Success!!!!! YESSS!!!!!!! heres the story

Muledawg · Nov 2, 2003

LAST EDITED ON Nov-02-03 AT 10:06PM (MST)[p]Well my hunt opened up on Nov. 1st in unit 59 in Idaho for cow elk. Stayed the night up there on Halloween. Got up opening day about 430. Got to where we started to hike at about 6 and spotted a heard of about 20 elk on top. We then started to hike up keeping out of there sight trying to get right ontop of them. We got about even with them as we realized that 3 other hunters were coming up from the other side of them. We were hoping they would not fire tell we could get over there. But sure enough they starting shooting and we thought it was all over then. My uncle and another guy with the tag ran up the hill and spotted some steam coming up over the ridge (the elk breathing real hard). I seen 2 heads come up over and got down as quick as possible and decided to let them keep coming into my uncle and a first time elk hunter from wisconsin (big whitetail hunter). This guy had never shotten a rifle at any big game and with 3 shots he did the job. Well i was sitting about 200 yards above them when i seen some come up running down hill about 450 yards i decided to take a shot and hit right behind them. They ran off and i was walking down the hill disapointed i didnt get anything when i realized there was one straggler about 350 yards down hill from me. I figured if i wanted to get one she was going to be my chance. i got down got steady and slam dunked her. Yup then came the hard part but got them out full. It was a great hunt even though we did not come out with any trophy horns or anything. Thanks for reading hope you enjoyed. If any of you hav e any hunting success storys i would love to hear. Thx again.
MULEDAWG

monstamuleykilla · Nov 3, 2003

This is going to be a strange story. My muzzleloader cow elk hunt also started on the 1st. I made my way to the mountains on the 30th. On the way in my uncle's camp trailer had a flat tire. We could not go into town until the next day to get a new tire. My dad arrived at camp around 6 o'clock on the 31st. That night at about 2am we heard a horn honk and got up to see what it was when I spotted flames. The camper had caught on fire and was in full flames! All we could do was prevent a forest fire, which we did with about three hours of work. All of our food and drinks were lost, along with a brand new refridgerator, a microwave and a tv. It was 5am by the time we were finished so I didn't even try to go back to sleep. On the opening morning we did not even see an elk. I was thinking this is going to be the worst hunt in history. At lunch time my dad and uncle went to town and bought some more food and drinks. The evening hunt started the same as the morning, miles walked and no elk. After getting back to the truck at about twenty minutes before shooting light was over, we decided to go to a water hole about a mile down the road. When we topped out on the hill I looked at my watch and we had five minutes of light left. Immediately I spotted five cows and a nice five by five bull. I made my way towards them to make a shot. I shot three times with two being sure good hits. I waited until about an hour after dark and then made my way to were the elk were. Well the grass was about two and a half feet tall, so it was imposible to find blood with a flashlight so I decided to wait until the morning to find the blood. In the morning I immediately found blood on the ridge that the elk were on. After going up and down two canyons I had to follow the tracks and blood into the deepest, steepest canyon for miles. About when we reached the bottom we heard a crashing coming from the trees at the bottom. We went up about ten yards and there she was! She was looking strait at me and I took a shot, which she moved out of the way of some how. She went into a a draw on the opposite side of the canyon and I made my way over there and made a final shot and my hunt was over. I made the kill at 7:45am and did not get the elk out until about 5pm.

oneshotonekill · Nov 3, 2003

Hey Muledawg, where at in 59 do you hunt?? Ever seen the big camp up Pleasant Valley, three wall tents and stuff. Right at the base of Snakey Draw?

Muledawg · Nov 3, 2003

We usually hunt up medicine lodge up there in unit 59. The canyon we hunt up is called irving canyon so i dont remember seeing no big camp. But is that anywhere near irving creek?
MULEDAWG

Muledawg · Nov 3, 2003

Well im glad you finaly got your elk after which sounds like hell the past night. Im sorry about the loss of the trailor but that sounds like a hunting trip you will never forget, Unlike mine it was kinda to easy of a hunt, But still fun just cause its huntine =)! thx alot monstamuleykilla i appreciate the success story.
MULEDAWG

oneshotonekill · Nov 4, 2003

No you aren't anywhere near Pleasant Valley, if yur hunting Medicine Lodge. Yur hunting the far west part of 59. Well that my family's camp up Pleasant Valley. You have to go up past Spencer and go to the Stoddard Creek exit, to get to Pleasant Valley. We killed four spikes, a 6x6 and three cows this year up there. We've been hunting it since 92, and with those eight elk this year, we've killed 103 there. Did you guys see any good moose over there?

one shot

Muledawg · Nov 4, 2003

LAST EDITED ON Nov-04-03 AT 11:12PM (MST)[p]We seen a cow and a bull moose. The bull wasnt anything special but it was alright. Definately not a shooter though. yea i know where your talking about now. Well that hunt up there is a way good hunt. We have hunted there for 4 years now and whoever goes up there with a tag comes back with there game soo.. I like it up there but i think next year im going to put in up there for a bull tag. What does the 6x6 you shot up there score? Well congrats on the success up there. What are you planning on putting in for next year? MULEDAWG

oneshotonekill · Nov 5, 2003

Muledawg-

The 6 point will score probably 340 or so, not too huge, but not bad. We didn't see a ton of bulls, but there was a good heard, that came over the top from Montana that had some decent bulls in it, but that was four days before the hunt opened. As far as tags go, we have about 18 guys that put in, so we try to spilt 'em half cows and half bulls. This was only our second bull tag up there. It sucks cuz you have to compete with guys out of 30 30A 29 and 58 to get bull tags. But we have alot of fun up there. We've shot five moose out of there too. Was there alot of hunters over at Medicine Lodge?

One shot

Muledawg · Nov 6, 2003

umm we really didnt see any hunters where we were at besides the grp that was shooting at the same heard. We did see a few trucks go up but did not see them get out of there trucks or anything. How about up spencer were there alot of hunters where you went?
MULEDAWG