Elk Hunting Stories 2003
 

Haven' t heard much bugling this year so far here in MT.2 weeks ago I got into a small herd with a young bull and some cows.Called to agressive and he left the country with the cows.A week later called in a 6x that came in closed mouth and missing an antler.I let him walk and wish I had shot him now he was 20 yds. broadside.Hope to go out this week and weekend again.Spent last week scouting out new areas.Old sign.Mabe lower because of all the fires.The elk I have seen are much lower than normal.Good Luck and Good Hunting.
George

RE: Elk Hunting Stories 2003
 

Hear is one for ya,
On friday night we were heading to camp,and right by the road was a 6x7 bull,just standing not worried one bit about us.Neither me nor the guy I was with had brought our bows.We were bear hunting and as luck wold have it all we saw were elk and deer,some good white-tail.All the elk we saw were between 4000 to 4800 ft of elev.Saw three bulls with cows and never heard a bugle.Not even at night,it was odd to say the least.

RE: Elk Hunting Stories 2003
 

Buddy of mine took this Idaho bull on 9/18/03 around 5:30pm. Bull was pissed and screaming his guts out. Banging on some brush and cutting him off with the Primos Hyper Lip bugle and that sweet sweet sound of the Hoochie Mama brought this bull to 10yds. Arrow through both lungs and 50yds later it was over. Enjoy!

RE: Elk Hunting Stories 2003
 

Looks Nice!!! Bugel
It looks like you guys are getting ready to do some work with those packs.:D

RE: Elk Hunting Stories 2003
 

Here is my elk hunting stories for the year

Couldn' t get crap except cows within range of smoke pole. I called in a 5x5 4 times over 2 days but he would always hang up about 100 yards away where I couldn' t get a shot.

I did get a little 4x4 mulie though. Atleast there will be venison to eat, as long as my CWD comes back negative

RE: Elk Hunting Stories 2003
 

I posted part of this story somewhere else, but I guess this topic/subject is a more appropriate place for it...
I was in the Montrose Co area last week and took a decent 5x5 with the muzzleloader. I had a few different bulls going earlier in the week, but only a few showed themselves. Tuesday morning at about 4:30 I was " doing my thing" outside at camp and heard a bull go down below us, close to where I saw a 5x5 the day before. I made up my mind where I was going right then. Took off and got to the area I wanted to sit and he let out a few close screams before shooting light. Finally at light, all I did was one or two cow calls and he got pretty stirred up. He then shut down for a bit then we started bugling back and forth for about 20+ minutes, but I would only bugle after he did, I' d never start up if it was quiet for a while. He shut down completely at about 7:15 and I cow called a few times over the next half hour and never heard a peep, but twice I did hear a branch break so I thought he was still below me. At about 7:50 I thought to myself that I was going to try one short bugle, with no chuckle...just a short bugle. I could still hear the echo roll down the drainage from the call and I could see his rack come strutting up from below. He stopped at about 80 yards and peered back and forth...a couple more steps and I cracked him behind the chest (a little high) and he side stepped twice and dropped like a ton of bricks. Not real huge, but nice long eye gaurds and I' m as happy as a bull in a wallow!

It all came together last Tuesday.

RE: Elk Hunting Stories 2003
 

My story was almost a " what not to do" type, camped at around 5000ft, got 5inches of snow and no sign so we decided to move down, a Griz and her cub spooked our mule team so bad(first time the mules had been around bear) that one pack mule tore off threw the woods for about a mile stringin our camp gear throughout the area and hurt his leg. We had to rig packs up to our saddle mules and hike out 15 miles[:-][:o]. Finally seen a set of antlers back at the ppick up where a forked horn Mulie was eating our left over hay[:-]. Oh well that won' t keep me from comin' back to the Little Belts come Oct.;) It will keep the mules from comin' though:D It might not have been the funnest trip but to all you Montanan' s, I envy you for being able to live in such a BEAUTIFUL state. And yall got some of the nicest folks too:D

RE: Elk Hunting Stories 2003
 

Whitetails & Muskies:

Boy that is a great story - congrats - it gets my heart thumping just reading. I am headed to CO (Rifle CO) due north of Montrose in just shy of three weeks now. First hunt in CO. Throw a photo in if you can.

