I know this story is a little long winded, but I since most of you share your hunts, I wanted to share my very first elk hunt. Thanks for allowing me to do so.
So my story starts several years ago when I decided that someday I wanted to hunt three specific things before my time is done. I wanted to hunt elk, moose and bear. Call it my bucket list of hunting if you will. I have deer, antelope, and many other things under my belt, but I have never been immersed in the tradition of elk hunting.
A few years ago when a buddy of mine who lives in Wyoming was talking about going elk hunting. As a resident, he was unsuccessful many years, between work and other scheduling conflicts I don't think he makes it out as much as he would like, but he has other friends who get an elk virtually every year. So I thought what the heck, here is my chance!
As a NR, I am challenged by all of the different laws and regs that each state has. But I muddle through and finally (after a few years of putting in) draw a General tag for Wyoming. My reaction when I find out is "ok it's game time!" I call my wife and she's not overly excited, but she is glad I finally drew a tag. So I call my buddy and he says it is time to start planning--the words I wanted to hear! The only catch was: I wanted to do it on my own. I wanted a DIY, public land elk hunt. I don't mind a buddy helping me, or showing me some spots, but no guides, and no high fences. Trust me, I took as much of his knowledge of the area as I could, but as I found out later, you have to go where the elk are.......not where you have seen elk before.
During the planning stages, I focused on three basic things. 1. Learn everything I can about elk and elk hunting. 2. Get in shape as much as I can and 3. Shoot, Shoot, and go shoot some more.
Fast forward to September. I am as nervous as a "lady of the evening" in church on a Sunday morning. I've got the gear packed, my bow dialed in, and everything is ready to go....and I am not leaving for three more weeks. I called my buddy almost daily to see if he is hearing anything from up on the mountain. But he is hearing nothing. I check OYOA Daily, and nothing much is going on. A few have connected (congratulations), but most aren't hearing anything yet. So on Sept. 17th, I get a late start, (Dang work) and finally get into camp at 12:30 A.M. I get about zero hours of sleep when the alarm goes off at 4:00 A.M. I am ready, lets hope the elk are. I throw a quick breakfast together, and off I go....SOLO!
Day 1.
I ended up on what I thought was the wrong road early in the morning (I didn't recognize it). So I turned around, went back, and got the map out. I realized I was on the right road, it just didn't look quite the same, so back up the mountain I went. I finally got to my spot right at daybreak, which was a little late, but since it was my first day, I figured it might be a blessing in disguise. I decided to go sit on a rub that we had found during our scouting. This tree is TORE UP!. But as I sit there, I hear nothing. In fact, I never even heard another hunter bugling. So I decide to move to go try and find some elk. I spent the majority of that day on my feet scouring the landscape. I finally come to an open meadow where I find some of the freshest elk sign I have ever seen. (still warm) So I decide to make a big circle out of the area to get the wind right and come back in later in the evening. As I work my way back in, I hear the first live elk bugle in my life.....(one of those moments you will never forget, almost like time stood still and you are fully aware of your surroundings). I let out some cow calls and I can tell I have three bulls in the area, along with one other hunter. In fact I have one bull that is getting closer, but not having any first hand experience with elk, I have no idea what to do. So I work my way to a clearing and sit tight. The bull seemed to hang up and then left the area. It turns out the clearing I was in contained a wallow, so I mark it on the GPS and start closing the distance on another bull. I end up seeing the second bull through a clearing in the trees about 200 yards away, but daylight faded and I couldn't seal the deal.
Day 2.
