Wapiti Hunting Photos from last week
04-14-2003, 08:20 AM
#12
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: meridian idaho USA
Posts: 429
RE: Wapiti Hunting Photos from last week
Tim,
Looks like you had a great hunt. Was it better than you had expected?
I remember in your pre hunt posts you were wondering if you would be able to find the animals in such big country.
Is that area rain forest. Judging from some of the plants in your pictures it looks like the area you were hunting in was very THICK! Do you have any photos you could post showing a little of the countryside. I have seen a few hunting shows on the TV from New Zealand, it looks like awesome country.
Thanks alot for the live hunt info, as you know it is the off season here and not much going on, although spring bear season is coming up.
Your hunt sounds like quite an adventure with the elk hunting combined with deep sea fishing.
Looks like you had a great hunt. Was it better than you had expected?
I remember in your pre hunt posts you were wondering if you would be able to find the animals in such big country.
Is that area rain forest. Judging from some of the plants in your pictures it looks like the area you were hunting in was very THICK! Do you have any photos you could post showing a little of the countryside. I have seen a few hunting shows on the TV from New Zealand, it looks like awesome country.
Thanks alot for the live hunt info, as you know it is the off season here and not much going on, although spring bear season is coming up.
Your hunt sounds like quite an adventure with the elk hunting combined with deep sea fishing.
04-15-2003, 05:54 PM
#16
RE: Wapiti Hunting Photos from last week
In reply to the question about terrain, I' ve attached a few photos.
The vallies are " U" shaped and formed by glaciers. The sides are very steep often sheer rock faces for 2,000 feet (Hard Granite.) the valley floors are flat and thickly forested, in places there is not much undergrowth, and there are a lot of grassy clearings. The mountain tops are open and covered with tussock and snow grass. The smartest and biggest Wapiti live up on the steep sides and hole up on little shelves where they have a huge advantage over hunters. They can wind you or see you from 1,000 yards or more. To hunt them you either have to come in from the top, not always possible as there is often a series of cliff faces, or from below and you can be sure they' ll be onto you before you find them. I tried sidling in from the sides, but it was tough going, a lot of climbing to avoid sheer faces.
The animals in the photos were shot in the valley floors. You could call them in. But as you can see they are not the Big Wapiti with the large throwback tines. These animals seem to be the ones that are the hardest to get.
This first picture is taken at our campsite. the chopper landed us on the stoney river beach in the foreground. You can see the steep sides and rugged tops in the background.
The vallies are " U" shaped and formed by glaciers. The sides are very steep often sheer rock faces for 2,000 feet (Hard Granite.) the valley floors are flat and thickly forested, in places there is not much undergrowth, and there are a lot of grassy clearings. The mountain tops are open and covered with tussock and snow grass. The smartest and biggest Wapiti live up on the steep sides and hole up on little shelves where they have a huge advantage over hunters. They can wind you or see you from 1,000 yards or more. To hunt them you either have to come in from the top, not always possible as there is often a series of cliff faces, or from below and you can be sure they' ll be onto you before you find them. I tried sidling in from the sides, but it was tough going, a lot of climbing to avoid sheer faces.
The animals in the photos were shot in the valley floors. You could call them in. But as you can see they are not the Big Wapiti with the large throwback tines. These animals seem to be the ones that are the hardest to get.
This first picture is taken at our campsite. the chopper landed us on the stoney river beach in the foreground. You can see the steep sides and rugged tops in the background.
04-15-2003, 06:00 PM
#17
RE: Wapiti Hunting Photos from last week
This is an aerial shot of the sound, our base camp was about directly below the chopper when the photo was taken. The water you see is the sea, this is where we fished, the open sea is about 8 miles down the sound.
Again you can make out the nature of the terrain.
Hope this series of photos answers your question.
Again you can make out the nature of the terrain.
Hope this series of photos answers your question.
04-15-2003, 06:09 PM
#18
RE: Wapiti Hunting Photos from last week
This is a pictire of the remote lake mentioned above, this is where we heard our first Wapiti Bugles. This photo was taken from one of the small terrace areas where the Big Bulls lived. At the time of taking the photo I had a bull either side of me bugling flat out. I would sidle toward one and he' d just shut up when I was within 200 yards, so head back toward the other who would shut up as well, but then the other would start again, I spent a whole day two' ing and fro' ing between the two without seeing either. Tried waiting for up to 2 hours on one of them, didn' t make a squeak, and then as soon as I gave up...wheeee..eeee..ooooo he springs into life. Almost like they were teasing me.
Nera this same lake a Big Bull visited our camp during the night, I got a glimpse of him, but didn' t take the shot as it was too dark to be accurate. I did make out his big creamy body shape and huge rack.
Nera this same lake a Big Bull visited our camp during the night, I got a glimpse of him, but didn' t take the shot as it was too dark to be accurate. I did make out his big creamy body shape and huge rack.
04-16-2003, 08:21 AM
#20
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: meridian idaho USA
Posts: 429
RE: Wapiti Hunting Photos from last week
Tim,
This just keeps getting better. Landed in a chopper on a rocky beach to get to your hunting area, how cool is that.
When you said you were hunting in tough country you were not kidding. Thanks for the pictures, awesome country.
After seeing the photos of the country you hunted those trophies you folks took look all the more impressive.
Thanks for including us in your adventure.
This just keeps getting better. Landed in a chopper on a rocky beach to get to your hunting area, how cool is that.
When you said you were hunting in tough country you were not kidding. Thanks for the pictures, awesome country.
After seeing the photos of the country you hunted those trophies you folks took look all the more impressive.
Thanks for including us in your adventure.