rides bike to work
09-11-2012, 09:31 PM
Well my story starts off with work slowing down just enough for me to take off monday and tuesday for the season opener. My dad enjoying his first year of retirement was more than willing to join me in the mountains.
After some discussion we decided to head head to lamont rd off the whipsaw for the new elk rut hunt.We new bagging a elk in two days was a far cry but we had seen some elk in the late season and i had a bear tag i would fill if i had a chance.
Day one:We head out noon on sunday and drive staight up lamont rd up to the high country were we could do some scouting and glassing.There was a weather system coming in with the wind howling we didnt see any movement up top so we decied to head lowerer and find a place to set up camp out of the wind.This year a modified a 10x10 pop up canopy with walls cut in a stove jack and welded up a wood stove.We got camp set up had dinner and crashed in a nice warm tent.the wind gusts at night did wake us up a few times nervouse that we were going to wake up to the tent taking flight but our tie downs held .
Day two : we wake up at 5;30 and split up and walk a short way to glass separate clearing we spottted the day before the morning is cookl and windy soon its light enough to glass but theres no movement so I walk down to dad and we decide to hike a mountain with old growth pine and some spruce .I head to the north face my dad the south with a plan to meet near to top.I head up about a third of the way up and start side hilling as i come around the north side i come into some light blow down and i spot some thing take a couple bounces about 75 yards off .It looked very white so i thought mabey white tail nice any buck.I put up my binoculars and scan the bush then i spot it .Just a second what the hell is that its all white it looks like a lama its got shaggy hair then i get a look at its face its a by ped doe weird.
So i move up hill to not disturb her more.I push through blow down and it gets worse and worse.My dad wont bother with blow down but I know the mulies love to hide in it so i push deep.It thins out a bit and i find a nice game trail coming down with some heavy track that lookes fresh well fresh as tracks in the dust in a area that hasnt had rain in over a month can be.I head up the trail and find lots of elk droppings and tracks but none fresh probably at lrast a couple days old .The trail brings me right to the top were my dad is itting having a iced tea.His side has no sign so we decide to focus on north facing slopes.we hike together down a sddle to another peak than down either side of a ridge. The whole way theres old sign every where rubs droppings tracks all about a week old but nothing fresh.On the wat down the ridge my knee starts getting realy sore and by the time at the bottom it kills.we hiked straigh from 6:00 am til 1:30pm I probably should have done a little more stretching.So back to camp for a meal and some advilFor the evening we decide to drive up a different mountain and hike a high ridge thats farely flat a little easier on the knee.on the way up we spot some chickens and take turn poping them with dads old couye single shot giving each other a hard time about how bad of shots each other were out of nine we bagged three I think the iron sites are a little out on the old chicken slayer.we get to the top a hike the ride for two hours till twilight again droppings, rubs, trails,tracks nothing totally fresh and nothing moving.The wind calms down for thevening and we sleep good.
Day three: Its cold the thermometer says 0 degrees theres frost on the truck.We watch light come up and glass the same cuts we meet up and decide nothing moving up high nothing moving in the middle lets check out the bottom country plus it'll be a little easier on the knee.We hike thruogh some nice open pine and check out some nice looking draws no fresh sign nothing moving but we hear lots of trucks heading up the mountain.so we decide to pack up camp and drive the whipsw over the mountain to friday creek we pack up camp the whole time more guys are moving into the area.We satrt driving out when i spot something in a cut that never notice before something black,so i stop and say to dad is that log a small moose he laughs and puts up the binoculars no its a bear so i grab my gun and jump out sneak around the truck and as i come around the bear bolts showing us its beatiful dark chocolate coat and fat ass.We walk out into the cut and look over the edge where it dissapeared over and dad says even it was down there Im not dragging it up my sself with your knee screwed up.So we head up the road and take one more hike in some nice aspen .thers a couple old rubs ,moose beds and spots where a hude moose had chewed the bark off the aspens must have been over 8 feet up.
Well even though there was no elk down the trip was a complete success I learned alot got some grouse and had a great time with the old man who is tougher then i will ever be.
