Back in Feb. I organized an elk hunt for Tradgang members who wanted to go on a backpacking elk hunt in the back-country. 8 guys are part of the group and the hunt is happening right now. I'm @ home right now but will be going back on Tues. I will tell my story up to this point and I'll let the other guys tell their stories here when they get back.
Looking forward to this one!! Bring on the elk stories!!
My son and I got to hunt the first 4 days and set up camp. We were into elk right away.
(http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll130/grndhntr/Cominin.jpg)
This cow came in to about 35 yds. to my son.
We have never had everyone in camp at once (guys wanted to be out hunting) so we had to take several pictures.
(http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll130/grndhntr/CampGroup2.jpg)
(http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll130/grndhntr/CampGroup1.jpg)
These guys are from Colorado (me), Missouri, W. Virginia, Pennsylvania, N. Carolina, Arkansas, and Tennessee
There are moose in the area so I had to play around (count coup) on this bull @ 25 yds.
(http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll130/grndhntr/CountingCoup-moose.jpg)
On the 10th. day that I was able to hunt (this Mon. the 13th), I called in a cow elk and shot it @ 12 yds. Unfortunately, she was 2.4 miles from camp and 7.8 miles from the trailhead. It took 2 hard days of packing, but the meat is now in the freezer.
(http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll130/grndhntr/CowHeroShot.jpg)
We had some of the rib meat roasted over the fire on Mon. night.
(http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll130/grndhntr/RoastingRibs.jpg)
We are having an awesome time enjoying God's creation and chasing the mighty wapiti with stick and string.
(http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll130/grndhntr/MedicineBowS.jpg)
Looks like fun Doug. Congrats!!
Congratulations! Looks like a great camp! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
i hate everyone of you ...lol.congrats and good job :notworthy:
Very nice. Keep it coming.
Thanks for taking us along Doug!
Nice shot on the cow!
In elk hunting the work always begins after punching the tag....
Look forward to reading adventures that others from your camp might have to share.
Keep the wind in your face!
Shoot straight, Shinken
:campfire:
Congrats on the cow and good luck on the rest of the hunt!!!
hey doug
if you get time shoot me an email scottabow@aol.com
interested in the moose
thanks Scott
There's more excitement coming but I want to let the others have a chance to share their story themselves so I won't let the cat out of the bag yet. Most of the other hunters will be hiking out next Wed. or Thurs. so you'll get to hear more about it then.
Sounds like you guys are having a fine adventure.secnd year in a row I havn't been in the pines :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: Life gets in the way sometimes.Guess I'll just have too live through you guys this year.Nice cow congrats
Actually Cooch, this is the first year I've organized a hunt. Maybe your thinking of the Oregon elk hunt.
Wow!! great stuff, can't wait for more :)
:campfire:
I'm going to throw you guys some more pictures until the other guys in the group can chime in.
(http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll130/grndhntr/Glassing.jpg)
Kinda heart broken I didn't get to go...
Congrats on the cow and thanks for taking us along.
Keep the pics and stories coming.
:campfire:
Steve
Thomas (String Cutter). Don't be fooled by the pictures, it's been a terrible hunt, you didn't miss anything...OK, that was my lame attempt to make you feel better. Sorry you couldn't make it.
I'll share a little more here about how my hunt went down. I was sitting and reading on a ridge at just over 10,000' elevation. I had seen some sign in the area and had spooked two different groups of elk that morning in the area so I thought that my morning hunt was over. I was trying to warm up so I was out in the sun with my back to a tree. I heard what sounded like a cow call but there were some Clark's Nutcracker (Camp Robbers) birds flying around in the area and they can sometimes sound like an elk. I reached down and squeezed my bulb call just in case and went back to reading. I heard it again so I called again and continued reading. About a minute later, I looked up and there was a cow coming straight at me from about 50 yds. I was just able to get to my knees and grab my bow before she was at about 20 yds. I wanted to scoot back into the shadows and stand up but there was no time. She first looked like she would come around a blowdown to my left but then turned and came in to my right. I was able to get my body turned to the right and when her head went behind a tree, I drew. She stepped out and was 12 yds away. I picked a spot, and I think I hit that spot. I called like crazy as she ran away but I don't think she even heard me. She was crashing through trees and running blind. When I shot, she was quartering slightly toward me so I just got one lung. She ran over a quarter mile before dying on her feet and sliding under a blowdown. It took 3 1/2 hours on my knees following the blood trail to find her because the undergrowth is turning colors and it was very difficult to see blood. Even though I like to hunt alone, it was great to get into camp and share my success with the other guys there. Even though there were bulls in the area, I had decided that I would not be picky on this hunt and take the first legal elk. My shoulder has been bothering me so I had to drop my bow weight down into the low 40s. I was very pleased with the penetration though (20") from my 630 gr. arrow and this cow represents an awesome trophy for me. She is my 6th. elk taken with a traditional bow but my first traditional elk on public land. It took until after midnight to get the meat to camp (2 REALLY heavy packs).
