gbear
09-13-2011, 08:47 PM
So far this season, the elk gods have been good to our group. Not too often it happens, so a person has to take it when it comes. I’ll start off by saying that we enjoy elk meat so much, I don’t hold out when hunting elk, and typically take the first legal one that I can. My partners are the same. Especially this year, because I only had 7 packs of meat left after my parents left here after an unsuccessful early moose season. I sent them home with all the carryover meat, so the pressure was going to be on.
This year has been a busy summer, and we hadn't had time to scout around at all. Labour Day Monday the 5th came along. My partner and his wife were camping, so I figured I would go out for a short morning hunt. My plan was to walk down into the sweet spot we knew about and see what was moving and going on down there. It was good 2 years ago, but last year, there was a well site being drilled close by, so the area was almost void of elk. My thought was after a good morning hike, I would unload my rhino, and drive a bunch of roads and seismic lines to see where the elk were moving. I figured it would be more of a scouting mission, and use that knowledge in planning future mornings once my partner and his wife were back.
So, I woke up a few minutes late and high tailed it there. Got there a bit late, and started walking right away. As it got lighter in the forest, I started to bugle and cow call. As I am walking to my destination, I can see a number of well worn trails with lots of elk sign. It's looking good. I also notice that there is no drilling noise in the air. Another good sign. I keep walking slowly down this ridge, still calling. But, hear no response.
At about 6:30, I hit the flats, or at least more gentle slopes at the bottom and decide to stop for a bit. I like this spot because I am where I called in a nice bull before, and it's a nice open mature aspen stand. I decide to bugle again, and all of a sudden 3 bulls lite up. I'm thinking cool, each one is in a different direction, and it's difficult to decide which one is closer.
I wait a few minutes and bugle again. Again, all 3 bulls respond, and all of them are closer. I'm starting to get more excited, and think to myself, what should I do. I bugle again, and we go back and forth a few more times. They are getting closer.
Finally, I decide to take my pack off and put it by the tree, and mark a waypoint on my GPS and stick it in my jacket. I decide to myself that the bull directly below me is the closest. The wind direction is also the best for him. So, I decide to make a bit of a move heading towards him because he seems to have hung up a bit, plus I don’t have a good view or a good shooting lane looking in that direction.
I make about 40 yards towards him, and bugle. All 3 bulls lite up again, but now, the bull that was coming down from the top is definitely the closest. I turn around, and can’t see up there very clear anymore, so I make my way back to the tree where my pack is. From here, I have a great view up the hill. In fact, I can see about 150 yards through the open aspen. The only problem I have is the wind direction is in the elks favour. But he’s coming in quick. I bugle again, and he cuts me off half way through my bugle. The other 2 also answer, but this one guy is fired up. I wait a minute or so, and bugle again. He cuts me off again. I wait, and he bugles again, so this time I cut him off. As I am closing of my bugle, he bugles again right away cutting me off.
Now I can hear him breaking branches and stuff. I’m looking and looking, and I see him coming down the hill at an angle. The vegetation this year is very tall, and I can mostly just see the top bit of his body, and his neck and head. I look through the binos, and count 5 points on one side. He’s legal (only has to have 3 points in the Peace).
The bull stops at a small aspen and bugles and starts raking his antlers on it. I put the gun up and feel steady. The only problem was I don’t have a great shot. I put the gun down, and think about the situation. I am pretty sure I can get him to come closer, but the wind is wrong, and I become worried that once he hits the flats, the wind would be directly to him. Right now he is up a pretty steep hill from me, and doesn’t have my scent yet. Also, the vegetation is taller on the flats. So, I put the gun up again, resting against my tree, and it’s steady again. I have the cross hairs on his neck. I decide to take the safety off and I am still steady. He bugles again and when he holds still, I squeeze the trigger, and down he goes.
I can’t believe it, it’s just around 7:30am on my first morning out, and my elk is down! I guess you don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. He’s not a big one, but he’ll be lots of good eats. He’s a 5x4. Because I was alone, not much good pictures. Lots of work by yourself I tell you. I had to pack him out a ways to where I knew I could get my rhino, so when I got to him, I gutted, skinned and quartered him and placed the meat on a bed sheet. As I was working on this elk, one of the other bulls was still bugling hard below me. I ignore him for the most part, but after several bugles, I decide to pick up my bugle and answer him a couple times. About 10 minutes later, I see him through the trees below me. If someone else was with me, we could have got him also. Then I hiked back to my truck, unloaded my rhino and grabbed my pack frame. Made my way down as close as I could and then started packing out the meat. Got it loaded on the rhino and up I go. I was surprised, I was back to the truck just after 11am. Then home, and he was in my cooler by 12:30.