I get to the spot on day 2 and decide to head to the wallow I found. It's pretty warm out, so I figured they might hit it. I get about 1/4 mile down the path and hear a bugle come out of some of the nastiest, darkest ugliest timber I have ever seen. this bugle is unique in that he has a deep growl at the end of it. I decided to name him "growler". Shortly after that bugle I hear one that is higher pitched with no growl. So I figure I better change my plans and go to where the elk are. I ended up catching another logging road that was not marked on the map, which made for a very quiet stalk. These two bulls kept sounding off, so I could basically pin-point them and kept working toward them. I found myself by a huge old pine tree and was knocking an arrow when I saw legs moving through the trees at about 80 yards in front of me. It appeared that he was moving towards me, and I gave a couple soft cow calls. He bugled, and I knew he was not "Growler", but I didn't care. If he gave me a shot I was going to take it. Growler bugled a short while later and I could tell he was leaving the area, so I focused on the bull in front of me. About that time, this bull slipped off to my left and I could tell he was a mature bull (looked like a 5x5). I thought maybe he was going to circle me, but he just kept going. When I decide to call it quits on this guy, I see two other hunters coming from the ridge just above me. I don't know if they spooked him (he wasn't running away), or if it was my cow calling, but he was gone. After a short visit with these guys, they decided to chase him, and I decided to go the other way. I never saw another elk that day, but did hear some that evening in the same area as the night before. See you tomorrow!
Day 3.
As I am driving in on day 3 a nice bull crosses the road in front of me. I was thinking today was the day, but I never saw, heard or even smelled an elk that day. I did see a lot of sign, so all was not lost. Since it was a full moon, I had assumed that they had moved in the night.
Day 4.
I decided to change up tactics and park in a different spot because of the wind. My plan was to sit on this ridge where the elk had been hanging out, instead of trying to get up to them from the bottom. I worked my way into this ridge by the moonlight and decide to sit and wait to see if I hear anything. The wind was blowing like crazy, but just before shooting time the wind died down, and you could literally hear a pin drop in the forest. About that time, there was a bull that SCREAMED right behind me. The kind of scream that makes the hair on your neck stand straight up. I decide its time to try to cut him off. So as he keeps screaming on his way up this ridge, I get in front of him where I thought he was going to be. Sure enough...there he is. Forty Yards away and all of his vitals are covered up. Since he had no idea I was there, I duck down under a tree and see his belly and legs, but still no shot. I figured out real quick that he was on a mission, so I move and get in front of him again. Guess what? 40 yards...NO SHOT.
By now I know this area, so I decide to risk it and make a big circle to cut him off. The wind was perfect (in my face) so off we go. I felt like a camouflaged ninja as I was going through the trees, skirting around this bull, I could keep tabs on him because he kept screaming. About that time, my whole world came to an abrupt halt. I see a cow's hind end and freeze. I scour the area with binoculars for what seemed like five hours and realize the cow is with a calf and nothing else. She feeds away from me for a while and ends up at about 60 yards up hill. The calf notices me, but then beds down and doesn't pay any attention to me. Then the big boy screams and comes into view. A nice 5x5 that would be a HUGE trophy in my book. He saunters out and checks out the cow, and really has no interest in her, but stands directly broadside at 60 yards. I debate for a while, and realize that 60 yards is out of my comfort range. NO SHOT! I am good out to 50, but just getting back into bow hunting after a 20+year hiatus, I decide not to shoot. Then the bull turns around and goes around some trees. If he stays on the same path, I will have a 40 Yard shot. GAME ON!!! I draw back and hold, and hold, and hold for what seemed like an eternity. He steps into the shooting lane at 40 yards, and all I need is one more step for him to clear the trees. NOPE, he puts his head down and grabs a bite. Then lifts his head up and proceeds to walk about four steps and leaves his hindquarters in the shooting lane, long enough to take another bite. Then he just walks away, into that dark nasty forest where I found the wallow earlier in the week.
So I change my focus onto the cow. By now she has fed down the hill to about 20 yards from me. I decide that I will go ahead and take the cow and consider it a successful hunt. I had her at 20 yards broadside while I was waiting on the bull, but now she is facing me and getting closer all the time. I try to draw my bow with a small tree between her and I, and yep, you guessed it, I got busted. She stopped for a short moment and as I went to lower the pin on her, she jumped. Then I jumped as I squeezed the trigger and it flew right over her back. I found the arrow, no blood, it was a clean miss. So I sit and cherish the moment, thank the man upstairs for the opportunity and consider it a successful day.
I spend the rest of the day trying to figure out where the elk are, and never hear or see another one.
Day 5.
Today arrived and I was ready. The last day, full on hail Mary attempt for me. I sit on top of the same ridge, and never heard or saw anything. I take off around noon to make it home at a decent time. Thank you Wyoming, see you for rifle season.
