E.V.B.H.
09-11-2013, 06:23 AM
So after almost a year to the day of waiting from my last elk, the season in the Kootenays started. For me it lasted 4 1/2 hrs.
The afternoon of the first I hiked the hour+ up to the tree stand I share with a hunting partner, we rotate first day every year. The stand is made of logs nailed in an old pine tree and is a platform about 3 feet by 5 feet. It is set up on a natural clay wallow. Because it is far from the road and hard to find we go up in the afternoon and sleep in it and come out the following afternoon. It is way too hard to get in and out in the dark not to mention lots of grizz in the area. Because all the action there is late afternoon to mid morning we have learned that this is the most effective way to hunt it.
We had set up a camera on Saturday one week prior and when I arrived I pulled the card and climbed into the stand. Much to my delight when I put the card in my digital camera to view it there was 637 pictures in a week. My trail cam is a little older and only does three shot bursts every 60 sec. Right away there was pics of a very nice 6x6, I would guess he is close to 300 inches. Getting excited now. After scanning through there was two other bulls, another 6x6 probably in the low to mid 200 and a smaller 5x5. A few pics of a mule doe but the rest elk.
It was about one o'clock when I climbed in the stand and from the camera I knew action was starting at about five. Around 4:30 I set up to be ready for a shot did a few test draws etc. At about 5:20 I heard the sounds of a large animal approaching. That sound will get your heart pounding! So I froze up and waited, after about five min I could see an elk out of the corner of my eye. I didn't move and it came in my line of sight, a bull! First elk in, a decent little 5x5 and not one that was on camera.
He came in cautiously and stopped broadside at twenty yards, I drew, as soon as I was at full draw he turned and walked slowly toward my tree. Holding my draw I waited and at ten yards he turned broadside again and paused to sniff the air. I let the shot go and it hit with a loud whack. The elk ran and turned uphill stumbling out of sight.
I started texting my partner to come and help and waited around a half hour to get out of the stand to look for sign. When I got to the ground there was no blood and no arrow! It was a pass through but there was an old log and a good layer of duff on the ground behind him so the arrow buried in there somewhere. I worked my way slowly uphill where he went zigging back and forth looking for sign. After about 40 yards uphill I saw an elk standing another 30 yards above me and though that might be him so back to the stand I went.
Around 8:00 my partner and three other friends arrived at the stand, right before they got there a cow came in and they spooked it on there way up the hill. I think this was the elk I saw before because when they got there we found my elk right above where I stopped looking tipped over dead, not bedded, so he died right after the shot, ran less than 60 yards.
We got to work and had him in the packs by around 10:00 and were back at the truck by midnight. 5 people is the perfect number to pack an elk in one trip!
The afternoon of the first I hiked the hour+ up to the tree stand I share with a hunting partner, we rotate first day every year. The stand is made of logs nailed in an old pine tree and is a platform about 3 feet by 5 feet. It is set up on a natural clay wallow. Because it is far from the road and hard to find we go up in the afternoon and sleep in it and come out the following afternoon. It is way too hard to get in and out in the dark not to mention lots of grizz in the area. Because all the action there is late afternoon to mid morning we have learned that this is the most effective way to hunt it.
We had set up a camera on Saturday one week prior and when I arrived I pulled the card and climbed into the stand. Much to my delight when I put the card in my digital camera to view it there was 637 pictures in a week. My trail cam is a little older and only does three shot bursts every 60 sec. Right away there was pics of a very nice 6x6, I would guess he is close to 300 inches. Getting excited now. After scanning through there was two other bulls, another 6x6 probably in the low to mid 200 and a smaller 5x5. A few pics of a mule doe but the rest elk.
It was about one o'clock when I climbed in the stand and from the camera I knew action was starting at about five. Around 4:30 I set up to be ready for a shot did a few test draws etc. At about 5:20 I heard the sounds of a large animal approaching. That sound will get your heart pounding! So I froze up and waited, after about five min I could see an elk out of the corner of my eye. I didn't move and it came in my line of sight, a bull! First elk in, a decent little 5x5 and not one that was on camera.
He came in cautiously and stopped broadside at twenty yards, I drew, as soon as I was at full draw he turned and walked slowly toward my tree. Holding my draw I waited and at ten yards he turned broadside again and paused to sniff the air. I let the shot go and it hit with a loud whack. The elk ran and turned uphill stumbling out of sight.
I started texting my partner to come and help and waited around a half hour to get out of the stand to look for sign. When I got to the ground there was no blood and no arrow! It was a pass through but there was an old log and a good layer of duff on the ground behind him so the arrow buried in there somewhere. I worked my way slowly uphill where he went zigging back and forth looking for sign. After about 40 yards uphill I saw an elk standing another 30 yards above me and though that might be him so back to the stand I went.
Around 8:00 my partner and three other friends arrived at the stand, right before they got there a cow came in and they spooked it on there way up the hill. I think this was the elk I saw before because when they got there we found my elk right above where I stopped looking tipped over dead, not bedded, so he died right after the shot, ran less than 60 yards.
We got to work and had him in the packs by around 10:00 and were back at the truck by midnight. 5 people is the perfect number to pack an elk in one trip!