RE: Elk Hunting Stories 2003
 

I have had a close but no cigar season. I called in a 6x6 early in the season that hung up out of range. I have been close to cows several times but could never get a shot. The last herd I was close to had a good 6x7 bull in it. I never had a chance at him. His lead cow almost took an arrow. If she would have taken two more steps she would have been in the open & broadside. They winded me & bolted out of there. I will go out thursday & try my luck one last time for the season.
I have had 12-close encounters with elk this season. I hope 13-is a lucky number for me next time? :)

RE: Elk Hunting Stories 2003
 

MY STORY MAY NOT BE TOO EXCITING TO MOST OF YOU, BUT IT WAS A BLAST FOR ME!!
MY DAD AND I WENT ON OUR FIRST BOW HUNT FOR ELK THIS YEAR. ON 9-16-03 I KILLED MY FIRST ELK! IT WAS A BIG COW. SHE SLIPPED IN QUIET WHILE I WAS WAITING ON A BULL THAT WAS BUGLING AND GROWLING AS HE CAME MY WAY. THE BEST I COULD TELL, HE WAS STILL ABOUT 400-500 YARDS OUT. THE COW PRESENTED AN OPPORTUNITY SO I GLADLY TOOK IT!
SHE WAS LOOKING, AND HEADING, DIRECTLY TOWARDS WHERE MY DAD WAS CALLING FROM AND I BELIEVE IF I WOULD HAVE WAITED FOR THE BULL, SHE WOULD HAVE BUSTED US.
WE HAD A GREAT TIME AND WE HAVE MEAT FOR THE FREEZER!!
GOD CERTAINLY BLESSED US WITH A GREAT TRIP!!
I CAN' T WAIT ' TILL NEXT YEAR!!!!!!

RE: Elk Hunting Stories 2003
 

my 2003 story will be forecoming in about 10 days or so am heading to colorado for a cow hunt tomorrow morning season starts saturday

RE: Elk Hunting Stories 2003
 

Went out elk hunting yesterday morning.It was too windy so I walked up a draw to an old stand and about 50 ft.before I got there there was a nice 250-300 lb blond black bear sitting broadside about 50-60 yds uphill.I knocked an arrow and shot.The arrow hit about 2-3 inches low and he started to run off.I squeeled with my elk diaphram and he stopped about 20 ft.I climbed up in the blind and got out my bear call and he just starred,then walked off.If he hadn' t seen me walk up he would have more than likely came in.Oh well a prolonged bear season.

RE: Elk Hunting Stories 2003
 

Went out this morning to the top of the pass.I bugeled and three more bugels fired back from about 100yds.I slipped in to about 80 yds and started cow calling.One bull was groaning deep gutteral chuckles and sounded pretty big.I cow called some more and it sounded like they were getting closer and I was getting excited when I heard the brush cracking and snapping.I seen what looked like a cow about 50yds through the brush because I didn' t see any antlers on its head then I got a clear shot of a long and lanky 150 lb black bear.I thought since the elk were down the hill and the bear was right there I would use my bear call.Every time I would call on the bear call the elk would bugel.Then the bear turned and headed towards the elk and they busted.It was a done deal.Mabe next time.

RE: Elk Hunting Stories 2003
 

here' s my story. archery elk here opened aug 25. i had been watching numerous elk feeding on the field that i was huning in previous weeks. went out on the first evening and had a 4 point and a spike bull come in but 60 yards was all they would give me so i watched them walk. Next night i went out and herd a little whistle way back in the forest reserve. we called back and forth for about 45 min then he shut up. so i switched to my cow call and 20 min later i spotted 2 spikes sneaking in behind me to check out a bottle of scent i had placed about 30 yards away. one bull stopped in between 2 trees and his vitals were exposed so i drew and let one fly that took out the right atrium. he went about 20 yards then down. only a spike but elk don' t get too big here and it was my second season bowhunting so i was pleased.....

RE: Elk Hunting Stories 2003
 

Good for you 06 Hunter! Keep makin' those memories with yer ol' man. They' ll be more important if not excitin' each year.

I kilt my 6x5 bull after lettin' a couple smallish 6x6s go, an' dealin' with several ride-everwhere hunters runnin' the game outta my favorite dark places. Ain' t gonna have him mounted although he had a weighty, long-tined rack. Money' s tight after diggin' a new well an' buyin' the missus some new teeth. Might put the horns on a piece of wood. Damn shame I ain' t got another month to hunt elk. Somethin' s bad wrong with a world where a man' s gotta cut his elk huntin' off at a week ever year.

