RBooth
10-27-2012, 01:24 PM
As a result of last seasons game sightings festering over the winter I was led to return to new found favorite spots in the summer months to set trail cameras and scout for this years trophies. This year I was really focused on getting my first elk and finding a Mule deer bigger than last year (Something I'm sure most of think of over the winter). I had one hell of a first season last year with bugling in bulls and sighting numerous elk in my first season of hunting for elk. As for Mule deer last year, I had encounters with three different bucks that I could have only dreamed of having on my wall. Due to the conditions of the encounters I had chose not to attempt on any of them but was fortunate to get a beautiful buck none the less.
After weeks of hiking through the hot summer months and obtaining useful pictures and information the plan for September was set. September 10th my dad, his friend, and I were going for an elk we had caught on camera and quite sure had bugled him in last year as a 5x5 but he had stretched to a ratty looking 7x7. No monster, but good eats and a trophy that we would have been tickled pink with. Many cows and spikes showed themselves over the months for a few parties on the camera. Some were rather hungry, picking up a loose strap I forgot to tie down!
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j20/Kelloggs101/527181_10152049931790167_615631241_n.jpg
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j20/Kelloggs101/228561_10152049931740167_547238913_n.jpg
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j20/Kelloggs101/251476_10152063018825167_1559032317_n.jpg
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j20/Kelloggs101/305052_10152049969385167_1979503105_n.jpg
Our group set out to hike in through dark and set up apart from one another 500yards or so in the area where this 7x7 had been living for the past months. We had not touched this area in two weeks and there was sign of one bow hunter going through. Relatively pristine location with little to no pressure. The hike in showed a large amount of elk sign from droppings to rubs scattered everywhere I hiked. As the sun rose there was no movement for the first hour and a half and my mind wandered and I became relatively impatient and anxious as my dad had been in touch and seen nothing as well. Just as I thought it's going to be a quiet, peaceful morning with no game my dad pulls through and contacts me saying he's spotted the herd and there's a 'larger' bull. Maybe I should leave this part out but I truely believe this to be a large factor when hunting and especially elk, SCENT. I don't know what I ate but there is no odorless wash and descenting spray that could cover the foulness of what was brewing up inside of me all morning. The wind ended up blowing from me directly to where my dad described the elk to be. I made a move up hill to adjust and get my scent away from the elk. We believe from what my dad saw of the elk running around in circles in what appeared to be confusion is that my scent had spooked them up and into the open as they decided where to flee. Now that I felt the wind was blowing my scent away from them in my new location, I was able to move above them and try to get a view down onto them for a shot. Where my dad was situated he was unable to identify and shoot properly. I lost contact with him and became impatient (most likely a mistake). I circled above them ever so slowly, a step at a time, taking long pauses between steps (very quiet terrain at this point). Next thing I knew I was in the middle of a herd of cows, within 20yards of several of them. Not much you can do once you're that close, they were onto me in no time and getting out of town. It didn't appear as though the bull was with them. Meanwhile the bull had been working his way into my dads calls and had separated from his cows a small distance. The bull had made his way into rifle range and was poking through the trees but not enough for a confirmation on tine count. As the cows barrelled down the hill the bull was alerted and to our surprise ran away from the cows, coming flying by my dad at approximately 50yards moving Mach3 silently through the bush. He was able to see him flashing through the trees. As quick as they appeared they were gone and so ended our excitement of Day 1 of the seasons elk hunting empty handed. The bull we desired for the last month had slipped through our fingures... This was without a doubt the bull we had been looking for but my dads friend was not able to count 6 points on one side to absolutely confirm but the ratty looking extra points at the top of his rack were noted. This was a very exciting experience but somewhat demoralizing! We made the decision to stay out of there for a few days which counted me out of going back there for weeks as I had further plans, Mule Deer!
Continue'd....
After weeks of hiking through the hot summer months and obtaining useful pictures and information the plan for September was set. September 10th my dad, his friend, and I were going for an elk we had caught on camera and quite sure had bugled him in last year as a 5x5 but he had stretched to a ratty looking 7x7. No monster, but good eats and a trophy that we would have been tickled pink with. Many cows and spikes showed themselves over the months for a few parties on the camera. Some were rather hungry, picking up a loose strap I forgot to tie down!
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j20/Kelloggs101/527181_10152049931790167_615631241_n.jpg
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j20/Kelloggs101/228561_10152049931740167_547238913_n.jpg
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j20/Kelloggs101/251476_10152063018825167_1559032317_n.jpg
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j20/Kelloggs101/305052_10152049969385167_1979503105_n.jpg
Our group set out to hike in through dark and set up apart from one another 500yards or so in the area where this 7x7 had been living for the past months. We had not touched this area in two weeks and there was sign of one bow hunter going through. Relatively pristine location with little to no pressure. The hike in showed a large amount of elk sign from droppings to rubs scattered everywhere I hiked. As the sun rose there was no movement for the first hour and a half and my mind wandered and I became relatively impatient and anxious as my dad had been in touch and seen nothing as well. Just as I thought it's going to be a quiet, peaceful morning with no game my dad pulls through and contacts me saying he's spotted the herd and there's a 'larger' bull. Maybe I should leave this part out but I truely believe this to be a large factor when hunting and especially elk, SCENT. I don't know what I ate but there is no odorless wash and descenting spray that could cover the foulness of what was brewing up inside of me all morning. The wind ended up blowing from me directly to where my dad described the elk to be. I made a move up hill to adjust and get my scent away from the elk. We believe from what my dad saw of the elk running around in circles in what appeared to be confusion is that my scent had spooked them up and into the open as they decided where to flee. Now that I felt the wind was blowing my scent away from them in my new location, I was able to move above them and try to get a view down onto them for a shot. Where my dad was situated he was unable to identify and shoot properly. I lost contact with him and became impatient (most likely a mistake). I circled above them ever so slowly, a step at a time, taking long pauses between steps (very quiet terrain at this point). Next thing I knew I was in the middle of a herd of cows, within 20yards of several of them. Not much you can do once you're that close, they were onto me in no time and getting out of town. It didn't appear as though the bull was with them. Meanwhile the bull had been working his way into my dads calls and had separated from his cows a small distance. The bull had made his way into rifle range and was poking through the trees but not enough for a confirmation on tine count. As the cows barrelled down the hill the bull was alerted and to our surprise ran away from the cows, coming flying by my dad at approximately 50yards moving Mach3 silently through the bush. He was able to see him flashing through the trees. As quick as they appeared they were gone and so ended our excitement of Day 1 of the seasons elk hunting empty handed. The bull we desired for the last month had slipped through our fingures... This was without a doubt the bull we had been looking for but my dads friend was not able to count 6 points on one side to absolutely confirm but the ratty looking extra points at the top of his rack were noted. This was a very exciting experience but somewhat demoralizing! We made the decision to stay out of there for a few days which counted me out of going back there for weeks as I had further plans, Mule Deer!
Continue'd....