danfloris
09-19-2013, 10:02 PM
Well it started as the most organized and planned out hunt I have ever done. We did our homework and knew where we were going to shoot a elk for sure ;) (so we thought).
Well the drive up is where everything started to go wrong. My buddy coming from the otherside of the province of the province was stuck, there was a huge acciendent and the highway was stopped for the night . I slept on the side of the road in my camper that night and he got himself a motel room. It was a horrible nights sleep, thinking that every truck coming in the night was him. He rolled up bright and early, and with a quick hello and coffee we were off.
We arrived to not so good weather, actually the worst rain, thunder and lightning I think I've ever seen. We stayed at my buddy's cabin for the night thinking that we could just take the truck and camper up in the morning and get to our final hunting area. Well the next morning the rain had not let up. We decided to take his truck up and look at the area. We got to the lake we planned to stay at and everything looked good... We drove about 500 yards around the comer and there it was!
It was a 80 foot wide washout!!!! The area we had researched and mapped out on google earth, where we were certain we would get a elk was gone! We hung our heads and drove away. Time for plan B... There was one road that ran parallel to the valley on the otherside. We got back to the highway and drove up the road. We saw 2 spike bulls right away. We decided to pass on even trying for them. The elk were here and we knew we would see more.... So we thought. We spent the next 4 days at plus 30 degrees with nothing but issues.
About 10 kms up a knarley old quad trail my quad decided to quit! Had to tow it out the whole way. We had truck issue, flat tires, and we couldn't even find a mule deer.
I gotta say though the grouse hunting was unreal.
the day before rifle season we finally spotted a monster bull about 800 yards away and about 500 yards straight down a slash ( we spotted him driving 30kms back up the mountian to get my back pack I left on the side of the road!!).
We had decided to go after him the next day. After running into nothing but other hunters thick thick fog and super hot weather we had pretty much given up hope. We went back to the slide out and got our quads across it. It was perfect no hunters and lots of elk tracks. We hunted hard. We put on miles on our boots and quads, but there was just nothing happening. They wernt talking and it seemed we were always 5 mins behind them.
It was Thursday night. I told my buddy "tomorrow I'm hunting where we saw the spike bulls." He agreed and that's where we decided to hunt on FRIDAY THE 13 2013 (the most unlucky day ever!) I told him "it's gonna be an unlucky day for some big bull."
it was 4am and and the alarm went off. We both had no ambition and were low down and beat. We crawled out to the truck and drove up the hill. Got to the slash and quietly got out of the truck. I slowly shut my door and out of no where a loud and proud bugle! Then a chuckle and a bugle. Then down the ridge another one ( holy *^%# we found them) we took off after them, but the wind was all wrong and one little stuck up cow winded us and pointed her nose in the air and took off letting everyone in the country know we were there!!
We quickly left and made a plan for the evening hunt.
My buddy was going to hunt that slash and I was going to hunt lower ( where we thought they may have busted out to).
We split up and I drove to my spot. Just as I got there there was a truck parked in the middle of the road. Somebody beat me there. I quickly turned around a flew up the moutian. Passed my buddy told him what was up and ventured off to the next slash. I parked my quad on the road and started slowly walking in. I got to the landing and started following trialls through the slash. Up and over down and around until I saw my spot. A old blown down tree with a root ball sticking. Up. I walked down it and set up on the root ball. It was perfect overlooking a slash with thick bush surrounding it. I took a look around and saw a rub right on the bushline. I looked directly down wind and thought " hmm that looks nice but no elk will ever come out down there" there was a branch in the way so I broke it off to make a rest just in case. I looked up the hill down the valley and then glanced back down wind. Odd (I thought to myself) that branch wasn't there a min ago. Put my binos up and he turned his head!!!!
Everythig happend in meer seconds. I counted 6 grabbed my gun put it on his shoulder, he took one step and BOOOM! Dropped him in his tracks.
I walked down to where he was....... There he was the bull of a lifetime. I started counting 9x7 with crowns. Holy #^%* I just shot a royal!
