enjoy every moment and best of luck.
Of course you pay for it one way or 100 others.
Had signal enough to send texts and pics to my wife and buddies but not enough to load BS and post.
I would like to wait for this guy to come by......right at 30 yards from my stand or less. He was on my cam 9/3.
scentman
Wish I had a hunt to bring my trailer to this year. I get to hunt my back yard spots with 6500 of my closest friends is all :(
Cheers, Pete
What a day. I am dead beat tired and sore. Wish I could say it was because I killed an elk. Lots of action, no shots.
So I got back last night, posted updates, got fed, and went to bed a bit after 9am. A bit after 10am I woke to a racket like the wind picked up and was tearing off the 3' of awning I had out....or someone was trying to get into the camper. Went to the window and see two dogs looking at the door. I try to run them off and one flat comes on in the camper. I said Hell No and tossed her out....pulled the steps inside and went back to bed. They proceeded to whine and howl and bark all night. Not much sleep was had.
I was not happy but when I opened the door in the morning there they sit.....having tracked mud and grass all over my camping carpet outside the door......happy to see me. They were friendly hounds. Looked like hairy german short hairs with bearded faces. Had names and numbers on their collars. I called and left the owner a message to come get his damn muts please and thank you...then called the carbon county sheriff just to be sure someone came and took care of them.
I had lost my license somewhere along the way and so I had to run to Laramie for a replacement. Coming back the dang dogs were headed north on FS 111 and already by white rock estates....so I called the sheriff to update them on the location.
Then I packed up and headed out to check cams since it was noon and I figured it was not going to be too active back in the woods.....famous last thoughts.
Anyway......I park at the skid road and load up and head back dropping off at a spot before my tree stand that I know is the fastest route to the game cam I have down on a narrow meadow where I had planned to hang my stand. The activity had dropped off after being very promising earlier in the year......this time I had nearly 300 pics of wind blowing grass and birds flying by. Crap. Glad I used my cams to inform where to hang my stand and picked the other spot.
I had another cam pointed west into a larger field just 20 yards opposite through a narrow tree line. I crept up to the opening to the field and carefully checked to make sure no elk where around in sight even though it was about 12:30 and I did not expect them to be out in the open that time of day.
I pull the cam and am looking at pics on my phone......much better! I am standing in the field maybe 2' from the treeline. I see a nice bull on the pics and look up for some reason and see a large cow's butt 100 yards across the field on the south side just outside the trees there. Oh crap. At least she is not facing me. I glass her and see a couple more beyond....they are at another cam I have at another tree stand potential site I have there and moving away.
So I step back into the edge of the trees to break me up and shove the phone in my pocket and give a little cow call. Out pops what I think was a 300" bull and he is staring my way and I am stuck now. I know he can't pick me out but I can't move. He finally steps behind a tree and starts feeding along with the cows to the west. I see my chance to make a move back into the trees and then south and then I know there is room to manuever quietly towards the herd in the trees and above them slightly with the wind in my favor. I am excited.
I get within 60 yards and start thinking I need to drop my pack, pull out my bugle that is strapped to it and see if a challenge bugle and raking will get him fired up and coming to defend the harem. I don't like the thick crap in front of me limiting shots so I take a step......one too many and a cow further up in the woods than expected catches my movement and they trot off all together. I tried cow calling but they had moved on....not a hard bust with them running like their asses were on fire and heads were a catching....so they did not get a good look or scent me. I can play them another day. Still not happy.
Pics from the game cam I was checking at the point of contact. I totally forgot about it and it is sitting there with the door open and empty. LOL
Anywho....I crept up to where the elk had been and checked that cam.....maybe that had the bull on it. I have no idea what I did with that card. LOL. Probably wiped it and reloaded it and took off.
I had one more cam way out there on what I call the big bull trail. I really well worn trail well out past the main activity. I wanted to see if it had anything. Of course I get turned around even with my gps and never find it. But I did find some cool stuff and had another elk encounter.....unfortunately I never saw them just heard them crash off. The area was BEAT UP with fresh poop, wallows and elk tracks though so I will be back later in the hunt to ground hunt this spot.
