Another Elk Story

recoil junky · #1 10-25-2007, 05:43 PM

Just have time to post a picture. I'll have the scoop tomorrow after I finish packing him out. He's a 5X6. 300RUM 180 grain Accubond at about 350 yards.

Not a bad self portrait. Spent about 15 minutes getting the camera to stay in the tree. Then another 10 figuring out how to get it to go off by itself

RJ

kdub · #2 10-25-2007, 07:50 PM

Ah, you're so talented, RJ -

Nice elk, too!

Shawn Crea · #3 10-25-2007, 07:59 PM

Good pic RJ! I've done that delayed release on my old film camera, but I'd have to fiddle with my new digital to figure out how to do it with it. I'd probably give up after 10 minutes!

Nice elk, and nice shooting at 350 yds. Should be a lot of good freezer filler. Sounds like you had to wrestle that one by yourself.

recoil junky · #4 10-27-2007, 08:02 PM

OK, as promised here's the rest of the story. . . .

Day one, 10/23. I hiked in to my honey hole before first light and got situated to wait for it to start to get light. The chickadees welcomed me in hopes I would share my peanut butter and jelly sandwich and they were rewarded for their antics. I didn't have long to wait for the first elk to start appearing in the oak brush, faintly tinted pink by the glow of first light. Alas, the elk were to far out and I was content to watch them as they went in and out of the oak brush about 1/4 mile away. I gave up my post to the chickadees, promising to return the next day with another PBand J.

Day two, 10/24 Daylight would again find me at my post sharing my PBand J with the chickadees and watching more elk coming down the trail, within 30 yards of my perch.

There was one little 3X5 in the bunch but I let him go so he'd get bigger.

Day three 10/25 Well you all know what happened. After the eviscerating, it was time to go get the horses. I spent until almost 4 pm getting back into where he was, getting him quartered up and drug down to where the horses were waiting. I boned out the front shoulders and brought them out, getting back to the truck about 6pm. Here's what scrub oak looks like if you happen to shoot an elk in the middle of it.

It's about 8 feet tall and some is so close together you have to crawl on all 4's to get through it. I don't see how an elk can move through it without so much as snapping a twig.

Day four 10/26 Here's the honey hole on our way back in to get the hind quarters and the head.

While I was preparing the head for travel I could hear some movement in the brush above me. I happened to look up in time to see what seemed like a thousand head of elk as they spooked at my scent. All I could see were elk legs and bodies as they thunderd through the oak brush. So much for being quiet huh. The horse and mule didn't even bat an eyelash it seemed while my heart was in my throat beating 1000 miles an hour! Finally got the rest of the bull loaded and we were on our way back to the truck about 1:30 pm. Everybody was some relieved to be done with the job. Here we are glad to see the trailer again.

Yeah, it was a good bit of hard work, but well worth it. I had a great time getting to use the horses, (well one of them is a mule, if you couldn't tell) I haven't packed one out that way for quite awhile, it turned out to be good practice for us all. And I didn't even have to use Vick's!!

RJ

Shawn Crea · #5 10-27-2007, 08:37 PM

Thx for the follow-up RJ. Looks like those elk have really beaten a trail into the hillside. Looks like an elk freeway.

I sure do appreciate a good horse (haven't had the pleasure of a mule yet), especially after my death march today after elk with no horses.

That oak brush doesn't look very fun.

kdub · #6 10-28-2007, 07:50 AM

Ah - brings back memories.

Last elk hunt for me was having to slash a pathway through black locust saplings thicker than the oak pictured. The axe on the packhorse reminded me.

A forest fire had gone through the area a few years earlier and the open areas were being taken over by waist high grass growing over deadfalls and thickets of the black locust saplings about 2" in diameter and around 10' tall, growing just inches apart. Shot the elk in a very small clearing and the only way in was to hack our way for ourselves and the horses with axe and muscle power. Took three of us working in relays over an hour to go about 40 yds into the stuff. Locust are some tough trees!

Getting to the elk, all of us had to take a long breather before attempting to start the dressing out. Then, it was moving out slowly through the trail so's the horses could negotiate the stobs of the cutoff brush. Stumbled a few times, myself!

recoil junky · #7 11-02-2007, 12:27 AM

Ah, the things we'll go through to have fun, eh kdub?

RJ

tibbee97 · #8 11-06-2007, 11:18 AM

Looks like a nice elk and a good hunt. The work really begins when you shoot one. Is that coming off Black mountain?

recoil junky · #9 11-06-2007, 02:40 PM

No, it's south of Craig. Out by Notellem Creek, on private ground.

You acn see the spot from town. At least I could see town from where he went down.

RJ

tibbee97 · #10 11-07-2007, 09:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by recoil junky

No, it's south of Craig. Out by Notellem Creek, on private ground.

You acn see the spot from town. At least I could see town from where he went down.

RJ

I used to hunt just over Knez divide on some state land that most everyone else ignored. It was pretty good during bow season while they were bugling. There are some good spots close in to town if you know where they are. I thought the early snow storm this year would drive them off Black Mountain but I never got around to checking on that.

recoil junky · #11 11-07-2007, 08:13 PM

I was about 1 1/2 miles west of the Knez divide road actually. If you look straight south from town you can see the draglines? That's just about 1/2 mile south of where I was hunting.

I think I know of the piece of state ground you are talking about. Right across the road from an old cabin? We shoot ground squirrels at that cabin quite a bit.

The snow did drive them down for a bit but right after it melted they went back up. There's about 1000 head behind me in the wheat fields right now. They know where they are safe.

RJ

tibbee97 · #12 11-08-2007, 10:48 AM

The snow did drive them down for a bit but right after it melted they went back up. There's about 1000 head behind me in the wheat fields right now. They know where they are safe.

RJ[/QUOTE]
You are right about that. I wish I had the later hunt this year but things worked out well for us anyway. I hope to do the high country pack trip next time just so my boys will know what it is like. We don't necessarily see or kill any more elk but it is just fun to be camping near a high meadow with elk around when you wake up. And then the camp fire times in the evenings are pretty good.