Well, I'm heading out early next week for the last hoorah in Montana, in the Bob Marshall. 8 days in the mountains right up until the last day of the hunt. Come on SNOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I've been reading all the stories of others hunts, and finally I get to saddle up and head up!!
Good luck with your hunt; it sounds like the "real deal". I hope you get your snow (be careful what you wish for), but even more important I hope you get some reasonable opportunities. I also hope you get matched up with a good guide and a gentle horse. Remember right when things get the toughest is when your opportunity is surely just around the corner --- the guy that can stay focused, suck it up when he has to, and not get distracted has a good chance on game.
Make sure you "drink in" all the other stuff besides the hunt/kill, like the scenery, culture shots, camp life, and minor wildlife (beavers, porcupine, weasels, camp robbers, jays, ravens, etc.). Please take a camera (of any sort) and shoot pix of what (at the time) seems like very mundane stuff (this includes while riding) in addition to a pic of you with your bull elk. The other minor stuff will also be pure gold to you later.
EKM
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Never Go Undergunned, Always Check The Sight In, Perform At Showtime!
Good judgment comes from bad experience! Learn from the mistakes of others; you' ll never live long enough to make them all yourself!
ELK...yep, I know what your talking about. I hunted with this outfitter/guide 15+ years ago when his Dad ran the camp and the now owner (son) was the number one guide back then and now he runs the entire set up. Awesome, "salt of the earth people". I'm heading out with a good friend who I don't get to see too often as he is an outfitter in Ontario and is still running hunters, as we speak, thorugh his outfit and has been burning the candle on both ends the past few weeks. Can't wait for some great friendship BS'ing and stories of the past season....while we are unfolding another "new" season in the mountains!! I took a nice 5x5 mulie when I was out with Dad, but it rained nearly all week and the elk were shut down. This late gig should be fun. As weird as it sounds, I like cold natsy weather. As a matter of fact, I'm heading up to my cabin tomorrow AM in the northern most part of WI up in the snow belt of Lake Superior. Been hunting in snow already this year, when no other part of the state has seen a hint of it. Bucks are rutting hard right now, so maybe I can take a nice buck back home with my bow before we head for the Bob :-) :-)
No doubt, we'll be up in God's country...some beuatiful country up there. We might have a cat hunter in camp with us and I remember spotting goats the past time..so needless to say, "we're back in a ways".
Time to hit the sack and get ready for two and a half weeks of doing what I love the most!!
Well, we didn't get the snow that we had hoped for. Had rain and ice mid week as a matter of fact. Made some of the cliff hanging horse trails interesting...but fun!! The bulls stayed high, although we had a resident small herd or two that we worked, only to be offered a rag horn shot. Very demanding hunt with many miles put on. Some awesome country, with great people to hunt with. The three of us did each take a good mulie though. The one was a real stud between 8-10 years old and had the look of a whitetail, but was no doubt a mulie. 26" outside spread with lots of mass and well over 300# on the hoof. Mine was narrow, but tall with deep forks. Our plan was not to shoot any whitetails, unless they were something special. Well, after filling our tags, all three of us had opportunities at some awesome whities. One small push had a tall 9 and good 10 and a huge 12 point come well within range and stand there... (eastern count that is). I had a bruiser 10 point (again eastern) with a solid 22-24" inside psread with brow tines at least 6-8 inches with tons of mass. If my tag would have been open yet, I would have taken him in a heartbeat.
All in all, a truely great experience in some of the most beautiful, yet rough, country in the lower 48!!
Didn't get much for pictures. Hope to get one or two sent to me in the mail with the camp owners son in law that was with me the day I shot mine.
Hey W&M,
Sounds like a good hunt,sorry no elk,weird year this year animals just were not around like in the past.
A freind of mine was hunting up in the 2 shack reigon and he said they saw some monster mulies and some damn good whitie's,they each had chances at cows but oppted for bulls.
Alway's next year.
God help me make it through the next 9 months.
Holiday wishes to all.
BBJ
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"When the moment of truth comes,and it's time to dance.You better get jiggy with it or find a new partner."
Last hoorah...