I would like to thank my buddy for all his help! Couldn't have done it without you buddy! That ******* was not a fun pack out.
http://i1130.photobucket.com/albums/m535/danfloris/image.jpg
Well the drive up is where everything started to go wrong. My buddy coming from the otherside of the province of the province was stuck, there was a huge acciendent and the highway was stopped for the night . I slept on the side of the road in my camper that night and he got himself a motel room. It was a horrible nights sleep, thinking that every truck coming in the night was him. He rolled up bright and early, and with a quick hello and coffee we were off.
We arrived to not so good weather, actually the worst rain, thunder and lightning I think I've ever seen. We stayed at my buddy's cabin for the night thinking that we could just take the truck and camper up in the morning and get to our final hunting area. Well the next morning the rain had not let up. We decided to take his truck up and look at the area. We got to the lake we planned to stay at and everything looked good... We drove about 500 yards around the comer and there it was!
It was a 80 foot wide washout!!!! The area we had researched and mapped out on google earth, where we were certain we would get a elk was gone! We hung our heads and drove away. Time for plan B... There was one road that ran parallel to the valley on the otherside. We got back to the highway and drove up the road. We saw 2 spike bulls right away. We decided to pass on even trying for them. The elk were here and we knew we would see more.... So we thought. We spent the next 4 days at plus 30 degrees with nothing but issues.
About 10 kms up a knarley old quad trail my quad decided to quit! Had to tow it out the whole way. We had truck issue, flat tires, and we couldn't even find a mule deer.
I gotta say though the grouse hunting was unreal.
the day before rifle season we finally spotted a monster bull about 800 yards away and about 500 yards straight down a slash ( we spotted him driving 30kms back up the mountian to get my back pack I left on the side of the road!!).
We had decided to go after him the next day. After running into nothing but other hunters thick thick fog and super hot weather we had pretty much given up hope. We went back to the slide out and got our quads across it. It was perfect no hunters and lots of elk tracks. We hunted hard. We put on miles on our boots and quads, but there was just nothing happening. They wernt talking and it seemed we were always 5 mins behind them.
It was Thursday night. I told my buddy "tomorrow I'm hunting where we saw the spike bulls." He agreed and that's where we decided to hunt on FRIDAY THE 13 2013 (the most unlucky day ever!) I told him "it's gonna be an unlucky day for some big bull."
it was 4am and and the alarm went off. We both had no ambition and were low down and beat. We crawled out to the truck and drove up the hill. Got to the slash and quietly got out of the truck. I slowly shut my door and out of no where a loud and proud bugle! Then a chuckle and a bugle. Then down the ridge another one ( holy *^%# we found them) we took off after them, but the wind was all wrong and one little stuck up cow winded us and pointed her nose in the air and took off letting everyone in the country know we were there!!
We quickly left and made a plan for the evening hunt.
My buddy was going to hunt that slash and I was going to hunt lower ( where we thought they may have busted out to).
We split up and I drove to my spot. Just as I got there there was a truck parked in the middle of the road. Somebody beat me there. I quickly turned around a flew up the moutian. Passed my buddy told him what was up and ventured off to the next slash. I parked my quad on the road and started slowly walking in. I got to the landing and started following trialls through the slash. Up and over down and around until I saw my spot. A old blown down tree with a root ball sticking. Up. I walked down it and set up on the root ball. It was perfect overlooking a slash with thick bush surrounding it. I took a look around and saw a rub right on the bushline. I looked directly down wind and thought " hmm that looks nice but no elk will ever come out down there" there was a branch in the way so I broke it off to make a rest just in case. I looked up the hill down the valley and then glanced back down wind. Odd (I thought to myself) that branch wasn't there a min ago. Put my binos up and he turned his head!!!!
Everythig happend in meer seconds. I counted 6 grabbed my gun put it on his shoulder, he took one step and BOOOM! Dropped him in his tracks.
I walked down to where he was....... There he was the bull of a lifetime. I started counting 9x7 with crowns. Holy #^%* I just shot a royal!
I would like to thank my buddy for all his help! Couldn't have done it without you buddy! That ******* was not a fun pack out.
http://i1130.photobucket.com/albums/m535/danfloris/image.jpg