CONTEST!

[Neal Cyr]

Story Time:


Sneaked in on some bedding elk.  Couldn't get a good look at the bull, so I took a shot at a large cow.  I didn't think I hit her.  Bull stood up and walked in to view, 40 yards broadside in thick woods.  I took the shot and hit a tree.  I'm glad I hit the tree, b/c after they trotted off from the second shot, I found blood from the cow.  I was selfish, and doubted myself.  I very nearly had two elk down.  Lesson learned, I won't do that again.  I'd probably be ticked at another hunter if he/she had done the same.  Thank-you little pine for preventing a big mistake.  I owe ya.

 

[cnelk]

Entry 1 - Camp Life

 

[cnelk]

Entry 2 - From the Field

 

[cnelk]

Entry 3 - Great Success

 

[cnelk]

Entry 4 - A-Ha Moment


This year I learned that blowdown/deadfall may hold big bulls, but I am going to leave those areas for the younger guys.


The risk isnt worth the reward.


There are better areas for me to hunt elk

 

[cnelk]

Entry 5 - Small Story


This year I hunted 21 days for elk. Some of that time was solo, some was with new friends, some was in Colorado and some was in Wyoming.
Each day was a new experience and a great time.


I was fortunate to punch my cow tag opening evening in Colorado. Then I hunted for bulls.


In five days I called in three 6x6s, one 5x5, one raghorn and one spike. This was in an OTC heavily hunted public land unit. Not another cow elk was seen


I did suffer a setback when I called a big 6x to 18yds and shot him facing me. I missed the 'pocket' and lost blood at 3/8 mile.
We looked for 2 days but found nothing...


My Wyoming hunt was a cow tag. We chased big bulls for 6 days and I wore out a diaphragm plate bugling at bulls for my buddy,
They were cowed up and wouldnt respond.


Elk hunting has its ups & downs, but I wouldnt trade it for nuthin'

 

[colorado russ]

Camp Life:  Well, this trip was much different than past as I have a buddy with me and we're staying at a motel in Alamosa.  So, my 'camp' was the back of the pickup and used coleman stove and hibachi.  Here we're boiling water for pasta and heating up spaghetti sauce brought from home.  Still better than eating out!

 

[colorado russ]

From the Field:  Sangre de Cristo range

 

[colorado russ]

Success:  While  I consider any hunt with no accident and returning home safely a "success", it doesn't hurt to add some meat to the freezer!  Young spike bull.

 

[colorado russ]

A-ha moment:  Long story but the friend I took along hunting with me shot a spike bull and hit it high.  We actually thought he missed due to how far it had went from where first hit and how fast he made it across the river.  This was with a rifle and no blood was found.  Hunted a few hours more then went back and found him dead just out of sight.  He had laid in the sun although it wasn't overly hot.


My decision was to drag him over to the river with the ATV and field dress it there to let cool down in attempt to save the meat.  We field dressed and washed out the cavity with the river.  Then we found a pool about 2' deep and submerged it for 20-30 minutes maybe more before hauling out to trailer then to butcher.  The body eased up on constriction and legs weren't as stiff.  Butcher commented this saved the meat for my friend's spike bull.

 

[colorado russ]

Short story:  Friend and I were in Alamosa, CO for 5 days hunting elk - had landowner vouchers which are rifle tags but opted to hunt with our bows the first 3 days.  We had 9 days total if necessary but didn't want to stay that long.


First 3 days nothing came within bow range although elk were rutting and bugling.


Decided to take the rifle out on the 4th day and was fortunate enough to make a great shot on a young spike bull.  Dropped off at butcher and returned home with 135# of prime alfalfa fed elk!


Buddy missed a really nice 6x6 before taking his spike.  He got the fever and missed then upset and didn't want to hunt for a bigger bull and took the spike! 

 

[MT_mulies]

A-HA moment

My A-HA moment happened this year with my daughter (4 yr old) we went archery hunting together. We hiked up a little hill, and sat for about 10 min (I thought I could get an hour, but thought wrong haha) and it was cold so we walked down the hill back to the truck and drove around "looking" for deer. We saw a lot of deer, but couldn't get any. On the way out of the hills there were lots of puddles and my girl had more fun splashing through puddles in the truck than hunting all day. My A-Ha moment was its not about the hunt, but about the memories. At church the next day my girl told her teacher all about our special hunt.

 

[MT_mulies]

Camp Life
View from my sleeping bag

https://www.flickr.com/photos/159020066@N07/37480184720/in/dateposted-public/

 

[MT_mulies]

Picture from the field

My brother is behind the tree with a bull coming into him.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/159020066@N07/37738277151/in/dateposted-public/

 

[MT_mulies]

Success picture

The first picture is of a monster I got. The second link is of a deer I got. He isn't big, but I only had one day to put meat into the freezer. Most years I would pass on a buck like this, but this year I wanted some salami and bratwursts.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/159020066@N07/37028622644/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/159020066@N07/37738267681/in/dateposted-public/

 

[MT_mulies]

My story is pretty simple. All summer long I have been running and hiking with weights in a back pack. I tried to get my brother to get into shape, but he wouldn't do anything. Well I ended up drawing a special muzzleloader tag so I went with my brother to archery hunt. We had two days of hard hiking and lots of elk. At the end of a 2 day hunting trip....was suppose to be 4 my brother was so dehydrated, fatigued, and sick from not being in shape that he called it quits.
I was pretty mad that I taken off 4 days of work to help him and he only hunted 2 days. But realized it was ok because I would get 2 extra days for my own elk hunt.
The moral of the story is to be in shape for what your hunting style is or deal with the consequences.

Anyway I get to go on a limited entry muzzy hunt in 2 weeks so I'm over it haha. GIT ER DONE!!

 

[Ol Arky]

My story is pretty simple. All summer long I have been running and hiking with weights in a back pack. I tried to get my brother to get into shape, but he wouldn't do anything. Well I ended up drawing a special muzzleloader tag so I went with my brother to archery hunt. We had two days of hard hiking and lots of elk. At the end of a 2 day hunting trip....was suppose to be 4 my brother was so dehydrated, fatigued, and sick from not being in shape that he called it quits.
I was pretty mad that I taken off 4 days of work to help him and he only hunted 2 days. But realized it was ok because I would get 2 extra days for my own elk hunt.
The moral of the story is to be in shape for what your hunting style is or deal with the consequences.

Anyway I get to go on a limited entry muzzy hunt in 2 weeks so I'm over it haha. GIT ER DONE!!

Good luck on your muzzleloader hunt... GETERDONE!!!!!!! :upthumb: :upthumb:

 

[wl704]

Camplife: sometimes you need the committee to help form the plan...sometimes it's catching a few Zzzz

 

[Bowhunter65]

camp life; camping in the field with my 13 year old son Dylan Zink the fire starter.

 

[Bowhunter65]

from the field; Dylan Zink on his first Montana elk hunt 2017.