Hunting in a downpour is a pain. Filming in a downpour is a disaster.
Left the room at 3:20 this morn. Drove out way north, hoping the tain would be less. It had stopped, so we drove every little road calling and listening. Not a peep.
Then drizzle started again. We crossed a track that looked extremely fresh. For sure from this morning.
With other options, we bailed out and followed the tracks in the sand. Was actually an easy track to follow, except for when they would get amongst the cows.
We followed for about the quarter mile, when the track started to meander and go into thicket cover. We followed into the thick stuff for about two hundred hards. Even in the ever increasing rain, I could smell elk.
I turned to Mason and told him I thought the bull was in this patch, not too far ahead. The tain was now coming down hard. The ground was so quiet. Only down side was the most of the rain made it hard to hear, but hard for the bull to hear us, also.
I was going as slow as I could, while still making progress on the tracks. Mason was right on me geeks with the tripod fully extended and the bulky rain cover draped over the camera.
As I came around the next big juniper, I was staring eye to eye with a six point bull. I can assure you her was more surprised to see me than I was to find him. He stood less than 20 yards away, looking at me with the "what the hell is going on look."
I whispered to Mason that the bull was to my left, looking at us. While I loaded a round, Mason got the camera ready to focus.
Knowing his next breath hung in the balance, the bull whirled as I shouldered my rifle, stepping behind the cluster of juniper. A cow call stopped him, though completely obscured by brush. We took one step forward to find a small slot in the brush. That was all it took. He bounded off and no calling was going to stop him this time.
Having ben in this situation before, I told Mason to follow a fast as he could. I unloaded the rifle and took off running as fast as I couldacross these rolling PJ ridges. After busting a bull, you can make all the noise you want for the next half mile or so, the distance I normally see them run before slowing back down to a trot/walk.
A after while, the bull started walking, but doing some serious loops and zig zags. You could see where he would stop and look back.
Oops, battery dying. Will finish in an hour. Still have my tag in my pocket.
Left the room at 3:20 this morn. Drove out way north, hoping the tain would be less. It had stopped, so we drove every little road calling and listening. Not a peep.
Then drizzle started again. We crossed a track that looked extremely fresh. For sure from this morning.
With other options, we bailed out and followed the tracks in the sand. Was actually an easy track to follow, except for when they would get amongst the cows.
We followed for about the quarter mile, when the track started to meander and go into thicket cover. We followed into the thick stuff for about two hundred hards. Even in the ever increasing rain, I could smell elk.
I turned to Mason and told him I thought the bull was in this patch, not too far ahead. The tain was now coming down hard. The ground was so quiet. Only down side was the most of the rain made it hard to hear, but hard for the bull to hear us, also.
I was going as slow as I could, while still making progress on the tracks. Mason was right on me geeks with the tripod fully extended and the bulky rain cover draped over the camera.
As I came around the next big juniper, I was staring eye to eye with a six point bull. I can assure you her was more surprised to see me than I was to find him. He stood less than 20 yards away, looking at me with the "what the hell is going on look."
I whispered to Mason that the bull was to my left, looking at us. While I loaded a round, Mason got the camera ready to focus.
Knowing his next breath hung in the balance, the bull whirled as I shouldered my rifle, stepping behind the cluster of juniper. A cow call stopped him, though completely obscured by brush. We took one step forward to find a small slot in the brush. That was all it took. He bounded off and no calling was going to stop him this time.
Having ben in this situation before, I told Mason to follow a fast as he could. I unloaded the rifle and took off running as fast as I couldacross these rolling PJ ridges. After busting a bull, you can make all the noise you want for the next half mile or so, the distance I normally see them run before slowing back down to a trot/walk.
A after while, the bull started walking, but doing some serious loops and zig zags. You could see where he would stop and look back.
Oops, battery dying. Will finish in an hour. Still have my tag in my pocket.
