Well I just got back from hunting cow elk and mule deer in the Laramie Peaks area of WY. This is going to be a long post that is pic heavy. Hope you guys don't mind...
I found a great opportunity to hunt on some private ground that bordered a ton of acres of BLM. For a very reasonable price I had a small cabin to sleep in and evening meals provided. I was given a map of the area and turned loose. This ranch had once been used by an outfitter, but due to financial reasons, and lack of elk hunters drawing Unit 7 tags, it folded. They started the trespass fee thing a year ago, and I was their first trad bow hunter ever. The landowner was a kind gentleman, in his mid-70's, and sort of had a quizzed look on his face when he saw my two bows.
The country is stunning to look at. I had killed a mulie a few years ago with another weapon, and I knew some of the features. However, this ranch was something to behold. A giant bowl of mountains with the valley being a rich hay meadow. The rocks up top looked liked a mountain fortress from below.
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I really didn't know how to act in this part of the world. I had been used to doing a solo hunt in rough backcountry on public ground. Having a roof over my head and supper cooked was new to me. My "little house" had a heater and a bed. Enough for me. The good news was that I had the entire ranch (10,000 acres) and BLM (15,000 acres) to roam. I also was the only hunter in camp for the first 3 days.
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Oh Boy! This looks like a good one. Can't wait for "the rest of the story". :banghead:
:campfire: :coffee:
Bring it!
I had planned on hunting with my Stalker recurve from South Cox. Right before I left I tried to string it and it felt funny. During the process I think I twisted the limb. I was sick! I was able to straighten it no problem but felt nervous taking it along. I called South and being the stand up guy he is, he offered to overnight me another bow to WY. I sent him my bow, and although it is something I inflicted on the limbs (and they were fine), I recieved one of South's "try out" bows at the ranch.
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I also had along my "back-up". A Great Plains longbow that I shoot like it was made for me, even though I picked it up used from a fellow Tradganger. It took me a few days to get used to the new recurve, so for the first 3 days of the hunt it was the longbow in my hands.
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I took a self pic for my wife, and she said I looked like an Apache laying in wait with my face-paint on. I took that as a compliment and wanted to add it here to show it was serious bidness :)
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So days 1-3 with a cow elk tag and a mule deer tag (buck only) my longbow and I started to hunt. Saw plenty of these little guys, and not one made it to the stew pot. I was after something bigger!
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My first night I busted 4 elk and found a small group of mulie bucks while glassing. No stalks though, but ended the night high on the mountain listening to the bulls sort out the herd.
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Hurry up Mike, I'm leaving in the morning!! I need to know how this one turns out! :readit: :pray:
Awesome country!
I'm on it Whip! Thanks guys...
OK so I spent 2 days chasing elk around. Getting close to a few but nothing in my range. I also managed to stalk within several mulies. As it turned out there were no horns to be found and the group of bucks seemed to vanish. I was seeing animals, LOTS of animals, and that made the hunt already worth it! I pulled some close stalks on some mulie does and learned the country.
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On the third evening I climbed to the top of the mountain that had held the mulie bucks. As soon as I got there I busted a giant 5by5 mulie :knothead: That sent my spirits into the dumps. After kicking myself for going too fast and pouting a little I picked up my binocs and a group of elk jumped out to me from the next ridge. GAME ON!!!
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After glassing them for a few minutes to determine which way they were headed and to get a wind direction I could stalk with I started to make my way to them. The wind started to swirl and I could hear a bull buggling, heading for the girls. This made me quite nervous, as I thought they would either wind me or he would push 'em away. I had to drop over the backside of the ridge and lose some elevation to get into a stalkable wind. I lost sight of them for a moment and thought it was over :scared:
After regaining some elevation I rounded a rock into an open piece of sageflat. I felt as exposed as a vampire at high noon and looked for a rock to get to. I had a baaad felling the elk were close. Sure enough I no sooner had hit the little open spot when the first cow rounded the corner. I ate some dirt (and cactus, and sage, and elk crap) and crawled a few feet toward them. I finally felt like I could go no farther and had to leave it up to the Man Upstairs to do the rest. I had no cover, but I had an arrow nocked and radar lock on the nearest cow. It was a few yards out of my range, and it looked to be over for me. Suddenly, a bull appeared and "pushed" the nearest cow a few yards closer... Right into the red zone for me! Divine Intervention at it's finest in the likes of a little 5 by 5 that thought he was a herd bull!
