Post by: elkhuntindad on October 01, 2010, 06:33:28 PM
I am a brand new member and have to say what a great site this is. I am a 30yr old father of 4 (10-8-6-3) and just really starting to get into elk hunting and with being the only income times are a little tight,it's time to really put in some field time and put meat on the table. I have never been big on getting the biggest deer or whatever just so long as i can provide for my family. I have hunted south of Spokane all of my life hunting whitetails, with pretty decent success. As with having a little herd of kids it's hard to get out hunting, but my boys Hunter 8 and Gunnar 6 are starting to tag along with dad on our whitetail hunts which is by far the most amazing and hilarious time especially when you say "we need to be quite" follow by a "WHAT" reply while clanking two sticks together like Tommy Lee Anyway i have an opportunity to go hunting in the Rimrock area with my father and a couple of his friends during modern firearm for spike's. Unfortunately the boys wont be with me, but we are going to be setting up camp near Rimrock Lake apparently and i was wondering if anyone may have any suggestions, im not looking for your hot spot or honey hole because i know i need to earn my keep and get out in the field, but a point in a good direction would be greatly appreciated. I can only hunt Saturday and Part of Sunday because Dad duties call for Haloween just kidding. But i look forward to talking with many of you and hopefully returning the favor along the way!
Thank you very much!
Post by: TikkaT3-270Shortmag on October 03, 2010, 10:03:45 PM
Post by: Glockster on October 04, 2010, 10:35:03 AM
Go up Lost Lake Road or hunt around Clockman Rock or the Chimneys day 1 and take a drive up to the high country that afternoon....Pinegrass ridge, Jump Off Joe, or top of Bethel and get your bearings. Hunting elk along the river might be good if you found a resident band that got pushed there after the opening volley. Very rough terain that.
Good luck, hunted there oft and on for over 25yrs. Guys that get their elk every year there are dialed in to the travel lanes once the first volley goes off. Back in the 80's we had 2 week modern seasons in Nov and elk were hanging in almost every camp....ah the good old days. Now not so much!
Post by: bullcanyon on October 04, 2010, 11:50:13 AM
Post by: Glockster on October 04, 2010, 02:34:54 PM
Post by: elkhuntindad on October 04, 2010, 02:40:31 PM
Again thank you all very much
Post by: saylean on October 04, 2010, 09:50:25 PM
Best of luck!
Post by: C-Money on October 04, 2010, 10:13:05 PM
Post by: Morse_FJ40 on October 05, 2010, 07:56:50 AM
Good luck.
Post by: Fish4Fun on October 05, 2010, 09:24:51 AM
I haven't been home for halloween since 1992.
That is why our Elk Camp is called Pumpkin Camp, by the old timers where we hunt. It has been a tradition for 30 years to have Pumpkins on the stumps out from of camp.
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi579.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fss231%2Ffish4fn%2FPumpkinCamp.jpg&hash=c37eb811ca0d44d290223dba568e2caeeedbbbee)
Post by: Glockster on October 05, 2010, 10:29:14 AM
Over the years we took deer, elk, grouse, rabbits, even ducks and one turkey from that country. I hope you post your hunt pics and best of luck!
PS: Be sure to get some water from Goose Egg Spring (it is on the right just before the air strip.
Post by: Fish4Fun on October 05, 2010, 11:46:44 AM
Post by: Glockster on October 05, 2010, 01:47:09 PM
Another tradition I remember back in the 80's.....when the rifle elk season was 2 weeks long and in mid November. Back when there was an actual more than likely chance at snow every season....people would cut all four legs off their elk and plant them in the snow in front of their camps. LOL
You probably remember the big snow of 1985 when we got over 4ft of snow in 24hrs. I remember the National Guard helicopters flying all day rescuing trapped hunters. We were on the other side of the ridge from you and only a couple miles in from the HWY...we got out but many did not get their camps out until Spring.
Post by: Fish4Fun on October 05, 2010, 02:08:08 PM
Everone knew my Dad back in the day, he was called Whiskey Bill by all the old times. We have killed a lot of elk back in that country. Between my brother and I we have killed 33 bulls and I think 6 or 8 cows over the years. The good old days when it was any bull, no watching 6 and 7 points walk past. The only walking was us walking up to them on the ground.
