Lost in the Woods - Mental recharge season

[FrontRangeDude]

The draw season is here and it’s looking like incredible so far.

As of right now my September will be maxed out with 2 archery elk tags and 2 archery deer tags.

On top of that there will deer hunting in Missouri, Oklahoma, Kentucky, fishing, turkey hunting, and trapping. Add in a few other random adventures and this might be a fun season to document.

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The draw season started off swell with an Archery Elk tag in Montana plus the deer tag.

I’m going with a friend who has hunted the unit a few times and has been fairly successful. I’ve never stepped foot in Montana so this should be fun.

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Next New Mexico gave me a heart attack when I drew an archery elk tag and archery mule deer tag.

The elk unit is one that I hunted in 2020 and took my best bull.

See below

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The deer unit is near where I use to live when I was stationed in New Mexico and there is a decent population of deer.


Ultimately my goal for this season is to slow down and enjoy my time in the woods/mountains/outdoors.

These past few seasons my brain has been on fire and my body has been on overload from work and life stuff. So it’s time I learn to recharge better and there is no better place to do it.

Hope you enjoy.

100% agree!

 

[Lostinthewoods]

Better check the weather and your schedule. It’s going to be grab a snickers time in that country after this week

Hope the mud doesn’t get ya! Pretty soggy around these parts!

We got some rain last night and more coming today. I am getting to experience how much it likes to hold on to your boots and layer up as you walk!




That being said - I got into some elk last night. I had the herd bull at 10 yards in some tall grass, but could only make out his head. His cows were all around me too and it was awesome.

The way they communicate reminds me of public land turkeys. Very silent and low level calls.
Weak bugles (if any), moans, light barks, etc.

The only time they really bugle is if the herd gets busted up.

Back at it today!

 

[Lostinthewoods]

Hello from mud country.

Put some elk to bed this morning in some willows. I backed out and will try to get in on them tight this evening.

Almost got it done last night, but the wind swirled on me last minute.

 

[Lostinthewoods]

This morning is more what I’ve been looking for.

It was the first morning we had a little chilly bite and there was a lot of fog down in the bottoms.

Bulls were lighting off light crazy and I was able to get in tight on one. In fact feel like I was anywhere from 25-60 yards from him for over an hour. The only issue is we were in willows and grass over my head. I kept finding micro openings for shots, but he would just edge out of them in time.

I did put him to bed near a spot where there are a few openings close by so I’m hopeful this evening when he gets up I can be ready for an ambush. It was tough not to leave him and shoot one of the many cows around! I think I’m close to that point where cows are added to the menu too.

Fun hunt for sure. Very different from anything I’ve experienced, but it’s fun.

I’m absolutely soaked from playing in the heat all stuff so it’s oatmeal with peanut butter time, coffee, and time to dry off!

 

[WildWill]

Been a minute sense any update. How did this weekend go?

 

[Lostinthewoods]

Been a minute sense any update. How did this weekend go?

Sorry for the lack of updates. I’m out here trying to battle the elk and massive amounts of hunters.

Full disclosure it’s not my favorite hunt, but that’s not stopping me from going as hard as I can towards success. It just doesn’t feel like an elk hunt or is my style.

It seems like most of the locals use tree stands or jet boats as an advantage.

Given the fact the local landscape changed so much since the giant flood they had in 2019 I believe, I’m finding lots of hunters in the same small areas that hold elk. Verse maybe before when there was lots of mature growth in the bottom for them to be spread out.

For example this morning and yesterday evening I watched anywhere from 4-7 different hunters try to get in on the same bull. No one cares about the others - it’s just a free for all.

They elk move for maybe an hour after sunup and maybe an hour before sundown.

It’s odd not being able to do mid day stuff.

They hunker up in the thick willows and I’m not going to stomp around that mid day and blow them out.

To me it’s like I’m hybrid hunting whitetail/mule deer with these tactics.

That being said I am seeing some of the biggest elk I’ve ever seen in my life and still getting close.

I’m glassing from up top and the second I see them in familiar areas I get down in quick and ambush. I’ve passed a few cows and a small 3x2 that was no larger than a spike.

I think I’m ready to shoot a cow now if I can.

I will be hunting as hard as you can possibly imagine until I leave Friday. So hopefully something happens soon.

Also to note - I think I’ve seen hundreds of whitetail or mule deer does and only one small buck. They don’t allow B tags to be used down here and it shows.

 

[WildWill]

Hopefully the end of the weekend will help some with the pressure. Keep after them and Goodluck!

 

[Lostinthewoods]

25 yards….
25 yards!!!!!

He was in some willows and I was able to do a long sneak in while he was racking.
But I couldn’t get any closer and he didn’t want to leave those willows with sunlight left.

His cows did though…..

SO CLOSE!

 

[Lostinthewoods]

This hunt is going to be dubbed “so close” as it’s a common theme.

My tactics are definitely working.
I’ve been tight in on elk each day now and it’s getting closer to happening.

This morning before sun up I could hear a bull screaming down at the bottom and talking pretty good. So instead of glassing I just ran down and got tight in on him.

He was in a patch of tall grass between two willow thickets. I got to the edge of the first one and could see him chasing after a cow. There was a small calf there as well.

As he was chasing her around I’d creep closer and closer. I cut approx 100 yards off and got to a small line of willows that fingered into the grass. He was on the other side of them at 42 yards. I just couldn’t bust through because of the noise. Finally the cow had enough and went into some willows. I got in tight to see if there was an opening and stopped. Well the cow or calf heard me and came over and bedded 5 yards from me. It was hard to tell body size, but I’m pretty sure it was the calf.


Nothing spooked out so we will get in tight on that this afternoon.

Two fun facts -
1) spikes at 15 yards quartering away are a huge test and tease. I had one today without me know I was there and my brain kept saying “do it!”. Thats another 120-150lbs of elk meat!!! DO IT!

2) those elk in the willows will hold so tight. Two gentleman that were likely hunting the same bull as me decided around 830 that they were done. So they had their full blown conversation (loud) as they were walking to their boat. They crossed at least 30 yards from where I think the cow and bull are and 40 from me and the calf. Nothing moved. It’s they hold tight until they are about to be stepped on then bolt.


Fun hunt again. I’m antsy! I want more elk meat!

 

[Lostinthewoods]

I’m currently sitting at the top of the Missouri breaks watching 2 C-130s do chaff and flare drills and it’s quite amazing. I know that harmonic hum of props any day of the week.



Tonight was another “so close” encounter. I put that bull to bed this morning and backed out.
I tucked in tight on where he was. I took about an hour and a half to get in the last 75 yards. I also had the pleasure of using boats going by to sneak in.

I guessed where they might be, but I somehow overshot it. It blows my mind because they were down wind of me and still didn’t blow out.
Anyways they got up and the bull was about 50 yards away. I was sneaking in and he was working towards me and we ended 18 yards away. I could range his 4ths and he just sat in the willows.

Part of me thinks I should just give up on this specific bull because the last three encounters all have proven he doesn’t leave the willows during shooting hours and I doubt he will. I need to find ones that will!

Fun night regardless. I am going to go watch C-130s play now.

 

[HappyCamper]

Your patience chasing this bull is legit. I once hunted archery elk that bedded in willows and got too aggressive. If you’re going to move on from this herd I’d suggest pushing that limit one more time. If you fail then at least you’re not leaving elk to find elk.