41565chevelle
1/2 ton status
Elks, you are my hero! Very nice predators there...love it! Trying to get out more here in California but stuff is limited.
CK5
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Photos of game you've harvested
- Thread starter mofugly13
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DrkZide
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Very jealous
elks
1/2 ton status
If you ever make it out this way look me up I am always wheeling/building or hunting. Does not take much to get me out with a call and a gun.
This year has been slow only a couple yotes. We had a big rabbit die off and caused some serious decline in yotes, and fox. cat tracks indicate that they are doing ok. going on sunday for some cats.... We will see what happens.
41565chevelle
1/2 ton status
elks
1/2 ton status
CK5 Cat down...
So far my season has been massively slow. In fact, I am on pace to kill the fewest yotes I have since I was a rookie. The rabbits all died and the yotes are few and far between. Even worse I have been able to get out a few select day this winters and they are either really really nice, melt snow mud etc. Making driving and walking a pain, and allowing the predators to lay around and sleep or the opposite blowing 30plus.
So the last few weekends I have managed to get out one day.
Since the calling has been sooo slow (1 yote in over 30 stands) I decided to focus in out cats. Heck can't be much slower and they are worth some money right.
I have focused in on one of my favorite areas for cats. the last 2 weekends I was able to find as many cat tracks as yotes. In fact one day I found 7 cat tracks and only 4 yotes. So the area I know has cats, problem is it is thick and cats are just cats...
Today I got up early and left the house by 5:00. drove until day light and started calling. Right away I find a smoking cat track and start to call. About 15 minutes into the stand I have a dirt bike driving cross country drive right in the middle of the stand. It goes about 1/2 mile than come screaming back. guy never knew I was there, but still pisses me off as he should stick to roads/established trails etc.
Second stand was dry, now it is getting on to 10:00 am. I decided that my best bet is to pick out an area and blanket it calling every 1/2 mile. I selected a ridge that ran east to west and had nice rocky out cropings on the south side and rolling pinon/juniper flats on north side. I parked the blazer grabbed the shot gun and the rifle, added my back pack and went to walk a couple miles calling.
I had made it about a 1/4 mile from the truck when I got the urge to call. I sat down looking over a small sage flat in front of me and the ridge line over my shoulder. I called for about 15 minutes with nothing. Then I had 2 magpies show up and start circling around. they acted as if they were looking for help. They made it about 3/4s of the way around me when once landed and started squaking like it was pissed. the second one landed and was making all sorts of noise while jumping up and down at the to of the tree. This all occurred over my left shoulder. I started watching over my left shoulder and lip squeeking. Pretty soon both the freaked out and left. I lip squeaked one more time and out popped a cat. I threw the gun up and leveled off. It was pretty exciting, but somewhat anticlimatic. Every stinking cat I have called during the day always shows up over my shoulder. I really want to watch one come in, but oh well at least I got a cat this year...
Oh I also managed to pick up a good antler from last yeat. It is white, but not cracked. I did not have my camera tripod, so the cat got to pose with the blazer...
I managed to call a few more stands that after noon. One stand was a long ways up a ridge. As I walked up the ridge I came across an old indian camp. It was probably coolest one I have seen yet. The under side of the tree was dug out. It was 3 trunks that came together in a pyramid shape, leaving a decent room underneath. IN the base there were several flakes and evidence of a fire pit. In addition to the cool hut I found 5 other pits. I will go back later this spring and document what I find with the snow gone. I like to leave things as they are, someday my daughter may go there with her kids and see what I saw.
At ant rate here is the dug out. I definitely have not seen this before:
It was a good day. Wish I managed one more cat, but oh well.
The afternoon was really warm and the roads and walking got nasty. Needelss to say a normal 30 minute drive to pavement truned into over 2 hours...
So far my season has been massively slow. In fact, I am on pace to kill the fewest yotes I have since I was a rookie. The rabbits all died and the yotes are few and far between. Even worse I have been able to get out a few select day this winters and they are either really really nice, melt snow mud etc. Making driving and walking a pain, and allowing the predators to lay around and sleep or the opposite blowing 30plus.
So the last few weekends I have managed to get out one day.
