Buckmeister
09-23-2012, 11:53 AM
So the antlerless elk general open season opened up on Thursday, Oct 20th. We had pulled into camp the day before so we were good and ready the morning of opening day. This is also the first year my son has joined us for the hunt.
We got up early while it was still dark so we could get into the place we wanted to be at first light. After a last minute change of mind and location we could see Elk in an open area but they were far to far away to get close enough for shot and they vacated pretty quick. So into the heavier timber we headed.
My son and I were headed down a logging road when we see an elk cross in front of us about 70 yards ahead. We did a stalk but to no avail. We had climbed a hill and found a nice game trail so I figured that was the escape route. When elk want to move, they MOVE!
So we turned around and headed down another road in an effort to hopefully get ahead of the elk we saw. A little while later I spotted a cow and calf hiding in the thick stuff at about 50 yards to our right on top of a small rise. The cow was just slightly quartering to me and I had a clear view of the vitals. I lined up for a shot and squeezed off a round. They wheeled around and went over the rise. We listened for a few moments and I could tell they were still there and didn't go far.
We started in toward them and when we got to where they had been standing when I shot I spotted the cow about 30 yards away tipping over. The calf went off to the left about 20 yards from the cow and 30 from us. My son got a shot off (a bit of a gut shot) and the calf headed to the left another 25 yards.
THEN, the most surprising thing happened. We heard a voice shouting at us from the bush in the general direction my son had just shot. It was saying, "Hey, don't shoot me!" Turned out it was my dad! He was about 60 yards away or so back in the bush. I told him to stay put while my son circled around to the right, about 90 degrees to my dad, to put a kill shot into the calf. My son lined up a 2nd time and put a good shot through the vitals. Two elk down!!!
Now, about my dad. Turned out he was ahead of us on the same road but headed in our direction when he spotted some elk. He was doing a slow quiet stalk through the bush after them. None of us, other then the elk, knew we were there at the same spot. We knew we were in the same area as each other, but it is a large area with many roads and trails.
Anyways, all is well and we were done our hunt at just past 9:00 am on opening day! We took the meat into the butchers right away cause the temps were soaring. We headed back home yesterday afternoon and got home safely, but there was an adventure involved with that trip, but that is another story altogether.
Trying to get some pics up, but I'm not using my normal computer and it is giving me grief.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/my_elk1.jpg
file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/COMPAQ%7E1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-3.png
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/Michaels_elk.jpg
file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/COMPAQ%7E1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-4.png
We got up early while it was still dark so we could get into the place we wanted to be at first light. After a last minute change of mind and location we could see Elk in an open area but they were far to far away to get close enough for shot and they vacated pretty quick. So into the heavier timber we headed.
My son and I were headed down a logging road when we see an elk cross in front of us about 70 yards ahead. We did a stalk but to no avail. We had climbed a hill and found a nice game trail so I figured that was the escape route. When elk want to move, they MOVE!
So we turned around and headed down another road in an effort to hopefully get ahead of the elk we saw. A little while later I spotted a cow and calf hiding in the thick stuff at about 50 yards to our right on top of a small rise. The cow was just slightly quartering to me and I had a clear view of the vitals. I lined up for a shot and squeezed off a round. They wheeled around and went over the rise. We listened for a few moments and I could tell they were still there and didn't go far.
We started in toward them and when we got to where they had been standing when I shot I spotted the cow about 30 yards away tipping over. The calf went off to the left about 20 yards from the cow and 30 from us. My son got a shot off (a bit of a gut shot) and the calf headed to the left another 25 yards.
THEN, the most surprising thing happened. We heard a voice shouting at us from the bush in the general direction my son had just shot. It was saying, "Hey, don't shoot me!" Turned out it was my dad! He was about 60 yards away or so back in the bush. I told him to stay put while my son circled around to the right, about 90 degrees to my dad, to put a kill shot into the calf. My son lined up a 2nd time and put a good shot through the vitals. Two elk down!!!
Now, about my dad. Turned out he was ahead of us on the same road but headed in our direction when he spotted some elk. He was doing a slow quiet stalk through the bush after them. None of us, other then the elk, knew we were there at the same spot. We knew we were in the same area as each other, but it is a large area with many roads and trails.
Anyways, all is well and we were done our hunt at just past 9:00 am on opening day! We took the meat into the butchers right away cause the temps were soaring. We headed back home yesterday afternoon and got home safely, but there was an adventure involved with that trip, but that is another story altogether.
Trying to get some pics up, but I'm not using my normal computer and it is giving me grief.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/my_elk1.jpg
file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/COMPAQ%7E1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-3.png
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/Michaels_elk.jpg
file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/COMPAQ%7E1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-4.png