I found a scrape trail of what must be a bruiser of a bull. He broke off a 3-4" around at the break pine about 5 1/2 feet up and stripped it. He rubbed a dozen other trees as I followed along (prolly why I missed my cam back there...distracted. All were mature large pines not saplings. Like 6-8" around.
I get up to the skid trail and head east to the stand. It is about 3pm by now. I get just about there and step around a pine in the road (there are lots as it is fairly grown up by passable) and there is a yearling cow 40 yards looking at me. I freeze. Mama steps out and she is mature...big. We keep staring and I keep not moving......arm is getting tired of holding the bow. Not gonna shot a mama with a calf today. Finally they move on and I get to the cam and check.....not much action since yesterday.
Up into the stand I go.....getting pine sap all over my hands. I HATE pine sap. I settle in and decide to eat my lunch. I have a fruit cup of mandarins and a half a ham and cheese sammy. I put the sammy in my lap and proceed to spill juice from the cup to add to my stickiness....I'm unhappy. THEN my sammy drops 20' down to the ground. I hate me some times.
I debate but finally go back down and fetch the sammy and eat it in the stand successfully this time. Settle in to hunt. About 5pm the action starts and runs mostly non stop until 7:30pm. I have cows calling and coming up to the road but going west away from me and back into the woods and more calling below. Then I have an elk to the west making very faint noises as it moves parallel to me....can't see it but I hear it now and again. I cow call a bit and wait. The a bull barks just to my left/south within 60 yards. Elk Nut claims this is a demand for other elk to show themselves. I call some more cause I ain't got no elk to show him and he fades off to the south. Another bugle close and I challenge him and he comes right back at me. Oh boy...this is it I think. But he pusses out...still can't get a glimpse but he got close. Happens about 1/2 hour later and another close call but not willing to close the deal and come fight. Must be too early. I dunno.
So I finally climb down as the wind picks back up and can't hear anything and its about shooting hours anyway....hunt the skid road back to the truck and can't wait to share my day with all of you and eat and crash before I wash rinse and do it all again at the crack ass of dawn tomorrow.
I am telling myself to stick to the stand until Thurs then think about expanding out to ground hunt. We shall see but that is the plan stan.
Good luck everyone and I hope you appreciate that I left out the pancake batter shit I took in the woods. grin
Back to the hunt!! Good luck man.
hey, I got those hounds back to their owner. I consider that job well done. smh
Took a break and gonna make some pasta salad for lunch and rest a bit. It fires up here at 5pm so will be back at it by then for sure.
Yes pulling cams was part of what I was doing yesterday until the elk distracted me...LOL The one cam I didn't find can stay unless I just happen to get out that way hunting. The other three are 1) at my stand and 2) and 3) just below about 200 yards easy walk. Everything else is out.
Dropped off the skid road below and well east of the bull and his harem to check out the woods where I heard another bull chuckling this morning. Set up and bugled but he was not responsive or no longer in there.
Keeping the swampy hillside with the wallows and where the bulls like to hang out until later in the hunt. Going to focus on this bull with the small herd first as he is a DANDY. And if a cow insists on getting shot along the way, so be it.
Got to the spot and started walking in planning to drop down below the skid road and stay east of the hot spot waiting for the thermals and wind to start pushing from south to north as I planned to hunt up working north.
All went well. This bull has consistently, morning and night, bugled every 20-30 minutes in the same drainage area. I hoped it was the one I saw at noon on Monday.
Tonight not a single bugle by any bull in the area after they had been lighting it up Sunday and Monday night and also this morning. Strange.
C'est la vie. That is hunting for you. I may give this area a rest tomorrow and go poke around the swampy hillside the bulls favor about 2 miles east. Or I may sleep in. not. LOL
Tonight-Isolated showers and thunderstorms before 9pm, then isolated showers between 9pm and midnight. Partly cloudy, with a low around 42. Breezy, with a south southwest wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Thursday-Sunny, with a high near 63. Windy, with a south southwest wind 20 to 30 mph, with gusts as high as 40 mph. Thursday Night-Mostly clear, with a low around 30. Breezy, with a west wind 20 to 25 mph decreasing to 10 to 15 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 35 mph.
