Ramblings of an insomniac elk hunter

[Screaminreelz]

It's almost being like a little kid on Xmas eve waiting until you can get up earlier enough to catch a peek at Santa, hoping he brought you everything you've ever wanted.... tonight i might reach REM but doubtful.... I LOVE ELK SEASON!!!!

[762Armo]

Maybe I'll see you out there Billjr. We usually split our time between Coweeman and Winston. Last year we saw elk everywhere but could never get a good shot. I'm sure the big boy's are around, you just have get in the thick of things and find them! I have 2 1/2 hours to go before I can leave work. Come on Come on................Oh man......I think is slow................. So let's start an unofficial pole for the people who stop by this thread. Given a choice, would you rather take a nice typical or a gnarly non typical? I know most people would say either but that's not a choice here. I like a lot of character in deer racks, but there is something very regal about a big perfectly symmetrical elk rack. So I'm going with typical.

hey Ripper, do you happen to know if the gates open at Coweeman?

[billjr64]

 Raghorn dreams waking me when I should be sleeping, I see a mid day nap in my hunt may be appropriate. I`m worried about the area I plan on hunting at daylight, it`s always so crowded that even the drive to get there can be unnerving. But there are plenty of elk there. Part of my problem with nailing down a specific area to hunt is that I have been cruising timber on the tree farm for many years now, too many little honey holes that I told myself to hunt when I found them, too short of a season to hunt them all. If I could get just a couple more hours sleep I`ll be ready to roll. Good luck out there. Bill

[BOWHUNTER45]

  Hope you all bag up one ... yEAH I can remember as a kid back in Pa waiting up all night to go deer hunting ..Hell I think a couple times I slept with half my hunting clothes on  Fresh smell of coffee and making my favorite peanut butter and jelly sandwhiches and a fresh chunk of pepperoni to naw on threw out the day ...Tell ya what when it is 10 to 15 degrees outside and snowing ,there is nothen that tastes better than a peanut butter and jelly sandwhich and a hot cup of coffe while your sitting on a deer stand ...I can still smell the air from those days and still taste those peanut butter and jelly sandwhiches and that fresh stick of pepperoni 

[Ripper]

Here we sit, parked at the skidder road we are going to hunt. It's an hour before legal shooting ligbt. Going to finish this cup of coffee, and eat a protein bar then head out. It's raining lightly, the wind is ok, not perfect. Hasn't been any traffic on the road we came in on so that's good. Anticipation is in the air, I'm stoked! The gates to Coweeman are open 762, at least the one across the bridge on 4700 rd is. I drove up there yesterday. I'm up in the Winston this morning, we'll see how it goes. Good luck everyone, I'm looking forward to some pics later on. Maybe we'll even have something to post!

[singleshot12]

Good luck Ripper.. you've had a good year so far and it would be nice to finish it with an elk

[Ripper]

Yes it would! Well time to roll!

[billjr64]

 Pumpkins bouncing through the fog.

[Ripper]

You got it right Bill, not only pumpkins but more road runnin rigs than I've ever seen. Saw 2cows and 2 deer yesterday. We're hopeing for better today. Wish the temp would drop 10-15 degrees!

[Ripper]

Well opening weekend came and went without success, the killing kind anyway! Hunted hard dawn till dusk 3 day's in a row. Sat on clear cuts early and late each day. Mid day's were spent either in the thick timber or looking for new places to hunt. We never left the tree farm during the days. I have never seen so few elk or as many deer as we saw this last weekend! Deer were and deer sign was everywhere we went! Elk and elk sign, no where! We were in the lower Winston, off of 4400 and 4500 rds, and in the Coweeman off of 4700, 200, 1300 and 1600 road systems. only saw one rag horn bull in the back of a truck all weekend. Everyone I talked to said it was slower than ever and no one was seeing much of anything. I know some people have said in other threads that they had success or saw success from others but not us. I want to go give it another shot this Friday and Saturday. Anybody else going to be down that way that want's to buddy up and hunt?