I
ID_Paul
Guest
LAST EDITED ON Sep-25-05 AT 03:25PM (MST)[p]After several years of not getting out for archery season, this season I finally was able to make time for a brief hunt. Since I have been very busy all summer, scouting was unfortunately not possible. My best option was to return to the area I had hunted a lot when I bowhunted more.
This area was thick with elk when I was last there. There were areas where you couldn't go more than 50 yards without running across fresh sign. Though I never got an elk here, I was always confident they were there.
Friday afternoon I headed up. I saw one doe 1/2 mile from camp but nothing else. As soon as my tent was set up, it started to rain lightly. That continued all night. The next morning I started out. The area was recognizable, but much has changed. It is much brushier now, and the trails I remember are gone. Here is a typical section of what it is like here now:
It was misty, and very poor visibility. After a short walk through the brush I realized that without the elk trails to follow I was going to be very noisy and very wet. I looped back to the road and walked back toward camp.
While walking, I noticed wolf tracks and wolf droppings on the road. The tracks were wider than my boots, and I wear a EE width. The amount of wolf droppings was surprising. It was everywhere.
I decided the only way to hunt this would be to follow the old logging roads. Everything is overgrown here. The first time I came to this area I followed behind a friend driving a Geo! He wouldn't be able to drive that thing 1/4 up the mountain now.
There was no sign of any recent human use on these old trails. There was also no sign of any recent elk use. All day yesterday, I found one pile of elk manure, very old, and maybe 4 sets of elk tracks - and some of the tracks had plants growing in them. I would walk a little bit, then stop in an area that would allow a shot, and cow call. I never heard anything in response.
After walking several miles on the old trails I decided to bag it. It had rained on me all day and there was nothing to indicate there was an elk anywhere in the vicinity. Since I was alone, the thought of breaking and rebuilding camp in a new area did not sound good. I let disappointment get the better of me and now I am home a day early.
What would you have done?
I'm still trying to learn from my experiences and mistakes. Any input and advice is appreciated.
Thanks.
Paul
This area was thick with elk when I was last there. There were areas where you couldn't go more than 50 yards without running across fresh sign. Though I never got an elk here, I was always confident they were there.
Friday afternoon I headed up. I saw one doe 1/2 mile from camp but nothing else. As soon as my tent was set up, it started to rain lightly. That continued all night. The next morning I started out. The area was recognizable, but much has changed. It is much brushier now, and the trails I remember are gone. Here is a typical section of what it is like here now:
It was misty, and very poor visibility. After a short walk through the brush I realized that without the elk trails to follow I was going to be very noisy and very wet. I looped back to the road and walked back toward camp.
While walking, I noticed wolf tracks and wolf droppings on the road. The tracks were wider than my boots, and I wear a EE width. The amount of wolf droppings was surprising. It was everywhere.
I decided the only way to hunt this would be to follow the old logging roads. Everything is overgrown here. The first time I came to this area I followed behind a friend driving a Geo! He wouldn't be able to drive that thing 1/4 up the mountain now.
There was no sign of any recent human use on these old trails. There was also no sign of any recent elk use. All day yesterday, I found one pile of elk manure, very old, and maybe 4 sets of elk tracks - and some of the tracks had plants growing in them. I would walk a little bit, then stop in an area that would allow a shot, and cow call. I never heard anything in response.
After walking several miles on the old trails I decided to bag it. It had rained on me all day and there was nothing to indicate there was an elk anywhere in the vicinity. Since I was alone, the thought of breaking and rebuilding camp in a new area did not sound good. I let disappointment get the better of me and now I am home a day early.
What would you have done?
I'm still trying to learn from my experiences and mistakes. Any input and advice is appreciated.
Thanks.
Paul