Remember, you ain' t tryin' to get anywhere. You' ll be frustrated if you start stalkin' before you' re in a elk bedroom. This is a close in tactic, not to be used when yer tryin' to top a ridge or head somewhere else. Look for plenty of sign, good cover, a nice confluence of trails, and that certain smell. Ooooooooo, that smell. Seems there' s a song thet goes like that.

Hey trapper,
I just might run in to you up there in Augusta,I will be up there bear hunting arond the 17th,Good luck.

BJ, your absolutley right. That' s always my biggest problem is I start thinking that game is over the next hump or ridge[:-]. I love still hunting but the hardest part is to get on the Elk' s time clock and not mine. I need to trust the fact that I am usually closer to the animals then I think and keep thinking that way.

BBJ, Ya we' re leaving from WA on the 12th and heading up in the BEnchmark area. Then find a spot that ain' t burnt or burning[]. And hopefully a couple Elk too. This may be a dumb question because I don' t know their numbers but are you goin after Griz or Blackies?

Best to practice. Eventually, you' ll start to " sense" when game is about. Its a feelin' I git on the back of my neck, a certain non-sound you hear. Always lookin' to git somewhere is why people feel they gotta make the next ridge, or the next whatever. Gettin' " there" is the fun part.

Trapper T,
We are after Black' s,I only wish grizz were leagle.Maybe in a few years we can all have chance at a lower 48 Grizz hunt.You should have some good luck on that side all them fires in Linchon and Glacier have pushed the elk all over.

I didn' t know if Griz were legal, I guess if you want one you have to go after the Brownies of AK. Ya I' m hopin the Elk will be there, I see tonight they' re calling for the White stuff up on the Divide. At least that will put the fires down a little
Good luck BBJ hope to pass you on the trail, if you see a couple riding a Mule team that lokk kind of Green[:-] that will probably be us

When the elk are blowin' good like they are now, I like to be on the lookout fer elk snot. When yer standin' in the recent tracks of a rutty bull, you can smell him an' find his snot where he' s been buglin' an' shakin' his head. Lots of people overlook elk snot. But, I find the temperature of elk snot to be the single best indication of how far behind the bull you are. Fresh poop is good too, but it holds its temperature longer, an' don' t soak into the ground so quick. Now you may be wonderin' how a feller goes ' bout tellin' elk snot from yer regular frosty wetness that' s usually around. Well, its the bubbles. When you see lil' bubbles in the moisture, run it atwixt yer fingers to see if its slimey or not. If it is, then give it a sniff an' maybe a taste. You' ll know right off if its snot. Check the temperature quick, cause it cools quick. You can rub a wet leave to compare, or you can blow yer own nose into yer hand to see how quick it cools to the temperature of the elk snot. Lotta people don' t know this, but elk snot will heal a wound. Best thing there is next to dog saliva for cuts and scratches.

Boy BJ that doesn' t sound so good but at the same time makes good sense? Ill keep an eye out for it. Do they tend to fling it up on branches or do you just find it anywhere?