Family 2015 Idaho Archery Elk Hunt.

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

Got back from our two week Archery Elk Hunt in Idaho. Our camp consists of Me dad, wife mother, 5yr old daughter and our new addition to our camp our 4month old son. So with the daughter with 5yrs under her belt and the pro that she is she taught her 4 month old brother all she knows about elk hunting in two weeks!  I like to read other members story threads as they drag it out over several pages and  a couple or few paragraphs at a time. Instead of one long winded story on one page. So hope everyone that reads enjoys and I will add to the story line a little at a time and hopefully get done by next archery season??

[2MANY]

Sounds a lot like my trips.

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

Can't forget that our one year old border collie FLY is excited for the road trip as well. So as every year load the camper on the truck. Load the camper with all needed supplies. Which seemed to be way over kill with all the stuff the wife put in there. But we really need to be prepared for anything as the weather where we go is normally hot and dry but we have had snow,rian and everything in between. Hook up flatbed to truck hitch. Load the inside of the Heap Wrangler with stuff but leave the drivers side open so we can drive it. Get Heap strapped down good and tight. Oh ya kidos bike! Ratchet strap that to the spare tire on rear of the Heapster. We have been alternating years on who gets The Elk Tag since daughter was three. Its a lot to get lucky and kill one elk and get it out of the bush and to a locker to cool let alone two elks. So last year it was my round and killed a nice 6x6 second day of our hunt. So this is the wife's year to hunt the elks?  At this point we are still on the fence as to maybe I should have the tag and hunt since little boy hunter of 4months really needs his mommy and two breasts more than his old man.............. Yes the boy is breast feeding and eats all the time..............

[Crunchy]

The only bad thing about spending two weeks in the mountains chasing elk is coming "home."  Back to the daily grind if you will.  Lucky you had the fam with you.

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

Yep Crunchy it sucks to leave gods country for sure! So we roll from Lyle East Bound for Idaho. We ponder and talk about this elk tag issue? So we get into Idaho and stop for fresh groceries, fuel and the tag. Well wife said it would be better for me to hunt again as the boy needs his mommy more than daddy right now. So now after the two week hunting/camping trip it was probably the right decision until hes off the breast milk. On the road again. Normally a 10hr drive is now 20 hrs with all stops to PEE and eat and let FLY run around!!!!  Get our mobile camp set up and off to check cameras we leave up year round with ultimate lithium batteries and 32gig cards. Cameras are chucked full of pics as always. Elk, deer, moose, couger , coyotes, bears, grouse, two hunters which are the first in 9yrs! Might need to go in deeper if the hunters keep showing on cameras. They were rifle hunters so really don't bother us I suppose. Found the Elk rutted hard the week before we got there. Go figure..... Have pics of a raghorn mounting a cow elk! First one of those we gots!!!!!!

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

Hiked up to the upper stand and on the way there bumped into a rutted up bull moose. This is the same area the wife got charged by a bull moose three times u till she shot her .40 to get it to leave her alone. I give him some Jim Schocky calls and a bow over my head to see how fired up he is? At 20yds he stared for some time then walked up the draw grunting. Got some pics of him. Ended up having to out skirt him on the high side to make sure we didn't have a confrontation?  Get father up the hill and I hear grunting from another bull moose! Never saw this one. Get up into the upper stand and sit till dark. Nothing calling or came in today. Except the Grouse!!! And lots of them!!!!

[Timberstalker]

It's gonna be 2016........

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

Moose #1.

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

Hunt around some and pretty quite. Daughter asks one evening if she can come with me! I said of course. So we planned out a mourning hunt right out from camp. We just happen to have elk close to camp as far from camp. Get up and dressed and off we go. Hike up into a piney/aspine treeded flat that is real hard to get shots through do to it being so choked with trees. Why in avoid hunting it to much. So I get her back behind me with her grunt tube so she can bugle and follow me while I cow call. I tell her to stay back just so she can see me ahead of her. So we start our calling sequence and not 2 minutes we here a bull call out and is getting closer FAST!!!!!!  So I get back to her and we work over next to a bushy fire with some open shooting lanes. She lays into her grunt tube and the bull made every single bugle, grunt, scream I've ever heard except he didn't glunk. Great training for calling in your first bull elk! In short order we can see his legs under the trees. He's coming in on a string right into our laps! I think to my self I should put my bow down and just video the whole event? I know it would be the smart thing to do? His head goes behind a tree I tell Kiddo to get ready and watch the arrow fly. I draw back at the perfect time. He never saw us. About 30yd shot he clears the last tree and I plant the 30yd pinn right where it needs to be! Squeeze the release and the arrow is gone right for the boiler room!!!!!!!!!!!!

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

Our mighty little elk caller!

[fishngamereaper]

Bump    Just helping you out.

[Elkpiss]

that's it?  C'mon man... if this was a crawdad story you wouldn't write it like this...  ..

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

Arrow is deflected by a unseen tree limb and straight to the ground it goes!!!! I tell you the highs and lows of archery hunting are what keeps me coming back for more!  Kiddo says rather loud you getem?, As the bull had jumped forward now on the otherwise of the tree from us. I scramble to get another arrow and he takes off. I tell her let's look for the arrow and check for blood. Find arrow no blood complete miss. Good training for her. I have her keep bugleing and I move ahead to where he went. There he is behind some brush. I'm 20yds from him and he needs to walk out either side and I should have a shot. He's all focus on kiddo bugleing. He finally has enough and walks straight away and into more brush. We pull out as we screwed with him enough for that day. I should have put the bow on the ground and videoed the whole thing then at least I'd have something to watch all winter!

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

Me and kiddo head again the next mourning and right down from camp we see cow elk. She let's out a bugle and here comes a 5x5 bull to check us out. He's at 96yrds and she knocks her arrow on her little bow and draws back aiming at the bull? I ask her what shes doing? She says I'm going to shoot the bull! I told her he's a little far still. She agreeded. The cows finally take off  and he follows.
Had a great time with lots of exciting moments and time well spent with the family! Lots of good memories and lessons learned about the woods and animals by all!   Good luck to everyone and love reading everyone's stories that do post on the site!!!!!!!!