I'm kind of lucky with the job I have. Working for the Forest Service and in charge of the trails allows me to be out in the woods a fair amount. I also will be hunting the area where I work. I just came out of the Wilderness yesterday and am pretty excited about hunting elk all of a sudden. I was already but I saw four good bulls yesterday morning and now I'm really excited as they were fairly close to the area I hunt.

Anyways, has anyone else been out in the woods where they hunt? Seen anything? I'm trying to build up some anticipation as that's a big part of the hunt too.

For those of you that haven't, you should as it's a recharge after sitting around all winter.

Rambo, I too am pretty fortunate. I live in the national forest 2-1/2 miles at the top of a mountain with the closest traffic light is 75 miles away. Just the way I like it. I am surrounded by wildlife and forestry property. Last week I saw a group of 4 bucks just outside the kabin here and I'm visited by a doe with twins from last year almost daily. One of the twins is a 2x2 and could be a 3pointer come the season. The doe looks like its going to drop a couple more anytime. Fawns have now just started showing up down low in the valley. Two days ago we were greeted by a small bull moose passing through the yard. I usually hunt no further than 6 miles from the kabin here. I do put in for special hunts in the central part of the state every year though. I am also in the process of building a kabin out here in the bush and last week while going in I saw a small ragety bull in velvet but it just might have potential come bow season. The owner of the kabin I'm building for also works in supervising a crew for the forestry blazing trails and clean up after winter when the roads are impassable with all the blow downs. Her work is seasonal and with all the budget cuts they have gone from a 14 man crew down to 6 now.[:@] Good luck this season, Bobby

Howdy Bobby!!!

Yea I've been mosing around the woods some, seen some elk here and there and a few deer as well. Been to base camp several times now that the snows gone. The second time up there was 2 weeks ago, right about dark we could hear a pack of wolves howling down the valley floor we were in, there seemed to be 5 or 6 of them.
Was back up there last night again and could see a few elk out about 1/4 mile away in the same area we had heard the wolves. This time though the sounds were more pleasant. We could here the cows talking for more than hour as well as a half doz. bugles from several different bulls, they were half hearted at best but were all talking up a storm. Seen many more elk before that in the woods as well while I was hiking around checking things out. elknut1

Hi ya Nut. Yeah, those dang wolves following the cows dropping there calves is problably why they be in there. The wolves getting an easy meal and there goes the elk herd. [:@]
You got mail coming your way this week as I want to get vedio #4. I finally saved enough aluminum cans to get it. I look forward to seeing it and just remember I want it autographed so that I can put it in my Fred Bear collection. Bobby

Which wilderness?

I've been scouting whitetails about every weekend since mid-January. Have located more big bucks than in any previous offseason, at least four different bucks of 4 1/2 years old. To say I've patterned them would be claiming too much.

Last weekend I took a Monday off work and made my first long weekend backpack trip of the year to scout elk. Had a blast! Got really wet on Saturday, between rainstorms and multiple creek crossings. Went up into a hellhole in the 2000 burn that I've just started sniffing out. (Took my 8 year old nephew in there last Sep. for a playaround hunt, he's a tough little kid, and we had four bulls bugling at once. Two came in but no shot opportunity offered.) What I saw this weekend backed up my impressions from that short hunt last fall. Good elk numbers, good bull age structure, absolutely no hunting pressure - most people are too smart to crawl into holes like this one.

Anyway, I saw a calf nurse its momma, which for me is one of the coolest things there is to see. Each summer I look forward to that first sight of a calf elk nursing, it just symbolizes the cycle of life to me in a way I can't really express. Saw a real nice bull, probably 4 1/2 years old, going to score 280-290. He was absolutely the sleekest animal I've ever seen in the woods. It took my breath away. He looked bronzed, or dipped in butter and curry-combed. I really got that bull patterned, of course, September will throw that right out the window. Found sign of another real monster, by fresh tracks and last year's rubs I'm saying he's 5 or 6 1/2 years old this fall. OH BOY OH BOY OH BOY! Found two sheds, one a 3 1/2 year old, the other a 4 1/2 year old. Interesting deal on the bigger shed, which would have scored maybe 270-280 as a five-pointer. It had an unusually long G-3, longest point on the rack. Also, the bull I saw had a notably long G-3, probably longer than its two brow tines. Must be a genetic thing in that area.

Saw plenty of muleys in there, too, including a big buck. I don't care much for muley hunting or eating, but they are nice to see.