A look back at the mountain.
So my story starts several years ago when I decided that someday I wanted to hunt three specific things before my time is done. I wanted to hunt elk, moose and bear. Call it my bucket list of hunting if you will. I have deer, antelope, and many other things under my belt, but I have never been immersed in the tradition of elk hunting.
A few years ago when a buddy of mine who lives in Wyoming was talking about going elk hunting. As a resident, he was unsuccessful many years, between work and other scheduling conflicts I don't think he makes it out as much as he would like, but he has other friends who get an elk virtually every year. So I thought what the heck, here is my chance!
As a NR, I am challenged by all of the different laws and regs that each state has. But I muddle through and finally (after a few years of putting in) draw a General tag for Wyoming. My reaction when I find out is "ok it's game time!" I call my wife and she's not overly excited, but she is glad I finally drew a tag. So I call my buddy and he says it is time to start planning--the words I wanted to hear! The only catch was: I wanted to do it on my own. I wanted a DIY, public land elk hunt. I don't mind a buddy helping me, or showing me some spots, but no guides, and no high fences. Trust me, I took as much of his knowledge of the area as I could, but as I found out later, you have to go where the elk are.......not where you have seen elk before.
During the planning stages, I focused on three basic things. 1. Learn everything I can about elk and elk hunting. 2. Get in shape as much as I can and 3. Shoot, Shoot, and go shoot some more.
Fast forward to September. I am as nervous as a "lady of the evening" in church on a Sunday morning. I've got the gear packed, my bow dialed in, and everything is ready to go....and I am not leaving for three more weeks. I called my buddy almost daily to see if he is hearing anything from up on the mountain. But he is hearing nothing. I check OYOA Daily, and nothing much is going on. A few have connected (congratulations), but most aren't hearing anything yet. So on Sept. 17th, I get a late start, (Dang work) and finally get into camp at 12:30 A.M. I get about zero hours of sleep when the alarm goes off at 4:00 A.M. I am ready, lets hope the elk are. I throw a quick breakfast together, and off I go....SOLO!
Day 1.
I ended up on what I thought was the wrong road early in the morning (I didn't recognize it). So I turned around, went back, and got the map out. I realized I was on the right road, it just didn't look quite the same, so back up the mountain I went. I finally got to my spot right at daybreak, which was a little late, but since it was my first day, I figured it might be a blessing in disguise. I decided to go sit on a rub that we had found during our scouting. This tree is TORE UP!. But as I sit there, I hear nothing. In fact, I never even heard another hunter bugling. So I decide to move to go try and find some elk. I spent the majority of that day on my feet scouring the landscape. I finally come to an open meadow where I find some of the freshest elk sign I have ever seen. (still warm) So I decide to make a big circle out of the area to get the wind right and come back in later in the evening. As I work my way back in, I hear the first live elk bugle in my life.....(one of those moments you will never forget, almost like time stood still and you are fully aware of your surroundings). I let out some cow calls and I can tell I have three bulls in the area, along with one other hunter. In fact I have one bull that is getting closer, but not having any first hand experience with elk, I have no idea what to do. So I work my way to a clearing and sit tight. The bull seemed to hang up and then left the area. It turns out the clearing I was in contained a wallow, so I mark it on the GPS and start closing the distance on another bull. I end up seeing the second bull through a clearing in the trees about 200 yards away, but daylight faded and I couldn't seal the deal.
Day 2.
I get to the spot on day 2 and decide to head to the wallow I found. It's pretty warm out, so I figured they might hit it. I get about 1/4 mile down the path and hear a bugle come out of some of the nastiest, darkest ugliest timber I have ever seen. this bugle is unique in that he has a deep growl at the end of it. I decided to name him "growler". Shortly after that bugle I hear one that is higher pitched with no growl. So I figure I better change my plans and go to where the elk are. I ended up catching another logging road that was not marked on the map, which made for a very quiet stalk. These two bulls kept sounding off, so I could basically pin-point them and kept working toward them. I found myself by a huge old pine tree and was knocking an arrow when I saw legs moving through the trees at about 80 yards in front of me. It appeared that he was moving towards me, and I gave a couple soft cow calls. He bugled, and I knew he was not "Growler", but I didn't care. If he gave me a shot I was going to take it. Growler bugled a short while later and I could tell he was leaving the area, so I focused on the bull in front of me. About that time, this bull slipped off to my left and I could tell he was a mature bull (looked like a 5x5). I thought maybe he was going to circle me, but he just kept going. When I decide to call it quits on this guy, I see two other hunters coming from the ridge just above me. I don't know if they spooked him (he wasn't running away), or if it was my cow calling, but he was gone. After a short visit with these guys, they decided to chase him, and I decided to go the other way. I never saw another elk that day, but did hear some that evening in the same area as the night before. See you tomorrow!
