Duck Buster
10-11-2012, 04:14 PM
This adventure began 2 years ago for my three hunting partners and 7 months ago for me. The plan was to head to the East Kootanys in search of elk in the high back country. The original fourth for this hunt could not make the trip and I came in as a late plan substitute. So back in the late winter I started to train physically and mentally for the upcoming hunt. All four of us put countless km on our boots climbing local hills, trialing pack systems, testing equipment and organizing gear for our two week adventure in the Rockies. Our plan was to hunt elk, mule deer, and try to help Ron fill his goat draw.
After what seemed like and eternity the 21st of September finally arrived and we were on the road on the first boat off the island. The plan was to spend the first couple of days of the hunt in the southern end of 4-3 and try to fill a couple of elk tags with the open cow season. The first morning that we were there Ron started the hunt off right by harvesting a nice cow elk with his smoke pole. (I will let Ron add the pics and elaborate on the story).
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/4-3_camp_small1.jpg
We spent a few days in 4-3 seeing more cow elk that did not allow for shot opportunities, lots of small white tail bucks, and even a bugling 6x5 Bull that came out for Ron at 40yrds the morning after he filled his tag with the cow. But that is hunting and the Bull put on quite a show for him.
After a few days in 4-3 we decided it was time to head North to our final hunting grounds. After a quick morning hunt we loaded the gear and to the wagon train North. We had base camp set up by late afternoon that same day. With all the bumping and bouncing that we figured we had better go and take a couple of quick shots with the guns to make sure that no scopes were bumped out of alignment. After all proving our guns we headed back towards camp and found a nice black bear just off the side of the main line, after some lengthy conversation Ken decided this bear would soot his needs and he made a fantastic 90ish yrd shot to start our time in the new area off right.
The next few days were spent out in spike camps all over the mountains surrounding us. Ron and Ken went way up looking for goats, while Carlos (aka Saaaaailor 91) and I went up to the 5500-6300 ft range looking for elk. Days were spent glassing hillsides, walking kilometer after kilometer, and doing our best to avoid Grizzly bears ( which we never even saw). After a few days of all of us striking out on all accounts we met back at base camp to come up with new plans. Ron and Ken went off to find some mule deer, and Carlos and I headed up to glass avalanche slides for elk. Ron and Ken found deer, but no 4 pointers, and the any buck season did not open for a day or so. Carlos and I were still eating elk track soup.
On our way to the base of a new mountain Carlos and I found our first elk of our northern region, 6 cows off the side of a branch line. We made a quick stalk and scout but could not locate any bulls with the group, it was mid afternoon so we went to find the mountain that we had planed to climb. We found our trail head but over a cup of coffee decided to head back and hunt the cows, since rutting bulls should be coming to check them out. We got set up in the area for an evening sit and started to call. Both Carlos and I are new elk hunters so we had to rely on all video we had watched, books we had read, and discussions with other hunters to build our calling technique. Sometimes hard work does pay off and we had a bull bugling within 1/2 hr of our first call. Then the cows in the area started to call and the bull bugled closer. Then as luck would have it 2 other hunters sighted our cows and came into our set up looking for a bull. That busted our whole evening so we headed out early with a plan to come back in the next morning.
The next morning found us sitting in the same spots 45 min before shooting light. Around 15 min before shooting light I started my first cow calls and was rewarded almost right away with the bugles from 3 bulls up wind of our position. Then about 15 min into shooting light I hear a bugle behind me. I know the bull is close but the wind is wrong for him to walk into our line of sight so I headed back through the stand of timber I was in trying to stay down wind of the bull. By this time Carlos has stopped calling because he knows that I am talking to something, but he has no idea what.
As I break through the trees I locate the bull immediately, he is standing 60yrds away and looking very hard for the cows that he thinks I am. The only problem is all I can see of his antlers is his set of double fronts, a pine branch is blocking the rest, I can see mass but not count points. After a min or so of our stand off I can tell the bull is looking to leave the area, so I kept calling softly and moving to my right breaking every branch I could find to sound like a cow. The bull bought it and followed clearing his antlers of the branches and I counted to 6. Some how I managed to make a good double lung shot even with my heart pounding and buck (elk) fever driving though my body. The bull made it 75yrds and I watched him bed. I found Carlos and my legs gave out, I could not believe what had just happened. In all of our excitement we ended up bumping the bull who made it another 40yrds or so before a final shot sealed the deal and Carlos and I had our first elk ever.
After lots of pictures and high fives, we set to work quartering and packing out the bull and were into the cutters by lunch.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/elk_small.jpg
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/J_C_Elk.jpg
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/carlos_pcking.jpg (http://javascript<strong></strong>:;)
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/me_elk_small.jpg (http://javascript<strong></strong>:;)
The next day was spent on the mule deer chase since the any buck season had opened up. No bucks were sighted but we were in a good area and had built another spike camp to spend a couple of days in the deer zone. October 2nd found us waking up to a crystal clear day in the high country. As we sat drinking coffee and letting day break we gassed a doe across the valley. Since all the bucks we had seen in the area had been in the company of does' Ron and Carlos decided to make a stalk while Ken and I glassed from the comfort of our camp chairs. One doe turned into 2, and then we saw one fork of a bedded buck. Carlos and Ron were able to stalk to within 40yrds and Carlos made a nice shot with his 340 Weatherby and the buck was down. It was amazing to share in this hunt as 4 some, where Ken and I got to watch the entire event unfold and Ron was able to assist Carlos in getting right in on the deer. Again more pictures and hand shakes and the quartering job began. The buck was back to the truck an hour or so latter and Carlos and Ken were off to town.
