340 Elk?

[elkfins]

One of the mentally toughest and most frustrating hunt's I've been on.  You think you have them figure out then they humble you.
Had bulls all summer on multiple cams only to dry up a week before the season started... no fresh sign and very little elk activity.  They moved out of those areas.  Very little talking made it hard to locate them.  Thanks to intel from some friends up there who had bulls coming into them regularly (without the right tags in their pocket), we got into elk starting on Wednesday but no shot ever presented itself. 
Punch in the gut moment... walking the trail back to the truck right at dark Thursday night.  See the trucks through the trees 50 yards from me so I put the arrow back in the quiver.  Come out of the trees and up over the hump 30 yards from the truck only to see a 6pt bull standing 10 yards from the truck staring at me.  He gave me about .5 seconds before he barreled off into the timber at light speed.

Oh well... tag soup for me unless I can seal the deal on a spike or cow during the late season.

[elkchaser54]

That observatory tag is one of the most frustrating tags ever.  You scout in the summer time and its like the Elk are following you, its so easy to find them.  BUT then season starts, they don't talk and they hide up in trees.  Don't forget to look up. HAHA.  Ate tag soup there 3 years ago myself with an archery tag.  It was so hard to find any place that already didn't have someone there or hike back 3 miles for some guy on a dirt bike with a bow to come up to you and ask how the hunting is......