those beauty hills.
The next two days were calm and peaceful and we saw lots of game though low on elk other than a big bull scurrying across an opening over a km away. We set up low on the hills later that day to see if we could bring him in but our calling was for naught.
The third day saw us roaming further afield until the wind “freshened” up to the point where we started to take water over the bow of the boat. No worries as we've been out in way rougher seas but better head back to camp and see how it’s holding up... not well, not well at all. The wind had flattened the area and after cursing myself for not thinking the area through and listening to our crews doubts we abandoned the area for a MUCH more sheltered site and the joy’s of doing set up all over again.
It’s great to get into new country and scout it out. We soon found some likely spots, a few old wallows (no stink) and four hunter kills we estimated to be 1-2 weeks old. We weren’t having much luck getting call backs and after four days of hiking and thinking the rut was over the south side guys figured they’d have better luck hunting back in their moose LEH zone and decided to pack up and head out. My brother and I were there for elk though and decided to stick it out. As it turns out the south side boys got 2 moose for their freezer but I’ll leave that for them to tell if they want. Couple of shots for you...
Open slopes make for a nice change of pace than the swamp thickets we usually hunt
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/open_slopes.jpg
Bit of a scramble to get up the banks
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/steep_banks.jpg
Though the ridge walks are something else...
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/ridge_walk.jpg
After the crowd left we had the area totally to ourselves, which is a rare thing when out hunting. The feeling of solitude and isolation from the worries and pressures of everyday work/life is one of the greatest draws in hunting for me. Walking through a world of silence listening for the crack of a branch or the rustle of a leaf that signals game is near is as close to a religion as I’m likely to get. We had some great stalks and a couple of close encounters but alas this story will not end with an elk on the ground. We had however found a great deer spot and I set up on a morning still hunt. Not half an hour goes by and in walk’s a little 4X3 whitey totally oblivious to the fact he was being scoped. As it turns out a 180g from a 30-06 will obliterate the spine on a deer which made for an easy halving. The tenderloins done up over the fire that evening laced with garlic and bacon were awesome.
Somebody better let thumper know that bambi's dead
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/bambi.JPG
On the last day of the hunt the winds died down once more and I finally got my wish of calling an elk in. I had him roaring away at me for what seemed like an eternity but couldn’t get him out of the thickets to show me his tines and what with me on one side of an inlet and him on the other- no way to move in. Frustrating as all hell. The trip’s got me hooked for life, calling an elk in puts moose hunting to shame and I damn near pissed myself the first time I heard one scream at me. Though I haven’t even washed all the wood smoke out of my hair I’m already planning our trip for next year. The season’s still young and we’re off to chase goats next. Great reading all the stories on here and any advice on elk for next year... send it my way!!!!