LAST EDITED ON Jun-30-09 AT 02:42PM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Jun-30-09 AT 02:05?PM (MST)
If you missed part 1:
http://www.monstermuleys.info/dcforum/DCForumID12/10809.html
So part 1 ended after an 8 day, hunt off our backs, deep backcountry archery elk hunt. We ended up going 1 for 2. Should have been 2 for 2, but you know how it goes. So there we we're cruising out of the mountains, crack?n dill seeds, listening to a little Johnny Cash, windows down (we stunk) and making our way back to civilization. Shane was still pretty bummed, understandably. Of the two of us he certainly leans more to the bow than I, but with an expensive, un-notched draw tag still in his pocket, what else do you do?? You go Hunt?n!
Actually 4 of us had drawn tags together. Myself, cousin Shane, Father-in-law Jeff, and his nephew Bill. Three early thirty something dudes and a true seasoned elk hunting mentor made for an unstoppable quartet. Bill fell victim to the flu just prior to the archery hunt and couldn't make it. We found that out when he never showed after leaving a backcountry billboard. After hearing all of our blabbering stories from the past week, he was rearing to say the least.
Opening day of the rifle season turned out to be a real downer. Not a single elk spotted, a couple bears were seen but that was about it. Jeff?s long time, perfect elk hunting horse just didn't seem right that morning. We pressed on while he hung back with an obviously sick horse. With a visit to the Jackson Hole vet, and a lot of thought, good ol? Sassy now lays to rest in elk hunt?n heaven. Tough times there opening day, not the way we really expected to get things rolling.
The rest of that weekend outing was slow, tried to get on a fleeting 5er with no luck, and that was about it. No worries, the season had just started. If nothing else, its beautiful country up there!
Like I said, Jeff?s been around the block a few times with this elk hunting. He?s got things figured out. You can get enough horses and enough wheelers into a 6 horse slant trailer to keep you mobile and efficient. With a little shoveling, you have a bedroom and kitchen. Works very well. The high rise suite in the gooseneck cabin gets a little chilly. Nothing a little fried potatoes and bacon wont shake off though.
Next outing found us at an old stand by sleeper spot. I'd killed my first bull there a couple years ago. It's a place Jeff has hunted many times and we're getting to know pretty well. No doubt, going in, we KNOW there are elk there. At 8am with the sun high and not an elk spotted, it was taking more effort to keep Bill and Shane convinced that we knew what we were doing. Here?s my bull from a couple years ago. What great memories to sit and reminisce that previous hunt while glassing the very ridge he fell on.
ELK! Right there, third draw over, half way up, coming out of the pines! Off they went, Shane shot straight up, Jeff to the left, Bill to the right. With my archery bull already in the freezer, I had the awesome opportunity to watch it unfold from afar. By the time they had dropped in 1000ft and started up the other side, the herd of 40 had just vanished. I had a full view of the mountain, no way they could have squeezed out with out me seeing, but?they did somehow, gone. Shane had gained his elevation and decided to stay for a little lunch. Good move. Another group fed out with a good bull. He?d have to move fast, and climb hard to make it. Shane is all muscle and grit, no question in my mind, he'd make it happen. A peak over the ridge crest, a shot, another shot, and the bull was gone, back into the pines.
A long tracking job, made easier by the snow, but compounded with a wounded and bumped bull finally ended with Shane wrapping his hands around his first bull. Bill was able to make it up and help get the bull taken care of. 1000ft down 2000ft up and 2000ft back down again, through trailess rough country, without food or drink for the day, he earned that one. But the work wasn?t over yet.
Back up the next morning with the horses as far as we could go. Still the majority of climbing and packing was our chore. Shane and I got him broke down, and packed back to the horse. I'm telling ya, this country was impassable by horse and nearly done us in as well, but we got it done.