Since the calling has been sooo slow (1 yote in over 30 stands) I decided to focus in out cats. Heck can't be much slower and they are worth some money right.
I have focused in on one of my favorite areas for cats. the last 2 weekends I was able to find as many cat tracks as yotes. In fact one day I found 7 cat tracks and only 4 yotes. So the area I know has cats, problem is it is thick and cats are just cats...
Today I got up early and left the house by 5:00. drove until day light and started calling. Right away I find a smoking cat track and start to call. About 15 minutes into the stand I have a dirt bike driving cross country drive right in the middle of the stand. It goes about 1/2 mile than come screaming back. guy never knew I was there, but still pisses me off as he should stick to roads/established trails etc.
Second stand was dry, now it is getting on to 10:00 am. I decided that my best bet is to pick out an area and blanket it calling every 1/2 mile. I selected a ridge that ran east to west and had nice rocky out cropings on the south side and rolling pinon/juniper flats on north side. I parked the blazer grabbed the shot gun and the rifle, added my back pack and went to walk a couple miles calling.
I had made it about a 1/4 mile from the truck when I got the urge to call. I sat down looking over a small sage flat in front of me and the ridge line over my shoulder. I called for about 15 minutes with nothing. Then I had 2 magpies show up and start circling around. they acted as if they were looking for help. They made it about 3/4s of the way around me when once landed and started squaking like it was pissed. the second one landed and was making all sorts of noise while jumping up and down at the to of the tree. This all occurred over my left shoulder. I started watching over my left shoulder and lip squeeking. Pretty soon both the freaked out and left. I lip squeaked one more time and out popped a cat. I threw the gun up and leveled off. It was pretty exciting, but somewhat anticlimatic. Every stinking cat I have called during the day always shows up over my shoulder. I really want to watch one come in, but oh well at least I got a cat this year...
Oh I also managed to pick up a good antler from last yeat. It is white, but not cracked. I did not have my camera tripod, so the cat got to pose with the blazer...
I managed to call a few more stands that after noon. One stand was a long ways up a ridge. As I walked up the ridge I came across an old indian camp. It was probably coolest one I have seen yet. The under side of the tree was dug out. It was 3 trunks that came together in a pyramid shape, leaving a decent room underneath. IN the base there were several flakes and evidence of a fire pit. In addition to the cool hut I found 5 other pits. I will go back later this spring and document what I find with the snow gone. I like to leave things as they are, someday my daughter may go there with her kids and see what I saw.
At ant rate here is the dug out. I definitely have not seen this before:
It was a good day. Wish I managed one more cat, but oh well.
The afternoon was really warm and the roads and walking got nasty. Needelss to say a normal 30 minute drive to pavement truned into over 2 hours...
41565chevelle
1/2 ton status
That was written right out of a coyote hunting show or an in-field editor! Dig it. I just found a guy who has some private property here a few hours from me. Seems he has a coyote problem on his 150+acres that backs to a US Forest area. He wants the coyotes gone due to a few newborn sheep, a zebra he has and some other animals.
Sounds like a perfect set up and I cant wait to get out there with the call and my rifle. Best part is that it is private property and pretty much can do what I want. Just got some NVG's at work so may take em out to scout it at dusk to early night. Thinking I will see how this goes but if all goes well and he is happy, I am going to try and get him to put in a food plot for deer out there.
Plenty of property, huge water supply, zero pressure and he had a MX track so the animals are used to noise. With the track comes equipment to cut a couple feed plots as well..... Head is spinning with the chances!
Sounds like a perfect set up and I cant wait to get out there with the call and my rifle. Best part is that it is private property and pretty much can do what I want. Just got some NVG's at work so may take em out to scout it at dusk to early night. Thinking I will see how this goes but if all goes well and he is happy, I am going to try and get him to put in a food plot for deer out there.
Plenty of property, huge water supply, zero pressure and he had a MX track so the animals are used to noise. With the track comes equipment to cut a couple feed plots as well..... Head is spinning with the chances!
Very cool!
elks
1/2 ton status
Probably My last one for this year... Not sure I will get out this weekend:
On Monday I woke up early to 4 inches new snow and at 4:45 things were a mess. It took me almost 3 hours to make the trip that normally takes one. I arrived to the area just after first light. Luckily I was the first one in. As a result I jumped a drive by yote immediately, unfortunately it escaped unharmed.
