P
patience
Guest
This is my first DIY elk hunt. My hunt started when I drew the unit 45 Elk hunt in southern Idaho. I spent the first couple of days looking around the main access roads and didn't care too much for all the human activity and access to the limited amounts of public land, so I started tearing into my maps to find myself some place secluded.
I found what I was looking for and the scouting for elk began. My two scouting trips produced the same results, lots of elk and no people. I found the bull I wanted and opening day had me sitting at the top of a basin that was only road accessible through private property, I took the back door - a 2 mile hike with 1600 vertical feet through public land.
I was headed to the east side of my basin when I heard bugling on the west ridge, it was only half a mile from where I had seen my big bull so I decided to check it out. After easing down the ridge for 30 minutes I found myself surrounded by elk to my left, right and below!
The bugles to my left and right were every minute or so, loud and whiny - they sound like a guy using a bugle. The bugle below me on the ridge, behind a stand of trees, was a much different sound. It wasn't drawn out, it was short and deep, very coarse and only bugled every few minutes. It almost sound like a bear growling really loud. Whether or not this was the bull I had seen scouting, I wanted to see him now.
As I was easing down the ridge, not able to see more than 10 yards to my left or right, the cows to my left got spooked and took off. As I stood up I saw a few of them being followed by a decent bull, all of them running downhill parallel to the ridge.
I don't have any experience with calls so I was relying on stealth to make this happen. I used their noise to cover some ground and I rushed down the ridge toward the fir stand so I could see the big boy on the other side. As I crept through the firs I saw the last butt of one of his cows disappear into the timber just to the right of the ridge about 50 yards out.
I decided to follow and crept down the elk trail after them. I was shocked when 5 minutes later an elk bugled so loud and close it almost made me yell out loud. I froze looked down the hill and saw to cows at the end of a fallen tree, they had me busted! I decided to stand still and see what happens I knew a bull was close. They bolted and I thought it was over. Then I saw him, walking broad side behind the fallen tree, his antlers standing almost two feet above the branches. I thought this is it, just make sure he is the one. I lifted my rifle half way up and he stopped to look my way, I was in full camo with a tree between us, he didn't seem to notice me. I pulled the scope up, he stepped out from behind the tree, I saw really good 1st, 2nds and 3rd tines through the scope, dropped down to his neck and BAM! Bull down with one shot at 20 yards on opening day!
When I got up to him I realized he wasn't the big one I had been scouting but it was my first real elk hunt and I got a little excited. He is a 6x6 with a busted 5th on the left and a busted 6th on the right. I feel great about the hunt though because I had a plan and was able to execute it perfectly.
I shot him October 1st and finished packing him out October 3rd, the day I managed to stab myself while boning him out.
Enjoy the pics guys, hope you enjoyed the story - I should have another for my mule deer by the end of the month.
I was the only guy out there!
Up and over
Getting close
Yes, I stabbed myself on the last load of meat.
Took this one just for Facebook.
My father, my hunting partner, my teacher
I found what I was looking for and the scouting for elk began. My two scouting trips produced the same results, lots of elk and no people. I found the bull I wanted and opening day had me sitting at the top of a basin that was only road accessible through private property, I took the back door - a 2 mile hike with 1600 vertical feet through public land.
I was headed to the east side of my basin when I heard bugling on the west ridge, it was only half a mile from where I had seen my big bull so I decided to check it out. After easing down the ridge for 30 minutes I found myself surrounded by elk to my left, right and below!
The bugles to my left and right were every minute or so, loud and whiny - they sound like a guy using a bugle. The bugle below me on the ridge, behind a stand of trees, was a much different sound. It wasn't drawn out, it was short and deep, very coarse and only bugled every few minutes. It almost sound like a bear growling really loud. Whether or not this was the bull I had seen scouting, I wanted to see him now.
As I was easing down the ridge, not able to see more than 10 yards to my left or right, the cows to my left got spooked and took off. As I stood up I saw a few of them being followed by a decent bull, all of them running downhill parallel to the ridge.
I don't have any experience with calls so I was relying on stealth to make this happen. I used their noise to cover some ground and I rushed down the ridge toward the fir stand so I could see the big boy on the other side. As I crept through the firs I saw the last butt of one of his cows disappear into the timber just to the right of the ridge about 50 yards out.
I decided to follow and crept down the elk trail after them. I was shocked when 5 minutes later an elk bugled so loud and close it almost made me yell out loud. I froze looked down the hill and saw to cows at the end of a fallen tree, they had me busted! I decided to stand still and see what happens I knew a bull was close. They bolted and I thought it was over. Then I saw him, walking broad side behind the fallen tree, his antlers standing almost two feet above the branches. I thought this is it, just make sure he is the one. I lifted my rifle half way up and he stopped to look my way, I was in full camo with a tree between us, he didn't seem to notice me. I pulled the scope up, he stepped out from behind the tree, I saw really good 1st, 2nds and 3rd tines through the scope, dropped down to his neck and BAM! Bull down with one shot at 20 yards on opening day!
When I got up to him I realized he wasn't the big one I had been scouting but it was my first real elk hunt and I got a little excited. He is a 6x6 with a busted 5th on the left and a busted 6th on the right. I feel great about the hunt though because I had a plan and was able to execute it perfectly.
I shot him October 1st and finished packing him out October 3rd, the day I managed to stab myself while boning him out.
Enjoy the pics guys, hope you enjoyed the story - I should have another for my mule deer by the end of the month.
I was the only guy out there!
Up and over
Getting close
Yes, I stabbed myself on the last load of meat.
Took this one just for Facebook.
My father, my hunting partner, my teacher
