Mattff200
Well-known member
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2019
- Messages
- 148
I grew up in New Jersey and at 12 I started hunting. As I got older I got more into it took more seriously and had dreams of hunting and moving out west. By big break was when my cousin and her husband moved to Cheyenne in December 2022. I visited in May 2013 to help out on a spring bear hunt and fell in love with the state. It took till 2018 but I finally found a job and in 2020 I could finally hunt as a resident. My first 2 seasons were unsuccessful and this year I applied for a cow elk tag in the Rochelle hills.
I did go out the 2 weekends prior to the season to scout figuring that what I saw then would be likely places to locate elk during the season. I found on the second weekend and true to elk they were in a hell hole but what I like the most was the road in that part of forest service is closed starting November 1st and it proved to be a deterrent to many hunters. Opening day I was up bright and early and at my spot way before 1st light and as the sun came up saw enough elk to excite me, had a bull at 10 yards, I decided it was best to stay put since if I tried to move to stalk an elk other elk would spot me. Later that morning I saw three hunters on the other side of the canyon and saw them shoot two elk. Later that day I saw two elk and ended up getting busted going to them when wind shifted. I then did a big loop back to the truck and ran into those other hunters on a pack out and congratulated them. I found out it was in persons 1st elk and was super happy for him. I ended up not seeing anything when I relocated and returned to camp for the night. I talked to the hunters after their pack out and found out not only had they seen elk in the flat area, a friend of theirs got one in that general area and the game warden saw a herd cross there at 1st light I decided to be smarter and not go in as far and sleep in.
The next morning I set out and right away saw a herd of 30-40 elk. Unfortunately a bull was down wins from me and rand right to them and they ran getting no closer than 500 yards which is too far for me. After they moved off I set in a group of trees and decided to wait and see what happened. I then spotted another herd of 10 elk coming over the horizon I fought the instinct to go towards them and decided to just be patient and I was rewarded 2 elk broke off staying away from me but the cows came closer and at 220 yards I shot a cow and she acted like nothing happened and the other cows fed to within 100 yards from me. She stayed behind and bedded I eventually went in and finished her off and had my 1st elk. On top of being blown away by just how big elk are I was relieved at where I shit her. It was .75 miles to the truck and mostly flat. I am also amazed at how tough elk. The exit hole from the shot was golf balls sized and went through shoulders and she kept acting like there wasn't much wrong.
I did go out the 2 weekends prior to the season to scout figuring that what I saw then would be likely places to locate elk during the season. I found on the second weekend and true to elk they were in a hell hole but what I like the most was the road in that part of forest service is closed starting November 1st and it proved to be a deterrent to many hunters. Opening day I was up bright and early and at my spot way before 1st light and as the sun came up saw enough elk to excite me, had a bull at 10 yards, I decided it was best to stay put since if I tried to move to stalk an elk other elk would spot me. Later that morning I saw three hunters on the other side of the canyon and saw them shoot two elk. Later that day I saw two elk and ended up getting busted going to them when wind shifted. I then did a big loop back to the truck and ran into those other hunters on a pack out and congratulated them. I found out it was in persons 1st elk and was super happy for him. I ended up not seeing anything when I relocated and returned to camp for the night. I talked to the hunters after their pack out and found out not only had they seen elk in the flat area, a friend of theirs got one in that general area and the game warden saw a herd cross there at 1st light I decided to be smarter and not go in as far and sleep in.
The next morning I set out and right away saw a herd of 30-40 elk. Unfortunately a bull was down wins from me and rand right to them and they ran getting no closer than 500 yards which is too far for me. After they moved off I set in a group of trees and decided to wait and see what happened. I then spotted another herd of 10 elk coming over the horizon I fought the instinct to go towards them and decided to just be patient and I was rewarded 2 elk broke off staying away from me but the cows came closer and at 220 yards I shot a cow and she acted like nothing happened and the other cows fed to within 100 yards from me. She stayed behind and bedded I eventually went in and finished her off and had my 1st elk. On top of being blown away by just how big elk are I was relieved at where I shit her. It was .75 miles to the truck and mostly flat. I am also amazed at how tough elk. The exit hole from the shot was golf balls sized and went through shoulders and she kept acting like there wasn't much wrong.
