Four bearded fools on a Blue Ribbon adventure

[furfishngame]

Great write-up and story! I love me some PBR lights and my Draht! How old is yours? Mine is 9 and finally slowing down some. Since I got the elk bug a couple years ago Ive been thinking......I think a person could swing a trip with their dog along for company! A co-worker if mine did an internship with the forest service in I think that area and talked about how awesome and horrible it was! Another buddy of mine now has the elk bug and we're planning a few years out and he seems to have his heart set on idaho so this really got me liking what I'm seeing(minus the general lack of elk). Thanks for bringing us along. Happy hunting! Furfishngame

 

[JLS]

I love me some PBR lights and my Draht! How old is yours?

Mine will be three in March and Rich's just turned a year old. They are fantastic dogs, and make wonderful company on an elk hunt.

 

[marksjeep]

Missed this one earlier. Must have been off having a rodeo somewhere. Great story and pics, thanks for posting it up, and congrats!

 

[2rocky]

@JLS I musta missed this one earlier as well. Nicely executed and nicely told.

That is what we refer to in our household as a CASH MONEY BULL....Legal and tender.....

 

[Revenuer Man]

Awesome story, thanks for putting it out!

 

[Reata]

Great story and pics! As I tell my boys, the harder you work, the luckier you get.

 

[noharleyyet]

Re-read..thread title is a hook

 

[Khunter]

Great write up. Congrats on a fine hunt and effort and outcome.

Somehow missed this earlier in the fall.

 

[Schaaf]

You forgetting fuel for the chainsaw reminded me of the time you forgot the cake mix for dessert

 

[JLS]

You forgetting fuel for the chainsaw reminded me of the time you forgot the cake mix for dessert

Savage....

 

[silasd]

It was raining the next morning. I was bummed Rich had to go. I still had another week off, but in all honesty it was a mental struggle. I missed my family and was contemplating going home. I drove into town with Rich and we had chicken fried steaks for a send off breakfast.

I drove back to camp in the rain. I donned my rain gear and set out on an old fire trail a local guide told us about. Rain came down in buckets. I saw a couple whitetail deer, but no elk. By midday I dropped into this basin.

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I realized I had watched fall transform the mountains. It was no longer summer. I finally heard a bugle. It was faint and I wondered if I was hallucinating. I worked down the ridge. I paid homage to the whitetail who lost this.

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I finally heard the bull late in the afternoon. Thermals were doing weird stuff, so I opted to back out and come in very early the next day.

Friday I left the truck early. I was in the old burn well before daybreak and sat down to listen. Finally, just after sunrise I heard the bull chuckling again. I started moving slowly through the burn.

I stepped up onto a giant deadfall, probably waist high and 16-18” in diameter. I looked to my right and saw a bedded cow at about 70 yards. The wind was in my face. I knew I couldn’t get down because the alders were too tall. Finn was on the same log and I whispered to put him into a down stay on the log. I chambered a round, as I no longer carry hot @Big Fin.

She got nervous and stood up, then another, and another, till finally six elk were milling around. They started to line out of though the timber. I could see several small bulls. The last one stopped to look back. I settled the crosshairs and pressed the trigger. The .280 barked.

Mayhem ensued. I immediately chambered another round. I could see the bull lunge up the hill and I knew it was a good hit. I saw a spike run over the ridge, and in disbelief wondered it that was the elk I shot.

I immediately found blood where I had shot the bull. With Finn by me, we started work the blood track up the hill.

This should dispel the myth copper bullets don’t leave a good blood trail.

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We continued up the hill for about 15 yards and the blood seemed to stop. I looked to my left and saw this.

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No gummy bears.

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At 6:40, I notched my tag. This knife was a birthday present from Ted on my 40th birthday.

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I’m not going to lie, I was as excited and emotional about this spike as the biggest bull I’ve ever shot. I was sad Ted or Rich weren’t there with me. I had really hoped to pack elk for them and not myself.

Knowing rain was in the forecast, I got with the program. I had him processed and bagged in an hour and a half.

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I decided to three trip him.

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The Toyota hauled its first kill and I cracked a PBR for Rich.

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I hate breaking camp solo, but I had another PBR and got to work. With the rain, I’ll have some serious gear cleaning to do.

Leave only tracks, and maybe some firewood.

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The end.

That's a great story - thanks for taking the time to write it up! I am curious to know if you trained your dog to gun shots and if so, how you did it. Again, awesome hunt. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Big Fin]

Great story of true adventure. I missed this due to travels. Glad to see it pop up for me to follow.

 

[Phaseolus]

Great story, thank you an congrats

 

[JLS]

I am curious to know if you trained your dog to gun shots and if so, how you did it.

Absolutely. I trained him initially by firing blanks while throwing a dummy for gunfire exposure. He’s now trained to be not break from a down stay when a gun is fired.

 

[BrentD]

Absolutely. I trained him initially by firing blanks while throwing a dummy for gunfire exposure. He’s now trained to be not break from a down stay when a gun is fired.

I take my pups to the trap and skeet range and sit in the truck in the parking lot playing with their favorite toys. Then get out of the truck and play in the parking lot and gradually move closer. My last golden was raised with a looped CD recording of guns, thunder, trucks, fireworks, etc, running all the time... Never had a problem.

 

[Lige]

!

 

[silasd]

I take my pups to the trap and skeet range and sit in the truck in the parking lot playing with their favorite toys. Then get out of the truck and play in the parking lot and gradually move closer. My last golden was raised with a looped CD recording of guns, thunder, trucks, fireworks, etc, running all the time... Never had a problem.

That's a great idea....I may have to try that.

 

[JLS]

If you want your dog to associate gunfire with finding a down bird, then train them as such.

 

[silasd]

Good advice.