I stayed out all day. Will post some experiences. I did manage to successfully spray the tree next to my stand in desperation as I could not climb down without making a mess.....was relieved I could clear the waist of my pants Whew.
I think tomorrow I will stay in camp and rest.....wind is going to be horrible. Had about an hour of it hit and had trees falling. Hate that chit. Plus having chili tonight spiced with some roasted garlic habanero sauce....so best I remain in camp.
The wind was from the west mostly so I decided to get down and go over to a wallow I found on Monday and sit there. I sat it for 2.5 hours....nothing. I eased on down the drainage and found another wallow 200 yards or so down below....sat it for 1.5 hours.
Got up and headed on down the drainage.....the meadows are on elevation and still sopping wet from seeps. Boots are soaked. Towards the bottom I am about to cross the 2' wide creek and see brookies.....could not believe they were that far up on so little water.....tried to take a pic of them but they darted into shelter. A thunderstorm was coming and booming so I decided to find a group of spruce to hide out under before it hit. I got about 50 yards and heard a noise to my right....nocked on without even realizing it......2 cows and a calf run by me at half speed from back behind me.....I am hoping a bull is trailing them but no bull.......and the storm hit with lightening and rain and hail. That lasted about 40 mins. The woods are soaked and dripping but I stayed pretty dry.
I ended up hunting 3 different wallows waiting for the wind to get in my favor so I could get into position to move on any bugles. nada. So I ended up back where I screwed up trying to kill the bull with the cows mid day monday so I could be in position to move several directions. I hear a faint bugle back over below and west of the last wallow I was sitting on. It bugles again and now sounds like he is in that meadow with the wallow.....I decide I can't kill him sitting on my ass 200 yards away so I haul ass his way through the timber on a elk trail I know.....stop short in the woods and cow call. nada. He had moved on up and shut up.
now the wind storm hits and I hear trees falling and head out to a meadow to be safe. Its almost 6pm. Never heard or saw another elk. Home to rest. Maybe Friday the 13th my 55th bday will be the day!!!!
Tomorrow begins another day....forecast is for more normal weather but colder than a witch's tit in a tin bra to start out......should be below freezing I bet.
Stay positive and keep hunting. Thanks for sharing your hunt with us.
Lets not talk about your bowel movements in any more threads either. No one wants to read about that. If you dont change the way you hunt, you will get the same results. Of course you could get lucky, but dont leave it up to luck. Get after them!
get after it. cover ground until you see, hear, or smell elk. then hunt . go get'em!! good luck and thanks for sharing.
You didn’t kill a birthday elk but you got to spend your birthday hunting elk. I hope it was a happy one!
After my run to town I tuned up my party horn and went walking in a brand new area down a brand new to me skid trail that is rocky as heck. Got back into the upper ends of the drainages I have been hunting lower and which were hot Sunday, Monday, and then tuesday morning before the......how does Gil put it.....lull. More like lullaby horror story.
I got back to the intended location and looked as good as any other.....good fresh sign......calling netted ZERO response. I'd say I'm a crappy elk caller but I've called elk in before so I don't think that is the problem.
So going to do some internet map scouting for other locations nearby to check out since the elk have apparently moved out of this area for now.....or just don't wanna play.
All in all....an excellent way to spend my bday and thanks for the well wishes!!! I hope others are finding elk. I know they are here and I will get back on them. But my plan to be here just as they get riled up and wanna breed so I can chase bugles down is failing horribly so far. I waited in my tree stand the first two days when I should have climbed down and gone after those buglers Monday. Dammit. 7 more days.....8 if I need to stretch it.
They are not bugling anywhere suddenly according to all the other hunters I've spoken to out here and in town. I even dropped by the Elks Lodge and they said they were on strike until next week....go figure.
I have been exploring around test bugling for response in other areas....miles apart. . So I think it's just a weird lull. My buddy hunted with an outfitter a unit north of here last year and said the same thing happened then 3 days later it went apeshit crazy with action. Hoping.
25f brrrr
Makes me wonder how these brookies survive the winter. These little creeks have to freeze solid. Things to ponder......
Exploring a new spot below camp with nice big meadows interspersed with timber backed by north facing timber. Hope they are bedding in there. Huge muddy wallow. Going to spend time listening on the edges.
