Idaho opening day deer, no opening day elk

[Taco280AI]

Pics and full story to come, but man it was work. The elk are crazy here, nonstop bugling! And they're elk cause I'm looking at them, some good bulls too

[7mmfan]

All that shooting paid off!

[elkboy]

Nice!  Congratulations! 

[Taco280AI]

Had my game plan on where to go. I've been to this area precisely two times before, and both times I got a buck. Hike back a few miles, then take a ridge and hike up. Saw quite a few does early on, along with a small buck that I wasn't going to take opening day. Kept going up and spotted two nice bulls on top of the ridge, looked to be 5 points.





Kept glassing what was in front of me along with the other side of the canyon. More does over there, a few hunters, and only a few gunshots. As I was nearing the top I spotted two bucks, one looked to be a 3 point, but of course not on the hill I was on, but across the canyon behind me. Headed back down from where I was at, and boy do I hate oak brush! Five feet high, impossible to go through quietly, and worked up a sweat going through it, while going downhill. Got to within 700something yard, 600... 500... 493 and that was as close as I could get before they both bedded down.



So now what... tried a new plan a couple times, but either due to wind or other deer that I didn't want to push up toward the bucks, I kept changing it. Ended up going down the hill, then straight up the other side, but staying to the right of the draw they were in, on the other side. The wind, wow. Every. Single. Direction. Uphill, left, right, down, rinse, repeat. I was certain they were going to smell me long before I got there, but kept going anyway. Got up high enough and made my way over the left side of the ridge, trying to see where they were. As I got closer, the terrain got steeper. I was to the point of probably being 40 yards from where I thought they were, and still couldn't see the bottom. Here's comes the wind shift, blowing straight to them. Okay... get ready... and there they go! Up the hill away from me and behind trees, not offering anything. They got about 100 yards and stopped to look back through the trees blocking my view, no shot. Then they made their way left. During this I moved to a tree in front of me, put my rifle against the side of it, and waited. Soon enough, they walked through an opening. The lead deer was a big 2 point, but his buddy was better. Roughly 110 yards (ranged after the shot), and the 145 LRX did its job again, he only went 30 yards.







Didn't notice at first, but he splits on the back on one side, and the front on the other.



Gotta wear your facemask, Covid and all 

13 hours after starting, and 6 hours of rain, was finally on my way home. Am not too happy with Exo, however...



Saw a lot of elk, a lot of nice bulls, and they wouldn't shut up! Bugling ALL DAY LONG.

[ShaneTyTrey]

Congrats, nice buck!

[Dan-o]

Awesome hunt.

LOVE the pics of the country.

[Kvw4x4]

Great buck and great pictures! Exo sent out an email about the frame issue on the new k3,  You musta missed it.  They will be send you a new frame if you contact them. 

[Jpmiller]

I love the look of that rack, especially how it forks differently on either side. Great buck, thanks for posting.

[blackveltbowhunter]

Great buck!! Congrats!

[Alchase]

Nicely done Taco!
Great buck, thanks for the pics!

[RB]

Nice Buck!

[elkrack]

Sweet buck! That would be painful to have that pack break🥴

[archerykraze]

Nicely Done! Thanks for the write up. Really like the opposing forks, neat rack. Really cool you stalked the buck and fought the wind getting in close. Congrats! 

[Wolfdog2314]

Thanks for the story! Great buck!

Like mentioned, there was a recall on the Exo frames last year. Give them a call and I guarantee they will hook u up regardless of the situation.

[Brushbuster]

That was some tuff hunting. Congrats on a hard earned trophy. 

[dmoua]

Congrats. Exo will replace it for you but I’d be pissed too. I’ve had mine for 4 months and had to send in part of the lower half to get replaced since the stitchings came loose where the frame sits.

[jstone]

Nice job
Love Idaho

[elkboy]

Great buck, Taco!  Deer sure love those post-fire landscapes. 

Glad you have some winter meat, some nice antlers, and some great hunt memories. 

[dilleytech]

Good work. Exo did rectify the aluminum frame issue last spring. You must have missed it. The customer service is top notch and will get you fixed if you get ahold of them no questions asked.

I left my original frame in mine just to see if it would ever break and it eventually did Last week after many heavy pack outs. But mine broke in the middle and I didn’t notice until I took it apart to clean blood. No worries I put the Stronger proven spare they sent me last spring in. No complaints with Exo. Those guys care about happy customers.