Post by: Glockster on October 05, 2010, 03:42:07 PM
Keep up the tradition of Pumpkin Camp. My elk camp tradition kinda died over there when my ole man passed, but still make it over every once and a while. Good luck and can't wait to see bull #34 :)
Post by: Fish4Fun on October 05, 2010, 08:35:26 PM
Keep up the tradition of Pumpkin Camp. My elk camp tradition kinda died over there when my ole man passed, but still make it over every once and a while. Good luck and can't wait to see bull #34 :)
Say no more, when the Old Man passed away my brother and I stayed off the mountain for a while too. It was his Elk Camp and it was his way or the highway, no discussions. But, you know your Dad like ours would want you back up there just like ours would want us back. We were gone from the elk country for 15 years. Our first year back on the mountain we bumped into guys that didn't recognize John or I. They were a little confussed that they had hunted in there for several years and had never seen the 2 of us.They knew something was up because we killed an elk in the first 30 minutes of dayslight. As they talked to us they noticed we knew every trail and crossing. Then when we would tell them who we were, it was like we had never left. The old guys were glad to see the 2 brothers that they had seen grow up back on the mountain. I was 25 when we got the snow in 85', I remember it like yesterday too. In 1969 when I was 9, I killed my first bull in the North Fork of Oak Creek. I turned 50 this August, the passion is back and so is Pumpkin Camp. with a group that the Old Man would have totally approved of. We have killed 4 elk in the last 3 seasons, we still have it and so do you if you come back too.
Post by: FWilliams on October 06, 2010, 08:52:23 AM
Keep up the tradition of Pumpkin Camp. My elk camp tradition kinda died over there when my ole man passed, but still make it over every once and a while. Good luck and can't wait to see bull #34 :)
Say no more, when the Old Man passed away my brother and I stayed off the mountain for a while too. It was his Elk Camp and it was his way or the highway, no discussions. But, you know your Dad like ours would want you back up there just like ours would want us back. We were gone from the elk country for 15 years. Our first year back on the mountain we bumped into guys that didn't recognize John or I. They were a little confussed that they had hunted in there for several years and had never seen the 2 of us.They knew something was up because we killed an elk in the first 30 minutes of dayslight. As they talked to us they noticed we knew every trail and crossing. Then when we would tell them who we were, it was like we had never left. The old guys were glad to see the 2 brothers that they had seen grow up back on the mountain. I was 25 when we got the snow in 85', I remember it like yesterday too. In 1969 when I was 9, I killed my first bull in the North Fork of Oak Creek. I turned 50 this August, the passion is back and so is Pumpkin Camp. with a group that the Old Man would have totally approved of. We have killed 4 elk in the last 3 seasons, we still have it and so do you if you come back too.
love this stuff...thanks for sharing it.......
Post by: Glockster on October 06, 2010, 10:25:54 AM
To the OP: I hope you find some good family elk hunting grounds of your own in the Rimrock Unit. Sounds like your sons will be of age shortly and trust me; when they're ready to tag along with the old man they'll be looking forward to it ALL year. When they know it takes good grades to go hunting they'll get them. When they've earned the awesome responsibility of holding a rifle in their hands, they'll be anxious to prove worthy of the trust you put in them. When they make their first kills, there will be no prouder moment. When they mature, the men they become will not to a small extent be shaped by time they spent with the old man and his friends in elk camp.
There would be a lot less problems in the world if more boys got to go to elk camp.
Post by: Fish4Fun on October 06, 2010, 10:59:19 AM
There would be a lot less problems in the world if more boys got to go to elk camp.
That is one of the best lines I have read in a long time, and such a true statement. :brew:
Post by: elkhuntindad on October 06, 2010, 11:43:36 AM
Post by: Fish4Fun on October 06, 2010, 11:50:37 AM
Post by: Glockster on October 06, 2010, 12:57:35 PM
I took hunter ed at 13 and this was the first year we started deer and elk camps in the Bethel unit. I almost cried when I saw this country for the first time,...it was dry, open forest and there were no clearcuts or blacktails.. This was 1984. Opening day Dad shot a nice two point that I and another hunting buddy walked right past in some thick scrub oaks. (Lesson learned!)
