LNGBOWFLYER
New member
My 2011 elk season began like many others did; by applying for my special permits. A month later the results read like they always do, “NOT SELECTED.” Oh well like usual I would just have to do it the hard way. I really don't know any other way other than taking the most difficult route possible. This year would be extra special because not only would I finally get to hunt elk again but I would get to spend it with my little brother Karl for five days in the wilderness in my home state of Washington. Opening day of elk season found me packing my house up in Ozark, AL. Not the ideal place to hunt for elk but I was getting my family ready for our move from Ft. Rucker, AL to Ft. Drum, NY. On September 8th I graduated from the Apache Longbow course and began the 1,300 mile move north. I think this may have been the most difficult part of my elk season since I have a 3 year old son and a 6 month old daughter. What a trip! On September 12th we arrived at our new home and quickly unpacked some of our stuff. The next day on the 13th I flew out to SeaTac. I hadn't been out west for almost 2 years so saying that seeing the Cascades again was AWSOME, it would be a complete understatement. It was OUTSTANDING to be back home. My brother picked me up from the airport and we drove straight to the trail head in the Goat Peaks Wilderness area. That night in "Camp Power stroke" (Slept in the back of his truck) we could hear a bull chuckling to his cows nearby. Our hunt was starting out pretty good.
We left the trail head at O Dark thirty and arrived at our spike camp about noon. 7 miles later and a climb to an elevation of 6300 feet had finally brought us to our spike camp. Once there we quickly set up camp and took a small hike to get a feel for our surroundings. The meadows that we were around were amazing. They had SO much elk sign that it literally smelled like a cattle yard. The place was trashed with elk feces and tracks. There were dry wallows galore and a lot of rubs. In fact there were even multiple rub lines that we could see. That afternoon after setting up camp we started glassing this big basin. We spotted up three legal bucks but due to their position a successful stalk with a bow was highly doubtful. We did however see a 1x2 bull with a cow. The 1x2 had incredibly high spikes and would definitely have made the Boone and Crockett books if they had a spike elk category. We quickly moved in on them and my brother started talking to them. We got as close as the wind would allow and eventually it got too dark to do anything with them. While the spike bugled and chuckled his head off, he wouldn't leave his "harem". She must have left him later that night because all that night he roamed all over our basin and around our camp bugling and chuckling in search of that herd of "cows" he had heard earlier. Unfortunately all of the sign I spoke of was 1-2 weeks old and the fact that we had a spike roaming the basin bugling and establishing his dominance over the area was a bad sign for our elk hunting there.
The next morning found us waking up in the clouds (literally) we were however able to get a couple of bulls fired up and moved down, down, down the mountain after them and then up, up, up the mountain after them. We played with them trying to get the wind right until noon. The wind wouldn’t co-operate and would not allow us to get close enough to really threaten them so eventually they got sick of playing the insult game. We did some more glassing and right above us was a pretty big Billy goat. During our glassing we also saw a couple of more goats. This was also a bad sign. If we were seeing more goats than elk maybe we were too high. At 1 PM more clouds were rolling in and the temps were at 40 degrees and dropping. It was also starting to spit rain and ice at us. We made an executive decision that we didn't want to chance getting stuck in a snow storm 7 miles in and plus all the elk sign was a week or so old. So we picked up camp and headed down hill towards "Camp Power stroke" and a new area to hunt.
We got back to “Camp Power stroke” and busted out a few maps. This year in Washington a lot of areas are inaccessible to hunting elk unless you have horses because a lot of roads and bridges have been washed out. Finally we settled on one of my honey holes. There was a gamble though because due to Army training I hadn’t been there in two years. But one of my favorite quotes is “Fortune Favors the Bold.” So to the Colockum we went. Oh and the other catch is this area is the most restrictive place to hunt in the West. The ONLY legal elk is a “True Spike.” A "true spike" is basically a spike bull that is a spike on both sides. Again I refer you to my favorite quote.
We arrived in the Colockum about midnight and set up camp and quickly went to sleep. But not before we could here 2 or 3 bulls screaming at each other in the distance. By the looks of it my honey hole still looked good to go. That morning we slept in a little bit so we took a small walk which turned up nothing. We then got in Camp Power stroke and took a drive to glass a few areas and again came up with nothing. On the way back however we saw three bucks cross the road and the chase was on. I jumped out of the truck and sprinted up the hill to hook around them so I could get the wind right. Unfortunately the bucks didn't share my zeal for physical effort and chose to stay near the road. In fact one even bedded down near the road. So I had to come back down and stalk in on them. Man talk about unpressured deer. I got within 70 yds of a really nice 4x3 when the bedded 2x3 spotted me and they meandered off. Oh well that's how it goes.