You should have shot the grouse, best eating on the mountain. We always carry grouse arrows.
Weather change may help, I hope for your sake. We were hunting when you got down to The Library, you can ask the bartenders if we are there, they all know us.
Our archery hunt is over but good luck Jordan, if it snows a little you'll be amazed at the elk tracks everywhere, lol. I'm betting the elk were not busted out of your areas, just too many elk around for that. Pressure up on the general areas will; help you later in the month.
Hope your friends have good luck too, tell them they are logging the heck out of 12 over by Kennaday and Pennock.
Wytex.....got a cow moose on camera passed by my stand at 4:35 pm if anyone is looking to tag one...had a baby moose below recently. You know where to direct them.
Walking the trail was quiet. When I headed uphill to the hunt spot I targeted it turned into rice crispy hell. Take 4- 5 slow steps, stop, listen, scan ahead, wash rinse repeat. Got 150 yards up and near the spot......you guessed it......crash bang thundering hooves of one elk about another 50 yards above and left of me. dammit! lots of rubs there so figure it was a lone bull I bumped. Heard a lite bugle back down where I passed quietly on the trail. 1pm.
So I ease on up and set up shop for a couple hours waiting. About 3:30 I get up and creep down to a pond I see on my satellite image of the area, and set up there until 6.
Standing on the edge looking 500' down near verticle hillside into what looks like a potential honey hole....I think.....I'm alone and 55. No way I should go down there. Let's bugle just to see. and I got a response. Now I have to go down and see if I can find this bull.
I cut back to a point above where I thought the bull was and look for a trail down......sure enough I find one on an open rock and dirt filled slope that has been churned from elk traffic going up and down. Like a dumbass I bail off down their trail.....sliding and fell several times. Surprised I did not destroy by bow.
I am worn slick when I get to the crick and take a breather and have a snack. Then I work the wind down the crick sending out some cow calls. Nada. I bugle. Nada. I don't know if he saw/heard me come down the hillside or what but there is no play happening. I rest and wait to try and see if I can get him to respond. Finally I decide to head back up.....and that took 25 mins of hell. Almost 6 miles of carrrying by bow in the woods today. Good times.
I did meet a nice fellow named aaron on the way out that said he killed a bull down in that hell hole and it took him 3 days to pack it out. SO maybe not getting the bull to respond was a blessing. He has a cow/calf tag and says if he sees a bull he will let me know.
Got to camp exhausted and starving. Grabbed a beer to visit with the neighbors. They invited me to come tag along. They will stop and try some calling in 11 to see if we can get any elk for me......then on to 12 where they hunt. Why not? Sounds like a change I could use.
Clouds are socked in, thunder in the distance....gonna be a wet afternoon.
New fire today near Red Feather Lakes and evacs ordered for up into Wyoming. Hoping Jac's place is safe.
About 4:30 we pile into the neighbor's truck and we head out. He would stop at spots he knew and listen and bugle and listen some more. No luck with responses although he had lots of action doing so last night and this morning. On our way back we are watching for mule deer bucks and elk. Suddenly he says elk, elk elk crossing the road. Sure enough 2 cows with calves where crossing into my unit about 60 yards ahead.....7pm. Plenty of time....then they cross right back into the other unit my neighbors can hunt.
So they park get out and go into the woods to see if they can cut the elk off with calling. I dive off into my unit side and get back in the woods to see if they come back over or if any elk over there are attracted to the calling. It did not produce unfortunately but was an interesting experience. Not my preferred way to hunt but they have done it with great success in Wy for 30 years....so who am I to argue with successful strategies even if they are not my idea of hunting.
I am SORE and TIRED. I learned new things today. Tommorrow is 80% chance of rain and winds will gust to 50 mph in the afternoon and evening. Weds looks super windy also. Running out of days but what a great experience. Still time to get it done if luck finds me......I am too stubborn to give up until the bell rings on Saturday. Then I need to be back home by 7 for my daughter's band competition.
Thanks for coming along for the ride. Nice to put down my experiences and thoughts even if some don't agree or get offended. Such is life. Thanks for all the great idearrs....sorry Paul I guess I don't know how to think like and elk yet. Not for lack of trying.
