Well i'm back and things did not go real good. No bull killed. We got into some bulls but could not connect. The weather was crazy everyday ( Snow, monsoon Rain, Cold, Ice, wind ) . Talked to a couple of guys that had tags last year and the year before and said the bulls were going crazy then. This year not much rutting action . We did find rutting bulls when we went into the back country.
I can tell you that the country in steep and thick with trees.
I had to come back early because of my wifes birthday this weekend and Jury duty starting Monday. When I left camp I seen or talked to 8 guys that had tags. Everyone said they were not seeing much. i only know of two ok sized bulls killed so far.
Story:
Saturday Sept 29th - We leave the house headed to hunting area. After talking to each other we realize no one loaded up the wood stove for the tent. After a quick turn around and trip back to the house we are on the way again. Get over and set up camp. Weather is nice. Go out and walk down a closed road about a mile down the road I let out a bugle and get a quick response from a bull that is pretty far away. he bugled back one time and he was gone.
Sunday Sept 30th - Go out looking at new country. no elk seen or heard. it rains all night.
Monday Oct 1st - Opening morning we drive to the starting point and head out on foot. I think I know a short cut. After crossing the same small stream twice that got big overnight from the rain I realize my shortcut is not working and go back to the starting point and start over. We find the trailhead and head up. It's about a 4 mile hike in to a nice Canyon in the Goat rocks wilderness. This place looks like elk heaven. Only problem is there are no elk. No elk seen or heard all day. On the way back we run into two guys on horse that tell us they have been rounding up Cattle in that canyon for the last two days. Probably why the elk left the area for a while. It was a nice 8 mile walk. I decide to stay down low for the evening hunt. I head to a clear cut about a mile behind closed gate. The weather turns bad. Rain with snow mix, Then ice pellets and then about 20 mph winds. No elk seen.
Tuesday Oct 2nd - Head into a new backcountry area. After a 3 mile walk I get to the hunting area. At about 6:30 am the bulls start going crazy. I could here 4 bulls bugling in the canyon ahead of me. I am sneaking toward the bulls I can hear and I come around a tree and there is a nice 5X5 with two cows standing on the side of a trail about 70 yards away. This bull never made a noise or anything. When I see the bull I stop and my right side is clear of the tree but I shoot left handed so I need to move around 6" to my right for the shot. The bull sees me move and as I take the safety off he bolts. So I keep headed to the other four bulls I can hear. I get the a clearing and set up. I talk back and forth with this bull that is about 200 yards away for about 30 minutes. He finally leaves and by this time the other bulls stop bugling for the morning. I head back to the truck. At about 2:00 PM the monsoon rains come. I spend the rest of the day digging trench around the wall tent with a stick ( we forgot the shovel ) to keep from flooding us out. No evening hunt.
Oct 3rd - wake up to the monsoon rain still coming down. we head up high and it turns to snow. We walk a closed road and after a half mile we come across a set of bull tracks. We follow the tracks for a mile and a half. He stopped twice and destroyed two trees. The bull made a big circle and crossed the road within 100 yards of were the truck was parked. He headed down hill out of the snow line and we lost his track. He never made a noise or responded to our calls. Went to a new area for the evening hunt were there was a big bull seen a couple of days ago by some people we talked to. After seeing no elk or hearing anything we head back to camp for the night. On the way home I almost crash my truck when two bulls jump out in front of my truck.
Oct 4th - We head back into the canyon we were in on day two. At about 7:00 AM the bulls start going crazy again. there are three or four of them going back and forth. We seen four cows in the hillside and a bull bugling below them. It sounds like he is headed away from us. We run down the trail and set up we start calling and the bull starts coming in fast. He was bugling and grunting the whole way in. We set up there is a clearing about 50 yards in front of us. then it turns into thick trees. He stopped about 100 yards from us at is going crazy. making all kinds of crazy noises and is all fired up. He would not come in that last 50 yards we needed for a shot. He stayed right at the edge of the clearing for about 20 minutes but would not step out. The four cows he had finally walked off and he followed them. We made the mistake of setting up in a hurry and the caller was right by me and not about 30 or 40 yards behind me. If we did it right we probably could have got him to come in closer to me and I would have got him. It was just like a hunting movie but in the movie they kill the bull. Sure was fun.
We hunted the evening but never seen or heard any bulls.
Some things I learned;
Don't expect to see a ton of elk. There are not bulls behind every tree.
No hunts are easy even when they are suppose to be during the rut.
The every time I hiked into the back country we got into bulls that were not talking down low. We never seen any other hunters back there.
Make sure the caller sets up about 50 yards behind the hunter.
Snow is good. Monsoon rain, Ice, frozen Crunchy snow, 20-30 mph winds are bad.
No matter how good of shape you are in the mountains will kick your butt.
If I ever draw the tag again I figured out the bulls pattern now and will get one of them.
Wish I could hunt the rest of the season but I am busy at home. Thanks to everyone that helped. I had a good time. And there is nothing like a bull screaming at you.
Craig