:campfire:
Just like that I had a shot. No cover, but the right wind, and a cow that was a little distacted by the bull pushing her...laying on my right side I rose up to one knee, came to full draw and sent the arrow on it's way. The shot looked a little lower than I wanted but good enough. The arrow had broke off and flew into the air. The big cow whirled and ran 20 yards and stopped. All the other elk stopped too. Time stood still. All at once the cow got weak-legged and hit the ground. I had my elk! 27 yard shot 27 yard recovery. Just the way I like it :bigsmyl:
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:clapper: :jumper:
The funny thing is the rest of the elk did not know what to think. They just stood there. The bull barked to tell the cow to come on. My cover was enough I think. I pulled my camera from my pocket and snapped a few photos of the little band of elk minus a cow.
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After about 5 minutes they simply just walked away. I got one last pic of the bull as he led his cows away with something else on his mind than the clump of sage that downed one of his cows.
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Great for you..! Loved the story and the beautiful pics. Thanks for taking us along and congrats on the Elk.
How many pounds of meat from the cow?
John III
Great adventure!!!
Divine intervention is something else ... isn't it! Thank God for His intervention.
Cha-Ching!
:thumbsup:
I jumped up after the band left and walked to my elk. My first elk with a traditional bow...it was overwhelming for me. I cried and laughed at the same time and looked directly to heaven to thank God for the opportunity. I also looked at the mountains and the elevation...looks like Afganistan and my brother is there now fighting for the very freedom I enjoyed this trip. I couldn't control my emotions and was greatful only the mountains were there to see it. I finally composed myself enough to touch my elk. Stroke it's mane, pat it's fat side. I thanked her for her life, and sat in awe of such a creature slightly sad but mostly overjoyed.
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Fantastic read and a beautiful place. Congrats on the shot and cow, too!!
I finally got to work on the cow. I debone everything and have it down pretty well. I did an autopsy to see what (I think I knew) vital organ I hit. The next image is a little graffic so look no further if blood bothers you...I had nicked the elbow a little which slowed the arrow down. It ended up not mattering. The arrow lodged in the offside shoulder. I put part of the shaft through the heart to show the direction of travel. There was another piece of the arrow which was somewhere in the cavity.
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Awesome shot! Thanks for taking us along! :thumbsup:
Awsome, thats a great way to start a season off. Now its Ms. Hopes' turn...
After getting 2 full game bags loaded with about 100 pounds of de-boned elk meat minus the backstaps which were already in my day pack, I took the heart to a soft spot in the sage. It is my custom to bury the heart and say a prayer. It is something I strongly believe in. It is a ceremony that I do that is mine...no whooping or hollering. Just a thank you to the elk. The last image I have to share for this day is what God left in the sky that night. It looked as if he had painted it with his own hand. I took the entire cape down for me to tan later along with the backstraps and left the 2 full gamebags cooling on the mountian for the night. I was a blessed bowhunter...
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Thanks for sharing! :campfire:
Congratulations Mike!! Fantastic story and pictures! Now you've really got me pumped up for WY myself. I'm already about to burn an ulcer in my gut waiting to hit the road. This story really puts me into overdrive!
Go get 'em Whip! Good luck my friend!
I have a few more images but no mule deer were harmed in the making of this post :)
I put the sneak on a giant mulie twice. Once he went to bed in a bad spot and the wind changed. The last day of the hunt I thought I had him. Bedded in a good spot but had several escorts. 9 bucks total, 4 of which I would have jumped out of my skin to kill. On the last stalk of the last day a little 2 point made me as I was planning my last move. 63 yards away from about a 180 inch mule deer :banghead:
I nearly stepped on the forky and he exploded out of the sage. Oh well, it happens!
I managed to slip up on two bedded cow elk. My tag was filled and I just wanted to see...so I got these pics. Counting Coup on elk is something I never thought I'd do. Let me tell you 17 yards is close :) The first pic was made at about 30 yards. I thought I was busted but the cow looked the other way and I snuck in closer. I managed to get by them without spooking them and continued my stalk on the mulies. The second pic was at 17 yards...she even had a "spot" to shoot at on her side!
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I truly appreciate your story. Thank you so very much.
I feel blessed by the reading of your hunt.
Congratulations!!
I'll be watching for your mule deer now.
God bless,Mudd
PS: Isn't God wonderful? He made us to have all this and the emotions that go with it.
Finally it was time to go. I had a great time and will be back. I have enough points to draw a bull tag I hope next year. I saw some awesome bulls but they were always too far to get a pic. I saw a bull that is looking back at 350...I hope to see him next year with my Stalker in my hand.
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My lookout rock that looked like a guy smiling to me...okay so your not into ink blots :)
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Finally a desert flower for my lovely wife who allows and understands my need to be in wild places. I am a blessed man in so many ways. Hope you enjoyed my adventure. I have whitetails soon for a month then Ms Hope for the month of November. I think I am already having a good year :)
QuoteOriginally posted by wapiti792:
[QB]...no whooping or hollering. Just a thank you to the elk. ...