Very awesome pictures,and i love the story.CONGRATES
nice country.
We have seen quite a few of these guys:
(http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll130/grndhntr/Porky.jpg)
...and these guys...we have had close encounters with moose walking back to camp in the dark.
(http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll130/grndhntr/Bigmoose.jpg)
Like you have said many times, heavy arrows from low poundage bows produce great results. Unfortunately, I have not had an opportunity to back up your proof, as I again will be having tag soup after my fourth season hunting traditional with a 50# long bow as I too haave some shoulder issues. I know when I finally get a shot opportunity my 625 grain arrows will not fail!
Thanks for the wonderful pictures and stories!
Awsome pics and hunt story. I always get caught up in the hunt and forget to take pics. Thanks for sharing.
T-bone, I was unsure about shooting my setup this year, but I'm glad I had the opportunity to test it on an elk. 630 gr. with a Zwickey Eskimo (2-blade) going 143 fps. I heard a crack when the arrow hit so I think it glanced off a rib too. The drawback is that at 30 yds. it really takes a dive so my shots have to be closer than when I could shoot those heavy arrows faster. I figured that an average 55# selfbow would shoot the same weight arrow at about the same speed.
Hi Doug.
That is awsome! Right now I am shooting a 50# montana long bow which casts a 625 grain weight tube filled Easton shaft about 145 fps. I have a two blade Magnus stinger on the business end so we have pretty much identical set ups. I truly admire your experience in this area from your posts that I have read over the last few years. congradulations on your trophy!! I hope that I can connect one of these times. I have no doubts about my penetration based on my target practice. My current arrows penetrate just as well as my 550 grains from my 60# longbow that I rarely shoot these days.
:campfire:
Very nice Doug, That rib roast over the fire made me start drooling on my keyboard. :thumbsup: :campfire:
That is cool. Cogradualtions!
By The Way 50 lbs is NOT enough for ELK! :campfire: :archer:
Looking forward to the rest of the story.
Gotta love elk country and the stories! congatulations on the cow and best of luck to the rest.
Setting here coffee cup in hand and truly enjoying your hunt, Thanks for taking us along, Good hunting to every one else. 'Congrts on cow'
cecil
Nice Doug on the Cow. Thats a pretty cool deal with that set-up. Lookin forward to more. Did you mention which mountains you were in??
We're at un undisclosed location in the Colorado Rocky Mtns. :^)
(http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll130/grndhntr/Housmerview.jpg)
Congratulations!
That is absolutely looking like a good time. Good luck and be safe.
FREAKIN' AWESOME!
That is awesome Doug. I did not get to make it up there like I had hoped but what beautiful country. Congrats to you and your son on the elk.
Doug i went to Colorado this year for deer.Next year i want to go for Elk,maybe i can hop aboard the TRADGANG train?Good job on this post. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Here's some camp meat (Blue Grouse) that I was able to skewer.
(http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll130/grndhntr/Roastingthegrouse.jpg)
Very Cool Guys Looks Like a great time was had by All!
:clapper:
Sounds like an awesome adventure for all! Used to go with a group friends almost every year back in the eighties and early ninties. It was 93 the last time I was there. The pictures sure bring back some fond memories.
Here's one more for you guys:
(http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll130/grndhntr/Thehuntersview.jpg)
did anyone notice the porcupine is in the tree and the moose has quills in his back :scared: was the amimals close togeather? thats a good picture..
They look more like dead pine needles.
that is absolutely just too cool, doug! great job and isn't it awesome to be a free American?
thanks
kennyb
Yeah, the bull had just got through scaring me to death by raking the ground when I walked by at about 15 yds. It's pine needles on his back.
those are beautiful views, great hunt. What unit has mountains that look like that? I have hunted many places in CO and haven't come across such barren tops...neat looking
Guys;
Just got back to TN this morning. This hunt was the best hunt I have had the pleasure to go on. Doug did a great job setting up a base camp for us out-of-staters to use. the gang was great. We had quality hunting and quality time around the campfire.
i will post some pictures in a bit but am still settling in back home.
Tim (from NC) and me rode together. We spent a total of 9 days hunting.
I spent 3 days on a bivy hunt alone after I got there. There were some areas on the map that I just had to check out. Plus, I just like some along time. The areas i checked were not that elk prolific, but i still had run-ins with two bulls at less than 50 yards and found fresh wallows (cloudy water).