As I drove in further I was checking tracks and looking for a cat track either lion or bob. Not long into the trip I jumped a small group of bulls and this one stuck around for a photo opportunity. Not a bad bull I hope to find him this fall. Sorry did not have the telephoto lens on...
Shortly after seeing the bulls I ran across a lion hunter on a snowmobile. This being the first real good snow of the year meant they were going to be hitting it hard. I figured where there is one there would be more. So I abandoned my original plan of driving until I find tracks. I then opted for a walk/hike. I focused my efforts in an area that has had all road access blocked from the public, although the private has road access??? That is another issue all together.... So at 9:00 I left the blazer and headed across this flat. My overall goal was to work the lower ridge all the way up to the base of the larger ridge. The hike to the bottom of the big ridge is just over 3 miles. Here is a pic of the area I was headed towards...
On my way across the flat I found a group of Sage Grouse. There was one male in the group that was strutting his stuff, puffed out and all. It was cool to watch. The grouse decided to split before I could dig my camera out. Once I hit the ridge I sat up to call my first stand. The stand had one of the private access roads running up the bottom. I called for about 15 minutes when I had a yote round the corner towards me... Things looked good only for a split second then I realized the yote was running away from something and not towards my call. I watched it disappear without a shot.
Here is a pic of the 1st stand view. Yote came on the road at the furthest corner.
After that I was back on the move up the ridge. Snow on the ridge was about knee deep on average with deepest spot mid thigh. After I made it about 500 yards from my stand it was becoming very apparent that I was way over dressed and was overheating like mad. So I ditched my bibs on the fence and stripped down to cool/dry off.
As I stood there on the fence line(with my pants literately down) I had a second yote come running hard in front of me. It never stopped and never gave me a shot. In fact it never looked my direction. After the passed I got my stuff gathered up, ditched my bibs and headed further up the ridge. Just as I started 2 lion hunters on snowmobiles passed. That had the yotes running and it really messed with me, do I continue on over dressed and over packed or call it and go find some other areas? I decided that I should continue on. From this point the snow got deeper and making any sort of distance was slow.
I pushed on headed towards a small rock out cropping I wanted to call around. As I went I finally cut my first bobcat track and it looked to be really fresh. Having always wondered if I could walk out a bob cat I decided to try. The track was easy enough to follow, fresh snow about 6" deep made it very obvious. At first the cat worked a good south was west facing slope with rocks. Meant easy going for me. After a 1/2 mile the cat took a turn for the worse. It headed down a north east slope. The snow was deep, near my waist, and very slow going. After trying to wade the snow for 200 yards I gave up and headed to the ridge top figuring the cat would soon get tired with fighting the snow. It never did and eventually we made it off the ridge all together and in the sage brush bottom. This was good as it made thing easier, but also bad was as the cat headed towards the snow mobile tracks. It cut its way across the sage and right towards the snow mobile track.
This was either going to be good or bad. If the cat was on top of the tracks I knew I was close, if not the cat had at least a 2 hour head start. When the cat track hit the snowmobile track it was obvious that the lion hunters had stopped right there and walked around. My hope had sunk at this point. I had been busting my butt for 2 hours on the track not stopping and fighting the snow. As I looked I decided to see where the cat headed figuring I had no chance to catch it. I walked up the snow mobile tracks a 100 yards then was able to pick up the cat track on the snowmobile track.
This gave me a renewed hope, I now knew for sure a good timeline and I was not far behind it. When the cat left the snowmobile track I followed its tracks. The cat worked in and out of the bottom, with its overall direction up the draw. Since the snow was wearing me down a ton I elected to use the snowmobile track and put my head down and start covering ground. My faster pace paid off. Sweating and winded I took a break doubled over to catch my breath. I look up and see the cat. At first I thought I was seeing things, a fur mirage... Then it registered the cat was actually there. I then un-slung my 223 (also I was packing my 12ga since I like punishing myself) and aimed, the first shot was a miss, winded, excited, sweat in my eyes, glasses fogged etc... No matter it was a miss, I loaded another round and hit the mark. The cat fell in its tracks. Here it is, a pic of my guns, pack and cat. The pic is staged such that you can see the ridge it came down in the background.
