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Website has slowed down....
Record numbers of users....
Must acquire more bandwidth to accomodate overwhelming demand....

Oh, really.... so where are all these "hunters"?

Must all be over in the "DeerHunting" section, or
The "Bowhunting" section, because they sure aren't here in BigGameHunting.

Certainly there have been a handful of quality reports from some of our veterans, yet here we are, in the midst of the season when activity and interest should be a near a peak and this is it???? More interesting to go back a year a read the posts from a year ago than puruse this rather bare, rather inactive cabinet....

BigGameHunting, apparently....
The proud,
The few,
And getting fewer!

Perhaps this area of "the map" is just about "hunted out"....

EKM

EKM.....
we are still settling in after our second year trying for the great Elk. 3 of our 9 hunters were sucessful this year. Not bad for a bunch of out-of-state, flatlander campers!!! My brothers 5x5 alone was enough for us to know that we are going to need to re-think our camping process. Didn't spend enough time thinking about what we were going to do if we got one!!! All worked out though. Weather was nice and warm early and turned snowy, beautiful and cold late. We loved it.
We are still voting on whether to "Kick the bums out" of camp that ruined our camping trip though! Peer pressure was overwhelming. No lollygagging around camp as one of the guys killed a bull on opening day!!! Rest of us was forced to hunt from that point on. Peer pressure is an ugly side of hunting.

I have loads of camp pictures (some are acceptable for all audiences) and a couple of the elk. Will post now that things are getting back to normal. Realizing that we don't really know what we are doing, that we are not hunting in a "trophy" area of the state and that we are probably making one mistake on top of another..........

My Gawwwddddd we sure had some fun!!!!
Website does appear slow.

We figure one of our bulls, we aren't much on guessing elk weight but we do have plenty of experience guessing "on the hoof" with beef, weighed around 1100 pounds. He was a healthy feller but didn't have hardly any fat on him at all! Felt more like he weighed 11,000 pounds trying to get his fur coat off of him!!!

Stoves worked great. Vented them like you suggested and will show pictures of them too. Kept our three tents toasty!
Freed up the propane for the cookstove and our latest addition..........2footX3foot propane griddle. Came out of an old restaurant. Thing weighed an enormous amount.........but we cooked 2lbs of bacon, 2lbs or sausage on it at one time!!! Sweet deal. Guys figure that me and it weigh about the same......don't have to tell you boys which one of us is getting left behind once weight becomes a factor!!!!

Never hunted elk before, only have moose in my neighborhood and very few of them crack the 1000lb mark. Didn't realize an elk could get that big!!!

A 5-point bull 1100 pounds, that's pretty hard to believe!!!! Not saying it's impossible, but that just ain't normal!! <grin> Here's a picture of a good sized 5-point I took this year with a bow, he only went about 700# on the hoof.--- Other than that congrats on your hunt!! ElkNut1

Sorry guys for not posting earlier but tyme is limited like everyone esles but I know , no excuse. :( I saw some nice bulls while bowhunting and had herds of elk and bulls around my truck at night during the full moon and they would keep me up all night long bugling and snorting and I was so close you could actually hear the snot running out of their nose. Come daylight many of the herds would swim across the Missiouri and go back and forth. Saw some nice class bulls but couldn't pull any out due to them being bumped so much and there reluntant about to answering to any call. I never hunted in a spot that had so many people and what I'm going to do is just spend the rest of the season hunting here on the mountain side.
Elknut, BITE ME. ;) Nice going.:)
Good luck rest this season guys. Bobby

121553---OUCH!!

Good Luck with the rest of your season! What happened with "The Threat" did you get a chance to use it??

EKM---We need more controversy!! <grin> ElkNut1

elknut1 that is a nice bull. I am wondering are you sponsored by primos calls? And have you ever compeated in a calling contest?

idahoelkinstructor----No, I am not sposored by Primos. Have had several folks to try and have Primos put me on as a Pro Staffer but I'm sure I would turn it down! I've had other Game Call companies ask me that very question but have turned them down so far!