Day 3.
As I am driving in on day 3 a nice bull crosses the road in front of me. I was thinking today was the day, but I never saw, heard or even smelled an elk that day. I did see a lot of sign, so all was not lost. Since it was a full moon, I had assumed that they had moved in the night.
Day 4.
I decided to change up tactics and park in a different spot because of the wind. My plan was to sit on this ridge where the elk had been hanging out, instead of trying to get up to them from the bottom. I worked my way into this ridge by the moonlight and decide to sit and wait to see if I hear anything. The wind was blowing like crazy, but just before shooting time the wind died down, and you could literally hear a pin drop in the forest. About that time, there was a bull that SCREAMED right behind me. The kind of scream that makes the hair on your neck stand straight up. I decide its time to try to cut him off. So as he keeps screaming on his way up this ridge, I get in front of him where I thought he was going to be. Sure enough...there he is. Forty Yards away and all of his vitals are covered up. Since he had no idea I was there, I duck down under a tree and see his belly and legs, but still no shot. I figured out real quick that he was on a mission, so I move and get in front of him again. Guess what? 40 yards...NO SHOT.
By now I know this area, so I decide to risk it and make a big circle to cut him off. The wind was perfect (in my face) so off we go. I felt like a camouflaged ninja as I was going through the trees, skirting around this bull, I could keep tabs on him because he kept screaming. About that time, my whole world came to an abrupt halt. I see a cow's hind end and freeze. I scour the area with binoculars for what seemed like five hours and realize the cow is with a calf and nothing else. She feeds away from me for a while and ends up at about 60 yards up hill. The calf notices me, but then beds down and doesn't pay any attention to me. Then the big boy screams and comes into view. A nice 5x5 that would be a HUGE trophy in my book. He saunters out and checks out the cow, and really has no interest in her, but stands directly broadside at 60 yards. I debate for a while, and realize that 60 yards is out of my comfort range. NO SHOT! I am good out to 50, but just getting back into bow hunting after a 20+year hiatus, I decide not to shoot. Then the bull turns around and goes around some trees. If he stays on the same path, I will have a 40 Yard shot. GAME ON!!! I draw back and hold, and hold, and hold for what seemed like an eternity. He steps into the shooting lane at 40 yards, and all I need is one more step for him to clear the trees. NOPE, he puts his head down and grabs a bite. Then lifts his head up and proceeds to walk about four steps and leaves his hindquarters in the shooting lane, long enough to take another bite. Then he just walks away, into that dark nasty forest where I found the wallow earlier in the week.
So I change my focus onto the cow. By now she has fed down the hill to about 20 yards from me. I decide that I will go ahead and take the cow and consider it a successful hunt. I had her at 20 yards broadside while I was waiting on the bull, but now she is facing me and getting closer all the time. I try to draw my bow with a small tree between her and I, and yep, you guessed it, I got busted. She stopped for a short moment and as I went to lower the pin on her, she jumped. Then I jumped as I squeezed the trigger and it flew right over her back. I found the arrow, no blood, it was a clean miss. So I sit and cherish the moment, thank the man upstairs for the opportunity and consider it a successful day.
I spend the rest of the day trying to figure out where the elk are, and never hear or see another one.
Day 5.
Today arrived and I was ready. The last day, full on hail Mary attempt for me. I sit on top of the same ridge, and never heard or saw anything. I take off around noon to make it home at a decent time. Thank you Wyoming, see you for rifle season.
A look back at the mountain.
