RE: 2008 Elk Hunting Contest Teams!!!!!!
 

Pics from the great northwest.. this is 20 miles south of Packwood WA.. no elk anywhere!

Pics: Mount Adams, Goat Rocks Wilderness, Elk Rub

RE: 2008 Elk Hunting Contest Teams!!!!!!
 

A nice rub

Some of gods country




My 4 point Bull, That is 7 points for team 6!!!!!!!!!!!!!




And some buddies to help cut and pack him out!

RE: 2008 Elk Hunting Contest Teams!!!!!!
 

Nice Muliefever. That is sweet. I'll be going out this tuesday and wed. hopefully I can at lest get a cow.
Congrats and nice pics from both of you guys.

RE: 2008 Elk Hunting Contest Teams!!!!!!
 

Nice bull Mulie! Were they talking much while you were out?

We didn't hear one bugle even at night.. its like they vanished. I think weather was a big factor this year and in WA we can only hunt until Sept 21 and they shut the season down.. real bummer considering that's when the rut usually just gets rolling!

RE: 2008 Elk Hunting Contest Teams!!!!!!
 

Great bull Mulie! Man, I know what you mean by HOT! I've been out in this 85+ weather and haven't seen an elk around Hells Canyon. Bear (check)...deer (check)...rattlesnakes (check)...no elk yet. Nothing talking anyways. Wanted to get into a spot I liked last season, but they locked the gate this year. Went into West Mountain area this weekend, but was rained out (and I believe wolfed out. They had helicopters buzzing around all weekend looking for a pack that attacked a cattle ranch not 10 miles from where I was hunting. They (IDFG) "plan" on taking out the pack). Weather is cooling off and I'm going to backpack in to that spot beyond the locked gate next weekend. Maybe get lucky and find them elusive wapiti...At least this rain storm brought some cooler weather.

Side note: Speaking of wolves, something has my young black lab spooked bad when I got home today from my rained out camp.She won't leave the house and go outside, and looks like she clawed up my window screen off the kitchen seeming to try to get in. Then this afternoon I was out working on my pump house when the ranchers next to me came busting up the road on horseback, wondering what was spooking the cattle that were now piled up on the fence behind my place. They saw my old yellow lab and assumed it was her, but she is so old she has trouble getting off the porch. They said something large and "yellow" had spooked the cows over the hill and down to my place. Maybe someone elses dog, maybe coyotes, probably a wolf, but the yellow color has me wondering. Would explain why my dog is spooked. Keeping an eye out for wolves now in my back yard!!

RE: 2008 Elk Hunting Contest Teams!!!!!!
 

Cougar. That spookes all animals. Maybe?

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The rancher definitely said "dog-like". Couger possibly...I just got off the phone with the ranch ownerand he said there is a loner wolf that has been seen around the area since this spring.

RE: 2008 Elk Hunting Contest Teams!!!!!!
 

Mulie...

Is the guy with the mustache in the photo Chip Prudhome??

RE: 2008 Elk Hunting Contest Teams!!!!!!
 

Oh well good luck on getting that thing. Just take a dead bunny and drag it on along line from his field to your fence then just wait until night and kill the sob.

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Thanks guys, it was so hot! I too saw a **** ton of bears.. I would watch your dog. Wolves are dog killers! No that guy is John Jedlic.. Been hunting with those boys for 10 plus!

RE: 2008 Elk Hunting Contest Teams!!!!!!
 

Just got all my gear put away from the 4 days out. Sorry Team3 I dropped the ball. It was raining most days but got some good hunting in. The elk seemed to be bugling for about an hour in the morning and an hour at night but when it was raining and the morning after the storm they were silent. It seems late but I don't think they have even started rutting on that mountain range yet. I saw elk every day but only one was in range.

I was bugling back and forth with him. After about 20minutes he poked out of the clearing. He was a 5x5 and I would guess he was a 275-280 bull. Very mature not a rag horn at all. I set up and bugled him in. It was awesome. Everytime he would bugle or chuckle I would immitate him. He was getting so pissed. Scraping the ground and all. He came in and walked what I guessed 30-35yards. In all my hunting experiences I have never been shaking so bad in my life. I pulled it back and the pins were all over the place. I wished I would have put my diaphram in my mouth before so I could have stopped him. He was just walking though. I let the arrow go and watched as it went about 1" in front of his chest. Perfect height on the shot. I don't know if I missed because I was shaking so bad or if it was when he squatted at the sound of the bow going off. He definitely flinched. I went to look for my arrow thinking he was way gone and he chuckled again. I moved to the edge and he was standing about 70yards. I am not comfortable that far out so I tried to call him in. Imitating his every sound. He once again got pissed off and made a racket but never committed. He knew something was up after the first on.