No, I've never competed in a calling competition, except with the elk! <grin> I've won some and I've lost some, if you know what I mean.

I do use Primos calls as I feel they have great sound, especially the Ivory Plate single for cow calls of every sort.

By the way congrats on a pair of fine animals. How did your wife do this year? ElkNut1-Paul

I think lots of folks are still gone hunting. Many of us have not started yet. Our first deer hunt is still a week away. The next deer hunt is three weeks yet. Muzzle loader Deer and Elk is mid December and the last muzzle loader elk and deer is in Jan. The waiting is getting tough. We are doing mostly muzzle loader hunting this year. Just two weeks of rifle. I got two fifty caliber smoke poles cleaned and ready. One is a T/C inline 50. The other is a T/C side lock express rifle in 50 cal. May still get a whack at a Muzzle loader cow moose. Good hunting to those still at it.

I hate to say it, but I am done hunting big game for the season. My mule deer season was October 2nd - 22nd. Unfortunately, the only thing I got out of it was tag soup. I did see plenty of deer, but nothing ever worked out to get a shot. Oh well, thats what happens when you put man against nature, nature almost always wins. Still not too bad, 4 deer on 6 tags in 7 years in Nevada. Its tough hunting, and though I did not harvest an animal, I still feel it was a successful season. I got to see some beautiful country, and just about every doe I saw had twin fawns. Very few only had one fawn, which means the deer herd should make it through the winter in good shape, as long as it is not extremely hard, because the winter range is still in good shape also.

I haven't been posting because I have been getting ready for 3rd rifle season which starts this Saturday. I am so pumped up and ready for it I can't sleep at night. All I do is lay ther and think about the big one, or even a cow. Everything is ready to go except my dinner meals, which my wife is going to help me make on Thursday. I can't wait. Friday morning we are leaving around 4a.m. it's about a 3 1/2 hour drive. Set up camp and get ready fro opening day. Did I say I can't wait.

elknut1 my wifes hunt didn't go as planned. Our babysitter canceled out on us at the last minute. So the first three days of the hunt, though we in our area, we couldn't hunt until my family joined us and took turns watching the kids in camp. My wife did miss a o.k. 6x6. She drew out on this area before in 1997 and killed a 4 point bull. I archery hunt it often with success, and my hunting partners and I have taken several nice 6x6 bulls. Because of that she wanted a 6x6 bull or nothing. Another thing I that I think hurt her hunt this year is we heard and saw wolves in the area. It seemed to make the elk act very spooky. Sorry about not answering back sooner I have been busy with work and family. Hope all is going well for you, Jason

I know EKM I haven't contributed much. I had a rifle elk and an archery deer tag but at the risk of sounding like a country western song my wife left me and it's really bummed me out. I went out on a few hunting trips but just couldn't get my head in the game. My archery tag is good until December but I don't have any plans to go back out. This will be the first year I'll have an empty freezer in probably 5 or 6 years.

Rather_Be----I know I don't know you that well but I don't think you're the kind of guy that would kid about his marriage. So assuming you're serious, I'm really sorry to hear about your unfortunate circumstances. That would get anybody down, that's for sure. After all there are more important things that spending time on a "hunting site" Keep your chin up big guy, and Good Luck to you in the future!! There's always next year for hunting.---ElkNut1

No it's no joke elknut1 but I really appreciate the kind words. I'm sure by next year I'll be back in the saddle.

Ouch! Hang in there and best of luck for the future!