Tonight A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 9pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 40. South southwest wind 10 to 15 mph.
Tuesday A slight chance of showers, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after noon. Some of the storms could be severe. High near 56. Windy, with a south wind 15 to 20 mph increasing to 25 to 30 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 45 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible. Tuesday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 32. Windy, with a west southwest wind 20 to 30 mph, with gusts as high as 50 mph.
Wednesday Sunny, with a high near 53. Windy, with a west southwest wind 25 to 35 mph, with gusts as high as 55 mph.
Wednesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 32. Breezy, with a west southwest wind 20 to 25 mph decreasing to 10 to 15 mph in the evening. Winds could gust as high as 40 mph.
Thursday Sunny, with a high near 59.
Thursday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 35.
Friday A chance of showers after noon. Mostly sunny, with a high near 58. Friday Night A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 33.
Hope he's packing one out.
Got in my tree stand at 6:30 am....heard a bugle below and west about 15 mins later so down the stand I go to pursue. Get down where I busted the small herd 7 days prior and started cow calling then a location bugle.
He had gone way far west and I wasn't catching him. See movement in the meadow..... mama moose was crossing to my left/south. Game cam showed baby bull winkle was with her.
At noon I went back to deep creek and did some calling. Nada. Storm hit, wind is nuts, came back and took a hot shower. Lunch time.
I am all ears/eyes for what I can do to cut my losses and get my first elk here before Sat.
Matt....Brad..........if you have time to come up and try to help me out.....by ALL MEANS do so. I am the Cougar 5th wheel on the left just past Carlson Creek off FS 113 just down the hill from the Crater Lake Trailhead. Bring it! Whomever....whenever....before Saturday. I am a willing student.
Nothing like a little pressure from the peanut gallery though, lol.
Once this front gets through it may calm down a bit for you.
The longer you hunt without an opportunity, the closer you are to the next opportunity.
There is no book for what to do and when to do it. You just gotta keep doing it till you get it done. Good luck.
The lesson I've learned on this trip is not to pass on a shot. First evening after setting up camp I got in my treestand. Had to have been at least 5:30 and I had a yearling cow directly under my stand. I did not like the shot but she stepped forward and offered a better angle before walking off. At the time I was like......cool......TOO SOON......gotta be patient and wait. Can't tag out in the first hour of hunting with 14 days to burn......
C'est la vie........you live and you learn. Shoulda plugged her. LOL
Got some quality help tonight so we will see if I can capitalize on it.
Good luck and I'm rooting for you to get a chance!
Be safe and make memories.
Cams show moose.....or meeses......lots of them lol
You have A LOT of us pulling for ya.
Wind was scary for awhile so I came back to camp then headed back out a bit after 3pm. After thinking over Matt's comments, and realizing my cams had done their job and shown me when the elk were back in that area, plus the bugles in the drainage last night, I figured I would ease down into the deadfall close to the spot where the nice 6x6 showed up yesterday for picture day.....and just 300 yards or so down the hill and a little west of my treestand where the cow showed up yesterday.
I got settled in and about 4:15 I hear a faint bugle way off down the drainage and to the west. I bugle back as friendly as I can. He proceeds to bugle several more times and I respond without getting threatening. At that point I decide I can wait in my hide in the deadfall or I can go get closer to him. Everyone has told me when you have a bull bugling and working you go to them....don't sit back. Paul said think like an elk.....Ima thinking this elk is looking for company and I need to go give him some.
So on goes the backpack and off I go. There is a large open meadow below me and he is coming from down and west of the meadow. So I expect him to come up the fringe of the meadow where it starts to transition into denser timber along the creek feeder that runs through there....he is coming from denser timber on down.
I make my way carefully but quickly over to the corner of the meadow where I expect him to come. There are intermitten 20-25' pines and firs in here most with 5-6' of space in between and branches well needled to the ground. I think the wind is coming from the left to right....southwest. I need to keep the open meadow close on my right so he can't get down wind without exposing himself.
