Huntin with my Dad 09

[workstohunt]

After reading and enjoying so many great stories on here year after year, its time to tell one myself.
I have been hunting with my Dad my whole life. I am now 47 and my Dad is 74

This Elk season was a little different than most as we had snow right off the bat. A LOT OF SNOW!

[workstohunt]

We hunted the first four days really hard and on Wed. I told my Dad I needed a break after pushing snow to my waist every day, I wanted to just drive around and explore--I was just wore out!!! Of course my Dad just agreed and said OK, I never once heard him complain though. He may not be able to keep up with me like in his younger days, but he still hunts hard. I hope I can still do it at 74
We checked out a few area's we have never been, but we were limited to where we could go with all the snow.
We decided to go by Winston Creek on the way home (are old huntin grounds for years)---what a ZOO 

The next morning I had a hunt all planned for us. But on the way I spotted this. (of course I learned from so many of you guys that I can take a Pic through my spotting scope  )
The first is just on 20 power

[workstohunt]

Then 40, then 60 and 3x on my digital camera. This big boy is taking a little break, waiting for huntin season to end.

[workstohunt]

So Now what do you do???
I am over a mile from the elk so that shot is out of the question.
We drive to different places trying to get a good vantage point to get a shot, but can't see him at any point but the first. He is just over 500 yds from a road but can not see him. The snow is a foot and a half deep and frozen, so every step is heard for 500 yds. The Elk stayed bedded for the next 4 1/2 hours while we pondered what to do.

[Alan K]

Aim at the treetops above him?

LOL Not really. . . It's hard to say. Bail off the road that's 500 yards away and try and put a sneak on him.  If he jumps, track him in the snow until you get a shot, or until dark. Would be tough for the old man to keep up in those conditions though.

[workstohunt]

Well after discussing that the elk a 7x6 didn't get that way by letting hunters sneak in on him, and that making a drive was fruitless as well. I noticed a couple of tall tree's up the hill but still about 350 yds from where I thought the elk would be bedded. I get the brilliant Idea that if I could climb the tree, it may give me enough height to see the bull and my Dad agrees. This is the part where my wife say's "YOU WONDER WHY I WORRY! YOUR DAD JUST AGREED WITH YOU" 
So I figured I better go light with just my bino's gun and 50 ft of parachute rope I carry.
It was about 120 yds up the hill to where the 2 tree's I had spotted. Well---that's when the plan changed! They were two big cedar tree's and the first limb's were 20 ft up I couldn't even bear hug them to climb up to the first limb.
So I looked around and up the hill another 20 yds was 2 hemlocks but the first limb was 15 feet up on the one. Well they were growing close enough that I figured I could shimmy up between them until I could grab the first limb. I took the shell out of the chamber and put it in my pocket, and tied the 50 ft of rope to my gun. I figured once I was up in the tree I could pull my gun up if I could see the elk.
The plan was working great! I reached the first limb and pulled myself up onto the limb (NOTE trees that have snow in winter--they grow down not out!!!!)
I climbed until I ran out of rope. (remember it is 50 ft)
The elk was still now where in sight. So I tied the rope off and continued up the tree

To be continued!

[coop2424]

Please continue.  This just got very interesting..  Climbing a tree 50 ft to get a shot off..  

[cle elum bowhunter]

Oh do tell!  This could get really funny.

[andrew_12gauge]

we need more

[remington300mag]

This is more suspenseful than any book I have read lately!!! I want to hear the whole story, but can't wait for the ending!!!!   

[Todd_ID]

I can foresee a big poof of white coming after the fall from the tree........




On a serious note...enjoy the time spent with your dad.  I lost mine in 01, and hunting changed for me forever on that very day.

[coriantonk]

Dont just tease us!  Please finish the story!

[workstohunt]

Sooooo, I climed up about another 50 ft. As I was swaying back and forth (the tree that was over 2 ft through is down to less than 6 inches) and looking down, I am thinking ---I am way the hell up here---I wonder if the top is going to snap off?
Anyways I got over it and focused my attention on where the bull was. I started glassing the spot where I thought he was, but could not see anything. I could see a small opening just up from where I thought he was and thought I will just keep an eye on it for a while---beings I'm a 100 ft up in a tree, what else do you have to do I hadn't been glassing but five minutes and what do I see----THE BULL He had just walked into the only spot I could have seen him. Thats when the part of the plan of leaving my gun on the ground till I could see something wasn't thought out   Sooo down the tree I go to where I had tied the rope off with my gun where I had run out of rope at 50 foot. I undo the rope and start pulling the gun up the side of the tree that had only a couple limbs. It was going great! UNTIL the gun hung up slightly in a limb. I nugged the gun through the branch and as I did---- I here the god awfull sound of metal tingging It couldn't be what I thought it was-- Well it was --the floor plate had come open and the 3 shells that I had left in the gun after removing the one from the chamber, where now ON THE GROUND--along with the inner floor plate. so now all thats left is the floorplate and spring. I close the floorplate and go to close the action and the spring won't let me close the bolt until I push it out of the way. Then it hits me I only have the one bullet---wait I didn't go as light as I thought, I have another one in my other pocket I will never get more than one shot anyway!!
Sooo I put the gun on my back and up the tree I go. I get to the spot where I had been hanging on and take a quick look to see if he was still in sight. YES but was moving behind one of the big old growth trees and out of sight. Get your gun loaded stupid, I thought. Thats when it hits me again-- you have two shells and your 100ft up in a tree-- DON"T DROP THE SHELL-- I open the bolt and the spring pops out the top, so I open the floorplate to get the spring out of the way, move the gun through the limbs so it is pointing down and drop the shell into the chamber. I get the bolt closed--what a relief.
Soooo now I get the gun on a limb and my arm around the tree holding the gun. On que the bull steps out, but stops before I can get a good shot at the front sholder.
Now the delima -- do I wait and maybe never see it again or take the shot??? I can see through a little brush the front sholder and neck, his head is in the open. AT 350 yds a head shot is out of the question for me so I figure I can stick it in through the small brush into the front part of the shoulder and neck.
BANG!!! I get focused on the spot-- he's still standin there I MISSED He shook his head up and down and looked around to see where the noise was coming from. THEN it hits me--- you only have one shell left, RELOAD and don't drop it.
I carefully stick the last shell in, close the bolt and get into position. The bull had turned and had his head sticking out the other side of the large 8ft dia. tree, then takes a couple steps into the open, but I can tell he's not going to stick around. I get on the front shoulder and squeeze the trigger. As I squeezed the trigger the bull takes off. I see nothing Did I miss-- It didn't matter now, it was all over. Just get out of the tree and go check for blood.

[oldschool]

 More dude more

[Skyvalhunter]

Don't keep teasing us!!