EKM

Elknut1 nice bull. I am kind of the new kid on this block, but not new to the elk woods by any means. I was on a Pro Staff, Hunter's Specialties, it was fun for a while, the toy count is good. I have won Colorado State comp. in turkey and elk. National level I have not done as well. Came in #7 at a Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation comp in Salt Lake City one year. So I have been around for a while. I am an arrow shooter, never shot a rifle. I gave up the Pro Staff stuff because of kids growing up, I have alot of fun with them so it is a good change. My boy Keaton calls in comp also, he could call elk before he could talk. He is 9, three more years and he can play. I took My 19yr old stepson out opening weekend and opening morning I called in 7 bulls for him, a spike,2-4x4, 2-5x5 and 2-6x6. The only one he could shoot at was the 4x4, hit a twig in the lane. That is bow hunting. He was foaming at the mouth over the 6x6s, I was moving around to get them to come in, the one I saw was 320 class. Matthew said the other one was bigger, I didn't get to see that one. It was a great morning, but it almost killed my stepson. So that night I went out while he slept, he is an all night teen anyway. I sat on a waterhole to start the evening. I got there about 4pm. At 4:30 I had the little birds go nuts flying away. Herd a snap behind me, then a blow. I turned my head and a 340class bull is 8yds behind me. I am stuck I can't do anything. That blank critter would not walk past me so I could get a shot. He finally got a wiff and started up the hill. I cow called and stoped him at 35yds. No shot! He started to move and I cow called again and he stopped again. No Shot! I needed him to move 2ft forward and I would have taken him out, but NO, he turned and walked up the hill. NO SHOT!!!!! It was so great and so sad at the same time. To be that close to a bull of that caliber is flat awesome, but I don't even have a picture let alone a steak. I moved around the water hole and herd a crack up the hill. So I set up again, I don't have the kind of luck where a big bull will come back. And it was not the big boy, but it was a bull, a5x5, not as nice as yours, so I shot the sucker out of spite. A nice 40yd down hill shot, across the pond. So now I have a cool story and steak. I was hoping we could get Matthew a bull, but it never did happen. Work days made it just not work, but you should hear the kid tell his friends about his elk hunt, he makes me sound pretty good. So we will give it a shot next year. Every body have a good season and have fun. Gselkhunter

ratherbehuntin, thoughts & prayers are with you and keep that nose held high. I had a buddy go through the same thing, an avid sportsman and then she went out the door and so did he frankly. I hope you have family and friends to confide and consult with in this time. I know I spent an aweful lot of nights chatting, visiting and just listening to him. So if you haven't please seek an outlet for yourself. Wish you the best man!!!

As to EKM post it seems the entire place other than bowhunting.com is dead this year.

As to my year it has been pretty good. First off here we are known for deer, bear and fishing...while we have moose and elk the size does not matter if legal it is a trophy for the freezer for us LOCALS. Still I have strong dreams of shooting a big elk, I have been close a couple of times but never been able to connect on anything real big. This fall I had hopes of a great elk season, a few bow hunts produced some good sites but no shots. Then rifle I was pumped sure this year we'd have elk running us over. No calling in archery, lots of practice calling, more land/animal knowledge and of course the help of new techniques from many of you seasoned mountian elk hunters had me thinking I was on the verge of something special. As such we made the decision not to hunt the second either week but the traditional 1st week of Bulls only. Scouting provided no calls, resposes but we had all witnessed elk and a few good bulls. I was hell bent to hunt hard for a 6x I knew would crack that 300's mark with ease (ok I know dink but this is an area where hunters don't see elk in an entire season little lone actually have a chance to fill one's tag). Opening morning I crept in to a spot I anticipated the elk to be filtering down from a feeding area to known bedding area, the wind is perfect. The only problem the elk don't know this plan and are on the move still well before legal, I watch helplessly as the 6x herd bull come by with his crew. I tried cow calling once legal but got nothing. In short the rest of my hunt was nothing but cows/calves, I did manage to get a chuck and when the small 5x committed to far he was met with a 338 200 gr AB in the vitals from one of our party. Some success I admit. The last Saturday evening I made a decision to hunt a terrible location to get into and animal out of but I knew the elk were crossing the river(desperate times seek desperate measures). I set up and tried to grow horns on the elk that were crossing but no such luck. I was calling off and on this evening but envoked not one noise from the heavy timbers of the valley in which they call home. With less than an hour to spare I finally got a spike to come out and with one quick shot filled my tag. So yet another year to wait for that beloved big animal and yes indeed I have more time to get better at the art. Still as stated any elk is a trophy for me, so I was again thrilled.