After taking the cat I had a second wind, that did not last long. I made one last trek into the deeper snow looking for a track, but I was spent. So at 3:30 I headed back to the truck. I made use of the snowmobile track, but by this time I was hurting. I made it back to my bibs just in time for the wind to pick up again. I was wet from snow and sweat and the wind was bitter. I threw my bibs on and made my way across the big flat back to the truck. I arrived back to the blazer just as the sun set. I took a few more pics. the first one is a close up of the ridge. I cut the track at the left arrow and the right arrow is where the cat headed down the back side in the deep snow.
Then I took a few last shots at sunset and managed to take my traditional K5 fur shot. The cat is now at the fur guy, he is expecting it to take around $450 for just about anything0...
Over all it was a hard hunt, as hard as I have hunted for anything... I also got to talking with my buddy, he figures the cat could see the snowmobilers from the ridge top and being curious it went to check it out. Makes sense as it was the only place they stopped and got off and the cat basically made a straight line for it... Who knows? Cat are just really cool...
This has been my slowest yote year for a long time but my best year. Heck I only tried my cats areas 3 times and killed a cat on 2 of em...
On Monday I woke up early to 4 inches new snow and at 4:45 things were a mess. It took me almost 3 hours to make the trip that normally takes one. I arrived to the area just after first light. Luckily I was the first one in. As a result I jumped a drive by yote immediately, unfortunately it escaped unharmed.
As I drove in further I was checking tracks and looking for a cat track either lion or bob. Not long into the trip I jumped a small group of bulls and this one stuck around for a photo opportunity. Not a bad bull I hope to find him this fall. Sorry did not have the telephoto lens on...
Shortly after seeing the bulls I ran across a lion hunter on a snowmobile. This being the first real good snow of the year meant they were going to be hitting it hard. I figured where there is one there would be more. So I abandoned my original plan of driving until I find tracks. I then opted for a walk/hike. I focused my efforts in an area that has had all road access blocked from the public, although the private has road access??? That is another issue all together.... So at 9:00 I left the blazer and headed across this flat. My overall goal was to work the lower ridge all the way up to the base of the larger ridge. The hike to the bottom of the big ridge is just over 3 miles. Here is a pic of the area I was headed towards...
On my way across the flat I found a group of Sage Grouse. There was one male in the group that was strutting his stuff, puffed out and all. It was cool to watch. The grouse decided to split before I could dig my camera out. Once I hit the ridge I sat up to call my first stand. The stand had one of the private access roads running up the bottom. I called for about 15 minutes when I had a yote round the corner towards me... Things looked good only for a split second then I realized the yote was running away from something and not towards my call. I watched it disappear without a shot.
Here is a pic of the 1st stand view. Yote came on the road at the furthest corner.
After that I was back on the move up the ridge. Snow on the ridge was about knee deep on average with deepest spot mid thigh. After I made it about 500 yards from my stand it was becoming very apparent that I was way over dressed and was overheating like mad. So I ditched my bibs on the fence and stripped down to cool/dry off.
As I stood there on the fence line(with my pants literately down) I had a second yote come running hard in front of me. It never stopped and never gave me a shot. In fact it never looked my direction. After the passed I got my stuff gathered up, ditched my bibs and headed further up the ridge. Just as I started 2 lion hunters on snowmobiles passed. That had the yotes running and it really messed with me, do I continue on over dressed and over packed or call it and go find some other areas? I decided that I should continue on. From this point the snow got deeper and making any sort of distance was slow.
I pushed on headed towards a small rock out cropping I wanted to call around. As I went I finally cut my first bobcat track and it looked to be really fresh. Having always wondered if I could walk out a bob cat I decided to try. The track was easy enough to follow, fresh snow about 6" deep made it very obvious. At first the cat worked a good south was west facing slope with rocks. Meant easy going for me. After a 1/2 mile the cat took a turn for the worse. It headed down a north east slope. The snow was deep, near my waist, and very slow going. After trying to wade the snow for 200 yards I gave up and headed to the ridge top figuring the cat would soon get tired with fighting the snow. It never did and eventually we made it off the ridge all together and in the sage brush bottom. This was good as it made thing easier, but also bad was as the cat headed towards the snow mobile tracks. It cut its way across the sage and right towards the snow mobile track.