I have a question though I know how recluse elk are so its no suprise we didnt see any but we only saw one mule doe in three days even though it was white .Do mulies migrate out of this area at certain times or were we just unlucky?
After some discussion we decided to head head to lamont rd off the whipsaw for the new elk rut hunt.We new bagging a elk in two days was a far cry but we had seen some elk in the late season and i had a bear tag i would fill if i had a chance.
Day one:We head out noon on sunday and drive staight up lamont rd up to the high country were we could do some scouting and glassing.There was a weather system coming in with the wind howling we didnt see any movement up top so we decied to head lowerer and find a place to set up camp out of the wind.This year a modified a 10x10 pop up canopy with walls cut in a stove jack and welded up a wood stove.We got camp set up had dinner and crashed in a nice warm tent.the wind gusts at night did wake us up a few times nervouse that we were going to wake up to the tent taking flight but our tie downs held .
Day two : we wake up at 5;30 and split up and walk a short way to glass separate clearing we spottted the day before the morning is cookl and windy soon its light enough to glass but theres no movement so I walk down to dad and we decide to hike a mountain with old growth pine and some spruce .I head to the north face my dad the south with a plan to meet near to top.I head up about a third of the way up and start side hilling as i come around the north side i come into some light blow down and i spot some thing take a couple bounces about 75 yards off .It looked very white so i thought mabey white tail nice any buck.I put up my binoculars and scan the bush then i spot it .Just a second what the hell is that its all white it looks like a lama its got shaggy hair then i get a look at its face its a by ped doe weird.
So i move up hill to not disturb her more.I push through blow down and it gets worse and worse.My dad wont bother with blow down but I know the mulies love to hide in it so i push deep.It thins out a bit and i find a nice game trail coming down with some heavy track that lookes fresh well fresh as tracks in the dust in a area that hasnt had rain in over a month can be.I head up the trail and find lots of elk droppings and tracks but none fresh probably at lrast a couple days old .The trail brings me right to the top were my dad is itting having a iced tea.His side has no sign so we decide to focus on north facing slopes.we hike together down a sddle to another peak than down either side of a ridge. The whole way theres old sign every where rubs droppings tracks all about a week old but nothing fresh.On the wat down the ridge my knee starts getting realy sore and by the time at the bottom it kills.we hiked straigh from 6:00 am til 1:30pm I probably should have done a little more stretching.So back to camp for a meal and some advilFor the evening we decide to drive up a different mountain and hike a high ridge thats farely flat a little easier on the knee.on the way up we spot some chickens and take turn poping them with dads old couye single shot giving each other a hard time about how bad of shots each other were out of nine we bagged three I think the iron sites are a little out on the old chicken slayer.we get to the top a hike the ride for two hours till twilight again droppings, rubs, trails,tracks nothing totally fresh and nothing moving.The wind calms down for thevening and we sleep good.
Day three: Its cold the thermometer says 0 degrees theres frost on the truck.We watch light come up and glass the same cuts we meet up and decide nothing moving up high nothing moving in the middle lets check out the bottom country plus it'll be a little easier on the knee.We hike thruogh some nice open pine and check out some nice looking draws no fresh sign nothing moving but we hear lots of trucks heading up the mountain.so we decide to pack up camp and drive the whipsw over the mountain to friday creek we pack up camp the whole time more guys are moving into the area.We satrt driving out when i spot something in a cut that never notice before something black,so i stop and say to dad is that log a small moose he laughs and puts up the binoculars no its a bear so i grab my gun and jump out sneak around the truck and as i come around the bear bolts showing us its beatiful dark chocolate coat and fat ass.We walk out into the cut and look over the edge where it dissapeared over and dad says even it was down there Im not dragging it up my sself with your knee screwed up.So we head up the road and take one more hike in some nice aspen .thers a couple old rubs ,moose beds and spots where a hude moose had chewed the bark off the aspens must have been over 8 feet up.
Well even though there was no elk down the trip was a complete success I learned alot got some grouse and had a great time with the old man who is tougher then i will ever be.
I have a question though I know how recluse elk are so its no suprise we didnt see any but we only saw one mule doe in three days even though it was white .Do mulies migrate out of this area at certain times or were we just unlucky?