Knowing it is the last morning, we get up even earlier. Plan is the drop off the rim and head down to our hide out. From there we will gauge the wind and decide what is the best way to approach the elk.
In about 45 minutes, we are sitting above the river in the dark, listening to the bulls bugling below us. As was the case yesterday, the wind is a mess. It is steady from the east on the north facing ridges, but swirling like crazy whenever you are in a coulee or where a coulee intersects a main ridge.
In the dark we can heard at least three different bugles below. We decided to circle west, putting us downwind of the elk. It is not that easy to do in the low light. We wait behind the ridge until enough light creeps into the drainage to make elk visible with binos.
From the noise of bugling, I hear enough to tell me that elk are not far below. With enough light, Matt and I creep to the lip of the ridge and see elk directly below us, maybe 150 yards. The cows are milling and feeding without concern, while the bulls are arguing with each other.
We move further west and down this ridge that runs north to the river. The wind is holding.
As we get lower, I look to the mouth of our little coulee and another group of cows is dragging a nice herd bull up the opposite hillside. In the bottom is a five point who would like the big boy to share his spoils of victory.
We have the benefit of some pines that allow us to close the distance. Over the ridge to our east, the elk are still bugling, but this group seem way to stalkable and with a lonely satellite, we have to make the most of this chance.
Creeping along, we are getting closer. The big bull and his cows have now cleared from our path, leaving the young bull to stand around shouting to the world how much he would love some company. This could be too easy.
As the bull moves into a small clump of cedars, Matt and Troy move down and in front to set up. I make a few cow calls. He starts coming our way. The decoy is in the open hillside. He sees love and thinks he has scored some lost jewels of the Breaks.
He is coming slowly, but closing the gap. Over the ridge, another bull makes it clear that he would like to know what lady of the morn has lost her way. He is bugling and walking around the other side of the ridge. Bad news is that he will come in closer to me and and further from Matt.
As if fate wanted to tease Matt to the point of frustration, the herd and their bull bound off the face of these breaks and charge into the willows, making so much commotion. What could have scared them? The young bull we thought was ours is dumb, but when the entire hill side erupts, even he is headed for safety.
A hunter has come in from the sunlit ridge to our west and tried to drop into the basin above the herd. Having no part of it, they had scattered. Now the bull to the east is even gone as we hear another herd head to the river, following the lead of the first herd.
Not sure what to tell Matt. He is doing everything I can think of. He is ignoring his throbbing foot and scaling these breaks every morning and night. The skeeters have not deterred him and he just shrugs the hot weather off as "just the way it goes."
Seeing the chaos created, the other hunter retreats back up the ridge, looking for more elk to pursue. We stay put, hoping we can find one straggler bull who forgot his common sense and is willing to make himself a TV star.
We slowly hunt our way along the river bank, watching as some cows and spikes cross in front of us. None of them are close enough for a shot, and being recently spooked, none are interested in what I have to say.
Time requires that we call it a hunt. The goal is to be back at camp by noon and on the road by 2:30. Still some TV work to do.
Matt takes it all in stride and we agree he should return in November, where is general deer/elk combo tag will allow us to spend a couple days with the tables slanted more in our favor - rifle season.
And this ends another great hunt, though no tags were punched. Friendships were strengthened, Matt got a strong enough taste of archery elk hunting fun to the point that he has resolved to return with a better foot, hopefully better weather, and maybe a better stroke of luck allowing him a decent shot.
Troy did his usual great job of capturing it all on film and we will have an episode that is probably the most reflective of elk hunting than any we have filmed this year. Public land and lots of competition do not mean you can't have fun and have some close encounters.
Matt is the Quality Assurance Manager for Otis Technology. After spending a week with him and learning his approach to life, it is no wonder Otis makes such great gun cleaning products. Matt made it very easy to see why this company is so dedicated to keeping production in the USA and supporting our military, law enforcement, the 2nd amendment, and the On Your Own hunter. In the hunting industry, a lot of times we deal with people who do not hunt. Matt hunts - he "gets it" better than most anyone I have met in the hunting industry. He is the easy going kind of guy anyone would enjoy sharing camp with.
Thanks Matt. Thanks Troy. Hope we can do it again.
Matt watching his last opportunities wade deeper into the flooded willows.
There are some elk in this picture, just hard to see them from this far away. If you want challenge, chase bulls that have this kind of escape opportunity in weather that keeps them hidden and quiet for all but the earliest and latest hours of the day. It will be fun.
