Another great season in elk camp

[leo]

A couple weeks back I went to scout our usual elk hunting grounds, because of the wet spring, very little crop was seeded on and around my in-laws farm. There was elk sign, but not promising. On to the opening day, I went out that morning, didn't see much of anything. Heard a bugle or two in the timber along the creek, and decided that because of the dry conditions, close to heavy timber and water was where I was going to hunt that evening. The wife and I lazed around camp, went cruising in the sxs, had supper and headed out around 7:30 for a quick hunt. I cut trails through the timber on the back of the farm to connect fields and just for fun cruising. I stopped short of the field by 100 yards, and walked up with just my bino's and rifle, no calls, or shooting sticks. I get 50' from the opening and a 3x4 bull elk steps into view about 75 yards away. Now I have a cow tag, I freeze and wait to see what develops. Sure enough a nice dry cow steps in view. I chamber a round, she doesn't like that racket and bolts. The bull spooks and buggers off too. I go for broke, run to the edge of the opening and see a few cows and calves along the timber. I pick out a nice young dry cow at about 150 yards, kneel down, wrap my sling, and touch it off. I'm using an HS Precision 300WSM




My son and Nephew both show up the next night, I figure the best place is still that same area. The critters are feeding on volunteer canola and wheat, and its close to water and bedding. Saturday morning, I send my nephew and his sweety through the bush to the North, my son and I come up from the East on to a ridge. We're in position 5 minutes before legal light, there are 2 bulls in the timber bugling, and about 20 cows and calves in the bottom of the field. The wind is from the SW, both hunters were about 350 yards to the farthest point of the field where the elk were. I let out a few bugles, get answers but no sign of the bulls. The cows are getting antsy and moving to the timber. Time to change tactics. I start cow calling, the cows stop, and start chirping back, more cows come out of the timber. This is what is going to suck out the bulls. Sure enough, the bigger of the two pokes his head out and starts beating the hell out of some willows. I bugle at him and thrash some brush myself. Now he's pizzed! He keeps on bugling, I answer bugle for bugle, he commits and walks to within 250 yards of us. My nephew doesn't have a clean shot, but my son does. He's shooting a Tikka 658 in 338WM, that used to mine years back, sold it to Lone wolf, and got it back for my boy.





Nephews turn. I give him my strategy, take him and his sweety out in the sxs around 6:30. There's a rock pile in the field, I tell him to set up there, as it's only 200 yards to the bush on 3 sides the elk are likely going to pop out of. I tell him to bugle once or twice every half hour but cow call often. Wife and I, son and Daughter in-law head off to look for bears, and scout other fields for elk for the next day. I'm only gone 10 minutes when the nephew is texting me. "The bull is bugling at me already". I told him not to bugle back, as I knew it was likely the smaller bull, and he was easily spooked by aggressive bugling. Just cow call and nothing else. He did exactly that, called out a hot cow. The best decoy ever. About 5 minutes later his bull comes in quiet looking for love. Mel, his sweety cow calls to stop him, and voila! Nephew's shooting my HS Precision.



All in all, it's one of the most productive years of our family hunts. We had fun, filled our freezers, and got to spend time together. The youngsters got to see the old fella still knows how to hunt elk, and with any luck learned a few things.
Leo,