Stacey's Idaho Cow Elk Hunt
- Thread starter kilowatt
- Start date
idabigbuck
Active Member
- Messages
- 134
Thanks Brian for posting the pictures! And now for the story.
First to clear up a couple of things.
My name is Stacey, but I am a card carrying "Dude" and have the equipment to prove it. I have lived with the name all my life and didn't really like it much until high school, when the girls started saying things like, "I think Stacey is a cute name!" I then thought to myself, "Self.... maybe it ain't so bad after all!" Ha ha!
I originally posted this story under "My Idaho bull" and as the name implies this is a picture of a young bull and not a cow.
I drew an antlerless tag for unit 39-1 which I love to hunt because it allows one the opportunity to hunt deer and elk at the same time.
I decided to hunt a new (to me) area because of the huge burns last year around Anderson Ranch reservoir. In my experience those big burns are a magnet for deer and elk for the next few years. I was not disappointed. I saw lots of fresh deer and elk sign. I was hunting by myself, which I don't mind because it give you the flexibility to go wherever you want without having to get any other input. I headed out after work, found a campsite and started hunting the area right behind camp. Just as it was starting to get dark I heard some cow's talking in my basin. I couldn't find em, but I was encouraged!
The next morning the alarm went off and I started the day with oatmeal and coffee then out the door of Lucky (our 5th wheel)and up the edge of the basin directly behind camp. I positioned myself on a ridge with good visibility to both sides just as it was getting to shooting light. I spotted several doe's with fawns but nothing to shoot at. I worked my way up along the ridge and around the basin, all the way seeing fresh elk and deer sign. I pushed a doe and fawn over the ridge a couple of times as I continued to climb. I didn't see anything to shoot this morning but scouted some awesome country. Back at camp for a good lunch and mid day siesta.
Not being real familiar with the area I decided to drive to another nearby mountain and find a place to hunt the evening. I found a likely looking ridge and still hunted to a good vantage point to wait for the magic hour. Glass, glass, glass....nothing!
Oh well it seemed I had the mountain to myself.
The next morning I was out of the truck and just getting ready to climb to another ridge I had spotted the day before. Then I heard a cow call not more than 50 yards away in the dark! Good sign. I started climbing the ridge in the dark and found a great perch that gave me a awesome view of the valley below. Just as I was settling in I realized I left my binos in the truck....Grrrrr!! Back down to the truck during prime time and then back up again. Now I'm sweaty and disgusted at myself for such a rookie move. I glassed for probably 45 minutes before side hilling around to the next basin...Nothing! Keep side hilling toward the next basin and then as I was not paying attention about 40 yard ahead of me this little bull jumps out of some buck brush. He runs about 40 yards and stops broadside to offer me a shot. Boom... goes the aught 6 and he disappears over the ridge. I scramble over to where I shot him and spot him down 20 yards away. One quick neck shot finishes him. I thought it odd he was by himself and when I get up to him I discover a nasty leg wound on his right front leg. He wasn't going to last long out here between the wolves and the lions. So I felt I did my good deed by putting him down.
He's not the biggest elk on the mountain, but he is by far the best eating elk I have ever tasted. Its good to have some elk in the freezer and memories of a great hunt to tide me over until next year.
First to clear up a couple of things.
My name is Stacey, but I am a card carrying "Dude" and have the equipment to prove it. I have lived with the name all my life and didn't really like it much until high school, when the girls started saying things like, "I think Stacey is a cute name!" I then thought to myself, "Self.... maybe it ain't so bad after all!" Ha ha!
I originally posted this story under "My Idaho bull" and as the name implies this is a picture of a young bull and not a cow.
I drew an antlerless tag for unit 39-1 which I love to hunt because it allows one the opportunity to hunt deer and elk at the same time.
I decided to hunt a new (to me) area because of the huge burns last year around Anderson Ranch reservoir. In my experience those big burns are a magnet for deer and elk for the next few years. I was not disappointed. I saw lots of fresh deer and elk sign. I was hunting by myself, which I don't mind because it give you the flexibility to go wherever you want without having to get any other input. I headed out after work, found a campsite and started hunting the area right behind camp. Just as it was starting to get dark I heard some cow's talking in my basin. I couldn't find em, but I was encouraged!