Ok fast forward to my partner and my moose draw hunt. We applied for a draw that would see us perfectly situated around the canadian moose rut, allowed 5 choices we picked areas where we felt A) bulls would be B) hunter not and C) odds for the later choices. Well as it can sometimes happen when running the Russian Roulette form of draw apps like we did you must be willing to take the last choice and luck would have that is where we were pulled. Having hunted that area years back we needed to do some serious garage and field scouting. Off to the topo maps section of the local Unviersity had us an idea of where we wanted to start scouting in the summer on quad. A few trips up and we picked a likely location but never did see a live MOOSE on any of the trips, but saw several in the farmland we were not drawn for. Loaded for bear we headed to our bush home a few days early, as it turned out it was a god saving grace as the water levels rose so severely that we had to switch where we wanted to hunt opening day. As any hunter knows weather is an advocate or should I say often the devil when it comes to screwing a hunting trip and this year would be no different. We arrived to snow in the bush and struggling to reach above freezing temps, this in itself is not a real bad thing but when you couple that with 50-85 km winds then you have a problem as any moose hunter who uses the call will know! Monday morning cold, frozen and little wind...until the dreaded sun comes up then she is gail force. I managed to receive one response from a distant bull before the wind was unmanageable so bad I had a yound 2 year old sneak in my rearward side without notice until right on top of me...oops! Draw season allows us to harvest any moose, so while legal I decided to pass. The day turned into a write off in terms of calling but I did see a cow/calf pair feeding the lake edge...call it a success finally some live moose where viewed! Tuesday morning wrong wind but it was light enough to call and I managed to pull out another 2 yr old bull in a different local that my pard was only to happy to fill his tag with. Dealing with him, winds driving by mid day and the wrong wind I opted to not hunt. Hopefully the next day things would look up, with the wind switching to a favorable direction by mid morning I headed back to my first day spot a lake encompassed in swampy pine area. Their was little doubt in my mind if the wind or weather would allow I would be able to call a moose in for a chance in this location. It was again windy so calling was futile I did manage to spot 2 bulls working the opposite shoreline but could not call them due to the blasted wind. I decided a sneak might be my only option, one of the longest and worst walks I think I have ever taken through bog, swamp, bow downs..crappy. Finally I get to where I think I may get a chance and pop out in the thickest willow run possible! Shoot!!! try to call nothing, try and move ok I see a cow/calf and the decent bull (40+") but he is tucked into the same diamond willows I just encountered no chance for a shot. I shift slightly get setup and hope eventually or by way of calling in his space the bull will give me the opp. I had worked to get. Ready and patient when the cow/calf spook, taking my bull racing with them. Another futile attempt to call them back and dejected I walk the rugged trek back to our call spot. Wind still driving, upset I blew a chance at filling my tag I sat motionless and stated to my partner with this wind little point in calling tonite!!!!! Well I must have prayed the right way when i asked God to help me, than no sooner did the realization of sitting escape me and the wind just stopped. I mean light switch off and the waves stopped rolling. I grabbed my birchbark and started cow calling, on the second call a instant response form the other side of the lake, I gave him the long cow call and again he responsed closing on the shore edge acroos the pond! Then he appeared looking for a date, placing the calls I stringed him all the way around the lake to where I was at the advantage and whispered to my partner " were going to shoot a bull tonight". Every 50 yards becuase I was single cow calling he would stop and pinpoint the direction in which the hot lady was and if I could have mapped it out, it would never have been more perfect. He rounded the corner of willows puffed, snot rolling and grunting with a directional call to the water I turned him broadside and sent a 160 AB into his lungs. He spun to head to the blow downs another call stopped him long enough to put one more bullet in his heart this time putting him in the dirt dive. While this bull didn't match the others in horn size the hunt is very vivid and I would dare say as memorable as any moose hunt I have been on.

