That lucky goat had the flattest spot on the mountain. If you plan on a spike camp you'll have to kick the goat out of his bed to pitch your tent. If not you'll have to hit REI to buy some of those thingys crazy rock climbers sleep in on cliff faces.
The other flat spot
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Keep an eye out for rattlesnakes, ticks, and monster spiders too. My nads itch every time I think of those monster dutton ticks!
As for the rut. I think it's always funny how much guys worry about it, and one reason the later elk hunts are nice-you don't have to worry about it! Glassing for big yellow bulls in November is like carp fishing...;-)
If you ask the archery hunters it's too early this year and they'll be pissed, the early rifle hunters will say it's too early and be pissed, and the muzzleloaders will say it's too late and be pissed. The late elk hunters will go holy $#@it did you hear that bull bugle and be surprised and happy.
We'll all say it's too hot, it's a full moon, too dry, too wet, too cold.... I think you get my point. Just seems like we all have an excuse (myself included) on rut or migration type hunts. The best thing is to just go into it with the attitude that anything could happen and adapt to the conditions you're given during your hunt.
Honest to goodness though, I've only had one experience of rutting elk that comes close to what I saw and heard one Novmember afternoon on Dutton-it was like an all out elk orgy-we're talking hundreds of elk-dozens of bulls in one big massive herd. One of the neatest things I've ever seen in the wild.
Maybe it was a couple of herds reuniting after spending the summer and fall on different units and joining back up on Dutton-catching up on old times so to speak. I've seen something similar to this with mule deer bucks as they return to the winter range and become winter companions again instead of breeding rivals.
Well, anyway enough of that. Good luck with your hunts. It's a magical place and the passionate responses from those that know the mountain prove that it'll never leave a person the same after they've hunted it.
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