About then he bugles in front of me. I know he is close. My heart rate leaps up. I am looking for a good tree to stand in front of to break me up and as I step forward I see him not 25 yards ahead and coming straight for me. There are some trees in the way so I can't get a good look....he is not huge but I don't care. There is a tree between us and I stop....he stops......he must have seen my movement....we are now 15 yards apart....maybe.
Instead of coming straight he veers to my left. This is good because he could have gotten downwind of me coming straight but now I will be down wind. My release is on and I am just about to draw before he clears the tree and can see me clearly........and the wind swirls.
Yup....he pivots and trots off back the way he came. So close. I get a better look and he is a small 5x5 if that. Still woulda liked to close the deal. Cursing myself for moving too close before setting up.....and the damn wind ratting me out. But what FUN!
Only the 2nd bull I've called in for myself. I've called them in for buddies but this was my second and he came on a string....prolly because he is a baby bull.....now better educated.
Spent the balance of the evening in the tree stand until about 7 when the wind picked right back up and I was not in the mood to ride in a rodeo tree. Down I come and I slowly hunt my way back to the truck.
Tomorrow is another chance with less nasty wind. I plan to bugle before leaving to see if any body is in this creek bottom wanting to play. If not then I plan to prospect with my bugle down the road into spots that look good but had no elk previously on my hunts to see if I get a bite. Then I have a new spot to check out that a friendly local shared.
Sleep well my friends....sorry no pics. I was busy hunting. ;)
Keep grinding, the elk have to win everytime to stay ahead of you, you only have to win once!
Last weekend I switched up tactics and used the ol Hoochie Mama since nothing else was working.
15mins later I killed my bull. ;)
You're getting closer and there are a pile of us here pulling for you!
Good luck and stay safe.
Good luck and get it done before Saturday.
I tried. I found sign. I found a nice waterhole/wallow that was all muddy from use....not clear water like most have had. Sat there and bugled and cow called then moved on around the area hoping to find fresh sign or get a response to calling. No luck.
Brutal in there with deadfall in the mature forest and right next to it 8-10' tall young pines spaced 10-20" apart. The trails I did find were very old and well defined. Walked past someone's ladder stand where they had sawn out a bunch of trees to make a clearing to shot into. Not sure that is kosher of national forest land......
Just got back at 12:30 on way to the tree stand to start the afternoon/evening. Will stay up there unless I hear a promising bugle to chase. All I need is another vocal and cooperative bull to call in like yesterday afternoon. That was so easy when it happened after all the hard work trying to get into that situation. That is hunting for ya. Long hours of hard work putting yourself into the right position to hopefully get lucky......
Good luck, and stay with the grind.
Today I hit the wall and it quit being fun. Took 12 grueling days averaging nearly 8 miles each day to get to this point. Tomorrow I will be up to check for bugles and if they still don't wanna play maybe I don't either.
Truth
For real! * 8 miles a day of leaving scent, bumping elk, educating elk and endless roaming around does plenty to clear out the resident elk population. It's obvious everyone on here wants you to kill an elk. However, if you keep hunting the same way year after year, your results will likely be the same. You get some good tags and obviously are hunting some great areas. I assume the unit you are in now took 12-13 years to draw as a NR. Good luck.
KHNC... can't you think for yourself? Ed F
Rest up and get em!
Also, there is a time to cover miles and a time not to cover miles. We killed our elk this year in wyoming straight out the back of camp just under two miles. We typically do the same each place we hunt. We have also covered up to 17 miles in a day while hunting New Mexico. I am not going to try an pick apart what he may or may have done wrong on this forum. He has made his choices, right or wrong. As for you ed, you may want to keep following your other buddy around for tips.
Saturday is homecoming for UW, Laramie will be a zoo even though the team sux this year. If you have to come to town , avoid that day. Maybe cooler weather by the weekend, hope you get it.
Pulling for you big time.
Thanks for sharing your hunt with us up to this point.
I really appreciated your pictures and your recaps.
Golf is ok I guess but don’t give up on chasing those elk with your bow!
I doubt you’re done chasing elk for good! No way a set of golf clubs fills the void of elk in the mountains.
As far as what I've read here, you definitely put in the time and effort. Great read, thanks for posting.
Write it up after... but enjoyed what you posted I am 75. Stay well
