Rimrock Bull

[fishngamereaper]

So when I drew the tag I had high hopes of connecting with a good bull. Obviously still keeping mind that success rates where around 30% for the tag.

I did some scouting and had trail cams working undercover for me. Drove over the Sat before the opener and checked my cams. One cam had 8 different bulls on it, I knew where I was going to start my hunt.

Set up camp and was dsitrubed by how many camps where going up. I thought I landed in the middle of a permit holder bee hive. As it turns out 90% of the camps where being pre staged for the big opener that was still a week away. By sunday night I was pretty much alone.

Monday rolls around and I find my self working the area of the cam. Tons of sign, no elk...Hmmm, Most of the day goes by with not even a sighting. Late in the afternoon Im perched high on a rock and catch movement below. Elk are feeding in an old cut. I glass up a good 5by bull. He seems to be staring at me, then beds down. He's in the cross hairs, dark antlers with ivory tips. Oh, and he's 700 yards away....I can make that shot but wasnt going to chance it day one, public land etc...I pick my way point trees and put the sneek on. 30 yards and closing, I can see color through the trees. A few more steps and he's mine, and.....wind shift, swirl = busted elk...ugh.

Tues I spent most of the day running the steep and deep ridges, still not seeing much.

Early Wed morning (about 2am) a bull cracks off a half hearted bugle in a meadow near camp. I cant stand it so I get up and get dressed. Work my way to the meadow edge and hunker down. No wind, cold temps. For the next 3 hours I listen to the bull and some cows. I brought my cow call so to keep them comfortable I let out a call every once in a while. They hold tight in the meadow, the bull is finding trees to beat up, the suspense is killing me. As day break looms I can start picking out elk color and counting how many I can see...1,2, 3 ,4 ,5 ,6 ....The excitement is building. As the day gets closer I do a time check, 15 minutes till legal light. I know in about 10 I will have plenty of light to see antlers....A couple minutes goes by and the elk decide the meadow is boring and feed into the timber....argh....I back out and loop around trying to cut them off but they picked up their pace in the timber and where gone.

[fishngamereaper]

I hit camp for breakfest and decide to change scenery. I drive up to the North Fork Rd to the gate. I start working my way towards north fork meadows. Its raining, HARD, but Im good, Im a wetsider no biggy. It keeps raining HARD. I dump off the road every once and a while to check pocket meadows along the river. Lots of sign, no elk. After a couple of hours I get to the old trail head. Did I mention its raining HARD. I work my way along the trail only to find any reasonable route across the river is gone. The river appeared to rise 2' in no time. I found a couple of logs to cross, but no one knew where I was at, No cell coverage and death wasn't on the to do list that day. I work up the old army trail looking for somewhere to cross over to the meadows, but no luck. To add insult to injury I hear a Bull crack off a bugle across the river....OK, I get it, you won this time.

I wander back to the truck after a couple of hours, 12 miles round trip, and oh...its was raining HARD. Day 3 is done.

Beat down I decide to watch my Meadow on Thur am...Nothing..More people are moving in, camps everywhere, chainsaws etc. I hit the steep and deep again. Jumping elk hear and there, but man its thick. I end the day Thur with some cool new spots marked on the GPS, springs, wallows, a waterfall....and a few elk sightings.

[fishngamereaper]

Friday I decide to try the meadow one more time...Nada. So again I decide to change the view. Get in the truck and drive to an area that I guessed would have little pressure. I get there and see one truck. I start the hike and after a mile the loan boot tracks I was following dump off into the timber. Finally Im alone again.

After about 4 miles I get to the area I want to be. I start working the basin and see some goats. I sit down and watch a couple of big billies feed along the rocks, dreaming myself into a goat tag I plan my stalk....after a little while I get back to reality.

I move further into the basin, finding more and more elk sign. I sit down for lunch and after 3 bites of a bagel I hear a cow. I throw my pack on and start a stalk. Still hunting through the old cuts and meadows, fresh bed here, fresh droppings there, elk sign everywhere. I cant pin point the elk at this time, the wind is blowing 30 now. I work the area and find a hidden meadow that looks like it came from a artilce in Bugle Magazine. Monster rubs all over. I start working my back the way I came and hear a faint bugle. I cant pin point it cause the wind is howling.

I move back to where my lunch was interrupted and hunker down. I crack off a few cow calls and sit tight, nothing.

