Thanks Finch! Like I said, I lost him this weekend, hoping to find him tomorrow. Tomorrows forecast is a high of 54 and a low of 27 with a chance of snow and rain all day. Hoping this cold front gets something moving!
Snow on the mountains this morning! Quiting time at 2 can not get here fast enough! Sent from my ADR6350 using Tapatalk 2
Good luck brother, hope you catch up with them! Saw your bino setup, looks great! Ever thought of just using the same material and adding magnets to it to have a flip top to it? Quiet and stays in place but easy to pull off without noise? Just my 2 cents. Good luck n can't wait to see what happens next!
well my heading out posts are not as cool as those of Fitz... but I am heading out to hunt elk in what appears to be some snow!!! Sent from my ADR6350 using Tapatalk 2
Had a bull at 40 tonight, no shot. Found my big bull again as well. Whipped, will give everyone a play by play tomorrow!
Here's the story of yesterday.. Headed to work at 4:30a.m., pouring rain. First time we have seen moisture in 42 days. Actually tied a record set in 1895! Once daylight hit I stepped out of the store to see if any snow had hit the mountains. To my surprise the snow level was actually just above town.... I had to go out! As soon as 2'oclock rolled around I was on the road. Instead of going after my bull in his main haunts I decided to follow an old logging road out and bugle off of ridge tops. I bugled my way over to a corner where I often get an answer. The road is approximately 300 yards uphill of three very good wallows and an area where the elk usually hole up. I let out one bugle, nothing. Let out a second, nothing. I moved on another 250-300 yards up the road and stopped when it began crossing a thick draw. For whatever reason I decided to stop, I got that feeling. I KNEW something was close. I scanned through the trees thankful for the snow silhouetting everything. There! I spotted an elk body about 100 yards uphill.. Directly where my wind was heading. I watched a group of 3-4 cows move across the mountain and down towards the spot I just bugled from. I started back that direction hoping to cut them off. I didn't make it 50 yards when I noticed a bull standing in the road where I just bugled from! He was facing away from me, feeding, and about 150 yards out. I used vegetation and the natural curves of the road to quickly close the distance to 60 yards. Finally I ran out of cover, I could no longer move. The bull finally turned and headed right at me until he saw something he didn't like. He never figured out what I was, but did not like me. He bailed over the edge of the road and stopped once inside cover. I crept up the the point he crossed and peeked over. I could see he rump so I gathered myself, grabbed my range finder, and inched forward. I ranged the bull on a steep angle at 43.5 yards, making for about a 35-37 yard shot. Easy. I began to put tension on my string but stopped. He was quartering too much. I would have gotten one lung at best and that is just not a shot you even consider on an elk. I had to let yet another one walk. I allowed him to leave and left him unmolested. he was already somewhat spooked and I did not want to prolong that. I headed back towards the truck with the snow pounding my face. After reaching the truck I decided to let one desperation bugle out in the canyon my bulls likes. Maybe he was back? I let out a raghorn squeal and boom! There he is. I only had about 45 minutes of daylight left but I had to try for it. I took off at a sprinting up the ridge leading into the clearing he was in. I climbed hard for a good fifteen minutes and stopped to glass for a minute. I could see a few cows but not him. In a matter of minutes the fog rolled in so thick I couldn't see 50 yards at most. It stayed this way until dark. In all it was a great hunt in the snow! Have a Brantley Gilbert concert to go to tonight but I will be back up tomorrow night with a first time elk hunter with me. Hoping to show him what it's all about.
Sounds like another exciting hunt! I WILL hunt elk one day. Keep at it man! How did the bino holder hold up?
Heading out after elk again today. Snow is gone, but we are sitting on 27 degrees for the morning! Sent from my ADR6350 using Tapatalk 2