Perfect.
Awesome. Thanks for the story and pictures. Ken
:clapper:
Most excellent Mike.
What an awesome story. Congrats and thanks for sharing.
Awesome! Great shooting and wonderful pictures.
Nice job and thanks for taking us along.
Chris
Cool story and pics! They made my day. Haven't been out to Wyoming hunting in over 5 years. Miss the mountians. I've been inspired to start planning my own dream cow hunt. Thanks Chris
The stuff dreams are made of man! Thanks for the journey!
:notworthy:
What a ride. Thanks soooo much for letting us come along!
Very nicely done.
Well done
Mike,
Great write up! Thanks for putting this together; it is a lot more work than most realize.
Sean
Great story and pics. I am very envious of you. Sounds like a wonderful trip. Thanks for letting us go along with you.
Mark
Thanks everyone! Sean you are right :)
I forgot to mention the mountian lion!!! I witnessed 2 mt. lion kits with mom leading the way cross a rocky outcropping above me about 200 yards away the day after I killed my cow. I fumbled for my camera but the sighting was over about as fast as it began. There was a pucker factor too as we don't officailly have them in Illinois :)
The trip was so much fun and it will make me smile for many days to come.
Excellent story and superb pics! Some day I hope to go west and hunt elk. :pray:
Great story thanks for sharing
GREAT STORY TELLING ENJOYED IT, CONGRADS TO YOU AND THANKS;
CECIL
Thanks for the great story, Mike. Good luck Come November. bhb
Awesome. One of the best reads I have read in my short time here at TG.
Congradulations, it doesnt get any better than that.Hope you get to share it with your bro before too long. :campfire:
Great Story. Congratulations!
Great job! The pictures and the story made my day. Thanks
Sounds like a great hunt. Congrats on an awesome bowkill. Cool pics, thanks for sharing.
Great story. thanks for sharing.
Outstanding story and pics!!!
You did great buddy! Congrats and thanx for a wonderful story and pix :clapper:
Congrats on your hunt. Enjoyed the story and pics, thanks for sharing.
Great!
Super job. Been waiting for these elk posts to start :clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
:clapper: thanks for taking us a long!
Heartfelt congrats!!!
I hope you don`t mind sharing your memory...
God bless!!! :thumbsup:
Awesome Mike!! Thanks for the message and picks, I knew you would do good buddy :thumbsup: Sure makes me hungry thinking about those steaks on that gal!
Great picks and story!!
Tracy
Hey Mike! Congratulations pard! I have never read a finer hunt description! The pics and the story meld together superbly!
Way to go! I just got in from hiking the hills without seeing an elk. Maybe next week will be better. Good for you, you have a fat cow in the freezer!
Outstanding Mike, and Congratulations! Thanks for taking us along.
Any chance you will make it to Glenn Rinehart's PBS Shoot this weekend or his UBI Shoot next?
Rick
Fantastic! Thank you sir for sharing. This is the way to "report" a hunt. Fantastic job.
Great story and pics.
Great story, thanks for sharing!!
Great story.Good shoting and congrats on your cow elk.
Thanks guys! Knowing all of you guys on here like it means more than you know. If I had enough elk steak to go around I'd surely share. Knowing that I don't and seeing how it wouldn't be fair, I'll just keep it and toast you all :)
Rick I have chores to catch up on this weekend and a church picnic on Sun but the shoot next sounds good! I'll check the website. Hope to see you there!
Bill! Hope you have a story to tell from your hunt next time we see each other. I know you will!Thank you for your kind words. I enjoyed telling the story in pictures and words. See you soon pal!
Thank you for sharin' with us 792!
Great adventure and great shot!
Elk steak is the best!
Shoot straight, Shinken
Mike,c
Congratulations on the elk! That was a great read! You done good.....real good.
Just went back and read it all again. What a great story! Love it!!
Great story and hunt all around! Well told and the pics were perfect! A big hand to you Mike, some fine shooting there!
I truly appreciate your story. Thank you so very much :campfire:
Great story and pictures. Congratulations
Great story Mike and wonderful job on the picture taking.
It's just fun being in among the elk even if you don't connect,
but you managed to do both. Congratulations.
Enjoyed it immensely.
Thanks,
Ron
The draw gods were unkind to me this year. Thank you for taking me along, and a heartfelt congradulations on success. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Awesome
Nice!
Another blurb about my hunt...I picked up a left over cow tag at half price and a left-over deer tag for Region J. All I had to do was buy a habitat stamp and an archery license. All in all the hunt was as cheap as my previous OTC archery hunts in Colorado minus my airfair and a little room/board money. I managed to store my meat in a friend's freezer and I have another friend hunting mulies near there next week who is driving. He agreed to pick up my meat and hide as well as the 3 rattlesnake skins that I got in exchange for an elk steak dinner. Fair.
