2013 Elk Adventure...

[Springer]

After all the days counting down to Sept 9th when we would leave home for another Elk Hunting Adventure with friends and family, it was finally here.
Yes it was a week earlier than i hoped but it is how my days off landed..

It takes a couple days to get our bearings and find where they have been travelling and if their calling yet or not..

I was hunting with my youngest son who is now a new Dad himself so it was going to be tough to get him away but we managed to pull off 4 days for him.

This trip was all about him getting his first archery animal and hopefully an Elk !!Blaze said he always wanted to hear an Bugle and by the end of the trip he knew exactly what it sounded like ....
He had bought a new Bow and accessories only weeks before and now it was time to put it to use...We set up camp and all 4 of us worked on 20,30,40 and 50 yard targets in camp to build our confidence before heading out..

It wasnt until Day 2 that Blaze would see his first 6 point and 5 cows during the evening hunt just before dark...problem was he was to far away crossing the big slough headed into the what was left of standing Oats. The Farmer had swathed half of the field that day and for some reason once the swathes are down they tend to come in much later ,like 2 hours after sundown..

We found a few travel routes and set up the trail cams..We got in early for the third evening hunt in hopes they would show again, and we would intercept them so we got set-up about 4:00 in the afternoon..



We all picked a spot and waited and waited....I was set-up where the big 6 and his Cows crossed the day prior..trying to keep comfy between the ants and the mosquitoes as the sun started to set , when i heard splash splash of foot steps anticipating the Elk to cross my path , my heart was starting to pick up speed when i noticed movement,,, it was a Cow Moose ?? and thats all that showed that night....however the Elk did show on the trail cams but they were leaving before the sun began to shine..we counted 5 different Bulls and a few cows on the spypoint..







With above average high temps we were having it was making it tough to catch much Elk movement during legal light hours. try as we might to get Blaze a shot it was not looking good and had to head for home after the evening hunt on day 4. Although we had seen many Bull Moose within archery range we just did not have a tag to do any good.

What a bummer now we were going to be down to 3 Hunters and no shots offered ,, although he did get to hear them bugle at night and see them meander through the Oat field..Oh yeah and we got to touch some antler when my shed hunting eye found this one side, if only i could have found the rest of the animal that belonged to it...

[Springer]

The 3 of us put on another 12 km the next day only to come up empty handed and back at camp to help partner # 3 pack up his trailer and head for home, leaving just Randy and I .



We got a good start the 6th day and we went into a spot we took 2 Bulls out of last year. We were sitting gazing at the stars by 4:45 and quietly listening for Bugles...It was quiet until 5:30 when Randy did a series of Cow calls and we got 2 responses immediately. a few more cow chirps and again Bugling but much closer this time and the louder more aggressive of the 2. we caught site of a cow going through the openings heading South for the safe zone.
Randy says, he's coming....you hear the bush busting and his antlers hitting the trees. This guy was looking for another addition to his Harem but he held up 30 yds away inside the bush. I came to full draw waiting for him to step in the clearing and held and held ,he screamed at us for awhile then got quiet and we could hear him exit the way he came. Knowing he would follow that cow we saw earlier we booked it South hoping to intercept him but just a few seconds late as we saw the big 6x6 step out 300 yds away and cross the fence where we could not hunt.....
I went home that night with that memory in my head and regreting that we never put out the Montana decoys to give him something to come out to.
I needed to get back out here again and so did the rest of the hunting party...how could i pull this off??

[Springer]

I had the next weekend off so i convinced my Wife to come to hang out at Camp and then i convinced Blazes so she could come with my 3 week old Grandson Maximus...The plan was set and i had to work nightshifts and still pack up the trailer for a second go at the Elk addiction..

I managed to get Thursday night off and we hit the road NE for the scenic drive through the parkland. I never made it in time to get out with my two buds and one of their spouses who wanted to tag along and run the camera.
They came back with good campfire news that they called in 3 cows and a spiker but not close enough to send an arrow flying.

The next morning we gave it another try at the spot randy and i called in the big 6 but all we called in was another hunter..I stumbled upon an Old timer knife on the way back to the truck along the game trails.Back to camp for lunch and a snooze.
I waited for Blaze to get to camp as he worked that day but he pulled in at 5:30 , we took the map with us where the rest of our hunting party had headed into the spot the called the Elk in the night before.
walking in a couple km South of where they were we called and sat , then continued on calling as we went. The sun was close to setting and Blaze decided to take a big cutline back to the Truck and i carried onto the decoy spread straight North of me when the texts started rolling in that they called in a 5 point that snuck up 20 yds behind the caller and busted him when he tried to draw his bow...I showed up 20 mins later and saw a 5 point Bull 200 yds away but going the wrong way.. another day of hunting had passed us but our luck was changing...it was back to camp for supper and stories.
As we sat around the fire Blaze told us about the 2 Bulls and 4 cow Moose he saw as well as 4 Cow Elk he saw watering with the cattle from a high vantage point.

