ida homer
Well-known member
Thanks to my buddy Ron's help (Rizzy on Monstermuleys), I was able to take my best bull yet with a gas station tag this last week.
Ron packed into an area last Saturday morning that we have been scouting for 2 years. I met him up there Sunday morning when he was hiking out. He had 30mph + winds up high where we intended to hunt (lots of deadfall, old burn) Sat night and Sun morning, so we were already onto plan B the day before the opener, Monday the 15th.
We backpacked into some lower country Sunday and didn't find any sign nor spot any elk. Hopefully opening morning would bring some luck.
The first 2 hours of opening morning was slow, until I glassed way back across the main canyon. I spotted a herd of about 20-25 elk, feeding up this hillside in the sun, after getting water. A spike, a 280" type 6x6 and a no doubt shooter bull bringing up the rear, 200 yards behind the rest. We noted the exact spot where they fed into the timber at about 9:30am.
We pulled camp and bailed off of our mountain to get over there for an evening play. We found a nice little meadow right next to their timber patch that would get shade around 3-4pm, hoping they would feed out 200 yards below us before dark. The wind cooperated for once and we sat overlooking the meadow until about 30 minutes before dark. They did not come out to feed. The bull let off one bugle which reassured us they were still bedded in the same spot, on their spine in the timber.
I decided I wanted to get aggressive and make something happen, instead of backing out for a morning play the next day. That was a hard decision. With OTC tags, I've been burned too many times by other hunters, day hikers, campers, etc, when I play things conservative.
So we still hunted very slowly down the spine of the ridge above them. Ron spotted 2 cows bedded 60 yards in front of us, 15 minutes before it was too dark to shoot. We glassed and glassed but couldn't find any antlers. I was chambered and ready. Finally, the thermals began to switch and a couple cows got our scent below and blew out. This bull stood up quartering away at 60 yards, not knowing what was up. I knew immediately it was him, even in the low light with "first buck type adrenaline." I would have been content with just a chance to see a good bull in this unit, much less kill one. Thanks again to Rizzy for the scouting and packing help.
And some cobbler to celebrate.
Ron packed into an area last Saturday morning that we have been scouting for 2 years. I met him up there Sunday morning when he was hiking out. He had 30mph + winds up high where we intended to hunt (lots of deadfall, old burn) Sat night and Sun morning, so we were already onto plan B the day before the opener, Monday the 15th.
We backpacked into some lower country Sunday and didn't find any sign nor spot any elk. Hopefully opening morning would bring some luck.
The first 2 hours of opening morning was slow, until I glassed way back across the main canyon. I spotted a herd of about 20-25 elk, feeding up this hillside in the sun, after getting water. A spike, a 280" type 6x6 and a no doubt shooter bull bringing up the rear, 200 yards behind the rest. We noted the exact spot where they fed into the timber at about 9:30am.
We pulled camp and bailed off of our mountain to get over there for an evening play. We found a nice little meadow right next to their timber patch that would get shade around 3-4pm, hoping they would feed out 200 yards below us before dark. The wind cooperated for once and we sat overlooking the meadow until about 30 minutes before dark. They did not come out to feed. The bull let off one bugle which reassured us they were still bedded in the same spot, on their spine in the timber.
I decided I wanted to get aggressive and make something happen, instead of backing out for a morning play the next day. That was a hard decision. With OTC tags, I've been burned too many times by other hunters, day hikers, campers, etc, when I play things conservative.
So we still hunted very slowly down the spine of the ridge above them. Ron spotted 2 cows bedded 60 yards in front of us, 15 minutes before it was too dark to shoot. We glassed and glassed but couldn't find any antlers. I was chambered and ready. Finally, the thermals began to switch and a couple cows got our scent below and blew out. This bull stood up quartering away at 60 yards, not knowing what was up. I knew immediately it was him, even in the low light with "first buck type adrenaline." I would have been content with just a chance to see a good bull in this unit, much less kill one. Thanks again to Rizzy for the scouting and packing help.
And some cobbler to celebrate.
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