Post by: Centaur on January 02, 2012, 10:44:17 PM
Our hunt began months ago with scouting and meeting property owners trying to get access to private property around Cle Elum area. We were successful getting pretty good property to hunt if the animals came in. Unfortunately, we were second in line on a couple properties. But then again, the elk never really showed up down low. The weather this year with this late tag never materialized and the animals were no where near the areas we had seen them while scouting. The early snow had them moving down but as it melted and no new snow, they disappeared. (IMAGINE THAT). I stayed in contact with some great guys on here, keeping me informed as to what they were seeing and NOT seeing during their archery and muzzy season prior to mine. So i new it was going to be tough.
Opening morning after i long hike we get a phone call from a landowner telling us that two elk were taken on his property and we were up next if they come back. We went down and admired the two 6x6's taken. One was taken by a 14 year old girl which was pretty cool. Dandy of a first elk! We ate some lunch and hit it until dark without seeing a live elk. Day two was no better! We hunted a piece of property that we had seen five bulls on earlier and talked to guys that had been seeing them days leading up to our opener. A 7x8, monster 6x6 and a couple others. But they too were no where to be found. Day three I passed on my first branched bull ever! He was a 5x5 and I had nightmares after doing so. Later that day we went up high on snowmobiles but found only wolf tracks. Day four was interesting..... we headed back up to were we passed on the 5 point and spent most of the day listening to cougars mate! If you have never heard this before its loud and eery. My cousin got a quick look at them but couldn't get a shot. We followed them most of the day since we figured there wasn't going to be an elk in miles after listening to them echo through the hills. Day five we hunted only in the morning and finally saw a couple more elk. A 4x1, two spikes and some cows. So we came home for christmas.
Day six, Monday morning after christmas we were back on the hill with snowmobiles up high again looking for anything to go after. Not a bit of snow down low and old crunchy snow up high. It was tough going. No tracks in the snow and nothing down low in the teanaway valley. We got a call from a landowner that said we needed to move towards Easton. He had just heard of a 6x6 taken and someone missed a split main beam 8 point. He told us were to go and said he would call us if the elk move back to his property. It finally started snowing that night and we were glad to see it. Day seven we head towards Easton and take off on snowmobiles. We ran into some cow hunters that said they had been hunting here for a week and can only find bulls! They said our hunt should only take about two hours. YEAH RIGHT I thought to myself. We take off and get a short way up the road and my oil light comes on, so i tell my cousin to go ahead while i run back to the truck and put oil in the sled. He heads up while i go back to the truck and put oil in it and start back up the road. I go about two hundred yards past the point where i turned around and found my cousins sled sitting by itself with no one on it. I stop and turn off the sled and see him up the hill standing over his elk. Just my luck, i was leading before my oil light came on. I go up and take pictures, all the while wishing i could just go up around the corner and look over this opening real quick. My cousin felt the same and told me to go and take a look while he gets started. I RAN down to the sled and raced up around the corner to take a peak. NOTHING!!! So i went just a little ways more before i was going to turn around and help my cousin. Sure enough i see a bull walking through the timber. I hop off, take off my helmet, load my rifle and try to get on him. He was not spooked, just slowly walking through the timber. Every time he stopped, i didnt have a good shot. Maybe 200 yards. Not a monster, but a 6 point. Which is what i was at least hoping for! Didn't happen, so i went back to help my cousin. Then the rain started!!! We finally had good snow and it was starting to fade fast. We quarter it up and get it back to my truck, eat lunch and head back up to get mine. Pouring rain at this time, getting dark and we see nothing. So we are heading down and i spot a herd bedded down below us. All cows!! We race down to tell the cow hunters and they were off, but no luck for them. Day eight, we head back up to Easton and not much snow left for the sleds down low, but enough. We get up to the top and i tell my cousin i want to go down this one road real quick and will be right back. As i started down the road it starts raining again and I'm hoping it doesn't all melt again. Then i see some fresh tracks in the road, but nothing but jack pines that i cant see into. But as i come into some timber i see elk! Two bulls standing there but they are not big bulls. Rag horns!! I stop, take off helmet, load gun, get a rest and start questioning myself if i should shoot? Not what i had hoped for, but its getting late in the season. I pick the bigger of the two and shoot.... FLOP!!!! So i get back on the sled to turn it around and see the rest of the elk, the big bulls were just 40 more yards up the trail. I saw two big ones trotting away and i was sick to my stomach but happy at the same time. I tagged him real quick and went back to get my cousin.
So i didn't get my wall hanger with my big bull tag, hopefully someday with my quality bull if i get drawn. Thank you to everyone that PM'd me and offered info and help. I really appreciate it! And if anyone gets drawn for this tag next year i learned a lot and have some great contacts.
Post by: sled on January 02, 2012, 10:48:58 PM
Post by: fishngamereaper on January 02, 2012, 10:54:13 PM
Post by: MichaelD on January 02, 2012, 11:21:13 PM
And thats what gets us back in the woods every fall.
:yeah:
Nice job on a great hunt. :tup: Thanks for the write up - was starting to go through withdrawls aready! :chuckle:
Post by: hunting4sanity on January 03, 2012, 12:02:09 AM
Post by: SniperDanWA on January 03, 2012, 06:35:05 AM
Post by: lewy on January 03, 2012, 06:43:45 AM
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Post by: PlateauNDN on January 03, 2012, 08:50:19 AM
Post by: doyourtime89 on January 03, 2012, 08:53:53 AM
Post by: MuleySniper on January 03, 2012, 09:09:44 AM
MS
Post by: spikehunter on January 03, 2012, 09:24:55 AM
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Post by: SuperDave on January 03, 2012, 06:02:11 PM
Post by: elkhorn on January 03, 2012, 07:55:54 PM
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Post by: lipripper on January 03, 2012, 11:40:12 PM
Post by: Cougeyes on January 04, 2012, 09:56:56 AM
Post by: bugs n bones on January 04, 2012, 11:50:43 AM
Post by: Centaur on January 04, 2012, 07:09:44 PM
Post by: Centaur on January 04, 2012, 08:36:51 PM
I didn't get his blessing to post his pic here so I'm blocking his face. Sorry
I'm having problems figuring out how to resize my pictures so i can post together. Lokos like I'm posting one at a time.
Post by: Centaur on January 04, 2012, 08:39:11 PM
Post by: Centaur on January 04, 2012, 08:45:00 PM
Post by: Centaur on January 04, 2012, 08:47:12 PM
Post by: SniperDanWA on January 04, 2012, 09:04:54 PM
Post by: buglebuster on January 04, 2012, 09:12:52 PM
Post by: blackveltbowhunter on January 04, 2012, 09:25:38 PM