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Main Boards => PowWow => Topic started by: snag on September 15, 2011, 05:43:00 PM

Title: Utah elk hunt........
Post by: snag on September 15, 2011, 05:43:00 PM
Here I sit in civilization(?) in a Bend, Or. Starbucks using their internet connection. Had to return before I was done. Very frustrating. Had a friend with me on the hunt who got the call to get home here in Oregon to sign papers to complete a sale of some property he had tried to sell for a long time. Just when the bulls were heating up. Oh well, priorities....tough though...almost just put him a jet at Salt Lake! haha

Had a good time anyway. Oregon Okie came up to camp, as did Ryan Steadman. It was good to spend some time with them. Okie had a 350"+ bull screaming in his face that day! The bull was in my face at less than 10yds looking right at me through a bush. He veered off to the the cow calls of my buddy. As his head passed by and I felt he was focused on him, I drew and that bull exploded and wheeled like a white tail. Never offered an ethical shot opportunity. I believe Okie has a picture of the 6X8 (we think). If you do Russ go ahead and put him up here. Had other close encounters...they will have to remain as memories.
Sure wish I could have stayed for a few more days.
Guess I'll go our tonight and look for a love sick Oregon bull.
Good hunting all, David
Title: Re: Utah elk hunt........
Post by: Oregon Okie on September 15, 2011, 06:18:00 PM
Well, I am for sure bummed for you. I've been kind of aggravated about the whole thing for a few days but not much I can do I guess. It was still awesome when this bull came in though. The pics are pretty terrible but I was trying to hide more that photograph so they are what they are.

First one is just some tips when he was first coming. Probably very near you at that point.
 (http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll70/harrelr/dave%20elk/IMG_16361-1.jpg)

This is the best that I have.. pretty cool to see up close. Big body on this thing too. He was a nice bull and looking for a scuffle.
 (http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll70/harrelr/dave%20elk/bull-1.jpg)
Title: Re: Utah elk hunt........
Post by: Bjorn on September 15, 2011, 07:18:00 PM
That's quite the rack! Too bad you had to cut it short-maybe Rosie will be good to you!   :bigsmyl:
Title: Re: Utah elk hunt........
Post by: Old Chief on September 15, 2011, 07:50:00 PM
Was looking forward to the pictures of a bull with that new Blacktail and you!
Title: Re: Utah elk hunt........
Post by: Steve O on September 15, 2011, 08:40:00 PM
David, sorry your hunt got cut short, but friends mean more than animals any day.  Something good will happen down the line...
Title: Re: Utah elk hunt........
Post by: fnshtr on September 15, 2011, 09:52:00 PM
Thanks for sharing...

Good luck!
Title: Re: Utah elk hunt........
Post by: StanM on September 16, 2011, 09:37:00 AM
Dang, David.  Sorry to hear you had to cut the trip short.  Looking forward to stories at the Oct. meeting!
Title: Re: Utah elk hunt........
Post by: Oregon Okie on September 16, 2011, 10:16:00 AM
He did have your broadheads all ready to go in the quiver Stan.
He was representing the NW.. Blacktail, Surewoods, RFA heads... Hopefully it puts on in a NW Elk
Title: Re: Utah elk hunt........
Post by: steadman on September 16, 2011, 11:27:00 AM
Glad you made it back ok David. And sorry you had to cut the hunt short, just when it gets good. It was a pleasure to meet you and Gary, as well as Russ. Hope to hook up with you in the future. Should have been shooting the longbow  :)
Here are a couple pics of the terrain David sent me into to find him a bull.


 (http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_0817.jpg)

 (http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_0809.jpg)

 (http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_0811.jpg)
Title: Re: Utah elk hunt........
Post by: Margly on September 16, 2011, 12:31:00 PM
What a scenery:)
Best of luck next time Snag!
Title: Re: Utah elk hunt........
Post by: snag on September 16, 2011, 05:33:00 PM
Ryan...the longbow thing AGAIN?! Geez! haha

SteveO, that's the way I looked at it too.

Still have that experience burned in my memory for life. Really glad Russ got to experience it with us too. Thanks for all you did Ryan! It was great to spend a little time with you....and your cute daughter and beautiful wife.

Look forward to more times like these. Can't get enough of being in the woods and hearing the bugle of a love sick bull coming in!
Title: Re: Utah elk hunt........
Post by: Wapiti06 on September 19, 2011, 01:10:00 PM
Hey snag, sorry you had to cut your hunt short and come home elkless. Still sounds like you had a great hunt, half the fun is with these elk is calling them in. So from the pic's its looks like a pretty sucessful hunt. Did ya get a chance to go check out the horse trail? Good luck with the rest of the Oregon season.
Shawn
Title: Re: Utah elk hunt........
Post by: twitchstick on September 19, 2011, 02:55:00 PM
Sorry you had to cut your hunt short. I know I sure didn't spend the time I wanted this year. Just having the chance to go on such great and rare hunt amongst elk of that caliber is a great experience in it's self.
Title: Re: Utah elk hunt........
Post by: Shinken on September 20, 2011, 12:55:00 AM
That's a heck of a bumma David!

Sometimes the birds don't sing
The fish don't bite
The bear doesn't do his business in the woods
The coyotes don't come to your call
And the bull doesn't stand there and take an arra like a 3D target (unless one is shootin' a longbow)....

Everything happens for a reason, but the best part is the journey!

Enjoy the grace of the present moment!

There are still a few days left in the OR season fo' the magic to happen....

