Caribou Gear

Welcome to Idaho elk camp (semi-live)

Switched gears tonight went to a different spot to glass from high. Found 4 separate groups of elk. These elk bugled unprovoked a few times. (Bout time) The group we have a plan for has 3 good enough branch bulls from what we can tell. One looks really good. 2 of them were posturing eachother all evening but never touched bone. The 3rd bull violently raked 2 different trees the entire evening.
Bellies are full of chicken noodle soup and high hopes, fire is ripping, and visions of big and little hanks are about to start dancing in our heads!20230914_220722.jpg20230914_220507.jpg
 
Eventful morning. Had 3 bulls fightin, had another in pretty tight and a mule deer forkie screwed us. Bugles are happening. We're working to the very tip top now and have a peak lunch and just relax until it's time to make our moves for the afternoon. We have them pegged down. 7 bulls so far this morning. 20230915_103332.jpg20230915_081441.jpg
 
A day of close calls today. Lots of action and a lot of elevation gain. Saw lots of new country to. Bulls are finally fired up tho so the outlook is looking a lot better. Tomorrow I'll go to work again. Our 4th hunting buddy shows up from Arizona tomorrow to. So hopefully they get into them like we did today.

On another note our good friend who is hunting a different unit this year drew blood on something unexpected. Didn't go 20! IMG_20230915_202356.jpg
 
Hilljackoutlaw said:
A day of close calls today. Lots of action and a lot of elevation gain. Saw lots of new country to. Bulls are finally fired up tho so the outlook is looking a lot better. Tomorrow I'll go to work again. Our 4th hunting buddy shows up from Arizona tomorrow to. So hopefully they get into them like we did today.

On another note our good friend who is hunting a different unit this year drew blood on something unexpected. Didn't go 20! View attachment 292620
Click to expand...
What's this? You were hunting elk but this Cougar found you instead? A shame, but if I saw one coming at me during the day I'd put it down too... although I thought they are mostly a threat at night?
 
shrapnel said:
Tell me how this camp beats the camper and generator, shower, toilet, etc.

I don’t know, but is sure beats it hands down. I’m jealous, I got the toyhauler and all the conveniences, but nothing beats a wall tent…


View attachment 292101





Mine…



View attachment 292098
Click to expand...

Hilljackoutlaw said:
He has a mountain lion tag and filled while elk hunting.
Click to expand...
That's pretty cool! Hope he makes a nice cat trophy :) I've never even seen one of those IRL, heh...
 
The guys said it was hot and brutal out there today. Very little elk traffic and loads upon loads of human traffic. Which is exactly why I chose to work Saturday and Sunday to avoid the hoards. They did have a friend come out and watch them glass this evening. I wish they would of took my camera to get some good pics, but they didn't so you get this terrible phone pic of a lion. They said he came out stared at them and just sat on his ass and was still sitting there when they called it a night.
1694915950528_6685558416_0d44d4c2.jpg

Another side note. The buddies hunting a different unit this year drew some more blood today. Mikey notched his first ever bull tag late this morning.
IMG_20230916_184535.jpg
 
Today we got close on a lone bull in the morning. Wind shifted and he disappeared after a good hour of dicking with him. Had to get right in his bedroom to get a response. 6 mile hike out in the rain then we grabbed some lunch at ponds lodge. It continued to rain so 2 of the guys used the time to sleep. Ron went just by camp here and saw 1 forkie muley and I decided to go to a new spot near where I used to pick huckleberrys back in the day. The new spot produced the first bull that acted like it gave a shit that it was the rut. We bantered back and forth until about dark bugling and destroying trees and bushes. I didn't press my luck cause I was solo and I didn't want to bump him so we could go after him in the AM. What I find interesting is this bull is in a complete roadless area and nobody was anywhere around and he bugled more times in an hour than I've heard total bugles this entire hunt. Coincidence I think not. But I couldn't talk the guys into going there so that's why I was solo. But now everyone is gung-ho to head there in the morning. They just wanted me to investigate it first. Lol.
Here's to hoping tomorrow is filled with rutting mayhem!!! 20230918_071355.jpg
 
Lone 5x5 tonight had to work way around him to get the wind. Moved into position he was coming on a string. Gonna pop out of the thick timber right at 40 yards. I'm ready to draw the bow he get right on the edge of the timber and no joke it starts hailing like a bastard! So he hangs up all I can see is his head. He decided I'm not going out in that hail that's dumb. I wait 20 is minutes and it finally stops. The bull is nowhere to be found or heard. So I slowly creep down the drainage. And he half ass bugles above me. I got to 40 yards again and no shot. He knows something is up by this point and starts barking. So I bark back at him and confused him I guess we played cat and mouse until dark and I never got a shot.
I'm outta here tomorrow gotta get back to work. 10 years of hunting idaho and this has been far and away the strangest rut I've ever experienced. Flat out makes no sense at all. The other guys will be here until the bitter end. Hopefully they can get some meat down.
 
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