This was either going to be good or bad. If the cat was on top of the tracks I knew I was close, if not the cat had at least a 2 hour head start. When the cat track hit the snowmobile track it was obvious that the lion hunters had stopped right there and walked around. My hope had sunk at this point. I had been busting my butt for 2 hours on the track not stopping and fighting the snow. As I looked I decided to see where the cat headed figuring I had no chance to catch it. I walked up the snow mobile tracks a 100 yards then was able to pick up the cat track on the snowmobile track.
This gave me a renewed hope, I now knew for sure a good timeline and I was not far behind it. When the cat left the snowmobile track I followed its tracks. The cat worked in and out of the bottom, with its overall direction up the draw. Since the snow was wearing me down a ton I elected to use the snowmobile track and put my head down and start covering ground. My faster pace paid off. Sweating and winded I took a break doubled over to catch my breath. I look up and see the cat. At first I thought I was seeing things, a fur mirage... Then it registered the cat was actually there. I then un-slung my 223 (also I was packing my 12ga since I like punishing myself) and aimed, the first shot was a miss, winded, excited, sweat in my eyes, glasses fogged etc... No matter it was a miss, I loaded another round and hit the mark. The cat fell in its tracks. Here it is, a pic of my guns, pack and cat. The pic is staged such that you can see the ridge it came down in the background.
After taking the cat I had a second wind, that did not last long. I made one last trek into the deeper snow looking for a track, but I was spent. So at 3:30 I headed back to the truck. I made use of the snowmobile track, but by this time I was hurting. I made it back to my bibs just in time for the wind to pick up again. I was wet from snow and sweat and the wind was bitter. I threw my bibs on and made my way across the big flat back to the truck. I arrived back to the blazer just as the sun set. I took a few more pics. the first one is a close up of the ridge. I cut the track at the left arrow and the right arrow is where the cat headed down the back side in the deep snow.
Then I took a few last shots at sunset and managed to take my traditional K5 fur shot. The cat is now at the fur guy, he is expecting it to take around $450 for just about anything0...
Over all it was a hard hunt, as hard as I have hunted for anything... I also got to talking with my buddy, he figures the cat could see the snowmobilers from the ridge top and being curious it went to check it out. Makes sense as it was the only place they stopped and got off and the cat basically made a straight line for it... Who knows? Cat are just really cool...
This has been my slowest yote year for a long time but my best year. Heck I only tried my cats areas 3 times and killed a cat on 2 of em...
Jimmy619
Registered Member
sad that i live in cali, not alot of good hunting around here....
Got this beefy forked horn Saturday morning.
41565chevelle
1/2 ton status
Nice job, great start to the season!
Nice as usual Matt.
nocturnalnasty
Registered Member
Here is my buck from last November. Can't wait for this season to get here.
elks
1/2 ton status
2012 Big Game Season is a wrap!!!
My 2012 season ended strong despite a rough start. The season began in usual fashion, I was attempting to chase elk in my normal archery area. However this year it was hard really hard to find any success. In 18 hard days of hunting I traveled over 60 miles on foot, saw a total of 27 elk, heard 4 bugles no cow calls. Knocked an arrow only twice and never went to full draw... It was by far the slowest season i have had since I started archery hunting in 1994. The good news was lots of memories. Tons of newly explored ground and time spent with family.
A few highlight photos from early season:
My daughter found a elk shed near camp while chasing hunting bear. Here I spent a whole weekend looking for a bear just her and I... It was fun hunting and hanging at camp (she is 6 and just shot her first grouse this fall).
Also I forgot to pack my camera much but eventually found a few cool pics...
Even found some fur... Just hope to find it once season opens up...
All that being said lets talk success....