The next morning the alarm went off and I started the day with oatmeal and coffee then out the door of Lucky (our 5th wheel)and up the edge of the basin directly behind camp. I positioned myself on a ridge with good visibility to both sides just as it was getting to shooting light. I spotted several doe's with fawns but nothing to shoot at. I worked my way up along the ridge and around the basin, all the way seeing fresh elk and deer sign. I pushed a doe and fawn over the ridge a couple of times as I continued to climb. I didn't see anything to shoot this morning but scouted some awesome country. Back at camp for a good lunch and mid day siesta.
Not being real familiar with the area I decided to drive to another nearby mountain and find a place to hunt the evening. I found a likely looking ridge and still hunted to a good vantage point to wait for the magic hour. Glass, glass, glass....nothing!
Oh well it seemed I had the mountain to myself.
The next morning I was out of the truck and just getting ready to climb to another ridge I had spotted the day before. Then I heard a cow call not more than 50 yards away in the dark! Good sign. I started climbing the ridge in the dark and found a great perch that gave me a awesome view of the valley below. Just as I was settling in I realized I left my binos in the truck....Grrrrr!! Back down to the truck during prime time and then back up again. Now I'm sweaty and disgusted at myself for such a rookie move. I glassed for probably 45 minutes before side hilling around to the next basin...Nothing! Keep side hilling toward the next basin and then as I was not paying attention about 40 yard ahead of me this little bull jumps out of some buck brush. He runs about 40 yards and stops broadside to offer me a shot. Boom... goes the aught 6 and he disappears over the ridge. I scramble over to where I shot him and spot him down 20 yards away. One quick neck shot finishes him. I thought it odd he was by himself and when I get up to him I discover a nasty leg wound on his right front leg. He wasn't going to last long out here between the wolves and the lions. So I felt I did my good deed by putting him down.
He's not the biggest elk on the mountain, but he is by far the best eating elk I have ever tasted. Its good to have some elk in the freezer and memories of a great hunt to tide me over until next year.
TheHotDuke
Member
- Messages
- 29
Cool Story thanks for sharing. I and my GF and my two boys will elk hunt for the first time and it will be in that area as well. We all drew Anterless as well. that looks familiar area from some scouting we have done. if you still check the thread any general pointers you have would be greatly appreciated.
thanks
thanks
Congrats on a freezer full of amazing meat, should be really tender. Good eats right there. I do have a question, and I don't mean any conflict by asking. I am not familiar with an early rifle antler less tag in 39-1, what hunt number was that? Thanks for your time, and again Congrats and thanks for sharing.
idabigbuck
Active Member
- Messages
- 134
Yep that was a fun hunt and guess what...I drew the same tag this year!!! I'll be back in the same area this year. A friend of my drew the same tag too! I hope there aren't too many folks hunting this area because of the big fire in the north part of the unit. Good luck everyone! I hope to have some more pictures to post soon!
idabigbuck
Active Member
- Messages
- 134
Hey Duke,
That's awesome you get to hunt with your boys and GF. One of my proudest moments was the grin on my boy's face after he dropped his first elk with a heart shot at 250 yards! As far as pointers go...get out early, get up high and glass. If you don't see something keep moving to the next basin and glass. Of course you improve your odds if you can get away from the roads. The first week of the season it helps to have a cow call with you, because even though the rut is winding down, they will still be herded up. Most of all enjoy the precious moments with your boys...It goes too fast!
That's awesome you get to hunt with your boys and GF. One of my proudest moments was the grin on my boy's face after he dropped his first elk with a heart shot at 250 yards! As far as pointers go...get out early, get up high and glass. If you don't see something keep moving to the next basin and glass. Of course you improve your odds if you can get away from the roads. The first week of the season it helps to have a cow call with you, because even though the rut is winding down, they will still be herded up. Most of all enjoy the precious moments with your boys...It goes too fast!
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