Back in camp at noon we were making some Mountain House meals when a doe walked through camp. And when I say walked through camp I mean she walked right by camp. Our camp must have been some sort of deer highway because about 20 minutes later as I was just starting to dig into my mountain house meal we saw those same bucks cross the hillside not 150yds away. In fact they even picked up a big brother. A nice 150" class 4x4. We watched them feed off and started our stalk. Unfortunately we didn't get very far when about 70yds from camp a herd of 20 elk being pushed by a 330" 6x6 came strolling through. Man why do we walk around and hike in deep for animals again? Apparently mountain house meals and Rainier Beer is some sort of secret deer and elk attractant. While the elk all came within easy bow range none were a “true spike.” So since none were legal elk back to the deer stalking I went. Because of the wind I had to hook way, way around them. In the process I found another group of 20 cows this time with a small 270ish 6pt. I got within 15 yds and again none were a legal elk so after once again leaving a herd of elk I could once again continue my stalk. Man how is a guy to stalk a nice buck when he keeps running into those darn elk.
We left the trail head at O Dark thirty and arrived at our spike camp about noon. 7 miles later and a climb to an elevation of 6300 feet had finally brought us to our spike camp. Once there we quickly set up camp and took a small hike to get a feel for our surroundings. The meadows that we were around were amazing. They had SO much elk sign that it literally smelled like a cattle yard. The place was trashed with elk feces and tracks. There were dry wallows galore and a lot of rubs. In fact there were even multiple rub lines that we could see. That afternoon after setting up camp we started glassing this big basin. We spotted up three legal bucks but due to their position a successful stalk with a bow was highly doubtful. We did however see a 1x2 bull with a cow. The 1x2 had incredibly high spikes and would definitely have made the Boone and Crockett books if they had a spike elk category. We quickly moved in on them and my brother started talking to them. We got as close as the wind would allow and eventually it got too dark to do anything with them. While the spike bugled and chuckled his head off, he wouldn't leave his "harem". She must have left him later that night because all that night he roamed all over our basin and around our camp bugling and chuckling in search of that herd of "cows" he had heard earlier. Unfortunately all of the sign I spoke of was 1-2 weeks old and the fact that we had a spike roaming the basin bugling and establishing his dominance over the area was a bad sign for our elk hunting there.
The next morning found us waking up in the clouds (literally) we were however able to get a couple of bulls fired up and moved down, down, down the mountain after them and then up, up, up the mountain after them. We played with them trying to get the wind right until noon. The wind wouldn’t co-operate and would not allow us to get close enough to really threaten them so eventually they got sick of playing the insult game. We did some more glassing and right above us was a pretty big Billy goat. During our glassing we also saw a couple of more goats. This was also a bad sign. If we were seeing more goats than elk maybe we were too high. At 1 PM more clouds were rolling in and the temps were at 40 degrees and dropping. It was also starting to spit rain and ice at us. We made an executive decision that we didn't want to chance getting stuck in a snow storm 7 miles in and plus all the elk sign was a week or so old. So we picked up camp and headed down hill towards "Camp Power stroke" and a new area to hunt.
We got back to “Camp Power stroke” and busted out a few maps. This year in Washington a lot of areas are inaccessible to hunting elk unless you have horses because a lot of roads and bridges have been washed out. Finally we settled on one of my honey holes. There was a gamble though because due to Army training I hadn’t been there in two years. But one of my favorite quotes is “Fortune Favors the Bold.” So to the Colockum we went. Oh and the other catch is this area is the most restrictive place to hunt in the West. The ONLY legal elk is a “True Spike.” A "true spike" is basically a spike bull that is a spike on both sides. Again I refer you to my favorite quote.
We arrived in the Colockum about midnight and set up camp and quickly went to sleep. But not before we could here 2 or 3 bulls screaming at each other in the distance. By the looks of it my honey hole still looked good to go. That morning we slept in a little bit so we took a small walk which turned up nothing. We then got in Camp Power stroke and took a drive to glass a few areas and again came up with nothing. On the way back however we saw three bucks cross the road and the chase was on. I jumped out of the truck and sprinted up the hill to hook around them so I could get the wind right. Unfortunately the bucks didn't share my zeal for physical effort and chose to stay near the road. In fact one even bedded down near the road. So I had to come back down and stalk in on them. Man talk about unpressured deer. I got within 70 yds of a really nice 4x3 when the bedded 2x3 spotted me and they meandered off. Oh well that's how it goes.
Back in camp at noon we were making some Mountain House meals when a doe walked through camp. And when I say walked through camp I mean she walked right by camp. Our camp must have been some sort of deer highway because about 20 minutes later as I was just starting to dig into my mountain house meal we saw those same bucks cross the hillside not 150yds away. In fact they even picked up a big brother. A nice 150" class 4x4. We watched them feed off and started our stalk. Unfortunately we didn't get very far when about 70yds from camp a herd of 20 elk being pushed by a 330" 6x6 came strolling through. Man why do we walk around and hike in deep for animals again? Apparently mountain house meals and Rainier Beer is some sort of secret deer and elk attractant. While the elk all came within easy bow range none were a “true spike.” So since none were legal elk back to the deer stalking I went. Because of the wind I had to hook way, way around them. In the process I found another group of 20 cows this time with a small 270ish 6pt. I got within 15 yds and again none were a legal elk so after once again leaving a herd of elk I could once again continue my stalk. Man how is a guy to stalk a nice buck when he keeps running into those darn elk.