Next year '85, after the morning's hunt, Dad said he was gonna go to town to call Mom (which was also an excuse to get more beer) and if i 'wanted' i could hunt on my own that afternoon...I was 14. I think I was half way down the mountain before he finished his sentence. LOL.
Anyway, I ended up shooting a deer that afternoon, probably the most unluckiest deer to ever roam Bethel Ridge. I didn't know the first thing about field dressing except to 'get the guts out'. Some nice guys near the road heard the commotion and came to investigate. These guys finished gutting the deer, carried it to the road and even offered to drive me to camp. I respectfully declined and said one of my dad's friends would be along shortly. I hid in some bushes and as soon as I spotted the big blue Powerwagon, I jumped into the road and and nearly gave my dad's friend a heart attack as I was covered in blood he thought I had hurt myself. LOL My dad's friend raced me back to camp and I asked why are we driving so fast. He said I want this deer hung before your old man gets back....you'll know why this is important years from now.
Well we made it back in time and get the thing hung. Greg said, do not announce you got it. Let him ask who got the deer. Dad comes rolling in and we play cool. I got to tell him myself when he asked. He said I'm proud of you son.
Post by: elkhuntindad on October 12, 2010, 12:48:49 PM
Post by: elkhuntindad on October 14, 2010, 08:19:10 PM
Post by: DeerThug on October 14, 2010, 08:33:58 PM
Good Luck
DeerThug
Post by: elkhuntindad on October 15, 2010, 09:12:40 AM
Post by: elkhuntindad on October 25, 2010, 04:04:59 PM
Post by: sporked horn on October 25, 2010, 07:59:09 PM
Post by: Hungry Horse on October 25, 2010, 10:26:57 PM
Post by: Wyoming08 on October 25, 2010, 10:51:03 PM
Post by: KillerBeee on October 26, 2010, 01:01:21 PM
My buddy has an any bull tag and started yesterday.
Stoked for Friday!
Post by: Glockster on October 26, 2010, 02:33:17 PM
Post by: DeerThug on October 26, 2010, 08:46:34 PM
Hunters should help hunters.
Good luck. Paste a spike for me..
Post by: steeleywhopper on October 26, 2010, 09:15:58 PM
Post by: Glockster on October 28, 2010, 10:49:41 AM
Pinegrass Ridge / Goat Rocks
Jump Off Joe/Lost Lake
N. Fork Tieton behind the ski area
Day 2:
Breaks of the Tieton River (rough country, but that's where they'll go once pressure hits).
Good luck you guys! Especially Elk Hunt'n Dad and the Pumpkin Camp Crew!
Post by: elkhuntindad on October 31, 2010, 09:09:15 AM
knock em dead boys but be safe heard its supposed to be some nasty weather over there!
Post by: Glockster on November 01, 2010, 09:33:25 AM
Maybe next year. It's a fun place to camp, very beautiful, you should go up there in the Summer and spend some time with the family poking around.
Hope the Pumpkin Camp scored!
Post by: Wyoming08 on November 01, 2010, 03:22:00 PM
Post by: Wyoming08 on November 01, 2010, 08:59:44 PM
We will be back up on Wed night. Come say HI. 9.5 miles up the Tieton...
Post by: Wea300mag on November 01, 2010, 09:02:23 PM
Post by: Jason on November 01, 2010, 09:04:03 PM
That looks like a DOT job there, one guy working and 8 standing around watching.Damn you beat me to it..yep city employees for sure.
Post by: Wyoming08 on November 01, 2010, 10:36:04 PM
That looks like a DOT job there, one guy working and 8 standing around watching.
:chuckle: :chuckle: :chuckle: Ya and to boot...He's mexican... I can say that cause he's my bro-inlaw.. :dunno:
Post by: Glockster on November 09, 2010, 12:45:14 PM
Post by: Morse_FJ40 on November 09, 2010, 01:54:22 PM
We cut a nice downed tamarack also. Tough hunting with the snow pushing alot of the local resident elk down, and few of the high country elk moving in. The warm weather really didn't help.
Good times though
Ryan