Oh well everyone misses. So I am still a bow kill virgin. Still rifle season.

RE: 2008 Elk Hunting Contest Teams!!!!!!
 

I feel your pain! There is nothing like bringing a bull in close. The times I've done it I've nearly p!ssed myself and never got a good shot off. I think the tandem method (a caller and shooter) might be a better method but its hard to get somebody to commit to just being a caller unless you've paid for an outfitter.

There's always next year!

RE: 2008 Elk Hunting Contest Teams!!!!!!
 

That is what it is all about! I missed a HUGE 7 point when I was sixteen, not a day goes by that I don't think about that! Hope you all the best of luck for the rest of the season!

RE: 2008 Elk Hunting Contest Teams!!!!!!
 

Congrats Mulie, very cool!

Elk are going nuts here the last few days, Still trying to get Rybo his bull, he had a deflection yesterday .. Bummer.. we have been right with the big boys.. really brushy thick terrrain.. Ryan was 10 yards from the big herd bull 320 + 6x6 and 14 from a nice 5x5.. NO shots though.. he needs a break, soon as he gets one killed I will start hunting ..hes here till Sat.. I've just been calling for him. I did have a spike sneak into me one day but I didnt have a shot in the brush..

RE: 2008 Elk Hunting Contest Teams!!!!!!
 

Go Team 7! Hoping to hear on the next post that he seals the deal.

Looking at my last opportunity at a bull this weekend. If I don't seal it, then I'll have a chance at a cow until end of November if they move down to the winter range early.

RE: 2008 Elk Hunting Contest Teams!!!!!!
 

Wow I hope you realize how lucky you guys are.. we didn't get into any elk here in WA and most people I talked to didn't either.. but our early season is over already.. you guys are just half through and the rut is finally going.. man I wish I lived in Montana again.

RE: 2008 Elk Hunting Contest Teams!!!!!!
 

I haven't heard or seen anything and its just getting cold. I don't think I'll be able to get out until the late season.and I can only get a cow. I don't care meat is meat.

RE: 2008 Elk Hunting Contest Teams!!!!!!
 

I went out yesterday and didn't see or hear a thing except other hunters, two of whichI shared a "conversation" with. My area seems either overpopulated or wolfed out this year. Middle of the day I felt ill, so runing into those two other hunters put me in a fowler mood.Ended up catching some bug that put me in bed today and probably tomorrow as well with the chills, snivelsand shivers. Drinking a hot tautty now to try to get rid of it. Looks like it is late cow for me as well rj...and more than likely a rifle kill, so no points for the team, just meat in the freezer...:D

RE: 2008 Elk Hunting Contest Teams!!!!!!
 

Yea sorry guys I didn't get the job done. Came about as close as one can several times without killing an animal. I just needed a break at the critical moments and couldn't catch one. You'll have that.

Till next time.

RE: 2008 Elk Hunting Contest Teams!!!!!!
 

Should of had my buddy register...called this one in for him the 1st evening it was just as fun getting it all on the Canon GL2

RE: 2008 Elk Hunting Contest Teams!!!!!!
 

100 yards from big herd bull last night.. couldnt get him to come any closer, his cows went the wrong way; away from me. call shy buggar too. needed a decoy last night. 2 more days left of early archery season.

RE: 2008 Elk Hunting Contest Teams!!!!!!
 

Come on Bro! Let the Idaho boys rein supreme!!!!!!!!!!!!

RE: 2008 Elk Hunting Contest Teams!!!!!!
 

No problem Ryan...after spending Saturday with some kind of stomach flu, I had to give it one more shot sunday morning. I spent the whole morning in an area I thought for sure would produce and only had a couple deer come in, does only....then I had to leave and drive my work truck out. Wouldn't you know that not 2 miles from my hunting area off the highway I ran into a whole heard of elk! 20+ cows, two young spikes, and a real nice 6 point herd bull. All on private ground. Nothing I could do but watch the herd as my archery season faded away.

I'm going to try like heck to get a cow with my bow in late season, but will have a rifle shouldered during the hunt as I'll be meat hunting :)

About your hunt...sometimes it is not about the kill, but about the experience. You WILL get your chance someday bro!

