i had a good day hunting playing games with a 1x2 today. i had this bull within bow range 5 times in about an hour and never once did he give me a clean open shot. there was a couple times that i know i could have shot and connected with a solid kill shot but i didnt want to risk anything having already lost 2 elk in the last 3 years. this bull was hot too bugling every single time i called and coming right in like he was on a rope. he would get sight of me and take off like he was being chased by a truck and within a few calls he would be right back within sight. i just couldnt get him to give me a shot i was confident in.
i jumped him in a marsh where i had jumped a bigger bull and some cows on opening morning. had he stayed right where i jumped him i would have had a clean 15yd shot but instead he took 10 steps to far and stood broadside at 20yds right behind a tree with his head and neck sticking out one side and backend sticking out the other side. i could have took a head shot and the season would have been over but "why take an offhand shot when you could use a rest" so i passed
after a hour of playing games with this elk i decided to leave him alone before i busted him out of the area for good. and i headed over to lake kachess area. parking at the cooper pass trail head. as i was getting ready a couple ladies on horses came out and we talked for a minutes. they told me as they started up the trail maybe 100ft or so up the trail the horse got really jumping and wouldnt go any farther up the trail. and i instantly knew what was up there. so i got geared up quickly and headed up the trail. i got to a rocky outcropping and climbed up it so i could get a good vantage point of the area below me hoping to see some elk that i didnt see on the way in.
anyway to the nerve racking part. i had been sitting there for a few minutes and began day dreaming watching the shadows of the branches above me. idk how long i was watching them but it was really peacefull lol. WHEN all of the sudden i noticed a little shadow that looked like a head a few feet to the left of my shadow. i sat there watching it for a few seconds and it moved...then turned...then looked back at me. and i noticed EARS. i went from peacefull to HOLY SHIAT really fast. i knew exactly what was behind me but i didnt know how far it was behind me. i knew there was rocks behind me about 20ft and more a little higher up about 30ft. i knocked an arrow and slowly started to turn towards the cougar hoping for the best. right as i got turned around enough to see the cat i seen him slip behind the rocks and bound off over the second set of rocks then nothing. i didnt know if the cat kept going or if it was still there planning out its attack. so i quietly started walking along the edge of the rocks with my hunting knife in my hand (sence a bow would do me no good with a cat jumping on me) constantly looking over my shoulder just waiting for the cat to appear. made it back to the car and got out of the area. i seen the ladies on the horses on the way out and told them about what happened and they were very happy to hear i made it out ok and glad that the horses acted the way they did because they were gonna stop along the creek just off to the right of where the horse freaked out and have some lunch.
crazy fun and scary day. cant wait to do it again wednesday
