EPIC: is the only word

[LittleJohn]

We made our way back home with a truck load of meat. I had an anxious 11 year old waiting patiently to go hunting upon my arrival home. We hunted pretty hard and he had chances at some nice deer , but couldn't pull it all together yet. My dad had a Montana deer tag and was coming out to hunt with us for Thanksgiving week. I was looking forward to spending some time with my dad and son in the woods. 3 generations out doing what we love is a dream come true. I managed to rattle in buck for my son the first day my dad was here to hunt with us. He made a perfect shot at 80 yds on a one horned 3x1 whity. A perfect first Buck. And to have his grandpa there was icing on the cake.

[LittleJohn]

My dad is an old logger and die hard blacktail hunter. He is not a guy who will pass up a buck looking for a big one no matter what I say
He put his tag on a forky mule deer and was happy as a clam .

[LittleJohn]

We had an great Thanksgiving in Montana. My parents were headed back to Wa the day after Turkey day. My son was tagged out. My wife was not interested in deer hunting since we had 2 elk in the freezer already. I still had 3 days of Montana season left with a cow tag burning a hole in my pocket.  I called a couple buddies and asked if they wanted to do something stupid? Of course they said yes.  :IBCOOL:We left at midnight and headed back to SW MT for the last 3 days of season. Rod and Larry both bad general elk tags. They could shoot bulls or cows on their tags and I had a cow tag. We drove all night taking turns napping and driving and got to our glassing spot just after day light on Friday morning. The weather was warm and clear. The snow had almost all melted since I was there a couple weeks prior.
Rod spotted a cow and 2 legal bulls right away and we were off. They were 4+ miles away in an area I wasn't familiar with. We had to drive to a different road system to get on them. A couple hours later we cut their tracks and started after them. They had fed into some timber, so I put Rod on point and headed into the draw to try and push them out. I jumped a cow in the timber and managed to get a 200 yd shot on her as she started up the other side of the canyon. Unbelievable !!!!!  Cow down!!!!
It was a young cow and Rod and I boned her out and made it back to the truck in one trip.

We headed to our camping spot at a trail head and set up camp. We were all beyond tired after a long drive and hard day hunting. I don't remember climbing in my sleeping bag and passing out.

[LittleJohn]

The next morning we were up and headed out the trail a couple hours before day light. We decided to split up ad cover some country. Larry headed off by himself while Rod and I hunted together. We were about 3 miles in the drainage and we started glassing. Rod spotted 5 bulls feeding together on an open ridge. They were all legal bulls. They were at least 2 miles away. We weren't sure if we wanted to kill one that far from the truck, but it was the second to last day of the season and we decided to go for it.
We lost sight of the bulls during the 2 mile stock. We managed to glass their tracks in the snow and were able to keep track of them that way. We got on the ridge across from their tracks and started side hilling. It was spotty open timber across from us and made it tough to glass their tracks in the snow. We crept up the ridge slowly trying not to bump them. Rod spotted 3 of them bedded right across from us the other 2 were still up feeding. They had no clue we were there. I ranged them at 203 yds. They were all legal rag bulls. Rod got a stone solid prone rest on his pack. One of the bulls was bedded broadside in the wide open. Rod put him down with two well placed shots. It was rods first bull as well. The other 4 bulls just stood there looking at their buddy wondering what was going on. We sat quietly as we could in hopes they wouldn't go far. Larry called us on the radio and asked if it was us shooting :}
We told him we had some work to do.

[LittleJohn]

I couldn't be happier for Rod!!!! The other bulls fed off over the ridge and out of sight. We managed to drag the bull down to the bottom of the draw and got to work on him. Larry showed up right as we finished working him up. We took out three loads and left 2 quarters for the next day. It was single digit temps at night so the meat was not a worry. We were right at 5 miles from the truck, but good trail all the way.

[LittleJohn]

We made it to camp just before dark. The mountain house never tasted so good.

We were up early the next morning and headed in for the last day of season. We got in about 3 miles as the sun came up. We spent most of the morning glassing trying to find Larry an elk to go after. About 10am we were ice cold and needed too get moving. Rod and I were going to go get the last 2 quarters and pack them to the bottom. Larry was going to make a short hunt up the drainage and try to turn up an elk.

We found the meat safe and sound and headed for the creek in the bottom. We made it to the trail and decided to make a fire and wait for Larry before we headed out. It was about 2 pm on the last day of season. Rod and I had our boots off and warming out toes by a white man fire. We were retelling old stories and having a great time when we were interrupted by a gun shot from up the valley. We looked at each other in absolute disbelief. "NO WAY" we said to each other !!!!!
Not 10 seconds later I heard the staticky crackle of my radio. "Hey John, copy"? "Ya Larry go ahead" I replied. "I just shot a 5x5 bull" Larry replied short of breath!!!! I could hear the excitement in his voice. Rod and I lost our *censored* to be honest!!!! We put out our fire and laced up our boots and literally run up the trail.
Larry had cut 2 sets of fresh tracks and tracked them into a timber patch. He killed his bull in its bed at 30 yds. Once again UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!
We made our way up the drainage to a wide smiling Larry. Larry is honestly the best elk hunter I know. I wish I could plug a wire into him and down load his knowledge of the elk woods. He is 67 years old and fit as a fiddle. I can't even begin to keep up with him. He isn't sure how many elk he's killed, but said its well over 40 now. This was his first elk that he's ever killed on the last day of season :}
Rod packed a quarter down to our fire where rods 2 quarters were hanging. We took out the rest of Larry's bull between the 3 of us and made it to camp well after dark. We would return in the am for the last 3 loads.

What an amazing end to an epic season.

[LittleJohn]

Larry's bull

[LittleJohn]

Larry bull was just over 5 miles in from the truck.

[LittleJohn]

We made it back in and out the next morning and were on the road by noon. We stopped in Missoula on the way home for a well deserved burger!!!!
3 elk in 3 days to end the EPIC season !!!!
It might be tough to top this year. But I will try for sure !!!

[LittleJohn]

 

[quadrafire]

You are a techtard....haha

[blackveltbowhunter]

Awesome season! Big congratz!

[LittleJohn]

Thanks Isaac :}

[bulldogs40]

Wow!!! What an amazing year!!

[2MANY]

He goes by LittleJohn but elk fear him.
Congrats.