[Muleyslyr]

Nice job! Congrats on going 3 for 3 over there now. I'm headed over there next Friday for a week. Looking forward to seeing what I can find.

[Taco280AI]

Exo said the bad frames only made up 1%, I kind of doubt that. As long as there's no issues with, hopefully, packing out elk meat next month.

Idaho has been good to me for deer, next month will be the first time in years I'll actually be able to chase elk here. I always see more elk than I do deer. Amazed how vocal they are, two years ago found a big herd bull going non stop on Halloween. Of course I had to work the next day. Didn't hear a single elk for WA muzzy elk this year.

Idaho terrain is humbling. I'll just go climb that ridge over there, it doesn't look that bad. 40 minutes later I'm not even half as far as I thought I'd be, wondering what I was thinking in the first place    Too bad I didn't turn on the tracking on my phone, but straight line distance (no twists, turns, elevation consideration) was 2.6 miles from the deer to the 4Runner on the way out.

[dvolmer]

Great Job! and Great Buck!!!  Congrats and the hard work paid off!!!

[jstone]

See any wolf sign?
I love Idaho

[Taco280AI]

Not in that area, but have in others.

[dilleytech]

Exo said the bad frames only made up 1%, I kind of doubt that. As long as there's no issues with, hopefully, packing out elk meat next month.

Idaho has been good to me for deer, next month will be the first time in years I'll actually be able to chase elk here. I always see more elk than I do deer. Amazed how vocal they are, two years ago found a big herd bull going non stop on Halloween. Of course I had to work the next day. Didn't hear a single elk for WA muzzy elk this year.

Idaho terrain is humbling. I'll just go climb that ridge over there, it doesn't look that bad. 40 minutes later I'm not even half as far as I thought I'd be, wondering what I was thinking in the first place    Too bad I didn't turn on the tracking on my phone, but straight line distance (no twists, turns, elevation consideration) was 2.6 miles from the deer to the 4Runner on the way out.

At the time they noticed the problem it was about 1% of people had the issue. It’s gotta be more like 80% of packs that eventually will have the issue if hauling heavy loads. Like 100#+. But that was the packs that went out in the first 4 months or something of the k3 line. Anything bought it the last year or so would have a good frame.

[Troutnut]

Nice hunt and pictures! I just got home from getting my first-ever muley buck in Idaho, and it's scary how many similarities there are in our stories... except mine was on the second morning. Just like you I heard elk bugling like crazy all over the place too, of course in a unit where it's hard to get an elk tag.

[Fl0und3rz]

Very nice.  Congratulations.

[Skillet]

Right on Taco.  Congrats, great write-up!

[Taco280AI]

You need to get out to Idaho next year 

[Skillet]

Making it pretty hard to say no!  Everything sounds great except that "just gonna hike up to that ridge over there" part.  My lungs are pretty used to breathing the air at about 6 feet of elevation all the time now 

[theleo]

Nice write up, cool buck, and gorgeous scenery. I've got 4 weeks to wait still before I can be over there chasing muley's.

[2MANY]

Sweet.
Love the colors.

[pygmy1985]

NIce buck. I love Idaho hunting.  So much opportunity.

[ctwiggs1]

Sweet buck!  How did Exo treat you?  I've had well over one hundo in mine but I've always been curious about what will happen when that expensive pack finally gives in.

[Pathfinder101]

Enjoyed the write up.  Are you going back for elk, or did you only have a deer tag?

[C-Money]

Nice story! Glad you connected with a good buck!

[Taco280AI]

Thanks all. I'm hunting elk as well, but I'm thinking a different area than this. There's enough people there to know the elk are there too, and year after year the elk are in the same place. I imagine you better be in position at sunlight cause bullets will be flying. I have a place in mind, harder to get to unfortunately. The bull pictured is from there. And I'll have a new frame for packing out.

[Taco280AI]

Went to the same general area that I got my deer since I saw a couple dozen elk with nice bulls. From the time it started to get light through 20 minutes after sunrise I had seen 48 deer with 3 bucks under 300 yards. The bucks are definitely taking interest in does. Not a single elk all day anywhere within miles of glassing. No idea where they went, maybe 3 weeks of deer pressure was enough to push them out. Far.