What a morning!
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/IMG_0444_640x480_.JPG
This year has been a busy summer, and we hadn't had time to scout around at all. Labour Day Monday the 5th came along. My partner and his wife were camping, so I figured I would go out for a short morning hunt. My plan was to walk down into the sweet spot we knew about and see what was moving and going on down there. It was good 2 years ago, but last year, there was a well site being drilled close by, so the area was almost void of elk. My thought was after a good morning hike, I would unload my rhino, and drive a bunch of roads and seismic lines to see where the elk were moving. I figured it would be more of a scouting mission, and use that knowledge in planning future mornings once my partner and his wife were back.
So, I woke up a few minutes late and high tailed it there. Got there a bit late, and started walking right away. As it got lighter in the forest, I started to bugle and cow call. As I am walking to my destination, I can see a number of well worn trails with lots of elk sign. It's looking good. I also notice that there is no drilling noise in the air. Another good sign. I keep walking slowly down this ridge, still calling. But, hear no response.
At about 6:30, I hit the flats, or at least more gentle slopes at the bottom and decide to stop for a bit. I like this spot because I am where I called in a nice bull before, and it's a nice open mature aspen stand. I decide to bugle again, and all of a sudden 3 bulls lite up. I'm thinking cool, each one is in a different direction, and it's difficult to decide which one is closer.
I wait a few minutes and bugle again. Again, all 3 bulls respond, and all of them are closer. I'm starting to get more excited, and think to myself, what should I do. I bugle again, and we go back and forth a few more times. They are getting closer.
Finally, I decide to take my pack off and put it by the tree, and mark a waypoint on my GPS and stick it in my jacket. I decide to myself that the bull directly below me is the closest. The wind direction is also the best for him. So, I decide to make a bit of a move heading towards him because he seems to have hung up a bit, plus I don’t have a good view or a good shooting lane looking in that direction.
I make about 40 yards towards him, and bugle. All 3 bulls lite up again, but now, the bull that was coming down from the top is definitely the closest. I turn around, and can’t see up there very clear anymore, so I make my way back to the tree where my pack is. From here, I have a great view up the hill. In fact, I can see about 150 yards through the open aspen. The only problem I have is the wind direction is in the elks favour. But he’s coming in quick. I bugle again, and he cuts me off half way through my bugle. The other 2 also answer, but this one guy is fired up. I wait a minute or so, and bugle again. He cuts me off again. I wait, and he bugles again, so this time I cut him off. As I am closing of my bugle, he bugles again right away cutting me off.
Now I can hear him breaking branches and stuff. I’m looking and looking, and I see him coming down the hill at an angle. The vegetation this year is very tall, and I can mostly just see the top bit of his body, and his neck and head. I look through the binos, and count 5 points on one side. He’s legal (only has to have 3 points in the Peace).
The bull stops at a small aspen and bugles and starts raking his antlers on it. I put the gun up and feel steady. The only problem was I don’t have a great shot. I put the gun down, and think about the situation. I am pretty sure I can get him to come closer, but the wind is wrong, and I become worried that once he hits the flats, the wind would be directly to him. Right now he is up a pretty steep hill from me, and doesn’t have my scent yet. Also, the vegetation is taller on the flats. So, I put the gun up again, resting against my tree, and it’s steady again. I have the cross hairs on his neck. I decide to take the safety off and I am still steady. He bugles again and when he holds still, I squeeze the trigger, and down he goes.
I can’t believe it, it’s just around 7:30am on my first morning out, and my elk is down! I guess you don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. He’s not a big one, but he’ll be lots of good eats. He’s a 5x4. Because I was alone, not much good pictures. Lots of work by yourself I tell you. I had to pack him out a ways to where I knew I could get my rhino, so when I got to him, I gutted, skinned and quartered him and placed the meat on a bed sheet. As I was working on this elk, one of the other bulls was still bugling hard below me. I ignore him for the most part, but after several bugles, I decide to pick up my bugle and answer him a couple times. About 10 minutes later, I see him through the trees below me. If someone else was with me, we could have got him also. Then I hiked back to my truck, unloaded my rhino and grabbed my pack frame. Made my way down as close as I could and then started packing out the meat. Got it loaded on the rhino and up I go. I was surprised, I was back to the truck just after 11am. Then home, and he was in my cooler by 12:30.
What a morning!
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/IMG_0444_640x480_.JPG