Well, I have just returned from a frustrating three week hunt in Montana where me and my hunting partner struck out on elk. We did kill two deer a nice 4x4 with eye guards and a doe. I am excited for some redemption on my Washington muzzy cow hunt. I get two days with the family and then work my 48 hour shift at work. I get off at 0800 hours on Monday Oct. 3rd and drive the three minutes it takes me to get home. I hook up the already loaded trailer and transfer my father-in-laws gear to the truck. We are on the road by 0900 hours.
This is going to be a great week, I have not hunted with my father-in-law since my college days back in 2001ish. I couldn't me more excited to share these memories with such a great guy.
We arrive at camp by 1100 hours and get set up. The gods were nice and it was not raining during camp set up. We cut fire wood and prepared for a wet cold week of hunting; the forecast was for rain and wind all week.
The next three days are the same story, so I will make it real short. We hike our buts off and see nothing. It is raining, blowing and even snowing. Everyone we talk to has the same story....NO ELK ANYWHERE!! I have archery hunted this unit for many years and had you told me we would not see an elk in three consecutive days, I would have said you were crazy. We logged many miles and were not road hunting like many others and we were not seeing anything. It's as if the elk were abducted by aliens....no sign, no elk!!
Well the morning of day 4 (Thursday) begins. We wake at 0430 Hours and head for the big timber. It is snowing and blowing. We are literally in the clouds and visibility was 60 to 80 yards at best. We begin our hike and finally are seeing sign. Hands down the freshest sign we have seen in 3 days. Tons of elk tracks and scat...but no elk. We couldn't have missed them by more than a few hours.
As we continue our hunt, my father-in-law sees the coyote and stops me. The yote is coming straight for us and has no idea we are there. I quickly think; do I shoot and potentially ruin this elk hunt?
Yes!!! BOOOOOOM dead coyote. Final stats 15 feet frontal shot with a .50 cal tc muzzy. Impact was front jaw with exit being his butt. Needless to say he never new what hit him and the last thing that went through his mind was 300 grains of bullet pushed by 110 grains of pyrodex.....
Well, it is time to leave the big timber and move the hunt. We make it back to the truck and drive down ridge. We hit the next hunting spot at 1200 hours and in our stand by 1300. We decide to sit for the remainder of the night. We are wet and cold and the wind is still blowing. We sit for 4 hours and have seen and heard nothing. At 1710 hours I look at my father-in-law, who is sitting 20 yards away, and sign we will leave at 1800 hours so we can make the mile hike out before dark. He nods and we continue to sit and freeze.
At 1715 ish the wind stops blowing and instantly I hear a squirrel start to raise hell below me. This squirrel raised hell for two minutes and then all went quite. I was sitting with my rifle in my lap. approx 2 to 4 minutes passed when I heard three branches brake above us....OH NO!!! that is down wind from us. I turned and signed to my father-in-law that I heard branches brake above us (he doesn't hear so well anymore). He turned to look at the same time I saw her. It was to late to stop his movement.....I thought for sure we were going to get made. I raised my muzzy and took off the safety, she was 40 yards away and BOOOOOM!!! She hit the dirt and then got up and stumbled off. I am pretty sure I heard my father-in-law crapped his pants...he didn't see her till after I fired. I quickly reloaded and walked to where I saw her last. I spotted her laying down doing the head bob. Needless to say she was done.
Woke up at 0430. Shot was fired at approx 1730 hours. Got back to the truck with the last pack out at 2300 Hours and was back to camp at Midnight. Wet, cold and HAPPIER THAN A PIG IN SLOP.
This trip meant a lot to me as I got to spend it with my father-in-law. He was there for both the yote and the elk. These are memories that are forever ingrained in my head and will be shared for years around many a campfire.
Thanks Jay.
Johnny