In about 45 minutes, we are sitting above the river in the dark, listening to the bulls bugling below us. As was the case yesterday, the wind is a mess. It is steady from the east on the north facing ridges, but swirling like crazy whenever you are in a coulee or where a coulee intersects a main ridge.
In the dark we can heard at least three different bugles below. We decided to circle west, putting us downwind of the elk. It is not that easy to do in the low light. We wait behind the ridge until enough light creeps into the drainage to make elk visible with binos.
From the noise of bugling, I hear enough to tell me that elk are not far below. With enough light, Matt and I creep to the lip of the ridge and see elk directly below us, maybe 150 yards. The cows are milling and feeding without concern, while the bulls are arguing with each other.
We move further west and down this ridge that runs north to the river. The wind is holding.
As we get lower, I look to the mouth of our little coulee and another group of cows is dragging a nice herd bull up the opposite hillside. In the bottom is a five point who would like the big boy to share his spoils of victory.
We have the benefit of some pines that allow us to close the distance. Over the ridge to our east, the elk are still bugling, but this group seem way to stalkable and with a lonely satellite, we have to make the most of this chance.
Creeping along, we are getting closer. The big bull and his cows have now cleared from our path, leaving the young bull to stand around shouting to the world how much he would love some company. This could be too easy.
As the bull moves into a small clump of cedars, Matt and Troy move down and in front to set up. I make a few cow calls. He starts coming our way. The decoy is in the open hillside. He sees love and thinks he has scored some lost jewels of the Breaks.
He is coming slowly, but closing the gap. Over the ridge, another bull makes it clear that he would like to know what lady of the morn has lost her way. He is bugling and walking around the other side of the ridge. Bad news is that he will come in closer to me and and further from Matt.
As if fate wanted to tease Matt to the point of frustration, the herd and their bull bound off the face of these breaks and charge into the willows, making so much commotion. What could have scared them? The young bull we thought was ours is dumb, but when the entire hill side erupts, even he is headed for safety.
A hunter has come in from the sunlit ridge to our west and tried to drop into the basin above the herd. Having no part of it, they had scattered. Now the bull to the east is even gone as we hear another herd head to the river, following the lead of the first herd.
Not sure what to tell Matt. He is doing everything I can think of. He is ignoring his throbbing foot and scaling these breaks every morning and night. The skeeters have not deterred him and he just shrugs the hot weather off as "just the way it goes."
Seeing the chaos created, the other hunter retreats back up the ridge, looking for more elk to pursue. We stay put, hoping we can find one straggler bull who forgot his common sense and is willing to make himself a TV star.
We slowly hunt our way along the river bank, watching as some cows and spikes cross in front of us. None of them are close enough for a shot, and being recently spooked, none are interested in what I have to say.
Time requires that we call it a hunt. The goal is to be back at camp by noon and on the road by 2:30. Still some TV work to do.
Matt takes it all in stride and we agree he should return in November, where is general deer/elk combo tag will allow us to spend a couple days with the tables slanted more in our favor - rifle season.
And this ends another great hunt, though no tags were punched. Friendships were strengthened, Matt got a strong enough taste of archery elk hunting fun to the point that he has resolved to return with a better foot, hopefully better weather, and maybe a better stroke of luck allowing him a decent shot.
Troy did his usual great job of capturing it all on film and we will have an episode that is probably the most reflective of elk hunting than any we have filmed this year. Public land and lots of competition do not mean you can't have fun and have some close encounters.
Matt is the Quality Assurance Manager for Otis Technology. After spending a week with him and learning his approach to life, it is no wonder Otis makes such great gun cleaning products. Matt made it very easy to see why this company is so dedicated to keeping production in the USA and supporting our military, law enforcement, the 2nd amendment, and the On Your Own hunter. In the hunting industry, a lot of times we deal with people who do not hunt. Matt hunts - he "gets it" better than most anyone I have met in the hunting industry. He is the easy going kind of guy anyone would enjoy sharing camp with.
Thanks Matt. Thanks Troy. Hope we can do it again.
Matt watching his last opportunities wade deeper into the flooded willows.
There are some elk in this picture, just hard to see them from this far away. If you want challenge, chase bulls that have this kind of escape opportunity in weather that keeps them hidden and quiet for all but the earliest and latest hours of the day. It will be fun.
