Starting out

J

JasonBalazs

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Well I just found this forum and really like what I see. This year for elk season, I have been scouting a little here and there trying to find the bulls and posibly some great areas. Yesterday I went into the high country and scouted around looking for any sign. I hunted an area last year and almost had the chance at a bruiser before a cow came in and rounded him up. Anyway, yesterday I went there looking for some sign. The night before it had rained and really washed the area out. Not many tracks or droppings for that matter. Elk season starts in a week and one day.
I did get some pictures of some nice bucks, but didn't see any elk.
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More to follow...

Owner/Editor:Outdoor Product Review
 
Well went up this morning and was about a mile in before daylight. At seven as I was slowly walking down this old logging road, I saw elk in front of me about 90 yards away walking over a ridge. I stepped into a tree and let a few cow calls out. The wind was blowing right in my face and everything was perfect. All of a sudden the woods came alive with a crash and an elk was heading my way quick. I came to full draw and was ready when the elk appeared. It turned out to be a spike and he came running in and stopped at just seven steps. He was slow close that I could hear him breathing. He stood there for over a minute (While I was at full draw). Once he turned and his head went behind a tree, I let down. He heard nothing, nor saw anything for that fact. He just starting walking back to where he came from and headed down the mountain. The rest of the morning nothing happened.

I must say one thing, it is really cool to have an elk in that close. Close enough to kiss I say!!

Owner: www.outdoorproductreview.com
 
Labor day weekend:

Well went out from Thursday until Sunday. I hunted a new area off of Gold Camp Road, down a 4 wheel drive road (I took my camper down, lol). Anyway, I hunted hard and walked a lot of miles. Tons of elk sign with rubs and tracks everywhere.
Never saw an elk or deer for that matter. I did however, have a bobcat come to within five steps of me and got him on video too.

Nothing was bugling at all and I did not see one other hunter. Lot's of rabbits this year running around. I am hoping they start bugling soon and coming around. I will post pictures once I upload them to somewhere.


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Owner: www.outdoorproductreview.com
 
Well I was only able to hunt Friday due to a long honey do list and family coming up to visit.

Friday morning was a blast. I was at 12,200 feet at sunrise and had five bulls screaming around me. I was sitting next to a log and glassing a huge 7X7 with my spotting scope about 900 yards away. He was the main man and screaming his head off. I joined in with my bugle and cow calls and was answered by a bull off to my right about 300 yards away. I got set up and kept working it. The bull didn't seem like he was moving anywhere and I just kept on him. I could not make my way towards him, because he was on the "Private" property of the city water land. So I just kept making my calls and sounding like a cow that was not happy with the bull she was with. After about 30 minutes of him screaming at me and the big bull screaming as well, the one to my right lit off a bugle and sounded about 150 yards out. I heard a noise behind me and turned my head slowly to see a mule deer doe at about three steps. I don't know who was more startled me or her. Anyway, after the doe walked away I started to slowly stand, only to freeze about halfway in the process.
Antlers where coming my way and were about 30 yards out. Stuck in a half squat (Which is not that comfortable) I was waiting on the bull to go behind a tree. He was still on the private land and had about 20 yards to go until he was in the open and through the downed fence. He had stopped once he hit the edge of the trees and was still on their land. I slowly, and I mean slowly, worked down into a crouched position to get ready. The bull only had about 10 yards to go until he was on my side. The bull stood there for what seemed like an hour, but was more along the lines of about 20 minutes. He was looking for that cow that he heard. He was not a monster, but a very decent 5X6 with a kicker off the left side. He turned and started to walk around in the trees to get the wind right. At that time, a 4X4 rag horn came out to my left and walked right in front of me at five yards. I let him go because I was packed in two miles and didn't plan on packing a small bull out.
Anyway, the bull passed and went to where the 5X6 was, which I think gave the bull some confidence. He heard elk where I was, now a bull came out from there. Anyway, I got behind a tree hidden and started to cow call again. This time the bull walked out and straight through the fence. He was only 15 yards, but had a tree covering the front of his vitals. All I could see was antlers and face with no shot available. I was at full draw and debating on taking a shot through the bush, but years of doing this kept me back from releasing the arrow. The bull was there chuckling for about 15 minutes and was trying to have the cows show themselves. The Bowtech invasion that I am shooting is awesome. I help for the whole time without feeling fatigued. (I have a trick to help with that. Send me an email off my site and I will make a video for it.)
Anyway, the bull turned an about face and headed back into the private property. Frustrated, I let down and moved to my left. I immediately hit the bugle and the bull ran up to the tree and started tesring it up. Slobber and snot was flying all over the place. If only he was on the public, I would have rushed him and sent the arrow home. He would not have heard me, for his eyes were closed and ears were back and only hearing the tree being torn apart.
After he molested the tree he turned and went downhill. I called but he didn't come back. getting hungry, I decided to head a little off the mountain and eat my snack. I was about 100 yards down and bugled just to see if he would answer. Boom he busts out of the timber about 30 yards from me. I am not ready. No arrow on the string, and basically caught with my pants down. I am behind a small pine and try to get an arrow on the string. He had enough of not seeing the animals that were calling and bolted out from there.
Even though I didn't get him, I had a great time interacting with him. There is nothing like being that close to a big bull who is love struck. Anyway, the bull had huge eye guards that were about 14 inches and when he bugled with his head back, they even looked bigger. I am hoping to introduce him to my T1 broadhead this next weekend. He was a dandy bull and I really enjoyed my morning up there.