After this i spent time in base camp and went on another 3 day bivy with Tim and Darren. on this bivy I had plenty of contact with elk. had lots of fun chasing the bugling elk around the mountains.
When it was all said and done. I had had 8 spike bulls within 20 yards ( 6 within 10 yards). But the bulls had to be 4 pointers or better so i could not shoot. I had cows and larger bulls within 50 yards but not close enough to shoot. i saw plenty of moose and even had a mountain lion sighting. Also we ate fresh trout caught from a local lake/pond.
It was my 3rd elk hunt, but my first with bugling bulls and close encounters.
I cannot thank Doug enough for setting this up.
I will post pictures and more detailed accounts later.
I had a great hunt also... this was my fourth elk hunt and I was yet to take an elk. Early on the hunt, Doug, Darren S. and I got together and did some calling.
We had some action, but no shots were presented.
Darren Shue and I hunted some together and found an area that looked very promising. Thanks Darren for some quality hunting time together.
On 9/13 Tim and I went with Doug to the place he shot his cow. He refused help carrying the meat as he wanted to do it himself. (What a beast!)
Tim and I had about 45 minutes of daylight left after visiting Doug's kill site so we set up in a good looking spot on the ridge facing the east. It wasn't long before we had three bulls bugling... one on my left, one on his right, and one a good ways off straight out toward the east.
The bulls on either side of us were responding (moving our way) and very vocal. Unfortunately, it got dark on us before we could close the deal.
The next day, Barry and I decided to bivy up to the top of the ridge (about 2 miles from base camp). Darren said that I wouldn't need to take my tent as he predicted that I would connect that evening.
I'll post again as soon as I get some pics up.
Wayne
(http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq19/fnshtr/TCWEH/WildernessNumbertwo066.jpg)
Darren and I on an early hunt. We found fresh tracks, rubs, wallows and droppings.
(http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq19/fnshtr/TCWEH/WildernessNumbertwo048.jpg)
Lunch on the go.
Note: I did not eat the antler. I found the piece of antler on an early outing.
Back to the story.
On 9/14 Barry and I headed back up to the area Doug took his cow. Darren S. had predicted I would connect (he and I had scouted the area earlier and knew it was a good one).
After Barry and I arrived and set up our camp... we headed north. After calling at our first set-up, we heard bugling below us... to the east. I could tell that one of the bulls were moving around a "bench" in my general direction. I moved down to a position that I thought might intercept him if he continued on that same route.
After I moved... it seemed that the bulls just went quiet. Eventually I moved back up onto a finger ridge running east from the main north/south ridge. As I came into a rather open area on the point of the east running ridge... a bugle rang out down in the dark timber below me. I cow called twice and heard crashing as he was coming my way.
The bull came in quickly as I didn't have time to set up properly. He came head on and spotted me at about 23 yards. As he turned to leave, I loosed the arrow.
The bull ran about 20 yards and I cow called again. He stopped and looked back at me. It was nearly dark as he walked back into the dark timber below me.
After a brief search for blood/arrow/spore, I returned to camp and had a sleepless night... anticipating what I might discover the next morning. I felt the shot was low, and feared that I had undershot him.
The next morning Barry and I returned to continue our search. Here is what I found about 125 yards from the spot I made the shot.
(http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq19/fnshtr/TCWEH/WildernessNumbertwo155.jpg)
Well... the bow wasn't there... but the bull was!
My first elk... and a bull... with the recurve! He had 5 points on one side and 4 on the other. I really need to thank Doug for setting up this hunt... Darren for the miles he put in helping me scout... and Barry for helping with the in-field butchering.
It was a great hunt with a great bunch of guys.
Here is another pic.
(http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq19/fnshtr/TCWEH/WildernessNumbertwo158.jpg)
Oh yeah... I hit him behind the shoulder and he was slightly quartering towards me. I anticipated him turning and released a bit early, missing the direct broadside shot I wanted.
The 630 grain arrow was completely buried in his body. I got one lung, the liver, through the paunch and ended up with the broadhead in his left ham (femoral hit). He didn't leave a blood trail because the entry hole plugged with fat. All the damage was internal.
Very nisely done fnshtr congradulations :thumbsup:
Congrates Wayne! I've been watching the thread hoping you made meatand had a good time.
Congrats to all of you guys on a fine hunt and thanks for sharing with us.
Awesome thread..... :clapper: Thanks for sharing it.
sounds like a great hunt fellas.