After what seemed like and eternity the 21st of September finally arrived and we were on the road on the first boat off the island. The plan was to spend the first couple of days of the hunt in the southern end of 4-3 and try to fill a couple of elk tags with the open cow season. The first morning that we were there Ron started the hunt off right by harvesting a nice cow elk with his smoke pole. (I will let Ron add the pics and elaborate on the story).
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/4-3_camp_small1.jpg
We spent a few days in 4-3 seeing more cow elk that did not allow for shot opportunities, lots of small white tail bucks, and even a bugling 6x5 Bull that came out for Ron at 40yrds the morning after he filled his tag with the cow. But that is hunting and the Bull put on quite a show for him.
After a few days in 4-3 we decided it was time to head North to our final hunting grounds. After a quick morning hunt we loaded the gear and to the wagon train North. We had base camp set up by late afternoon that same day. With all the bumping and bouncing that we figured we had better go and take a couple of quick shots with the guns to make sure that no scopes were bumped out of alignment. After all proving our guns we headed back towards camp and found a nice black bear just off the side of the main line, after some lengthy conversation Ken decided this bear would soot his needs and he made a fantastic 90ish yrd shot to start our time in the new area off right.
The next few days were spent out in spike camps all over the mountains surrounding us. Ron and Ken went way up looking for goats, while Carlos (aka Saaaaailor 91) and I went up to the 5500-6300 ft range looking for elk. Days were spent glassing hillsides, walking kilometer after kilometer, and doing our best to avoid Grizzly bears ( which we never even saw). After a few days of all of us striking out on all accounts we met back at base camp to come up with new plans. Ron and Ken went off to find some mule deer, and Carlos and I headed up to glass avalanche slides for elk. Ron and Ken found deer, but no 4 pointers, and the any buck season did not open for a day or so. Carlos and I were still eating elk track soup.
On our way to the base of a new mountain Carlos and I found our first elk of our northern region, 6 cows off the side of a branch line. We made a quick stalk and scout but could not locate any bulls with the group, it was mid afternoon so we went to find the mountain that we had planed to climb. We found our trail head but over a cup of coffee decided to head back and hunt the cows, since rutting bulls should be coming to check them out. We got set up in the area for an evening sit and started to call. Both Carlos and I are new elk hunters so we had to rely on all video we had watched, books we had read, and discussions with other hunters to build our calling technique. Sometimes hard work does pay off and we had a bull bugling within 1/2 hr of our first call. Then the cows in the area started to call and the bull bugled closer. Then as luck would have it 2 other hunters sighted our cows and came into our set up looking for a bull. That busted our whole evening so we headed out early with a plan to come back in the next morning.
The next morning found us sitting in the same spots 45 min before shooting light. Around 15 min before shooting light I started my first cow calls and was rewarded almost right away with the bugles from 3 bulls up wind of our position. Then about 15 min into shooting light I hear a bugle behind me. I know the bull is close but the wind is wrong for him to walk into our line of sight so I headed back through the stand of timber I was in trying to stay down wind of the bull. By this time Carlos has stopped calling because he knows that I am talking to something, but he has no idea what.
As I break through the trees I locate the bull immediately, he is standing 60yrds away and looking very hard for the cows that he thinks I am. The only problem is all I can see of his antlers is his set of double fronts, a pine branch is blocking the rest, I can see mass but not count points. After a min or so of our stand off I can tell the bull is looking to leave the area, so I kept calling softly and moving to my right breaking every branch I could find to sound like a cow. The bull bought it and followed clearing his antlers of the branches and I counted to 6. Some how I managed to make a good double lung shot even with my heart pounding and buck (elk) fever driving though my body. The bull made it 75yrds and I watched him bed. I found Carlos and my legs gave out, I could not believe what had just happened. In all of our excitement we ended up bumping the bull who made it another 40yrds or so before a final shot sealed the deal and Carlos and I had our first elk ever.
After lots of pictures and high fives, we set to work quartering and packing out the bull and were into the cutters by lunch.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/elk_small.jpg
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/J_C_Elk.jpg
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/carlos_pcking.jpg (http://javascript<strong></strong>:;)
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/me_elk_small.jpg (http://javascript<strong></strong>:;)
The next day was spent on the mule deer chase since the any buck season had opened up. No bucks were sighted but we were in a good area and had built another spike camp to spend a couple of days in the deer zone. October 2nd found us waking up to a crystal clear day in the high country. As we sat drinking coffee and letting day break we gassed a doe across the valley. Since all the bucks we had seen in the area had been in the company of does' Ron and Carlos decided to make a stalk while Ken and I glassed from the comfort of our camp chairs. One doe turned into 2, and then we saw one fork of a bedded buck. Carlos and Ron were able to stalk to within 40yrds and Carlos made a nice shot with his 340 Weatherby and the buck was down. It was amazing to share in this hunt as 4 some, where Ken and I got to watch the entire event unfold and Ron was able to assist Carlos in getting right in on the deer. Again more pictures and hand shakes and the quartering job began. The buck was back to the truck an hour or so latter and Carlos and Ken were off to town.