I had to get home, for I was up there on only 1.5 hours of sleep since I had clinical until Midnight the night before and woke up at 3:00 A.M to drive up there. I am leaving Thursday morning for the last four days of season. Hoping to let Mr. Bull meet his maker. Also, this week, I am taking up my montana butt decoy and some golden esturus elk from wildlife research center. Going to set out a scent line for the bull with a little visual stimulation.

More to follow..

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Owner: www.outdoorproductreview.com
 
Well the last weekend of season was sort of strange. I believe that everyone and their mother who had a tag to fill were out there.
However, the first morning (Friday) I heard nothing. That afternoon I did some scouting to see if the elk had moved out of the area. It was hard to really tell if the elk left or not, for there had been so many in there the week before. But, have no fear. I spotted a bull on the top of the mountain at dusk with four cows.
The next morning I was on my normal ridge where the elk were always at. I had a bull bugling right in front of me, but I just could not get him to commit. I think he had cows, but he was just on the side of the private.
On the way down the mountain, I had talked with a guy earlier in the day, well I ran into that guy and his friend. We talked for a bit and decided we should try to team up on the bulls. That afternoon, we went out and immediatley heard a bull screaming down this ridge. WE were across a bottom of scrub and I set my decoy out. We started calling. We were spaced about 30 yards apart. This was the same bull from the morning and he just didn't want to come out of the timber. Then as soon as the bull started, he stopped responding. WE didn't know what happened (I will get back to that).
Nothing else happend that afternoon, but we were standing on the ridge where we always hunt and glassing a meadow. The bull that had been talking with us earlier in the day should be on our left across a small gulch. Well, as we are glassing, we notice movement where the elk was. Here comes a guy off that ridge. He must have been over there when the bull was screaming and trying to get a stalk on the bull. Well the wind was at his back and he must have spooked him to make him shut up like that.

Anyway, on to the next and last morning.

We meet up at 0500 and work up the mountain. We get to a meadow and wait for it to get light. All of a sudden a huge 7X7 on the other side of the hill explodes. HE is screaming and screaming. Long sotry short.. I chased him for 4 miles and almost got a shot three times. It was strange because the bull rushed to are original call, then turned and hung up. Then, starting walking away the whole time bugling and thrashing trees.
Owner: www.outdoorproductreview.com
 
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