Nephew Perma’s 100 Day Challenge

[perma]

Well this was a month of conflicts, and honestly a mess. Nothing has been certain as far as my Wyoming hunts have gone and it truly disappoints me. But, we have a story to tell, and a story you shall receive.

Night 1

Mind you, this was not intended to be a “hunting trip”. This was a scouting trip that was planned long ago but due to this awarded work trip, it became a makeshift on the fly hunt trip.

I decided that the fear of hunting in grizzly country has been overinflated by me. I needed to prove to myself that I can do it and so I decided to do it. My dad and I get to a camp spot next to a stream with a willow patch next to some tucked away mountains. Nice spot and free of wind. We decide to scout that afternoon. As you can imagine, with two general seasons going on, all my waypoints were hammered with campers. We knew we had 3 mornings to make it work so we found 4 spots depending on where they were moving. The strategy was to start as far south as possible and bump north until we find deer, based on the corridor.

Like mentioned above, this was a tough hunt. This was a herd hit by the tough winter with tighter restrictions implemented by G&F. NR tags were cut drastically, there’s a point restriction and it was HOT. Not good odds to find deer.

But, we’re hunting!

 

[perma]

Day 1

I learned that I’m a terrible deer hunter. Never hunted mule deer up until last year. The issue I have is I hunt way too high. I figure the solution is to hunt them in September where everything is high.

We get to a nice knob where we can oversee a lot of roadless country, about 1/2 mile off the main road. We would eventually be glassing into the sun once it crests the alpine which is what I wanted. I had to sit back for a few and admire where I was and what I was doing. I’m in very unfamiliar territory with a general WY deer tag with a rifle in my hand. I felt out of place in a way, maybe appreciative and thankful for the opportunity.

Well, it was short lived. No deer were accounted for in this range of hills. Although, I did glass up a mama moose and her calf which is always a treasure. I also spotted four heads of elk, which is very fitting for me. No bulls so I didn’t make the chase. As you can expect with a general tag, we had some folks drive the top of the mountain and glass down, which I’m not sure is legal in this part of the mountain, (didn’t see any roads). Normally that would upset me but I was at peace that morning.

By 11 we decided to go back and regroup for lunch. Driving down a logging road, we ran across a grouse, which my dad made quick work of.

After lunch and an afternoon siesta, we decided to scout some more, we ran across a logging road way farther north than before that no one has been on. We walked that until sunset and eventually bumped our first doe. She had a collar on and was packing the weight. She stopped to examine us from about 60 yards and eventually took off. We glassed the other half of the logging road up to some large basins in succession, no bucks found.

 

[perma]

Day 2

Short on plans, we decide to go back to the doe spot since there were deer in there. We had a late start to the day so we get to the parking spot. I had noticed a choke point along the road that had a lot of foot traffic so I had come up with a pretty good idea. We would glass the same basins and sit in a blind where those deer could walk through. The bump in the hill was hit at around 175 yards so if a buck were to stroll by, it’s an easy chip shot with a solid berm. To the other side was another choke point where the top berm was 300 yards. We had a full 360 degree plan.

Well it just so happened that this plan actually worked. The collared doe showed up again with 3 other does. We had favorable wind so they froze and examined us at 175 yards. And to my surprise, a buck was a few yards lower than them.

Here is where it all fell apart. My dad struggles with his hearing, even with the hearing aids he has. I tried to signal to him that there were deer behind him but he’s too far away for me to talk even with my normal voice. He assumed that they were on a farther hillside so he proceeded to stand up and turn around. As soon as the deer saw that, it was over. I didn’t have enough time to examine to buck to see if it was legal, the deadfall from the burn in this area was so bad that the antler color matched the deadfall. Tried to explain to him what he had done but it wasn’t until I called it for the morning that it finally hit him.

We took off to the other side of the main road where they all ran off to, they never came back. I assumed they either took off to the next county or they made a large loop back to the same spot.

 

[perma]

Morning 3

Really not much to write here. The area we hunted twice was too disturbed to go back in so I rolled the dice on where I thought they’d run to, and I was wrong. It is what it is.

The issue now is that I learned my dad has a heel injury and has been babying it for awhile. It had not occurred until this morning. Which now brings up the conflict of the elk hunt. I had planned to go a little farther north into a different unit for elk or into another thick timbered area that is known to be steep but with his heel behaving the way it is, I don’t know that I have confidence that he’ll be able to hike it, let alone pack out an elk. So for the third time this year, I’m scrambling to find a general unit for elk that’s less taxing on his foot for hiking. And I have 3 days to come up with one.

All in all, fun hunt with some beautiful country. I will be back to conquer this region. Maybe just a different unit.