RE: Elk Hunting Stories 2003
 

My season was up and down. Archery provided aweful, wet weather and some close but not quite chances. I had passed several cows early in the week in hopes of shooting a bull and then never got the opportunity to shoot another elk the rest of the week...up and down. You see getting any elk in Saskatchewan is a trophy, many guys go years without shooting one and big ones while they are around it is not always the easiest of missions. I strictly hunt elk for the shear enjoyment, hearing them talk, experiencing friendship, outdoors and for the wonderful meat when so lucky to harvest an animal. Any hew fast forward to rifle season, bulls only now(sept. 15). The prescouting looked like we were going to have our way and be calling in bulls all over the valley we hunt. Until sunday crapped out and they shut up. Throw in the endless amount of so called Elk hunters who believe hunting is best viewed from the cushions in their truck[:@]. Monday we were set up in 2 alfalfa fields both groups had elk on the field in front of them and were just waiting for legal...when along comes the elk hunting convoy to chase the elk right off in front of us. DOWN!!! After some short words about permission and hunting on foot only signs the land owner had posted, we went up after the elk. Bugling/calling did nothing and envoked no responses. It was decided coffee and breaky was required with time to retool. Tuesday morning the elk gods smiled sending a young bull by one of our guys, which he promptly put on the ground. Weds morning I saw a herd moving along the river edge but being to dark to shoot, they made it to the thick hazel brush before I could do anything. Knowing full well they would bed their and be unprovoked I decided to slip up the ridge and scope out a spot to call from that evening. Being I have hunted this area for years, I knew that once they crossed to this side of the river/valley they would be coming up to the west to feed that night on one of the alfafla or oat fields that border the area. It was decide we would set up 3 guys as shooter in potential routes and I would sit in the middle and call, in hopes of luring a bull by one of the guys waiting to intercept them on route to moi. Bugling did nothing, no sounds..I switched to my cow calling and after 10 minutes of calling I heard a bull bugle, keeping with what worked I kept cow calling and within 15 minutes the sound of a solid hit rang out. Turned out the guy directly below me intercepted a very nice 6x7 bull. This was the high, as not only was this a good bull it was his first bull ever taken in 10 years of elk hunting...not a bad first animal. After 3 hours of hard work with the quads, we had him back to camp and skinned him out. Next morning we awoke to a hard forst, but only saw women & childern moving. The elk gods smiled on me that afternoon switching the wind to a direction so I could hunt my honey hole, a long skinning meadow that acted as a funnel from the river to the fields up on to of the valley. I slipped into place early and waited for an hour then began cow calling, nothing and then after a 20 minute break I started up again with the cow calling that worked the night before. 5:55PM I heard a bugle, kept cow calling and then bugle but oh know he was coming up the south side(he isn' t suppose to be there!!!!) that is where my wind was blowing. No time to move or change I decided to bugle to the north east in hopes he would swing around to the east and come up fight in front of me...well it worked sort of, he poped out not 50 yards from me and immediately winded me...with a bark he was gone. I began bugling and cow calling my lips off in attempt to bring him back or at the very least calm the woods! Then a short bugle with a chuck and snap their he was back this time at the end of the meadow some 175 yards away, keyed right in on my location...I slowly pointed my hoochie mamma to the north and squeezed, it was enough to draw his attention and I shoulder and pulled pin. He ended up toppling 50 yards from where I shot him and was a decent 5x5...no not a record book animal but a true trophy in my eyes.

I can' t wait till next year, only think keeping me going is the meat. Oh yeah my up coming hunts for mulies, whitetails and late season moose will help fill a few days;)

RE: Elk Hunting Stories 2003
 

just got back from a fun hunt at sargents colo last week we had bulls bugeling right outside the tent everynite about 3 am thats a truly amazing sound to hear we had 1 complete miss 1 dead tree and dad hit a 4x4 we trailed it for about 1 1/2 miles before we lost the blood trail completely and he was still going striaght up hill threw some ruff stuff so hopefully he made it ok with just a scratch we found part of dads arrow but no broadhead but the evening we found fresh poop real close to where dad shot the bull at hopefully he is ok and back in the same area other than that we had a great trip and cant wait to go back next year clay

RE: Elk Hunting Stories 2003
 

asadryfire,

I hunt the 3rd rifle season south of you a bit in 68. Been there since 1973 or so. Been kinda dry the last couple of years. Maybe this year will be better.

Do you live near there?

RE: Elk Hunting Stories 2003
 

You guys have some good stories...I leave in 10 days for my first elk hunt...Needless to say I' m as excited as a virgin on prom night! I' ve put about $100 worth the ammo thru my gun to make sure it and I are ready. Got my gear all rounded up and ready to be packed, and the Jeep is all tuned up and ready for the 30 hour drive there. Now if I could just concentrate on my work long enough to actually get something acclomplished I' d be doing good. Congrates to all who have bagged one and good luck to all who are headed out to try! I' ll let ya' ll know how I fared when I get back end of the month.

RE: Elk Hunting Stories 2003
 

I am with you 4x4 - it is DIFFICULT to concentrate on work and productivity when fall is here and the elk are waiting.

RE: Elk Hunting Stories 2003
 

I' m right there with you 4x4 and sigma. I leave in less than two weeks for unit 58 CO and I am quickly becoming useless at work. I still need to load a little ammo for the backup rifle so that will help some of the time go by. Good luck to everyone and keep the stories coming so all of us impatient guys can get a fix.