So after not having any luck early I had a 2nd season cow tag for a marginal unit. Basically a unit not known for early rifle season success, but there are elk scattered throughout the area. The opening weekend. I saw a bear and 3 bucks no elk. My wife also had an OTC bull tag and joined me for hunting on Saturday night and then again for a morning hunt on Sunday morning. Both days were extremely hot and dry. Highs were near 70 and we were able to hunt in short sleeves from sun up to sundown. On Sunday morning we jumped a couple bulls from the blazer and watched where they went. We made a plan and put on a stalk. We closed the distance to just under 300 yards only to have the elk blow out and run a long ways. Since she had to work that night (she is a nurse that works 7pm to 7 am). We quit early and headed home so she could take a nap.
This week I took off Thursday and Friday as out freezer is getting low and we need some meat. On Thursday I hit one of my favorite little areas (little being a relative term). When I headed in I saw an old familiar couple who have hunted the same area with me for the last few years. They are always friendly. A 60+ guy and his wife. They drive a 1962 ford and usually take a doe or two from the area. They just love being out. At any rate first thing Thursday morning we had fresh snow. I cut some tracks that I followed 2 miles down to the private land on the river. That group found the sanctuary of the private land. On my way back out I passed the older couple out walking. Waved and went on my way to find a cow. About an hour later I was walking a ridge and found a group of cows bedded in an area easy to get too.
At this point I had a couple options on which one to pick and shoot. However I passed on the shot and snuck back out. I went and found the old couple. He had a cow tag and would walk with me to the herd and she would go below and pick us up. It was a great plan. We snuck in and got in position and sure enough no elk. We sat for a second and soon I saw elk 30 yards in the trees in front of us. It ended up being a bull followed by 4 more bulls. They were just feeding and moving. We watched the bulls for over 10 minutes before they got nervous and moved off. Of course we never found the cows (bet they ran off from the bulls moving in). At any rate the guy loved the experience. Said it was the first time he ever just sat and watched elk during the season. It also was in an area he always wanted to hunt/hike but was always afraid because he couldn't get an elk out. He had a blast hunting with me and I like wise had a good time kicking around the hills with him. On the flip side I began kicking myself. I got too greedy and was afraid I would end up empty handed...
The next morning it was still cold and a little snow falling. I got an early start and found where a herd of cows were leaving the lower private heading onto blm to bed for the day. INfact it appeared to be the same herd heading to the same bedding area. I made a move and went to cut off the herd. Well as elk always do they decided to do something totally different. Instead of heading up to the same spot they swung way around. what was supposed to be a quick 1/2 mile hike turned into an 8 mile trek trying to find these elk. At 12:30 I finally found where they bedded. Over the next 2 hours I attempted 4 different times and different direction to make it to where the elk were, all foiled by changing wind. Finally at 2:30 I got the wind in my favor and made the push to the area. Only to find they were gone. At this point getting back to the blazer would eat up the rest of the day, so I pushed on following the tracks. 2 miles later I was in thick tree just 100 yards from a road when I got them up again. I froze, hit the cow call and leveled off on the only cow I could see. She stopped broad side at 60 yards and it was game over. The 140 hornady interbond knocked her down hard.
Off course as the story goes the work began. It was 7 miles back to my vehicle. I was hunting alone and a full sized elk is a lot of work. I quickly gutted her and got her cooling off. Before it got dark I made the 2+ hour hike back to the blazer. As luck would have it, there was not another vehicle in the area. I had seen trucks on the roads all day but when I could really use a lift back, nothing/no one. At any rate, I shot the cow just after 3:30 and at 11:30 I got back to camp with her... Here is my cow and a view of where I came from. Lots of miles covered...
I came from the far left of that ridge, my blazer was just that ridge...
Luckily she was not a huge cow.
That night my wife made it to camp. Since I was about totally dead, we slept in until 8:00 and then finished taking care of the cow. At 10:30 we got to looking for her bull. Our plan was to make a long but easy hike through some lower country. We hiked close to 8 miles. IN that hike we jumped up a cow and calf. There were tracks in the area, but the elk were heading all direction and had no pattern at all. For every tracking heading one way 2 more went the opposite. etc. She was pretty wore out at about 4:00 after nearly 6 hours of hiking. We made a plan to circle back to the blazer. We were heading along and were literately at last light and the last spot where there should be elk when we looked out into the flat and saw 2 cow elk feeding. We decide to check it out closer. We snuck down the ridge and were watching these 2 cows when a third showed up followed by a legal bull. The bull walked out and stood broadside at 238 yards... She showed great pose on the shot. The bull was anchored where he stood after her shot was near perfect. Took out the top of the heart. It was good she anchored it where she did as the bull was only about 100 yards from private one direction and the other direction there was a very nasty steep cut wash that was 15 yards wide and like 30 yards deep. Here is her bull. The good news was we found an only 2 track that got us with in 60 yards of the bull. We tried but a full bull just will not fit in the back of a blazer, so we had to cut it in 1/2... even then we had to show a little off...