 

[perma]

Wyoming general elk. Bus leaves tomorrow morning

 

[Scott85]

Wyoming general elk. Bus leaves tomorrow morning

Good luck!

 

[Dave N]

Wyoming general elk. Bus leaves tomorrow morning

Git 'er done!

 

[jvanhoy]

Good luck buddy!

 

[Jbotto]

Wyoming general elk. Bus leaves tomorrow morning

Good luck!

 

[perma]

All aboard the struggle bus!

Sorry to the Cheyenne residents whose kids like lunchables. I’m that guy, I know.

 

[perma]

Yet another unfortunate end to another close elk hunt in nephew perma’s camp. Write up coming soon.

 

[perma]

Alright let’s get this over with. I’m carrying some embarrassment and am pretty disappointed with this trip. Had a good time overall but no elk were harmed.

Day 1

My dad and I get to a campsite at around noon. We originally had a camp spot at first but he wanted service so we had to trailer my machine up a rocky hill. Kind of surprised that I made it. Nevertheless, we set up camp and decide to spend the afternoon just driving around to find out who’s where and how the road is.

One particular road that gets me into a wilderness was particularly rough. We were stopped by the forest service on some ATVs and they advised me that the road would be too rocky for my machine. We decided to trek on and came across some huge boulders blocking the road. A caravan came off the road and stopped us to talk about their hunt. They explained that they heard elk but never saw one. Troubling to hear but we decided to head back to camp and call it an early day.

 

[perma]

Day 2

It’s the day before the opener and we need to come up with an opener plan. I only had a week to prepare for this so we don’t really know much on where to go. We start early in the morning and drive the main road. We ended up bumping an elk on the road. I marked it and carried on. Further down, we bumped a total of 4 moose and a really sweet buck. My first instant regret is not bringing a bow. It was still archery season and had I brought it, I would have tagged that deer. Such a stupid mistake on my part.

We get to a spot with a large timber operation and find some fresh cut wolf tracks, a single track. We decide to turn around and found some very unfortunate grouse walking the road. Despite not bringing my bow, I did bring a shotgun this time. I bump him off the road and climb the hillside until he crosses me. Took a shot and he was out. The shot had flushed another grouse which I took a shot at and killed it, so I’m up 2 grouse on the year!

We head back to camp to clean the birds. We cooked the breasts into sandwiches. First time I had grouse, it was succulent.

After an afternoon nap, we got back on the machine and went to the other south side of the unit. Literally no one but one other camp was there. It’s a road that goes up to a radio tower where we cut a fresh track from a bull. I look at my dad and said “here’s our opener plan”. We left to not disturb the place any further.

We then decide to end the day going back up the rocky road on the first day. There’s a small bump that we got on and started cow calling into a small hillside meadow with a covered hillside in front of us. The wind was ripe so our cow calls were ineffective. We decided that this road had too much pressure so this one was marked as a no go zone.

We have a plan for tomorrow and we’re gonna execute it.

 

[perma]

Day 3

Something had occurred to me a few hours after driving to the spot. This was my first OTC/general hunt in a few years. I have been drawing leftovers or second choice tags for a few years to break away from pressure, so I honestly forgot what it was like. Today, I was met with some serious frustration.

To make some context; the radio tower road is one way in and out road. This covers maybe a few 50 square miles or so. When I get to the spot, there were 4 trucks there and headlamps everywhere. We decide to jump down a bit but we were met with 5 other trucks either parked or driving in. I was flabbergasted with the amount of people in this pocket. Don’t blame them though, I know why they’re in there but this was ridiculous.

At this point, I’m being a bit petty. You want to pile into one spot? Fine, I’ll burn passed all of you. I looked at my dad and explained that we need to get away from the pressure. It’s time for the wilderness.

We get to the trailhead at first shooting hours. I feel awfully confident at this point because there’s no pressure whatsoever. No one is here. My dad was struggling to walk and had to stop often. He took off to tree break and so I started cow calling. I heard in the distance some footsteps. They were getting awfully close so I draw my gun. Turns out it was an outfitter with 4 horses making their way up. Annoying but we carried on.

We got to the top and my dad was gassed. We stop off the trail to catch a breath, and not 5 minutes pass and we hear a gunshot in the direction of the horse tracks. One single shot, someone beat me to the elk.

I’m pretty upset at this point, it was a 3 mile hike to get in and nothing to show for it.

We head down through the thick and try to see any fresh sign, nothing there. We run into a fisherman who explained there were elk in the direction we were going, to which we explained that someone got there before we did.

We hike down and get back to camp. Took another nap and decided to go back to the radio tower and glass down. Nothing but orange. We crossed this part off our list and headed back to camp with a new plan in mind.

