I got home from my Muzzleloader special permit cow hunt in the lewis river unit (560), last thursday. I was hunting with my dad and grandfather, my dad was the only one that managed to get one. I had two opportunities but was unable connect, my ML was fighting me the whole time. The first day 10/5 at lunch time i walked to the creek behind camp and had a cow come running right to me, i pulled up fired, the gun went CLICK, so i cocked the hammer again, this time the cow was starting to move and the gun actually fired. I looked around awhile and no sign of a hit, i took a head shot on that elk so, i figured it was a clean miss. We ended the day seeing a half dozen elk.
The second day 10/6 we didnt see anything on the morning hunt, but managed to see one cow in the road, didnt stick around , when we were up scouting some new area within the unit in the afternoon. We also saw 40 head in a work zone, above the Swift reservoir.
On the third day 10/7 we (my dad and I) decided to hike back in on an old logging road, we made it about a mile or so back in and got into elk. They were about 40 yds off the road in the timber, i didnt have a shot, but my dad did. The cow his was aiming at took a step as he fired, i saw the elk lunge then take off, i kept my eye on her since he didnt see where she went, damn smoke clouds. I was watching the herd standing probably 90-100 yds off through the timber, then they started to file off away from us. I see one 1 go by, then 2, then 3, then 4, and the last one walks into the very small opening i can see through with my binos, and i see her lay down. We sneak up there and i lost sight of my landmark in the woods as we were working down there, my dad says, "so where is i thought you said it laid down" i say, "it should be close, I know it was right in here some where." We take another 10 steps around this giant old growth stump, and there she lays, head up looking away from us, my dad shoots, done. While we were taking a minute to let the excitement settle and trying to get gpa on the radio, About 15 min, i turn around and theres another elk. I pull up and "PAP" cap fires gun doesnt, and away goes the elk. 5 hours, a mile pack out, and all uphill. great day
The next two days 10/8 & 10/9 were uneventful, seeing elk only on private land.
Then the morning of 10/10, we decided to go back in where my dad shot his. We got down to where his elk was, and wouldnt you know there goes the group again. They had came back, but were not sticking around this time, wind was not in our favor. We all broke camp that afternoon, and headed for home.
We cut up the elk yesterday and and found that she had actually been shot in the hind quarter and had a broken leg, from the year before. It had completely healed around the bullet, which was a jacketed Muzzleloader bullet.
