Heading to elk camp, I was excited to be able to walk and hike freely. After a few years of fighting ankle surgeries, I am lighter and in better shape than I have been in years and more than ready to chase elk. I may never be able to run again with a fused ankle but I can once again hike for miles and carry heavy loads.
911 Elk Camp
My buddy doing some glassing from camp. Several times over the last few years we found elk herds doing just this.
My buddy is in the center of the photo just out of range of the elk. The herd bull kept coming in the closest, but just out of range. Teasing my buddy for about a half hour, before one of the cows gave him a clear chance at 40 yards.
After waiting an hour we trailed her less than 80-90 yards. Few hours of cutting later and it was only about 150 yard pack to the truck. Rain had started about a half hour before we were done, and we were soaked when we loaded up. The half hour drive back to camp took about an hour and a half. The rain was blowing sideways and the main logging road running the ridge-tops back were fogged in tight with the blowing rain clouds. We had trouble seeing the sides of the roads and often we had to stop to figure out which way was the way to camp. Quite an adventure, to say the least.
The meat pole at camp, one elk hanging and one to go.
Well the next few days we were into elk often. We generally practice spot and stalk hunting in the cuts and I was spending a lot of time stalking. Two days after my buddy connected I got in position for a 20 yard shot, which I missed. Amazing how such a little branch can send an arrow way off course. I pursued several herds that day, being busted by shifting winds or other hunters. We were having lots of fun.
Following day we spotted elk from camp first thing in the morning. They were about as far away as we have ever spotted elk from that point. At the bottom of the hill below camp we pulled over to let another rig pass, and what do you know there are elk on the landing below us. Circling back to get downwind of them another rig drives out on a landing just above them. The elk were nowhere in sight when we got around the hill. Back to Plan A, time to head across to the other herd. Both of us conscious that the earlier herd could be busted long before we could get over there, but we learned long ago, chase the elk you know are there rather than chasing empty cover.
About ten minutes into our drive over to the elk, we jump a group of cows crossing the road in front of us. I bailed out and gave chase hoping to get in close enough for an arrow. It doesn’t happen, so back into the jeep and off we go towards the first herd.
When we get over to the area we first spotted them, my buddy drops me off and I start walking in. Fortunately the wind is in my favor and no other rigs are around. I get to where I should be able to see them, no elk in sight. I’m in an open cut with a thick reprod close by so I’m hoping they haven’t disappeared into that for the day. I’m about half way across the most exposed approach when notice a bull elk in the middle of the landing about 100 yards away, staring at me. As I freeze in place, he is more interested in counting his cows around him. Fortunately they work over the end of the landing along the edge of the cut instead of into the reprod. Following behind, as I get over the edge of the landing the only elk I can see is a set of antlers walking back and forth over the rise. He lets out a great bugle, and I answer with a cow call. He heads back up the hill looking for the straggler. He stops 50 yards away, with less than a quartering shot. Noticing that my arrow needed to clear a huckleberry bush but stay under a large branch. As I settled in on my 50 yard pin, I realized that this is the yardage I practice the most, off my deck and into the target across the yard, it completely settled me down to make a good shot. Under the branch, over the huckleberry bush and the arrow hit true. As I watched the antlers were all I could see. As they went out of sight I figured he wandered into the reprod, as I had heard a lot of crashing in there. The cows were still milling around so I didn’t move for an hour. I finally headed back to the rig to get my buddy. After a sandwich we went around to the other side of the hill to gain an overlook to see if the cows were still around. There lay my bull, in the wide open, looking like he was taking a nap.
Here’s a pic of my first bull elk as I approached from above.
And as I arrived, as he lay, I didn’t even adjust his antlers.
A little head prop, and my Roosevelt Bull was ready for photos.
Believe me I am grinning huge in this photo, behind the facepaint.
My first bull elk and with my bow no less, pretty awesome, he only went about 70 yards before lying down. Something we are not used to, cutting up an elk in the daylight, and then it was only about a 120 yard pack through an open cut to the rig.
Both the elk are now cut, burger ground, wrapped and in our freezers.
Ankle did great, even left a note with a picture of my bull for my Doctor.
