Originally Posted by
ronlaughlin
A couple of weeks ago while hiking up hill, i stopped for a breather. Taking my time i studied the contour lines on the GPS to try and decide how i was going to navigate back to the truck, without retracing my steps, and without having to struggle with cliffs. Of a sudden two bulls much the same as the two in the photo appeared just above me on the same trail walking directly toward me. They were a tad less grown than those two in the photo, but both were definite branch antlered bulls, as are those bulls. Too bad i was standing right out in the open, other wise they would have passed near close enough to touch; the breeze was just right.
When the lead saw me, he was maybe 15 yard away, and he stopped. I was able to get my rifle off my shoulder, and count coup on him about 3 times, before he bolted away. He stopped about 40 yard away, and studied me some more. Some more i counted coup on him with my rifle. When the wind shifted they ran up over the ridge, and i never saw them again.
Walking up that little drainage isn't something i planned to do when i left the truck, it just happened.
So often especially for myself that is the way it happens... my dad use to say all the time elk are where you find them.
Here is another shot of some a couple days later