AWESOME pics, story, and hunt! Hat's off to ya' gents :notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy:
Awesome hunt fellas!!! Congrats on your 1st bull fnshtr!!! :thumbsup:
That is one heck of a hunt. Congrats to all. Thanks for sharing. :thumbsup:
Awesome time. Congrats on your success.
Way to go! :clapper:
here are some pics from the trip.
(http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b301/TimAntoine/Elktrip130.jpg)
(http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b301/TimAntoine/Elktrip078.jpg)
(http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b301/TimAntoine/Elktrip029.jpg)
(http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b301/TimAntoine/Elktrip129.jpg)
(http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b301/TimAntoine/Elktrip082.jpg)
(http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b301/TimAntoine/Elktrip107.jpg)
(http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b301/TimAntoine/Elktrip118.jpg)
Nice story. The Kifaru with the stove makes a great camp for sure.
What a wonderful Trad Hunt this was to be a part of! I inadvertently took the Wrong Trail, trekking 14 miles, with a 70# pack over some rugged & high terrain! I've done marathons, 20-mile force marches, but nothing quite as hellish as this 9 1/2 hour endeavor! Of course I could only blame myself and the dude naming the guys at camp all got some good comic relief as I told of my mishap.
I want to thank Doug for all the fine effort he put in to this endeavor to make it SO worthwhile. Congratulations to him & my hunting buddy Wayne for taking their fine trophies.
I thoroughly enjoyed hunting and visiting with our entire group & couldn't have asked for a better bunch of folks to share the week with! I'll try to follow with some more pics tomorrow.
What awesom country :thumbsup: Thanks guy's for sharing your hunt. :clapper:
A few more pics...
(http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq19/fnshtr/TCWEH/WildernessNumbertwo239.jpg)
(http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq19/fnshtr/TCWEH/WildernessNumbertwo252.jpg)
(http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq19/fnshtr/TCWEH/WildernessNumbertwo244.jpg)
(http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq19/fnshtr/TCWEH/WildernessNumbertwo236.jpg)
(http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq19/fnshtr/TCWEH/WildernessNumbertwo142.jpg)
Doug... taking care of business!
Breakfast after a mornings hunt.
(http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq19/fnshtr/TCWEH/WildernessNumbertwo059.jpg)
One evening on the way back to camp after dark, I stopped and scanned the park between me and camp with my headlight.
Since I didn't see any moose eyes light up... I proceeded across the trail through the park. Then, while focusing on my gps... I came within a few feet of running into the hind end of one of the bull moose we had been seeing.
We both ran... thankfully in opposite directions!
(http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq19/fnshtr/TCWEH/WildernessNumbertwo120-1.jpg)
We obviously took hundreds of pics... I'll finish mine up with these last two.
(http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq19/fnshtr/TCWEH/WildernessNumbertwo183.jpg)
The sweet...
Congratulations sir and awesome pictures! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
And the bitter...
(http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq19/fnshtr/TCWEH/WildernessNumbertwo260.jpg)
I already miss september in the Rockies... the sights, smells and overall experience of a fall elk hunt.
Hopefully I'll make it back sometime... maybe with some of the same friends. Trad people are special.
Now let's hear from Brett, Darren and you others!
A couple of pictures:
(http://inlinethumb25.webshots.com/47000/2458626280102155225S600x600Q85.jpg) (http://sports.webshots.com/photo/2458626280102155225HSEaZS)
Me standing and Tim. I am holding the fish Tim caught. They did taste good.
(http://inlinethumb03.webshots.com/22338/2634158830102155225S600x600Q85.jpg) (http://sports.webshots.com/photo/2634158830102155225SXYuic)
One of my bivy setups.
(http://inlinethumb33.webshots.com/10912/2992709660102155225S600x600Q85.jpg) (http://sports.webshots.com/photo/2992709660102155225QOStKS)
In the above meadow right after legal hunting light; I had a mountain lion coming across the meadow to investigate my cow calling. Before the mountain lion got within 50 yards of me a bull elk came across the meadow within 30 yards of me. He then began to bugle, demanding the cows come out of the forest into the meadow. In all the bull excitment, I lost track of the mountain lion.
It just does not get any better than that.
WOW Excellent Hunt to all,
thanks for the pictures and for taking us along,
Congrats on your success!!!!
WOW Excellent Hunt to all,
thanks for the pictures and for taking us along,
Congrats on your success!!!!
