During the first trip to ID 10 days earlier, we had a good encounter with a big bull but messed it up. Naturally, I headed back to this spot Thursday to start. When I pulled up, I could see loads of people camping in the area so I headed to “Plan B” where I found only 1 group of people camped. This was a spot I found on Google Earth but had never seen. I parked at 11 PM and loaded 3 days of supplies and my gear into my pack and started walking. The hope was I could hear some bugling at night and set up camp near them for the morning hunt.
Around 1 AM, I was over 3 miles in and worn out. When I started looking for a level spot to pitch the tent, an elk started barking at me. I stood still for a half hour til it left and moved another 1/4 mile to set up camp. I slept from 2:30 til 5 and got ready to hunt. I got a bull to answer a bugle at 8 AM on Friday but he was with cows and wouldn’t come in. I struck another bull at 1:30 PM with a locator bugle but the wind switched and that herd busted me. I walked 9 miles that day according to Onyx and I was in elk.
I woke up Saturday and went to a high point on the mountain to listen at 5:30 AM. A bull bugled at 6 AM about 1/4 mile away below me. As soon as it was light enough, I moved get the wind right and started cow calling. He would answer but wouldn’t leave his cows to come to me. It was THICK and NASTY in there and I’d move when he did, trying to keep the wind in my favor. At 8:44, I had gotten within 80 yards of him. I could hear him breaking sticks when he walked but still couldn’t see him. I cupped my hand and threw my soft cow calls behind me. When he bugled, I answered with a challenge bugle. He was MAD! He started thrashing and came in fast. When he stopped to destroy a tree at 15 yards, I came to full draw. He got done and started to circle downwind. I put an arrow thru his lungs at 8 yards before he could get there.
I gave him a little time and walked up to him at 9:15 and took some pictures with the timer. He was in quarters and hanging in game bags by noon and I started packing him the 3.5 miles to the coolers at the truck. I got the last load to the truck at 3 AM Sunday morning. Approximately 25 miles total according to Onyx....half of them loaded with meat on my back. Every muscle in my body is sore. My legs feel like someone smashed them with a sledge hammer. My feet are blistered. I had some interesting moments over that 15 hour packout with wolves, black bears and one very upset free range angus bull. Boot camp was a walk in the park compared to that experience.
It was everything I had hoped for and prepared for. I can’t wait to do it all again....