Shoot straight, Shinken

   :archer2:
Title: Re: Utah elk hunt........
Post by: snag on September 20, 2011, 09:49:00 AM
Shinken, I think you're right about "everything happens for a reason". The property that my friend sold while on this trip he had tried to sell me for about 10 yrs and actually was talking to me about it again the day he received the phone call on it...then he gets an offer at the peak of the hunt! Weird.

The best part of this trip was getting to see some new country with friends. Really cool to have had Okie there when the big boy strolled in, head stretched out, antlered laid over his back and growlin'......never forget that moment. Also as we left that morning we were treated to an awesome sunrise.

  (http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u31/snag23/utah005.jpg)

Here's one after the "close encounter"....did I say how little oxygen there is at 9,000ft? Especially when you live at 450ft elevation?
  (http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u31/snag23/Utah1.jpg)

  (http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u31/snag23/utah004.jpg)

  (http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u31/snag23/utah001.jpg)
Title: Re: Utah elk hunt........
Post by: Shinken on September 20, 2011, 11:38:00 AM
Great photos David!

Thank you for sharin' the beauty with us!

Shoot straight, Shinken

   :archer2:
Title: Re: Utah elk hunt........
Post by: Oregon Okie on September 20, 2011, 11:45:00 AM
Hey is that captain predator camo there? I was just crawling into my seat. The bows had to go in the back seat of the truck so I got to ride with the gear.. for about half a mile. I thank you too for being there so I could be laying on the ground by that bush when the Bull came out.
I checked my GPS.. that was 38.8 miles from my house (as the crow flies)... Pretty cool.
Title: Re: Utah elk hunt........
Post by: Gen273 on September 20, 2011, 12:04:00 PM
Thanks for posting!
Title: Re: Utah elk hunt........
Post by: cacciatore on September 20, 2011, 12:07:00 PM
Great pics David,wich Elite is been with you.
I am going to leave for S Colorado within 1 hour with mine.
Title: Re: Utah elk hunt........
Post by: M. J. Brundage on September 20, 2011, 12:46:00 PM
Beautiful scenery, thanks for posting!
Title: Re: Utah elk hunt........
Post by: snag on September 20, 2011, 01:16:00 PM
(http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u31/snag23/bb005.jpg)

Cacciatore, the bow Norm built me this Spring was the one who was "up to bat". Good hunting in Colorado. I have two friends who down there hunting. One is hunting the San Juan Mts.
Title: Re: Utah elk hunt........
Post by: snag on September 20, 2011, 01:21:00 PM
Just remembered another exciting encounter. One morning we set up opposite a ridge line that we had been on the previous day. There was a lot of fresh sign up there. So we started our "herd talk"...instantly there is a bull bellowing his call at us from over there. I then hear him running down off the ridge and into the bottoms. Then he hits the stream and starts wallowing and kicking rocks around....oh boy! Then nothing. Pretty soon I faintly hear sticks breaking...he's coming in! Then the deflating feeling as the morning winds swirl and hit you on the neck. Never did see him or hear from him again that day. He was definitely hot to go until that happened.
Title: Re: Utah elk hunt........
Post by: Weasel on September 20, 2011, 04:38:00 PM
Good luck over here, Dave.  I got skunked in Idaho, with the exception of pin-wheeling a blue grouse out of the top of a fir tree.

I have no idea what I'll be doing Saturday.  I heard there's a plethora of cougar up Camp Creek.  Might try to call one in...

Jerry
Title: Re: Utah elk hunt........
Post by: snag on September 20, 2011, 05:11:00 PM
Jerry, I'd like to talk with you about Idaho sometime. Think I'm done for this year. I'm taking the grandkids fishing! Ever since they cleaned up the driftboat they've been asking when are we going! haha
Title: Re: Utah elk hunt........
Post by: maineac on September 20, 2011, 05:37:00 PM
Sorry the hunt had to end prematurely.  At least you had some excitement.
Title: Re: Utah elk hunt........
Post by: awbowman on September 20, 2011, 06:32:00 PM
I just got back from my first elk hunt. We were  hunting at elevation 10,500 to 11,000'+.  We are from Louisiana at elev. 31 and can attest to minimal oxygen requirments.  We hunted hard, did reasonably well, but lord help us if we would have killed. lol

Scenery was worth the effort!
Title: Re: Utah elk hunt........
Post by: snag on September 20, 2011, 06:41:00 PM
We met a couple of guys who lived about 1 hr. from where we were hunting. They had the spike/cow tag. They generously offered to come back up anytime we got a bull down and would pack it out with their horses! They left us with their phone numbers and the reassurance that if we did kill a bull down in the deepest nastiest canyon we would have help with getting it out. That really broadened our hunting area.
Title: Re: Utah elk hunt........
Post by: Weasel on September 20, 2011, 09:24:00 PM
Any time, Dave. Shoot, by Saturday I might have a grandkid of my own.  :-) She's due any day now.
Title: Re: Utah elk hunt........
Post by: Brad Robins on September 20, 2011, 11:18:00 PM
Great pictures Dave.  Sorry to hear life got in the way on this hunt.

Brad
Title: Re: Utah elk hunt........
Post by: woodworker on September 20, 2011, 11:38:00 PM
Hi David,
     What great pictures !  The meat pole might be a little light but from what I see you had a great time.  I would like to have come along and shared the camp with you guys, some other time I hope. We bought a house here finally so things have been a little chaotic with all the moving so I hope to have things settled down in a month or so then take to the woods.  Thank you for sharing and I hope to see more, all the best, Joe
Title: Re: Utah elk hunt........
Post by: snag on September 21, 2011, 09:01:00 AM
Congratulations Jerry! Grandkids are the rewards for all the work you had raising your kids! haha

Joe, you're welcome anytime in our camp. Congrats on the house!