We had a guided hunt deep in the Bitterroot Mountains west of Darby. Eight miles off the paved road to a trailhead was the last place we could use a motorized vehicle. From there it was another 5 1/2 miles to base camp by foot. We hunted out of our camp for 7 days....4 of which either snowed or rained. It was nice to get away from everything electronic for a bit.
Day one was hot, dry and little activity. Our guide called in one small bull late in the afternoon but he hung up 50 yards out, raking a tree and bugling...and didn't offer a shot opportunity. We figured we walked 8-10 miles the first day...maybe our guide was testing us :)
I will say that I wasn't sore any of the days I was there and was thankful for all the time I spent preparing for this...Not just the physical training at the gym, hiking up and down our hills in CT with a full pack, practice sessions shooting my bow....but mentally being prepared to release one perfect arrow. No excuses....just get it done.
We slowly made our way down the canyon stopping every few hundred yards to cow call and bugle. We would go out in front of the guide 75 yards or so while he hung back and called....mostly cow calls with a few weak bugles mixed in.
On our third of fourth set-up I was high on the hillside while my buddy was low. I looked up and saw a cow elk feeding her way down the ridge. One cow turned into four big cows heading right towards the calling....and I was right in their way. They all were within 25 yards of me wide open. Our guide couldn't see them and eventually spooked them when he moved position to call....but what a rush seeing these animals so close. And they are huge compared to deer. After the cows left we stopped there to eat a bit.
Moving down a little further we set up again and called for about 30-40 minutes. Just when it was getting time to move we heard a faint bugle down the ridge from us. 5 minutes later he sounded off again a little closer. So we formulated a plan to drop down lower where we heard him and call again. We did this and nothing.....so we moved a bit further and we got him to respond. The only problem was that we went past him....so we backtracked and dropped even lower.
The guide hung back while my buddy went high and I went low. The bull bugled again and we went further until I didn't feel we could go any more. I was only stopped for a minute or two when I saw those antlers moving through the pines. Quickly scanning ahead of his path for an opening I located one 25 yards out.
Our guide bugled again and the bull really didn't like that as he laid his head back and let out a scream that would make the hair stand up on your neck only 40 yards in front of me. He then took off up the hill to find the intruder.....right into the opening I saw. I was already at full draw by the time he hit the opening. I cow called, he stopped, I buried my pin tight behind his shoulder as he was slightly quartering-to me. By the time he heard my cow call the arrow had already passed through him. He whirled and stood there for a few seconds. I could see the exit hole and couldn't believe I really did it. Within seconds he did a death march down the hill and collapsed in a giant crash. My buddy came flying down the hill and we celebrated. My guide was still calling as he didn't see or hear what had happened so we had to wait for him to come down to tell him what happened.
All the planning. All the preparation. Everything came together just like you would want it to.
Congrats.
thanks for sharing your elk hunt with us. I've hunted in New Mexico and I also have elk fever and must get back after them. Would you mind sharing some of the hunt details about Montana?
Guide you used Lottery or OTC tags Cost of the hunt Did you drive out or fly
I've always wanted to hunt Montana just because I heard it was so beautiful out there, but New Mexico has some huge elk.
Congrats on a successful kill and you should be proud to take such a great bull with a bow,.....it's not an easy task.
Picture a horse with 2 kitchen chairs on his head coming towards you with snots coming out of it's nose, drooling from it's mouth, stinking to high heaven and bugling really loud with his head held high in the air.
I did my routine, deep breath, drew back, picked a spot, and released smoothly. The spot I picked was his antlers and the arrow flew right over the shoulder of a 370 class bull.
Damn that was soooo cool!
Decided not to go back to Weare's?
We used Indian Summer Outfitters. He's a small outfitter and doesn't bring many hunters in each year....as a matter of fact he's not guiding next year, since he wants to hunt for himself. Life is good. We flew out to Missoula. I'm having the meat and head shipped home.
The tags were a lottery and public land, but the unit we hunted was guaranteed due to the outfitter having sole guiding rights on the area.....no other outfitter could guide that area....but anyone with a tag could legally hunt it on their own. We ran into one other hunter about 5-6 miles from our camp. The cost of the hunt was very reasonable and I would go there again. There was plenty of elk sign and we saw enough to keep our interest level high. Food at camp was awesome each morning and evening. The camp cook was a former restaurant cook, so he made sure we all were fed very well. I still lost 8-9lbs over the seven days.....gives you an idea of how physically demanding it is.
thanks for the pics and the story, beautiful elk country!! I'll be 65 in Dec and I mentioned before that I've been training for the Hartford Half Marathon on Saturday. Went out last night for a light run and blew my hamstring so now that's off, but that's the kind of shape I've stayed in my entire life. I just wonder how many GOOD years I have left to chase elk, very different than whitetail as we both know.
My wife and I just returned from a 10 day trip to Italy for our 40th anniversary, so I have some accumulated points toward going on another hunt :) hopefully next year.
How would you grade the guide and accommodations compared with your expectations? Also, if you don't mind sharing, what would a hunt like that range from in total cost between travel (from Connecticut), guide services, accommodations and miscellaneous expenses?
What mountains were you hunting ? My trip this year was in the little belts
I can tell you about my 2 elk hunts in New Mexico.
First one with a guide, one on one. Air $800, guide $5000, license $780, landowner tag ($2600) tips $700 = total approx. $9000 Had to get a landowner tag because I wasn't picked in the lottery.
Second hunt the guide set up a camp for me for $700 and would be available to help pack out the elk. No landowner tag since I was picked in the lottery for the first season so total cost was about = $3000 with food, rental jeep, ice, water, etc that I had to purchase on my own.
If any of you guys are looking to go next year and want to team up for a trip let me know. It's really hard hunting them on your own, you really need someone to call them while another hunter sets up for the shot.