I really like to hunt benches especially when there are canyons on one end or both. Through the years I have noticed that there is usually a lot of fresh elk sign on the benches. Not only is it a nice place to finally sit after climbing through the canyons but the elk think so too. Visibility on a bench is often pretty far so it is a good place to spend some time. One of the spots we hunt at Rob's place is on the north side of the mountain which is cooler and a good place for elk. Most of the time I hunted a special bench just below an old abandoned gold mine, I saw elk. A few years ago I was just getting ready to click off the safety on a nice mature bull elk and the wind shifted and I watched his hammies tense up as in slow motion and then he was gone. My last elk came on that same bench a few years ago. Lots of sign and I climbed down then up then down again through a canyon to get to it. I found a nice log to sit on to rest ad then I heard a distant bugle. I pulled out my bugle and let a couple of calls go out. I got an answer from what seemed a mile away. I put that call back in my pack and sat there on the bench. About a half hour later I heard a snap coming from over the edge of the canyon to my right. I got off the log and knelt down behind it for cover. I heard another snap and then some cow calls so I knew the elk were coming. The wind was perfect blowing from the canyon to me and suddenly about 30 yards away a cow came up over the edge. She looked all around and looked at my head sticking up over the log. The wind was right so she kept moving across the bench 30 yds in front of me. Along came another and another and another. The 8th elk was a spike bull and more kept pouring up over the edge fanning out in front of me. After 15 or 20 elk I heard a snap coming up the canyon but it was partially downwind and below me. I knew that was not a good thing and could see another couple cows coming up to my downwind side. They sensed something was off and heard one bark and all the elk started to walk pretty fast to the opposite side of the bench to the canyon to my left. More elk came up over the original spot and they were all moving pretty fast to catch up with the leaders. Then I heard the unmistakable sound of antlers rattling through the brush down at the bottom of the canyon. I got ready and as the sound got closer got my gun up on the log ready to shoot. The noise got louder and louder and up over the edge he came about 30 yards away. He was running from my right to left and I could see he was a more than legal bull so the safety came off and 2 quick shots found the mark. As I made the second shot he piled up against a fir tree. It was a beautiful thing when I got on the radio and told Rob I had one down. Rob came down onto the bench and helped me take care of the animal. Friends were soon called and we figured out a good place to access that bench from the highway and got the elk out after quartering in one trip with all the help. No tips in my little story but when things work out it can be educational. If Rob sees this he might post a pic since I always have a hard time doing it on this site.