Fresh tenderloins and the fix?ns. What a well deserved and unbeatable gourmet meal. While we spent the day getting Shane?s bull out, Jeff and Bill had made a few stories of their own. By the time they rolled into camp at 10pm, their lies and restrained smiles were pretty transparent. Quite a story unfolded over their share of dinner.
They?d gone in after a couple other bulls that Jeff and I had glassed up the evening before. Most of the day was spent with little action. As the sun was dropping below the peaks, crashing was heard, louder and louder. Three bulls busted out on a dead run right towards them. Old one-shot-Bill dropped the first 5er dead in his tracks. The other two stalled at the shot and gave Jeff enough time to put down the 6 point. Two bulls down in ten second! Unbelievable!
Shane and I had just spent the full day packing out his bull, now this?times 2!!! We all knew we had a full day ahead of us. Work it was, but oh how enjoyable. Family, friends, elk, jokes, snow, pines, horses, sardines and jolly ranchers, oh the memories.
One of my horses got a bummed leg on the last trip and with Jeff?s horse off to the eternal pasture, we had borrowed a neighbors mare. She's was a pretty little palomino, but dang did she HATE elk. Little did she know it, but she WAS going to pack elk that day. With a little coax?n, and I mean hobbles front and back with double lead ropes tied tight and a full stick of Old Spice deodorant shoved up her nose, we got the quarters on her with no real problems after that. Not her, but I thought this was a cool picture of my big gelding.
It took a good 7 hours, but between us and the horses we got both elk out in one trip.
Got the truck loaded. The good thing about driving home through western Wyoming and rural northern Utah is a sight like this is admired. You stop for gas even if you don't need any and everybody wants to know ?wher?d ya get em?.? They know they're getting lied to, but that's understood before the question is even asked.
In the end as I sit back and relay this, I find I enjoy reliving it, through word and picture, nearly as much as I did while out trouncing up the mountain. The memories and experiences are what its all about. We know they aint giant B&C bulls, but it don't matter, not a bit! I just consider myself blessed and grateful to have the means and opportunity to literally live what I day dream about every day.
If you missed part 1:
http://www.monstermuleys.info/dcforum/DCForumID12/10809.html
So part 1 ended after an 8 day, hunt off our backs, deep backcountry archery elk hunt. We ended up going 1 for 2. Should have been 2 for 2, but you know how it goes. So there we we're cruising out of the mountains, crack?n dill seeds, listening to a little Johnny Cash, windows down (we stunk) and making our way back to civilization. Shane was still pretty bummed, understandably. Of the two of us he certainly leans more to the bow than I, but with an expensive, un-notched draw tag still in his pocket, what else do you do?? You go Hunt?n!
Actually 4 of us had drawn tags together. Myself, cousin Shane, Father-in-law Jeff, and his nephew Bill. Three early thirty something dudes and a true seasoned elk hunting mentor made for an unstoppable quartet. Bill fell victim to the flu just prior to the archery hunt and couldn't make it. We found that out when he never showed after leaving a backcountry billboard. After hearing all of our blabbering stories from the past week, he was rearing to say the least.
Opening day of the rifle season turned out to be a real downer. Not a single elk spotted, a couple bears were seen but that was about it. Jeff?s long time, perfect elk hunting horse just didn't seem right that morning. We pressed on while he hung back with an obviously sick horse. With a visit to the Jackson Hole vet, and a lot of thought, good ol? Sassy now lays to rest in elk hunt?n heaven. Tough times there opening day, not the way we really expected to get things rolling.
The rest of that weekend outing was slow, tried to get on a fleeting 5er with no luck, and that was about it. No worries, the season had just started. If nothing else, its beautiful country up there!
Like I said, Jeff?s been around the block a few times with this elk hunting. He?s got things figured out. You can get enough horses and enough wheelers into a 6 horse slant trailer to keep you mobile and efficient. With a little shoveling, you have a bedroom and kitchen. Works very well. The high rise suite in the gooseneck cabin gets a little chilly. Nothing a little fried potatoes and bacon wont shake off though.