Like I said couldn't make it all fit...
In addition, my dad took a cow elk on Sunday. I have not up loaded any pics yet, but this will be his 7th year in a row killing and elk. I have been on a 12 year straight elk binge... Next year I hope to draw a good mule deer tag!
Now to gear up for those damn cats... Lion season started today!!!
My 2012 season ended strong despite a rough start. The season began in usual fashion, I was attempting to chase elk in my normal archery area. However this year it was hard really hard to find any success. In 18 hard days of hunting I traveled over 60 miles on foot, saw a total of 27 elk, heard 4 bugles no cow calls. Knocked an arrow only twice and never went to full draw... It was by far the slowest season i have had since I started archery hunting in 1994. The good news was lots of memories. Tons of newly explored ground and time spent with family.
A few highlight photos from early season:
My daughter found a elk shed near camp while chasing hunting bear. Here I spent a whole weekend looking for a bear just her and I... It was fun hunting and hanging at camp (she is 6 and just shot her first grouse this fall).
Also I forgot to pack my camera much but eventually found a few cool pics...
Even found some fur... Just hope to find it once season opens up...
All that being said lets talk success....
So after not having any luck early I had a 2nd season cow tag for a marginal unit. Basically a unit not known for early rifle season success, but there are elk scattered throughout the area. The opening weekend. I saw a bear and 3 bucks no elk. My wife also had an OTC bull tag and joined me for hunting on Saturday night and then again for a morning hunt on Sunday morning. Both days were extremely hot and dry. Highs were near 70 and we were able to hunt in short sleeves from sun up to sundown. On Sunday morning we jumped a couple bulls from the blazer and watched where they went. We made a plan and put on a stalk. We closed the distance to just under 300 yards only to have the elk blow out and run a long ways. Since she had to work that night (she is a nurse that works 7pm to 7 am). We quit early and headed home so she could take a nap.
This week I took off Thursday and Friday as out freezer is getting low and we need some meat. On Thursday I hit one of my favorite little areas (little being a relative term). When I headed in I saw an old familiar couple who have hunted the same area with me for the last few years. They are always friendly. A 60+ guy and his wife. They drive a 1962 ford and usually take a doe or two from the area. They just love being out. At any rate first thing Thursday morning we had fresh snow. I cut some tracks that I followed 2 miles down to the private land on the river. That group found the sanctuary of the private land. On my way back out I passed the older couple out walking. Waved and went on my way to find a cow. About an hour later I was walking a ridge and found a group of cows bedded in an area easy to get too.
At this point I had a couple options on which one to pick and shoot. However I passed on the shot and snuck back out. I went and found the old couple. He had a cow tag and would walk with me to the herd and she would go below and pick us up. It was a great plan. We snuck in and got in position and sure enough no elk. We sat for a second and soon I saw elk 30 yards in the trees in front of us. It ended up being a bull followed by 4 more bulls. They were just feeding and moving. We watched the bulls for over 10 minutes before they got nervous and moved off. Of course we never found the cows (bet they ran off from the bulls moving in). At any rate the guy loved the experience. Said it was the first time he ever just sat and watched elk during the season. It also was in an area he always wanted to hunt/hike but was always afraid because he couldn't get an elk out. He had a blast hunting with me and I like wise had a good time kicking around the hills with him. On the flip side I began kicking myself. I got too greedy and was afraid I would end up empty handed...
