OzzyDave
Well-known member
While I’m stuck “working” from home, I thought I’d recount my September 2019 Elk hunt in Montana, so bear with me:
After nearly 12 months of planning, I met up with my 2 Aussie hunting mates Robbo and Graham, in San Francisco Airport, for the start of our Montana adventure. A few more hours on the next tin bird and we’d be in Bozeman. A few days to wash away jet lag and “acclimatise” before the main event, our archery Elk hunt. For us flat landers, we knew the elevation would be an issue, so wandering around for a few days certainly helped BUT we knew we’d be tested.
”Washing away jet lag”
We filled our pre hunt days with trips to sports stores, buying gear we may or may not have needed. We worked out quickly that there is no such thing as warm rain in Montana. Second or third day in town, we had sleet and a little snow on the higher peeks around town - brrrrr. A quick trip to the Montana Fish & Wildlife office in Bozeman for our compulsory Bow License, filled in a couple of hours. The other 2 fellas purchased an OTC Turkey tag, while I went all in and bought an OTC Black Bear tag. I managed 100% on the bear ID test. We figured it was better to have the tag in your pocket. One of the high lights of our pre hunt days was a day trip to Yellowstone National Park. We jagged a few seats on a fully guided tour, picking us up and dropping back to motel door. The first coffee stop was Gardiner. I reckon not 30 seconds after getting out of the van, I heard a bull elk screaming. This bull came sauntering up through the asphalt car park, in and out of the parked cars, screaming at a small group of cow elk on a little grassed area. He pushed around “his” cows, bugling dominance at every chance. The bugle seems to reverberate clean through your body. It was a great photo opportunity. Seeing, in the flesh, how the bulls interact with the cows, would hopefully help us in the days to come. We mixed with Elk and Bison, at times in spitting distance, in truly spectacular wilderness surrounds.
“Filling in time pre hunt - Robbo left Graham right)
“The car park bull”
“Magnificent Yellowstone”
The day had finally come. Our chosen outfitter, picked us up from our motel in a big, dual cab pickup, a real novelty for us. We don’t see too many of these Downunder. In the hour or so drive to the hunting cabin, we bounced questions off Doug. I kept telling the guys we had to slow down and pronounce our words when speaking. I sat in the front seat and “translated” several times over the trip. Our Aussie slang threw them many times. We would learn they absolutely love hunting with Australians. We take it for granted, having the ability to hunt all year round with our bows. We each had a Big Game license in our pockets. I’d gone into the draw and was succssful on a Pronghorn Antelope but Elk would be my priority.
After the introductions etc, our gear was squared away in rooms and bows checked. A few quick practice shots were in order. We were partnered up with a guide and would be straight into it that afternoon. It was getting real now. Frank, my guide, drove us a leisurely 40 minutes to the property I would be hunting. We hiked up to a small rocky out crop and hunkered down amongst several small pines for an afternoon glassing session. About 20 minutes before dark the temp dropped dramatically. I heard my first bugle and totally forgot about the cold. They were waking up and on the move. Glassing the opposite, sunlit ridge, we could occasionally pick out the herd wandering down off the mountain. Dark took over pretty quick in the mountains and we had to retreat back to the car for the trek home.
“The rock outcrop we glassed from”
That night after dinner the plan was hatched for the next morning. We’d be up well before the sunrise and smash down some breakfast. First light was not long after 7am, so we planned to be in place to try and catch the herd as they made their way back to the bedding area. The plan was sound BUT the elk didn’t follow the plan. They were well and truly most of the way up the mountain before sunrise. The swirling wind wasn’t going to help our cause. We cut higher on their side of the ridge, hoping to get above them. The pine was pretty thick up here and visibility was no more than 50 yards. The herd of Elk were certainly more talkative, making them easier to locate. We were making our way slowly towards and large clearing and then it happened. At first a rumble of hooves, then turning to a full on stampede, coming our way down the slope. A satellite bull had pinched 8 or so cows off of the herd bull and was running them straight towards us. The cows slowed to a trot and then milled around. He bedded them in a clearing downslope from me. I was caught mid stride, in a half crouch, with a branch a foot in front of my face. There was a cow bedded less than 20 yards from me and a 6x6 bull at around 60yards, screaming his disdain back towards the herd bull. My adrenalin was off the scale. I could feel a cramp coming on, so I knew I had to try something. Slowly lowering down into the small depression I was in AND - BUSTED. The 20 yard cow bolted like she’d been hit by lightning, taking the other 7 cows with her. The bull had no idea what had just happened and tried to round up his hard won prizes. Rookie mistake, I know but an excellent experience to have these animals so close. The wind started playing silly buggars again. Not wanting to push them out of their bedding area, we backed out, finishing the morning laying amongst the sage brush on the opposite, sunny slope. I think I only fell asleep twice.
