cnelk\'s 2014 Archery Elk Hunt - Story & Pic Heavy

C

cnelk

New member
Mar 23, 2017
5,542
2104 CNELK Archery Elk Season

The 2014 season has ended for me. As we all know, there comes a time to close the book, take time to reflect on the fresh memories, the time with friends, wash the clothes and go thru the gear.

I have posted some of the highlights of this season but now I will go into the details and post many pics of the season.

We had success.
We also had failure.
We learned a lot and this thread will explain these things.

Please feel free to discuss or ask questions as I post. It will take me several days to get to the end.

****

Friday, August 29, 2014
Day before opener


I arrived at camp early in the morning. Calvin was to arrive about noon, Matt in the afternoon, and Cole [my son] after school.
These were the ?players?.

Deertick [John] was to arrive Saturday to hang out and just be part of the team for a couple of days. Another buddy [Tom] was to come into camp on Sunday to get away for a day or so.

Upon pulling into camp, I unhooked my ?home-made camper? which was going to be the camp kitchen and got everything set up.
 

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As the guys made their way to camp, the typical camp chores were attended to. Cutting and chopping firewood, shooting bows, and making preparations for the season opener.

Friday night with everyone in camp, Matt made a quality meal of steak and shrimp for everyone. Done to perfection I must add!
 
Saturday Aug 30th Morning.
Season opened with Matt and Calvin going low and Cole and I going high. We have done this in the past as we like to split up and see what is happening and where.

On the first call set, Cole and I are mewing back and forth to each other. About 10 min has gone by when I see movement about 30yds in front of me. Too low for an elk, too dark for an elk. YEP. It was a bear.
I quit calling and this bruin lumbers right toward me.
Man was he big. He had the pigeon toed walk and the basketball head.
I had a bear tag but the season didn?t start until Sept 2nd!!!

When he got to about 17 yards, I figured that was close enough and I yelled ?HEY BEAR! HEY BEAR!?

He stops and looks at me. Turns slowly and walks away.
Cole in the meantime was wondering why I was yelling at a bear?.

After several more calling sets that morning, no elk encounters were made by either group of guys. We only saw some deer.
We all met back at camp and had lunch and waited for Deertick to arrive
 
Saturday evening, Aug 30th
Deertick John had arrived and introductions were made. It was decided that everyone was going to sit tree stands for the evening. I had an extra hang-on stand so Deertick came with me and we hung it side by side.
We were discussing life in whispering tones, mewing every once in awhile.
About 7pm, here comes an elk!
This big spike with forks on top came right by the tree. He stopped behind some thick stuff about 20 yards away. So thick we couldnt even see him until he moved.
There were a couple bugles in the distance, nothing aggressive, but nice to hear.
The rain came and went, made it quiet in the woods.
 

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No other elk were seen that evening, by us or the others.
Stay tuned for Day 2?. the ?Fun Meter? starts to get some action!
 
Sunday Aug 31 - Day 2

We woke to rain. So we took advantage of a few more minutes in the sleeping bag before it broke.
Then Cole, me and Deertick went one way and Matt and Calvin went another.

Here is Cole and Deertick telling what happened on our first call

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aMN092TaVI&feature=youtu.be[/youtube]


After that call set, we moved and set up again. Nothing responded so we eased up to the edge of the timber.
While we were standing there discussing what to do next, a cow elk suddenly bolts up the slope and stops about 10yards away!
It turns and runs back down the slope!
WOW! Did that just happen? :)

We made our way back to camp only to find out while we were having our good times, Matt and Calvin were also ringing up the Fun Meter
 
Sunday morning found Matt and Calvin going into an area that seems to always hold elk.

On their first call, a cow and a 6x6 bull came right into them.

Matt dropped the string on the cow, hitting his first archery elk with a frontal shot at <20yds
As the cow ran away, the bull was still standing there so Matt nocked another arrow and let loose at the bull.
The arrow found a branch and harmlessly careened off the mark.

The bull had enough and vacated.
To be sure there wasnt a hit, they found the arrow with no trace of blood

At that time, they went and found the cow

 
Calvin took off back to camp to get the gear to pack her out.
But most of the packs were in my truck and we hadnt return yet.

So he hung out at camp waiting for us.

In the meantime, Matt continued to process his elk and started packing the elk out.
By the time we got to camp, got gear ready we all drove to where the pick up point was Matt had just gotten there with the last of the elk quarters!
He packed it out alone!





He is a happy guy!


 
I definitely like the size of that cow better than some huge stinky bull. Much easier on the back.

Ok, continue with the hunt.
 
I want more :mrgreen: :mrgreen: since I was gone this weekend and we didn\'t do a lota killin\' but enjoyed the grandboys anyway....
 
Once we all made it back to camp with the meat, some beverages were had and of course some more pics....




 
Is he going to do something with the cow head? I don\'t remember ever seeing a mounted cow, but it\'s not such a bad idea if that\'s what you hunt.
 
As a matter of fact, yes! Matt is getting the head of the cow mounted.
He will be placing it next to a bull mount he has
 
That\'s kind of cool. I like that, and you know how I feel about dead heads on a wall.
 
Sunday evening we split up again. Some guys going this way, some guys going that way.
Deertick and I went into a spot that turned up dry in hurry so we adjusted our plan and tried something new.
We made a few calls but nothing was happening.
On the way out of the woods we bumped a few elk were out feeding, the wind was wrong and all we heard was their retreating hooves...

The other group got in some elk that evening tho.
My son passed on a calf, and didnt see a cow that was staring him down to his right at 20yds...
Opportunities come and go so quickly!
 
Monday - Sept 1 - Labor Day

Labor Day always seems to be a special day.
Why? Because on this day we have out annual walleye fry at elk camp!!!

But before the walleye fillets were baptized, we had some more hunting to do

Deertick, Me and Cole went into an area to make a loop thru to see what was happening.
Our first call of the morning didnt produce so we moved into a new spot.

I will never forget it.
The foliage was thick. We moved into our \'triangle setup\' for calling.
On the way to my spot, I found some ripe raspberries and stopped to pick a handful before the calling sequence started.

I got finally got settled and made the first call...

Here is Deertick John telling the story of what happened....

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7c56LRv9A4[/youtube]
 
Upon completing the gutless method on the 2 elk, we hung the quarters in some blow down trees.
We carried the backstraps and other loose meat out on that first trip

The right rear hoof of my cow had a strange form to it
Does anyone know what this is or what its called?



 
Brad killed a mobility impared and hadicapped elk... :clap: :clap: :D :D

I have no idea what that would be called except a bum foot on a dead elk... ;) ;)
 
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