What a great hunt with a great group of guys: Tim, Barry, Darren x 2, Bob, Bret, Wayne. You guys are the best. Hope to see you on the hunting trail again some time. Doug
Thanks Doug one of the best elk hunts and the best DIY hunt ever!!! I can not post pics on Tradgang no accounts Sorry. On the hike in I almost died and that is not far from the truth (to many lbs in pack) but once there it was worth it. On the first day Bret and myself were hunting together and I called in a real nice 6x6 to 40-45yrds he did not see anything so he walked off. Later that day we called in a cow and a calph they walked fast 30yds by me and walked right up to Bret but did not have a good angle and then brush was in the way when they stopped. Walking out one night we busted a group of elk and I started calling and a calph came running right up to me and stopped at about 8 yrds almost facing but I did not like or take the shot. The calph ran away and I looked up the mountian and standing there watching over his domain was a realy big 6x6 I tryed to call him or one of his herd but he would not have any parts of it. One other day Bret and me were still hunting up the mountian and sneeked up on a 4x4 or bigger and his cow and her baby but they would not get any closer then 40 or so yards. I heard bulls buggling every day and saw elk most every day. This sounds like and it was a greatest hunt but it was also the most demanding hunt I have ever been on and it will take a week to heal up from it an is the best pain I can think of having. I learned alot and am looking forward to next year I found for me a 40lb pack is perfect and will try to get down to that from my 55lb for next time. Congrats to Doug and Wayne for your success!! My memories will keep me going till next year. Darren B
I was looking rough in the picture, I think we are learned what worked and what didn't. I will be working on getting my pack down to about 50lbs from 62.
Fantastic stories from each of you and great pics to boot! I'm planning on hunting CO next year w/ my brother so your experiences are making me more than a little envious.
Great pics and stories guys. Sounds like you all had a great time.
Fellas, thanks fer sharing!!! I am Jealous... If'n your going to do it again... I am interested!!! Just to be out there amongst those magnificent animals during the rut and the bugling, its gotta be sumthing!!
Great hunt to read about guys. And congrats on your first bull. Sounds like a great hunt for sure. Thanks for taking the time to share.
BobinTN.....
Quote "It just does not get any better than that."
Amen to that....
Fantisic hunt!!! Thank you for the pictures and story :)
The others have pretty well expressed my feelings about what a great hunt/time of fellowship/camp/group of guys/experience this was and is, so I won't go on about that aspect except to say my thanks to Doug for getting it organized and to each of the other participants for coming prepared to hunt and enjoy what gifts were offered up.
My individual hunting experiences were many, but I'll summarize. I was out there for 18 days, 14 of which I hunted. In those 14 days I was into elk 12 of them. I shot over a big cow at 30 yds - broadside, called another to 15 yds, but she came in on the wrong side of my shooting lanes and had another small cow walk up my backtrtail to just 4 yds, but only offered a severe quartering away shot, so I didn't drop the string.
I verbally sparred with one bull for over an hour one eveing and he screamed/bugled/chuckled and/or roared at me no less than 65-70 times. Doug, Wayne and I called in a magnificent 4x4 to 75 yds before he busted me. This guy's main beams stretched to the middle of his back and I described him as being similar in beauty to a 130" 6pt or 150" 8pt whitetail.
This was only my second elk trip, but I learned so much and had so much fun, I can't wait for next September already. I didn't track my mileage, but estimated that I averaged 6-7 mi/day for each of the days I hunted. I dropped 18 lbs according to the scale at my folks house, but was never hungry.
I'm sorry I don't have any pictures to share. My camera is simply crap. Next year I'll have a good camera, be in even better shape and PICK A SPOT!!!
Thanks again to Doug and the rest. This hunt has set the bar to which all other trips will be compared.
Darren S.
Darren
You're such a ruggedly handsome man in camp. :bigsmyl:
Darren,
I really enjoyed hunting with you buddy. Anytime you want to do it again, together, just let me know... If I can afford it, I'll do it.
As you know I hunted mostly with you or Barry. Thanks guys for the memories. I'm not kiddin' when I say that a large part of the success of the hunt had NOTHING to do with getting my first elk... that was just "icing on the cake".
Thanks!
Wayne
Wayne, my sentiments exactly!
Congrats to all on a great hunt :thumbsup:
Guys,
A great hunt! Spending time in the Rawah with friends will bring memories that last a lifetime.
Great photographs as well. Thanks for taking us along with your posts. It sure brings back memories and makes one long for time in the elk mountains of Colorado.
Darren - hope you got to burn that Opus X in celebration of a fine hunt!
:campfire:
Bringing this to the top. Doug's story of this trip is in the latest TBM. Good job everybody!
Wow, what a dream, way to go guys.
Doug it sure sounds like you deserve some coudos....
Cheers
Thank You for sharing your adventure with us!!
Glenn
Yeah! Congrats Doug on the article in TBM!!
He's out chasing elk again... but I'm sure he will see this when he gets back.
Wayne