“Contemplating what could have been after first encounter””
After nearly 12 months of planning, I met up with my 2 Aussie hunting mates Robbo and Graham, in San Francisco Airport, for the start of our Montana adventure. A few more hours on the next tin bird and we’d be in Bozeman. A few days to wash away jet lag and “acclimatise” before the main event, our archery Elk hunt. For us flat landers, we knew the elevation would be an issue, so wandering around for a few days certainly helped BUT we knew we’d be tested.
”Washing away jet lag”
We filled our pre hunt days with trips to sports stores, buying gear we may or may not have needed. We worked out quickly that there is no such thing as warm rain in Montana. Second or third day in town, we had sleet and a little snow on the higher peeks around town - brrrrr. A quick trip to the Montana Fish & Wildlife office in Bozeman for our compulsory Bow License, filled in a couple of hours. The other 2 fellas purchased an OTC Turkey tag, while I went all in and bought an OTC Black Bear tag. I managed 100% on the bear ID test. We figured it was better to have the tag in your pocket. One of the high lights of our pre hunt days was a day trip to Yellowstone National Park. We jagged a few seats on a fully guided tour, picking us up and dropping back to motel door. The first coffee stop was Gardiner. I reckon not 30 seconds after getting out of the van, I heard a bull elk screaming. This bull came sauntering up through the asphalt car park, in and out of the parked cars, screaming at a small group of cow elk on a little grassed area. He pushed around “his” cows, bugling dominance at every chance. The bugle seems to reverberate clean through your body. It was a great photo opportunity. Seeing, in the flesh, how the bulls interact with the cows, would hopefully help us in the days to come. We mixed with Elk and Bison, at times in spitting distance, in truly spectacular wilderness surrounds.
“Filling in time pre hunt - Robbo left Graham right)
“The car park bull”
“Magnificent Yellowstone”
The day had finally come. Our chosen outfitter, picked us up from our motel in a big, dual cab pickup, a real novelty for us. We don’t see too many of these Downunder. In the hour or so drive to the hunting cabin, we bounced questions off Doug. I kept telling the guys we had to slow down and pronounce our words when speaking. I sat in the front seat and “translated” several times over the trip. Our Aussie slang threw them many times. We would learn they absolutely love hunting with Australians. We take it for granted, having the ability to hunt all year round with our bows. We each had a Big Game license in our pockets. I’d gone into the draw and was succssful on a Pronghorn Antelope but Elk would be my priority.
After the introductions etc, our gear was squared away in rooms and bows checked. A few quick practice shots were in order. We were partnered up with a guide and would be straight into it that afternoon. It was getting real now. Frank, my guide, drove us a leisurely 40 minutes to the property I would be hunting. We hiked up to a small rocky out crop and hunkered down amongst several small pines for an afternoon glassing session. About 20 minutes before dark the temp dropped dramatically. I heard my first bugle and totally forgot about the cold. They were waking up and on the move. Glassing the opposite, sunlit ridge, we could occasionally pick out the herd wandering down off the mountain. Dark took over pretty quick in the mountains and we had to retreat back to the car for the trek home.
“The rock outcrop we glassed from”
That night after dinner the plan was hatched for the next morning. We’d be up well before the sunrise and smash down some breakfast. First light was not long after 7am, so we planned to be in place to try and catch the herd as they made their way back to the bedding area. The plan was sound BUT the elk didn’t follow the plan. They were well and truly most of the way up the mountain before sunrise. The swirling wind wasn’t going to help our cause. We cut higher on their side of the ridge, hoping to get above them. The pine was pretty thick up here and visibility was no more than 50 yards. The herd of Elk were certainly more talkative, making them easier to locate. We were making our way slowly towards and large clearing and then it happened. At first a rumble of hooves, then turning to a full on stampede, coming our way down the slope. A satellite bull had pinched 8 or so cows off of the herd bull and was running them straight towards us. The cows slowed to a trot and then milled around. He bedded them in a clearing downslope from me. I was caught mid stride, in a half crouch, with a branch a foot in front of my face. There was a cow bedded less than 20 yards from me and a 6x6 bull at around 60yards, screaming his disdain back towards the herd bull. My adrenalin was off the scale. I could feel a cramp coming on, so I knew I had to try something. Slowly lowering down into the small depression I was in AND - BUSTED. The 20 yard cow bolted like she’d been hit by lightning, taking the other 7 cows with her. The bull had no idea what had just happened and tried to round up his hard won prizes. Rookie mistake, I know but an excellent experience to have these animals so close. The wind started playing silly buggars again. Not wanting to push them out of their bedding area, we backed out, finishing the morning laying amongst the sage brush on the opposite, sunny slope. I think I only fell asleep twice.
“Contemplating what could have been after first encounter””
Last edited:
