Scouting Pics... dialup beware!

[MichaelJ]

Well as most of you know I drew the Peaches Ridge Archery Bull tag this year and was looking for some help... it came in the form of some members here but mostly from my buddy Mike Henne from MM.com... he goes by Deerhunter4485 I believe...  We took his horses into a spot yesterday to do some scouting and had a blast!  Didn't see any big bulls but found quite a few cows and some smaller bulls... I'll let the pics tell the story!  Also, if you know where this area is, try to keep it under your hat please...  I checked with Mike and he gave me the go ahead on posting the pics so here it goes!

We got in some fishing before dark on the first night and caught us some TASTY trout!


Saw a LOT of Goats in this area... sorry the pics are so blurry here...



First light...


Thanks to my AWESOME elk spotting abilities I sighted this BULL at a whopping 80 yards! haha



More Country...




Couple Elk...



Our fearless guide... who also likes to steal sleeping pads! haha


Myself...


We even found some radio collared elk!




And coming back into camp we found some cows coming right in to feed with the horses!  (Though the horses didn't know what to think!)


Thats all I got for now!  Seems that the next time I'm there will be 2 days before the season to scout what basins are holding elk, how the rut is progressing, and to see if a muley buck will show himself aswell!

Michael

[Ray]

Great photos!

[MichaelJ]

Thanks!  What changes in herd behavior can I expect from now until Sept 8?  'Should' they still be in the same areas?

Michael

[boneaddict]

I have to keep it under my hat.  Well OK.  You are in a very nice area.  I have bowhunted it several times.  Nailed a spike in there, well a spike by 3 point.  I about crapped my pants when I walked up to him.  anyway and had to carry  him out on my back.  Not sure I'll do that again.  Missed the mules on that trip.   I was thinking about taking the girls in there this weekend for another expedition.  I've never seen that many goats in there.  THATs COOL!   The elk will be in the same place until opening morning.  Then it is just a matter of being in front of them or should I say in front of everyone else each day as the elk get bumped from one spot to another.  They usually stay in pretty big bunches in the beginning as they get bumped.  One of your best bets in there is to listen to bulls rubbing trees.  They make alot of racket that early season banging branches together and tearing things up.  Generally not as much bugling as most think.  I've seen many still in velvet the first three days of the opener.   Awesome pics, and thanks for sharing.

[boneaddict]

PS....you'll see ALOT bigger bulls in there as you approach September and the days cool a bit.  They are timbered pretty heavy and watered up pretty well and mostly nocturnal because of the heat.  If you happen to scout on a cooler day, they will come out earlier for you and you will get to see them.   Don't pressure their little honey holes much or they will move out and leave you the lovely little ones to look at.  and for Gods sake don't dink around with a bugle trying to call them too early or before your hunt.  Its the quickest way to screw it up.  Trust me.

[MichaelJ]

Thanks for the advice bone!  You sure we're thinking about the same spot?  My regs don't even show a general archery season in the Little Naches unit... They show a rifle, but no archery...

And don't worry, I plan on bugling only to locate and that'll be after I'm hearing bugles daily...

Michael

[boneaddict]

Yep, I'm sure.  Pm'd you so not to reveal whats under your hat.

[GoldTip]

Very cool pics, good luck that looks like a great unit.

[Slenk]

Thanks for the advice bone!  You sure we're thinking about the same spot?  My regs don't even show a general archery season in the Little Naches unit... They show a rifle, but no archery...



And don't worry, I plan on bugling only to locate and that'll be after I'm hearing bugles daily...

Michael

Haha
Ya gave it away Pard .
I was looken at them pics real hard .
Knew I'd been there packed a few out of there back in the 1960s .
Don't wrry I won't tell !!!!!!!!!

[Guy]

Great photos! Looks like a very good scouting trip, particularly with the trout dinner!

I'll bet those horses were just a bit confused about all those strange critters coming down out of the mountains to feed with them...

[MichaelJ]

Slenk, just cause you know it's in the Little Naches doesn't mean you know where it is! 

Guy, yep the trout were TASTY and fought like little devils! lol  and the horses were sure baffled, didn't know quite what to think!

Michael

[Slenk]

MichaelJ
I have a long history of hunting that area . Going back to the 1950s . And ya I do know where it is !
I have killed Elk or been with guys that have killed Elk in there a long time . Have you ever been from Goverment Meadows to Easton ,Crow Basin , Little Crow Lake ,Cougar Valley , Sand Creek ,Crow Creek (a buddy killed an nice bull there once and had a bear get half of it before we could get it out the next day) ? I Hunted Jungle Creek & Pillup Creek before there were any roads in there .
Like I said before I'm not going to tell your spot to anyone . And I'm to bamn old and banged up to go in there any more .
Slenk

[deerhuntr4885]

Nice post Michael but I'm confused...Are you after deer or elk?  Clearly you have not learned the difference between a BULL and a BUCK!  Next time I'll make sure to sit down with you and show you a picture book...Hahahaha! 

You forgot to mention....How many of those fish did you catch? 

Seriously...Like I told you.  Find the cows and the big bulls will find them too when the time is right.  They will be there. 

Mike Henne

[MichaelJ]

Slenk,
No need to show your credentials to me... notice the " ;-) " in my post?
Mike, haha ya I knew about the mis-spelling but was a little lazy in correcting it!  Glad to see you on here finally!  Also, why don't you hook me up with a nicer reel and maybe I'd catch more fish! lol

Michael

[Muleyslyr]

Great pics Michael.....looks like you found a pretty good spot.

Sent you a PM.......