I arrived a couple days prior to general modern elk opener, eastern WA. Now going on 44 years of hunting my favorite elk area. But missing my dad and his elk hunting buddies who taught me everything I know about this area's elk. Good thing that as a young boy, I listened closely around the camp fires, bouncing in the back of jeeps when you could 4wheel most roads and other successful elk bagging stories from the old guards of elk hunting royalty. Over the years, I've been fortunate/lucky to take some nice bulls in the area.
Camp set up, wood cut, re-connected with an ole hunting buddy (he was hunting earlier that week with any bull tag). He gave good reports seeing cows and passing on spikes & raghorn bulls. That was encouraging news to hear...that and the fact that it had snowed in the high country. I just hoped the snow didn't push the local elk out into lower elevations (which turned out to be the case several days later into the hunt).
Opening general Modern Firearm on Saturday dawned misty and foggy. After a long hike in, waited for shooting light while on my #2 stand and 7:10am came around. Hmmm pretty quiet as opening day rifle shot sounds go, not much opening day shooting, probably due to fog.
Just then a yellow blur appeared off to my right. Obviously an elk but what kind. The elk zig zags it's way closer and emerges from the fog bank doing that elk quick step at 55 yards. Thru the Leupold scope I spot perfect spikes, rubbed white near the tips. Being limited to spike only, I rest the cross hairs behind the shoulder and squeeze the trigger. BOOOM, (sounds louder in foggy weather according to buddy in the far off vicinity) and in 2 seconds the spike bull whirls, runs towards me, veers off as it spots/hears me chamber another round and disappears into the trees. Thinking how could I have missed & replayed the shot while listening to the running spike elk in the trees and suddenly a loud crash. And then I knew the spike was down. The 300 Win Mag, 200 gr Trophy Bonded does its job thoroughly. Gathered myself for 5 minutes, replaying what just happened and onto the elk's trail I go. Bull went about 60 yards and there he was! But then as I approached, noticed eye guards on the spikes bases. OH NO, a little panic set in. But remembered something about a regulation change on spike elk; above the ears- no points originating the main beam more than 4” above where the antler attaches to skull. The spike regs changed from a season ago…geez what would the old fellas think of regs today if still on this earth!
So on the tag goes & notched, OCT 30. At 7:20 my 2010 elk harvest is over. Now the work begins for the pack out. My bud with the any bull tag watched this same spike walk by him at point blank range as the bull headed down the trail to my stand. He too didn't notice the eyeguards. Buddy said a few kind words for the beast on the spikes journey to a certain end and waited for my 300 Browning Win Mag to reverberate thru the canyon & timber. And it did!
Shot taken at 7:20am, back in camp and pack out completed at 10:30 PM! Did I mention that I was tired.
the rest of the season spent dogging the timber-brush-canyons in attempting to push animals towards my other two hunting partners or an opportunity to fill a bear or cougar tag for me.
But alas, no luck for either of them and the bear/cougar were lucky too. Weather improved Tuesday-Sat for great camping but not so great for elk hunting as the high country became less white.
spotted fewer animals this year, down from past years as the early snow did it's job too well on the local elk but not enough snow to push the high country herds. I spotted a few nice bulls jumped or still hunting-dogging along after the general tag opener (true spike, 5x5, 2x3, 4x3, big 6x6) during the remaining week. Hoping for 2011 Any Bull tag drawing, maybe I'll get lucky.