If anyone is interested in the place I hunted as far as cow elk or mulies or if you have alot of preference points and plan on drawing a bull tag pm me and I'll be glad to share some info with you about local packers, access fee hunts, etc.
That was an awesome adventure.
That was an awesome adventure.
Awesome, thanks for sharing!!
Great! thanks for sharing. A cow elk with a trad bow makes a beautiful pic.
We must have been within spittin distance of each other several times. Too bad you're gone now, i would have liked to meet you. Where is this place, what mtn, etc?
Good job! Enjoyed reading the "feel" of your hunt. Thanks for sharing.
Take care - Charlie
Thanks for sharing.
Awesome story and pics Mike! Sweet shot!
Off to a great start bro!
:clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
Aloha!
Ryan
Well that just makes me want to sh$t in my hand and rub it in my hair. That bow has way to much mojo and I sold it way to cheap. Great hunt Mike, I'm proud of you and glad the LB worked out.
Thanks for sharring!
Great story and a great elk! :clapper:
Great story and nice elk as well!
Congrats are in order to say the least!!
Just an awesome story with outstanding pics. Thanks for thinking of us while you were there by taking the wonderful pictures.
This is the kind of thread I always look forward to reading. Really made my Friday afternoon.
Thanks again!
Very nice elk!! Thanks for sharing! :)
Great story and pics! Congratulations!!
Congrats,thanks for sharing a great hunt with us.Tell your brother thank you for his service.
Terrific story- great post! Thanks for sharing with us.
Congrats :thumbsup:
Awesome story and pictures! Thanks for sharing!
Jack
Superb!
:clapper: congratulations that will be some great eating
Great Adventure and so pure. Congratulations Sir. :thumbsup:
Loved the story and pic's. Very well done.. Please tell a little about your packing the meat out? How far? how much weight per load? conditions etc? Thanks again for a MOST EXCELLENT POST!!!
Wow, great read and story Mike. Really enjoyed that.
Randy after that bull you killed I am ready to go back! Congrats again buddy. :notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy:
Buckwheaties: I deboned the meat as I was packing by myself. 2 miles one way. Each game bag weighed about 50 pounds and contained all the meat from one side of the elk, minus the backstraps which were in my day pack. I made 3 trips total. First with backstraps, internal tenderlions, and hide. Was able to lash the hide to my daypack with bungy cord and put the sweet meat in a trash bag I always keep in my pack for this purpose and for emergency shelter.
It really wasn't that bad. I was done by 2 am. Plus the climbs were not that awful. Nothing like the hunts I have been on in the Rio Grande NAt'l Forrest in CO. The elevation here was only around 9000 ft. I used my day pack for all of it. I just put the game bags inside the trash bag and slid it in side my daypack then used a bungie cord. I didn't have my pack frame as I flew to my spot. I tried this out at home with 50# of agriculture lime in my day pack and it worked. So, everything went to plan.
Note about my equipment: 55# at 28 Great Plains Longbow that I draw to 29, bought used off this site, Trad Only 3Rivers arrow with a normal insert and a 350 gr Woodsman Elite BH from a sponsor here. Fletching made from goose feathers from Rob's tutor on this very site...String by Oliver Stacy on this site. I see a THEME here :) Thanks again everyone. It was fun...now after seeing Randy's bull my bags are packed for next year as I hope to draw that unit and find one like his ;)
:thumbsup: :thumbsup:
This is an awesome story. One of the best I've read in a while. Congrats on a successful hunt. Thanks for sharing your trip with us.
"All great things are simple, and many can be expressed in a single word: freedom; justice; honor; duty; mercy; hope."
Winston S Churchill
Great story and great shot! Enjoy some of natures finest! Congrats!!
Congrats Mike! Great story and pics, thanks for sharing.
I enjoyed every minute of the story. Congratulations.
Awesome pictures. Wonderful read.
That is AWESOME! A dream come true for sure. CONGRATS!!
Nothing like fresh cow elk for dinner...good story, from a good area.
Mike that was a great story.Congrats on a fine elk. :campfire: :clapper:
Mike,
Enjoyed every bit of the story, felt like I was there with you. Congrats to you and a special prayer sent for your brother...
Take care,
Froggy
Very cool! Thanks for taking me with.
-Jeremy :coffee:
What a hunt!! :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Thanks again everyone...especially for you guys thinking of my brother. Maj,3rd Special Forces Group, Afganistan. Father, husband, son, my brother and best friend. Can't wait to get him home to cook some elk steak and raise a glass :)
How did I miss this post? Then I looked at the date.........I was elk hunting. Great story and pics. Good for you. You should feel proud.
Mike