RE: 2008 Elk Hunting Contest Teams!!!!!!
 

Draged my sick butt around the mountain sunday..just was a day short and a dollor late. Found the herd on posted ground that afternoon. Awesome experience just watching a big herd bull with his cows. Then watched him cross the highway with the whole herd from unit 22 to unit 31...moved from weiser zone to brownlee zone...elk season not only ending, but the herd now in a zone I can't hunt..lol...oh well, that is the breaks.

RE: 2008 Elk Hunting Contest Teams!!!!!!
 

That's all part of the game.. Man I seen a huge bull that was killed off of Cutty mt. a solid 360 bull!

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Great bull! Hunting elk is one heck of a chore with a lot of luck involved. Is that a CO bull?

RE: 2008 Elk Hunting Contest Teams!!!!!!
 

no bull for me tonight, damned elk were right above were I've been parking to hike in around the mountain.. I walked up my sneak trail, stepped out onto the grassy skid trail and there was the herd! elk everywhere, the nice bull cows running all over.. my heart sank a bit, I tried knocking an arrow and shooting one cow but no dice, she bailed just as I got my release snug onto my string loop. .............so I hiked on around the mountain and sat in a ground blind and saw three different whitetail bucks.. 2 decent bucks and one nice 4x4.. the smallest buck walked by me at 15 yards .. got behind me and down wind and got nervous and tromped off..

And that officially ends my early archery season for elk/whitetails.. Oct 10th I can hunt them again until Dec1 any weapons.. and I will bow hunt it mostly.. so I still have a great chance to kill an elk before the seasons over.. Oh I have late Archery Dec 10-23 for elk and deer too.

peace/out for now

RE: 2008 Elk Hunting Contest Teams!!!!!!
 

AW man Troy, them buggers have a way of showing up at the wrong place & wrong time

RE: 2008 Elk Hunting Contest Teams!!!!!!
 

Well after hunting a week in CO anda week in MT I still did not ever get to loose an arrow at an elk. I was close, but both my father and I went zippo after two weeks of hunting. I really still can't believe it, but that is the way it is. Don't really want to get into the details.

RE: 2008 Elk Hunting Contest Teams!!!!!!
 

Sounds like an expensive trip with two out of state tags! Better luck next time!

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Sorry team 4 , just could not make it happen . Even though i had been within 20 yds with bulls on 2 occasions , it never all came together .

RE: 2008 Elk Hunting Contest Teams!!!!!!
 

Hey guys My late season for cows starts Nov. 29th to dec 15.

The ? is to bring in cows do you bugle and use a cow call or what?

And When it gets cold and snowE do the Bulls go to higher ground and the cows stay lower? Friend told me that had to see what you guys thought.

RE: 2008 Elk Hunting Contest Teams!!!!!!
 

I personally have never had any success calling elk in late season. I am sure it can be done. I would say calf calls would be the way to go. I have hunted a few late season hunts with rifle, and we always just sat on a migration trail and waited! Good luck!

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Wish I was somewhere I could hunt Elk. Love ELK!!!!! Would enjoy being on a team too but no Elk here [&o]

RE: 2008 Elk Hunting Contest Teams!!!!!!
 

hey listen jjlemm001 ,

Ilive in England , in UK and i just spent 12 days hunting Elk . Believe me i am not loaded by a long shot , but if you want something enough .... you can do it ;). I'm Back in 2011 , elk hunting again . It can be done on a budget if you know the right people and they are all on this forum .

RE: 2008 Elk Hunting Contest Teams!!!!!!
 

Hey jjlemm001, We do have elk in VA. They are in the western counties adjacent to Kentucky. Low odds hunt but a lot cheaper than going to CO.

RE: 2008 Elk Hunting Contest Teams!!!!!!
 

Well, It isn't knowing the right people or having the money for I have family in CO and friends in Montana so I have connections just at this time the Army is holding me back... Thanks thou

RE: 2008 Elk Hunting Contest Teams!!!!!!
 

Hey jjlemm001 I understand.. I am active duty Coast Guard. It is easier said then done to get leave isn't it.. I was fortunate enought this year to get time off. I was even more fortunate to harvest a great bull! Good luck and I hope that you get your opportunity!

RE: 2008 Elk Hunting Contest Teams!!!!!!
 

I will be hunting elk till Dec 23 so dont put a stop to this contest anytime soon! :D

RE: 2008 Elk Hunting Contest Teams!!!!!!
 

I won't I will let it run until the end of the year.