 

[Dsnow9]

For future don’t rule out a good spot for the entirety of a hunt. I’ve killed a fair amount of deer in a spot loaded with people opening day just a day or two later when they are all gone. Stats killed his bull in the same place we were fighting with 7 other people in the small drainage a couple days later. A good spot is usually a good spot for a reason. And the elk/deer often will circle back

 

[perma]

Day 4

This is where the breakdown happened.

What I didn’t mention in the above post, is that when we stopped at the trailhead, I heard a bugle. I wasn’t 100% sure if it was a bull but it was close to where that one elk was found. I decided to explore it today.

We get to a logging spot and I park my machine. Some guy pulled up and stopped for a second and floored it away. I asked my dad what that was about and he shrugged.

I realized that I parked like a jackass. And for some reason I decided that I don’t need to close my door to readjust my parking. I ended up bending the door bracket to the point where I can’t close my door. We got it bent enough to close and decided to go hunt. We jumped from meadow to meadow seeing some sign. I start to cow call to which I hear a bugle. I signal downward towards my dad. The bugle gets closer and closer but I start to realize the cadence is more consistent. I end up glassing the edges and turn up a hunter with his boy hell bent on finding my cow calls. He walks right past the firing line I expected an elk to walk through. I try waving at him but he’s “hammering” the calls. Dork.

We get back to camp to try and fix the door which turns up unsuccessful. I run to town to regroup after an argument with my dad over the door. I called my wife and decide to restart my escouting after picking up the bracket. I then decided to go to the USFS office and asked for a biologist on staff. “We don’t have those here” was the answer I got, not a very friendly lady.

I get back to camp and replace the bracket and take a long nap. We decided to take another UTV trail to go on the lower elevation. This is where it gets nasty. The roads were absolutely miserable. I bottom out my UTV so much and eventually had to climb some very rough rocks and cross a fast running stream. That took 6 hours to complete 15 miles. My dad was fuming at me. When we got out, I turned off my machine and decided to talk to God that day and thanked him for his safety. I don’t do that much and really should more. After getting our composure, we had an hour of light left and there was a knob next to us so we glassed to last light. Turned up a bull moose, no elk.

 

[perma]

Day 5

Stubbornness got the best of me so I decided that I’m going to hunt elk the way I want to, not the way the season tells me. The cow calling has not been effective and the walking through the woods approach is just going back into bad habits of what I used to do years ago. It’s time to glass.

We get to a different knob in the same area and glass the morning. The wind was rough again and no elk accounted for. I don’t blame them, I wouldn’t be out there if I was an elk either. We go back to camp for lunch and take a nap. Back to a similar knob but a bit farther north. This spot was one of the best glassing spots I’ve ever had. I have a full view of this huge valley with the sun at my back. No elk will elude me here, I trust my eyes.

We glass until last light. I notice that there’s a bunch of beef cows a few miles off. Over to the top of them was another bull moose, as black as can be. Super cool to see. Above that, I see a weird little brown spot, it’s fidgeting a little. Is that - mirage?

I pull out the spotter and am met with a sigh of relief.



A bull surfaces out of the trees, and a cow and calf follow shortly. The picture doesn’t show but he’s a smaller raghorn bull, not a lot of life experience. But he’s a branch antlered bull, and that’s what my goal is. I follow him until dark and found he drops into the creek bottom. I now have a plan for the final morning.

 

[perma]

Day 6

It’s the final morning and I have a bull located. The goal was to get over to that side, get to a high spot and relocate him. We get to the parking spot and come up with a plan based on how the land lays out. The wind was very favorable this particular morning so we decided to come from the top.

We get through the timber and as shooting hours hit, we hear some guy emptying his mag. I’m not sure if he really shot at anything but I’m not in the business of assuming. It’s the last morning and I gotta make a play here.

We get to the edge and I’m a bit disoriented for some reason. I lost my sense of direction for a bit and wondered if im in the right spot. I glass around and realize I’m on top of where they were yesterday. I continue to glass and find a few other hunters on another hillside and one that took their truck off the path to get into the valley. I decide to still hunt the hillside and run for each tree and wait. No elk anywhere, they were gone, vanished. With no time left, we hiked out and finished the hunt trip.

 

[perma]

I find some peace knowing that this was the first time that I glassed a bull in a free-for-all unit. I had come up with this hunt in a weeks time and got my composure after a rough few days and made something out of it, and it almost came together. Can’t be too upset. Although it’s a WY general tag, I admit to underestimate the mount of effort you still have to put into it. I think that bull would have been dead in my truck if I did a lot of things differently. I own that part, and learned a lot and reminded myself a lot of things I forgot about hunting pressure.

The general tag is not over yet. I have a weekend left to fill it and intend on doing what I can to make it work. Scouting it this weekend and putting the work in the following weekend. I might not post about it since it’ll be a short hunt. Obviously will share if a bull goes down.