Next outing found us at an old stand by sleeper spot. I'd killed my first bull there a couple years ago. It's a place Jeff has hunted many times and we're getting to know pretty well. No doubt, going in, we KNOW there are elk there. At 8am with the sun high and not an elk spotted, it was taking more effort to keep Bill and Shane convinced that we knew what we were doing. Here?s my bull from a couple years ago. What great memories to sit and reminisce that previous hunt while glassing the very ridge he fell on.
ELK! Right there, third draw over, half way up, coming out of the pines! Off they went, Shane shot straight up, Jeff to the left, Bill to the right. With my archery bull already in the freezer, I had the awesome opportunity to watch it unfold from afar. By the time they had dropped in 1000ft and started up the other side, the herd of 40 had just vanished. I had a full view of the mountain, no way they could have squeezed out with out me seeing, but?they did somehow, gone. Shane had gained his elevation and decided to stay for a little lunch. Good move. Another group fed out with a good bull. He?d have to move fast, and climb hard to make it. Shane is all muscle and grit, no question in my mind, he'd make it happen. A peak over the ridge crest, a shot, another shot, and the bull was gone, back into the pines.
A long tracking job, made easier by the snow, but compounded with a wounded and bumped bull finally ended with Shane wrapping his hands around his first bull. Bill was able to make it up and help get the bull taken care of. 1000ft down 2000ft up and 2000ft back down again, through trailess rough country, without food or drink for the day, he earned that one. But the work wasn?t over yet.
Back up the next morning with the horses as far as we could go. Still the majority of climbing and packing was our chore. Shane and I got him broke down, and packed back to the horse. I'm telling ya, this country was impassable by horse and nearly done us in as well, but we got it done.
Fresh tenderloins and the fix?ns. What a well deserved and unbeatable gourmet meal. While we spent the day getting Shane?s bull out, Jeff and Bill had made a few stories of their own. By the time they rolled into camp at 10pm, their lies and restrained smiles were pretty transparent. Quite a story unfolded over their share of dinner.
They?d gone in after a couple other bulls that Jeff and I had glassed up the evening before. Most of the day was spent with little action. As the sun was dropping below the peaks, crashing was heard, louder and louder. Three bulls busted out on a dead run right towards them. Old one-shot-Bill dropped the first 5er dead in his tracks. The other two stalled at the shot and gave Jeff enough time to put down the 6 point. Two bulls down in ten second! Unbelievable!
Shane and I had just spent the full day packing out his bull, now this?times 2!!! We all knew we had a full day ahead of us. Work it was, but oh how enjoyable. Family, friends, elk, jokes, snow, pines, horses, sardines and jolly ranchers, oh the memories.
One of my horses got a bummed leg on the last trip and with Jeff?s horse off to the eternal pasture, we had borrowed a neighbors mare. She's was a pretty little palomino, but dang did she HATE elk. Little did she know it, but she WAS going to pack elk that day. With a little coax?n, and I mean hobbles front and back with double lead ropes tied tight and a full stick of Old Spice deodorant shoved up her nose, we got the quarters on her with no real problems after that. Not her, but I thought this was a cool picture of my big gelding.
It took a good 7 hours, but between us and the horses we got both elk out in one trip.
Got the truck loaded. The good thing about driving home through western Wyoming and rural northern Utah is a sight like this is admired. You stop for gas even if you don't need any and everybody wants to know ?wher?d ya get em?.? They know they're getting lied to, but that's understood before the question is even asked.
In the end as I sit back and relay this, I find I enjoy reliving it, through word and picture, nearly as much as I did while out trouncing up the mountain. The memories and experiences are what its all about. We know they aint giant B&C bulls, but it don't matter, not a bit! I just consider myself blessed and grateful to have the means and opportunity to literally live what I day dream about every day.