But something is differnt about today, Im enjoying myself. I put the fun back in elk hunting.

I start making my way back out, working back through meadows I had already hunted. Im still hunting, but not hunting. The guards not down but Im relaxed.

I look to right and oh crud, ELK!!! Feeding in the old cut I had just hunted an hr before. I freeze, not busted yet. I quick scan, one elk, quarting away feeding at 150 yds, I can see its a small bull. I see glimpses of another 8,10,12 elk. I then see it, the big boy. But just his tips. He's closest to the timber, in a place I cant get to him. I try and think, how do I get the big boy, at which my common sense tells me it impossible with that many elk. My gut says do something fast before you get busted.

[elkoholic1]

 

[eldplanko]

I hate these cliff hangers...

[fishngamereaper]

My brain starts racing, day 5, Ive got till Sunday, general season starts tomorrow, havn't seen a ton of elk....Do something. The elk are feeding left to right. I see a couple cows in full view now. And still, one young bull still feeding in the same spot, must be a nice patch of grass I think to myself. I quick check the heard bull, still no way for a shot....Decision time, just take the shot my gut says. I told myself I was not eating the tag, no matter what.

Cross hairs up, behind the shoulder boom...Heard busts, elk all over the place. My elk runs out of sight. Now its raining, a cold rain, wind is blowing 30. I want to wait, but I cant. If there is blood to find I need to find it before its gone. I work my way into the old cut, then I hear the wheezing and coughing, then a moan. I see my elk, laying behind a tree. Moving closer, rifle low ready like Im stalking Bin Laden...I inch closer waiting for him to bust, but he will not. I get to him, double lunged and down. My tag is filled. Im happy, for a moment I catch glimpses of the heard bull in my mind. Only to shake them off and realize what I have been provided is trophy enough.

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

    Reads like you got your price of admition out of the hunt.

[fishngamereaper]

I check the garmin, 6.2 miles from the truck.. and its 4 pm...

I make quick work of the elk, and now its snowing hard. Hands are frozen. I send a text...bull down, help appreciated

I get the elk quartered and bagged. I start the daunting task of leap frogging the meat back towards the truck. Its now pitch black and still snowing. One thing for sure, the meat is cooled down. I slam a bag of skittles, handful of almonds and drink my water to lighten the load....its on.

I make it about 2 miles out, which was about 6 miles with the leap frogging, and the help text worked. My buddy arrives and he brought friends....Sweet. Everyone grabs something and 1.5 hours later we are back at the trucks...high fives and hand shakes...some people are just plain cool..

I think about the hunt, and what could of been. But then I think about what was. I remember a saying, Never look a gift horse in the mouth....Well, never look a gift elk in the arse...I was given a great opportunity and I took it...Im blessed to have the lungs legs and heart to still get off the beaten path and get the job done. I realize, as I do after most successful hunts, the trophy is not the animal by itself, but the combination of the prep, the hunt and the ability to spend some time in beautiful country.

Could I have killed a big old bull, maybe...But he wouldnt have tasted as good..

[quadrafire]

Nice Read.....Congrats

[fishngamereaper]

I was obviously put off by some human behavior I saw while I was there, but to give the Rock some credit, it holds some big bulls, and is loaded with nice country. Once a guy gets away from the crowds its a nice area to hunt..  Thanks for some advice that some members gave me, and if anyone needs future advise let me know....I saw alot of country in the time I was there..And I now know some of the Rocks darkest secrets..

[eldplanko]

I realize, as I do after most successful hunts, the trophy is not the animal by itself, but the combination of the prep, the hunt and the ability to spend some time in beautiful country.

Nice write-up, and one of the best quotes I've read in a while!

[elkoholic1]

great write up congrats on the bull!!     

[Gringo31]

 

[7mmfan]

Nice work! I had this tag last year and my experience was almost identical. I also ended up shooting a spike to fill my tag the friday before the opener. You had the right mindset and expectations. Hard work was paid off with meat in the freezer. It doesn't get any better than that. 

[carpsniperg2]

Congrats. I love that country. I have only hunted it a couple times but have enjoyed it a lot. My legs and ankles don't but it is pretty country. I got to hunt peaches some this year. The area we hunted was so dang thick! I like to be able to see a little ways from time to time. One nice thing about the rimrock you can find some great areas to glass in between the thick stuff.