A Dream Realized: Mountain View

[Magnum_Willys]

Don’t forget to range it 
Good Luck LT !

[Meattoeat]

Get some!! We are all excited to hear how you kill a monster 300+ bull

[luvmystang67]

Get some!! We are all excited to hear how you kill a monster 300+ bull

Dont even show your face unless its 350+

[emac]

Good luck you know what caliber the other tag holders got

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[SilkOnTheDrySide]

The word of the day is:  Elk

They are literally everywhere!  Unfortunately, they aren’t responding to calls yet, and after moving around to the NF side, they are hanging in the thick nasty stuff, which makes it difficult to stalk.

I’ve blown 5 stalks in the last two days, most with the bulls under 40 yards and I just couldn’t see them.

Tonight, I stalked around in perfect position, wind in my face, only to be busted by a cow and a spike while the herd bull screamed just out of sight.

So far…this hunt is living up to expectations!

I will also note, I bonked last night.  If you’re unfamiliar with the term, basically I over exerted myself and got super dehydrated.  I hadn’t drank a ton of water earlier in the day, and I ran out 1.5 hours before the 1500’ climb back to camp.

1/10 would not recommend.  The only way to get through it is to force hydrate and force eat.  Symptoms include disorientation, shivering, loss of appetite and thirst.  Don’t be fooled!  (I’m fine mom).

Also…my bloodlust is kicking in.  300” bulls are in danger


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[downtownbrown0610]

This is so good to follow along. I am glad that the tag is living up to its expectation. Also Dehydration is no joke. Seen it completely wipe guys out for days. Glad you were back up and at it so soon. Good luck!!

[Magnum_Willys]

Herd Bulls were chasing off satellite bulls and bugling today in Montana - they shoukd be talking over there any day! 

[Nwgunner]

Tagging along

[SilkOnTheDrySide]

Sunday

What a strange day! It started with a 430 am wake up call and Jess and I (he is another tag holder) were out of camp.

We are going to hunt opposite sides of a drainage that we’ve had plenty of luck on.

On my side, I would be skirting private land, and wouldn’t you know it…3 bulls light up in the adjacent private. Oh well.

Two more bulls begin lighting up down on the public and the chase was on!

I’ll spare you the details of my boring descent.  But I was way way down at the bottom, and unfortunately the bulls didn’t want to play.

I’ve been changing tactics up trying to find the formula to get a bull to slip up.  No dice.

I eventually backed out because of the swirling wind and hightailed it back down for my evening hunt in another area.

I’m not ashamed to say this.  I’m exhausted.

So once I found a nice hilltop vantage point in the sun…sleep came quickly.  After my much needed cat nap, I was getting antsy to explore and stay mobile.

Picking my way through the jack firs, I kept kicking up nice bucks (file that away for later).

Unfortunately, I also kicked two does out of their bed that ran right into…ELK!

A rag 5 and a cow were confused and jetted back into the meadow.  Slipping through the timber I saw a herd of about 40, including a shooter bull!  The herd didn’t really know what was going on so they meandered and milled slowly towards the timber:

I slipped back into a depression and sprinted a few hundred yards to try and get ahead.  I was in a perfect line…the herd had no idea I was shadowing them…

BOOM.

Two more bucks explode and run straight at the herd.  They jump into action and over the edge they go.  I took a side road to try and stay with them but eventually lost them a mile later. I got in another 300 ish bull who wanted nothing to do with the herd, but he was cruising and I never got closer than 100 yards.

I haven’t stepped foot in the woods yet without an encounter.  It’s only a matter of time…


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[Magnum_Willys]

Matter of time now 0- Time for that young bull bugle -they should be ready. 

[Rainier10]

It's just a matter of time.

[SilkOnTheDrySide]

Monday

I’m not sure where to begin today…

It started weird…ended weird…and in the middle?

The middle was magic.

To alleviate the suspense up front, my tag remains unpunched.

I won’t explain every encounter in detail, there’s too many.  I lost count on how many bugles I chased, but I think the number is around 18 different bugles.  Of which, I had 4 legit opportunities that didn’t pan out for one reason or another.

The day started when I opened my truck door and immediately hear a bull bugling in the public pasture above.  In the mad dash to get my stuff together I set my car alarm off.  Yay…

Thankfully the elk didn’t care.

Rushing to setup, I’m sprinting the 3/4 of a mile across the open field to try and cut the herd off.  They are feeding along the edge of the field towards the timber.  Just then, I see a truck drive near them.  It doesn’t spook them per say, but it does move them about 200 yards further than I was anticipating and I’m struggling to adapt with my positioning.

I sat still and silent in the middle of the herd, and 50-60 yards from the 6x7.  He would never step free, despite me having lanes picked out.  I am not sure what happened, but I suspect a cow eventually saw or smelled me, and the herd busted.

Over the next 13 hours, I would spend nearly all of it chasing bugle after bugle.  I logged 18.6 miles today (personal best!) and I left the mountain with a smile on my face.

While chatting at the camp ground with a fellow tag holder, I hear one last bugle deep in the corner of the pasture.  There’s just enough light to make a play, and off I go!

Ironically, it’s nearly in the same spot as my attempt at first light, though this is a different bull.

He’s a nice six with great tops.  He also had the unfortunate luck of being next to the road!

I snuck down and around along the timber line, rushing because I was racing the fading light.

He had been pushing a hot cow the last time I had eyes on him, and he had pushed her right toward the timber. She bolted when I popped up, and I froze the bull with a cow call…unfortunately all his vitals were covered and he wouldn’t stop again.

Oh well.

There’s always tomorrow!

Oh…I also passed on a yearling bear today.  Before you judge, he wasn’t even taller than the grass he was running through and what am I going to do with the meat while I elk hunt!  If it was a big bear I’d run it home.  But this guy was tiiiiiny.


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[Magnum_Willys]

Those pesky car alarms...........    I see another chapter in the making for the book !

[trophyhunt]

Make Tuesdays great again!!

[Timberstalker]

What an awesome dialogue.  Keep up the good work and thanks for taking us along for the ride.