The next morning it was still cold and a little snow falling. I got an early start and found where a herd of cows were leaving the lower private heading onto blm to bed for the day. INfact it appeared to be the same herd heading to the same bedding area. I made a move and went to cut off the herd. Well as elk always do they decided to do something totally different. Instead of heading up to the same spot they swung way around. what was supposed to be a quick 1/2 mile hike turned into an 8 mile trek trying to find these elk. At 12:30 I finally found where they bedded. Over the next 2 hours I attempted 4 different times and different direction to make it to where the elk were, all foiled by changing wind. Finally at 2:30 I got the wind in my favor and made the push to the area. Only to find they were gone. At this point getting back to the blazer would eat up the rest of the day, so I pushed on following the tracks. 2 miles later I was in thick tree just 100 yards from a road when I got them up again. I froze, hit the cow call and leveled off on the only cow I could see. She stopped broad side at 60 yards and it was game over. The 140 hornady interbond knocked her down hard.
Off course as the story goes the work began. It was 7 miles back to my vehicle. I was hunting alone and a full sized elk is a lot of work. I quickly gutted her and got her cooling off. Before it got dark I made the 2+ hour hike back to the blazer. As luck would have it, there was not another vehicle in the area. I had seen trucks on the roads all day but when I could really use a lift back, nothing/no one. At any rate, I shot the cow just after 3:30 and at 11:30 I got back to camp with her... Here is my cow and a view of where I came from. Lots of miles covered...
I came from the far left of that ridge, my blazer was just that ridge...
Luckily she was not a huge cow.
That night my wife made it to camp. Since I was about totally dead, we slept in until 8:00 and then finished taking care of the cow. At 10:30 we got to looking for her bull. Our plan was to make a long but easy hike through some lower country. We hiked close to 8 miles. IN that hike we jumped up a cow and calf. There were tracks in the area, but the elk were heading all direction and had no pattern at all. For every tracking heading one way 2 more went the opposite. etc. She was pretty wore out at about 4:00 after nearly 6 hours of hiking. We made a plan to circle back to the blazer. We were heading along and were literately at last light and the last spot where there should be elk when we looked out into the flat and saw 2 cow elk feeding. We decide to check it out closer. We snuck down the ridge and were watching these 2 cows when a third showed up followed by a legal bull. The bull walked out and stood broadside at 238 yards... She showed great pose on the shot. The bull was anchored where he stood after her shot was near perfect. Took out the top of the heart. It was good she anchored it where she did as the bull was only about 100 yards from private one direction and the other direction there was a very nasty steep cut wash that was 15 yards wide and like 30 yards deep. Here is her bull. The good news was we found an only 2 track that got us with in 60 yards of the bull. We tried but a full bull just will not fit in the back of a blazer, so we had to cut it in 1/2... even then we had to show a little off...
Like I said couldn't make it all fit...
In addition, my dad took a cow elk on Sunday. I have not up loaded any pics yet, but this will be his 7th year in a row killing and elk. I have been on a 12 year straight elk binge... Next year I hope to draw a good mule deer tag!
Now to gear up for those damn cats... Lion season started today!!!
DrkZide
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So it's settled, I need to go hunting with you lol
gotblazers
1/2 ton status
Absolutely beautiful story. I wish i had the resources to do this myself. More time than money.
elks
1/2 ton status
I am very lucky to have the ability to spend almost every weekend from August 25 until January out and about. Sometimes with family and friends, other times solo etc.
I am lucky. I have already spent over 30 days out hunting and or camping this fall.... I still have a lot of predator hunting ahead. My daughter who is six is begging for a new bow for xmas, she already has a gun. My son is only 2 and shoots well, although very supervised.
I am lucky to live within an hour of my hunting areas. The more walking I do the cheaper the trips get...
gotblazers
1/2 ton status
Speaking of walking i meant to ask you. Do you Do any Trapping as i heard you talking about fur earlier. I'm looking to get my trapping license and run a line up in the high Sierra Nevada Mountains over winter break.
elks
1/2 ton status
Not really. We can only use cage traps here and have a mandatory 24 check. I did at one point have a few traps set out and managed a 1 cat, but I just can't justify the gas cost and time right now. If I lived a little closer to my good cat areas I would probably have a line, but cages are exspensive(or very time consuming to build) and kids/family comes first.
I call a lot on weekends and in a good year get a couple bobcats and 20 or so yotes. This year the yote numbers are down so I may just focus all my efforts on cats (thats where the money is at).