Since then I have turned my focus to the "Goofy Eared" deer, we are chasing a Mule Deer buck that has been as elusive as the elk or whitetails are commonly known to be. I did manage to fill my Mule Doe tag last Saturday with a perfect double lung shot with my bow making it 8 straight years that archery tackle has accounted for some filling of my tags and making my sister very happy as she needed more deer sausage!! Last night I spotted a couple of 140 class whitetails scrappinr, while not quite what I amlooking for it has ignited my "jumper" bone. Any luck my 2004 season will conclude with some Antler bone from the smaller deer variety. If not I certainly can not complain.

Best of luck and be safe the rest of the 04' season!

Rather-be. Best of luck to you and I hope things get better. There are more seasons ahead.

gselkhunter---Thanks!--Great story as well, I like the play by play like you shared with us. I'll bet your stepson doesn't quit talking about his hunts till next season!! <grin> Heck, you're a hero!!

Great job on your bull as well, too it's not everyday an ole boy calls in a 340 class critter, are you sure you weren't shaking a mite?? lol. I know I would be!! If he last the rifle season he may even be bigger next year and not far from where you ran into him this year. Good Luck!! ElkNut1

Nice bull elknut. I haven't spoke with you in a while. We ended up fairly well ourselves. We killed 5 bulls, one cow, a moose , 3 antelope, 3 deer, and 9 turkies this year. My feet are sore and my boots are worn out. But the eaten is good

Well Elknut1, whats a little adrenaline rush anyway. I can control myself after I stop shaking. And yes I was alittle geared up, but if I ever lose that feeling I will probably stop hunting. It is that feeling that has my stepson hooked. And I wasn't shaking anything like he was. It was fun to watch. I am just sorry he missed that 4x. That could have been real fun. I would have been so proud to help pack out that bull, heck I would have payed to have it mounted.
On another note Rather_be_huntin, I have been there twice, god what a horrible feeling. I recommend that you get out in the field, it brings a little peace back to the brain that you need right now. It saved my butt.
Gselkhunter

For myself, this is the time of year where I'm least likely to be sitting around on the computer arguing about whether you should hold your bow in your right hand or your left hand when you toot your bugle. I've got bigger fish to fry right now. Catch me in December.

ekm;

All I have to share is sad stories--- who wants to hear that-- Ha. I went hunting out in elknut1's area during bow season this year and last. He called in a 4 point for me last year
which was my first elk very proud of it. I went out by myself quite a bit this year and got on a few but seemed like something always happened.One day I left my grunt tube where I took a break as I was going to a bull when I needed it --- I didn't have it-- what a bad feeling when a bull is bugling close by---I lost it -- literally. I did go back in a couple of days and found it.
Another morning I was driving to the place I was going to hunt and not being real familar with the area-before daylight-- I decided to stop and check my gps. when I pulled over and opened the door of the vechile one was bugling close by!!! Grabbing stuff in a hurry, I could not find my mouth calls-- but I had the tube that I had lost and then found.OH NO!!
I got on him with cow callls and got pretty close but he was heading out and it seemed I couldn't get ahead of him so I went back to the place I was staying at and found my calls in the shirt I had worn the day before.[:@]
One day while out with one of elknut1's friend joe I got a bad hit on a good bull when my arrow hit a limb and deflected it way to the back.[:@] We waited 4 hours and went looking
for him with no luck. we looked for hours. Elknut and I went back in a couple of days and didn't find any birds or anything so elknut1 said he was not down.
Also had an arrow deflected on a shot at a cow near the end of my hunt.[:@] I had called her in pleanty close but I made the mistake of getting behind some stuff that was too thick to shoot through.
Elknut1 that 5 point looks really nice:D I should have been hunting with you that day huh?

Rather be ; sorry to hear about your situation, but look up- things will get better.

Enjoy reading you guys post- everyone have a great day

Sorry EKM Iam kind of a slut when it comes to hunting early Sept my mind and heart is on Elk hunting them comes Oct ,Nov whitetails pheasnt and ducks Dec goose and start smoking yotes then Jan down south for ducks again and still calling and killing yotes till march then start thinking turkey then spring bear.

But hopefully next year MOOSE Been sending for a maine moose tag for five years this has to be the year.

I understand Maine is a tough moose draw, have you considered Ontario?

EKM