[Springer]

We were up at 4:00 again and stuffing breakfast and coffee down our throats with anticipation of pulling something in this time.
The early morning darkness was filled with distant bugleing we set-up with 4 shooters and the decoys..30 minutes into calling and here comes a 4 point Bull, get ready i whisper to Blaze who is 20 yds from me but at a lower elevation. The Bull was fixed on the Montana decoys and was coming in 40 yds, 35 , 30 and i am at Full draw with my pin on him and so is Blaze but he cant get enough to shoot at when he winds us , spins around and leaves the way he came in. Noooooo , i could have released that arrow but it was about my son getting his first animal and not me..

We gathered and stopped for a water break and decided to split up Randy, Blaze and i went North and the other two went South.. We could hear that distant Bugle again so we did some calling and moving along when we found a water hole loaded with fresh tracks..We set up here about 100 yds from each other and randy started his conversation with the distant Elk again..
I was sitting at the waterhole when a young Cow Elk came running in , she popped her head over the bank looking for her friends when i sent a 100 grn Montec through her facing head on at me. She wheeled around the way she came only to make it 80 yds before piling up !!! Yee ha we finally broke the ice and something for the meatpole..



We texted the other two and had them go pick up the truck , i called the lease holder to get permission to bring the truck for retrieval..
It was back to camp to drop off a couple people and we headed to town to hang the Elk at Randys garage.
After a good afternoon snooze we fueled up our bodies and got ready for the evening hunt. My wife called for a photo shoot with us and my Grandson at his first hunting camp..



We did the long walk back in and set up for the evening hunt with me running the camera now. with everyone set up close to the waterhole all that had showed up was a Bull Moose that almost run over my son by the waterhole and he hung around the water for 45 mins before leaving..With that distant bugle not coming any closer i texted i was going to try and close the distance and find this Bull. with the sun setting i headed SE getting closer , with the wind covering my footsteps i used it to my advantage.with the full moon rising and the way past legal light i was talking back and forth with this Big Bull as well as another that was close to me on my right mixed with some mewing. I put my Vortex HD's up and they were filled with the Big 7 point that was only 60 yds away, what a rush he was screaming at the other Bull whena green streak of light went right at him ??? What the hell that other Bull is other hunters and they just shot him in the dark ?? the Bull reappeared closer to me 40 yds away broadside ..I decided to back out and not disturb things, hoping those night time shooters would not scare him out of there..

Blaze and i were back into that same spot at 5:00 AM and he was being very vocal but across that fence that we could not hunt on.. We could hear him coming closer and i put my son in where i hoped he would show himself and i backed up 60 yds.. as the Elk calls were exchanged 3 other Hunters appeared and although they saw both of us and waved they proceeded through our set-up and started calling 150 yds away !!! unbelievable and i was ****ed off but at this point what do you do but keep calling and its our last morning to hunt... I kept Cow calling and i got a response that sounded like another cow, when a Spike Bull shows up between Blaze and i , he let fly and put the arrow under him the Bull spins around but i call again and he comes back looking for me when Blaze puts a Montec through his Chest !!!! yee ha and the text goes out we need help tracking and can someone walk back for the truck for retrieval..
So the high fiving and pictures begin..



Randy goes back to give to directions to our buddies who are bringing the truck for retrieval when he meets up with the 3 hunters who are now driving their truck with the Logo " i collect Shed antlers" on the side onto the grazing lease that is closed until november 1st except retrieval, of course they plead their allowed to drive there and carry right on through....Unreal , first shooting at night, walking in on our set-up then driving through...It's idiots like this that ruin hunting areas for the rest of us..anyway rant over and its back to hang up another Elk and break down camp and head for home..

[Springer]

With heads prepped for CWD testing i almost forgot to pull the Ivories for Blaze and i snapped a couple i-phone pics..

Ivories in..



Ivories out..



I want to thank my hunting partners for such a great time and we will all enjoy 2 tasty young Elk minus the tenderloins that have been consumed already..Lets hope i can get out in October and play Sherpa and cameraman for the other 2 tag holders..

Cheers.
Springer

[heybert]

Congrats to all and a great story.

[220swifty]

Sounds like a good time. Hope to do the same next week, hopefully I can still get some action this late in the season.

[BackPackHunter]

Congrats, great story

[Thinlizzy]

Originally Posted by BackPackHunter

Congrats, great story

And congrats on your new grandson!

[bagwan]

Great recap. Congrats to all.

[Stop Staring at my Rack]

Thank you for posting!!! Great story!! Congratulations on your elk!!!

[Sakoman]

Great story, congrats on your hunt!

[Springer]

Originally Posted by Thinlizzy

And congrats on your new grandson!

Yes it was awesome to have Max with us. His Mom also comes from a diehard hunting family....I just cant believe we never put him in Camo because he has some already..

[SugarCreek]

Hey Gramps......great read and you always know how to have a great time out hunting with friends and family. Great photos too. Good to see a post from you......seems to have been a while. Congrats on the elk...........Marco

[Zuludog]

Originally Posted by Stop Staring at my Rack

Thank you for posting!!! Great story!! Congratulations on your elk!!!

X2

[NayNay]

Congrats again buddy!

[Springer]

Originally Posted by SugarCreek

Hey Gramps......great read and you always know how to have a great time out hunting with friends and family. Great photos too. Good to see a post from you......seems to have been a while. Congrats on the elk...........Marco

Thanks Marco, i dont think i will beat last years luck,,but i will have fun trying..I would love to get something worthy of a Mount for you to do..