I had sent in to a magazine about 16 months ago a condensed version of this story. They asked for photo's, which I sent in a little later. Not one word back to me since......SO. You men are going to get the LONG version. Hope you like it.
It is the second week of Colorado's Mule Deer, Elk and Bear season and I have yet to hit the high country forest to hunt. Usually, I will hunt the first 2 weekends and then take a week off from work and hopefully be hunting the rut in full swing hearing Bull Elk sing. Due to my possession of a premium Antelope tag for northern Colorado, the Sage covered prairie had my full attention until the present time.
I had read on one of the popular bow hunting sites of a guy similar to me complaining about not getting good opportunities for Bear. After numerous responses from others, one individual asked him if he was hunting Deer and Elk and hoping a Bear would wander his way or was he really hunting for Bear. His answer was similar to mine, yes I am hunting for Mule Deer, but primarily for a Bull Elk, but I would sure like a Bear to come along!
This was a little scouting for Antelope. You can see two of them in the photo as well as the shadow of my radio antena (//%5BIMG%5Dhttp://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp204/tradbutts2/giantlopeunit3.jpg)[/IMG] (http://[img]http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp204/tradbutts2/giantlopeunit3.jpg)[/IMG]
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(http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp204/tradbutts2/giantlopeunit3.jpg)
I had shot a Bull Elk 2 years ago in a narrow canyon in which I wrote a story concerning that hunt for Bow & Arrow Hunting Magazine titled "Bear Pond". I knew there were Bear in that area, as I saw their claw marks covering many of the tree's and on the ponds muddy edge during their nightly drink as they left innumerable tracks everywhere. With me marching in and out daily, sitting at the ponds edge throughout the day my odor was everywhere. I needed another plan to hunt Bear.
Through numerous PM's on the Archery website (TG)to successful Bear hunters, I was instructed by almost all of them, the only way for this Colorado hunter to hide his scent in such a canyon as I described was to go up, meaning, tree stand time.
Numerous tree stand recommendations came down for me choosing a Gorilla for overall hours on end comfort. With quite a bit of hardware in my spine, sitting completely still for a long time can become, difficult. Never having been in a tree stand, I set it up every weekend on a tree near my house at only 3 foot high. I would use the entire safety system the linemens loops etc. and then take it down to familiarize myself. At the beginning of my learning experience the harness that came with the tree stand always resembled a mess of wet spaghetti until I learned how to fold it back into itself.
During a summer scouting session with my spouse, we hiked the 2 miles back to the pond with camera, rope and a tape measure. I was going to get precise for the tree stand location. I located the required tree with a 15" diameter that would put me at 19 yards from the very center of the pond which would be to my left and since I shoot right handed this setup looked great. The farthest pond distance would be 24 yards, I can shoot that distance and I will practice at that distance and further out, of course. I threw the rope over numerous dead limbs in the area and broke them off to clear my shooting lanes. There was also a tree within 2.5 feet of me which I would use for hanging the bow while changing cloths as the weather dictated and for holding my backpack with all its essentials. The tree's in this area were all Aspen's with minimal to no foliage. By having another tree close by I believed I could occasional move or stand without being caught by any unseen animals.
I planned on having my tree stand only at 12'-15' as the need to put it higher I believed to be unnecessary. The pond was on a higher bench which made the stand location actually 25' above the pond. Being in western Colorado I have 'hills" surrounding my home so I was able to set up a practice range out the backdoor of my home giving me numerous height or downhill challenges with my bow, similar to what I would hopefully encounter.
(http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp204/tradbutts2/hattreestandjune2010.jpg)
You can see a dot close to the center which is my hat and the location of my "future" tree stand
My friend and archery supplier Dick Railsback had one of his nephews from Nebraska, a Marine, coming out to hunt Elk for 4 days over the Labor Day weekend. My son Preston and I would be going back to northern Colorado for Antelope to hunt that weekend, so we offered up our 2 high country waterholes. During the work week we took Railsback up and showed him the country along with of course all the Bear tracks. Preston and I were going up for big game in about 10 days, so we carried in the tree stand and four 2.5 gallon water containers to stash at our intended campsite. The nearest creek/stream/seep that we have been able to locate was 1.5 miles away from where we planned on setting up our campsite. From the campsite we had ¾ to 1 mile more of distance to the area we wished to hunt.
They were unsuccessful over Labor Day weekend, but did have some excitement. The nephew saw and photographed 9Bear and had a 6x6 Bull come to within 12 feet of him from behind his stand. Railsback saw a large Bear with a backside that he thought approached 3 feet. Their hunt also was cut short as Railsback had to be rushed to the emergency room due to having a bleeding ulcer.
Here is my buddy Railsback and my son Preston, at what we call the upper pond. About 1/2 mile past the pond I planned on puttin the tree stand
(http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp204/tradbutts2/002.jpg)
Railsback turned out okay after much rest, thankfully.
Coming into the area with all of our gear days later for just a weekend hunt, the excitement level was of course over the top. It was early morning just daylight and we could see our breath, though the temperature in the lower valleys was still approaching 80F daily. Attempting to go slowly with packs at approximately 50 pounds the sweat still came easily. At our pre-selected campsite 100 yards off the "Bovine Trail", we set up the camp, wiped our bodies with wet naps, changed into hunting gear went over to our stashed water source to not deplete my Camelback and "!@#$%. All 4 containers empty and punctured with teeth marks. Whatever animal did this had a mouth that was about 3 inches wide. The new word in our vocabulary was going to have to be water conservation.
I arrived at Bear Pond and told Preston I would see him this evening as he trudged on another ½ mile to another water source. I was there about 40 minutes and the shivering started due to the dampness under my camo. Though the sun was waking, up the narrow canyon would not get sunlight and warmth until much later. After some time I had to add an Under Armour sweatshirt to get the shakes to stop. I put the bow on the small hook that came with the tree stand and reached for my backpack and bumped my bow, sending my 160 grain Stos broadhead deep into mother earth 15 foot below. Crude, that will not happen again, I will take it off the string and put it in the quiver when I need to go digging into my backpack.
I climb down to retrieve the arrow and put it into my attached quiver. Back up top I reach for the backpack and try to figure out if I can get the sweatshirt to work over the harness or do I need to remove the harness and then put it over the sweatshirt. Never practiced this at home. I slowly try the sweatshirt over the harness first and its not working. I am quietly grunting and getting upset quickly. A quick glimpse over my shoulder and there is a Bear at the pond watching me. He is only about 150 pounds but yahoo I am excited to say the least. I slowly sit and he starts to drink. Lap lap lap, he sounds just like my Labrador Retriever after a long hike. He drinks for at least 30 seconds and then ambles over in my direction. He stops about 12 feet from the base of the tree and slowly lifts his head to look at me for 15 seconds and then just wanders off northwest to look for another bumbler in the forest.
Photobucket kept telling me this picture no longer existed. So I could not get it resized. This is the view from the tree stand to the pond
(http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp204/tradbutts2/sbtreestandviewjune2010.jpg)
9 hours go by and all I have seen is Sparrows, this mid day tree stand hunting is not at all easy. 1 hour of daylight left and I see 13 Turkey coming to the water to entertain me for 30 minutes with their coming and going. Note to self " Investigate fall turkey tags instead of just in the spring". The Turkey are just out of site for 10 minutes and I hear a branch break loudly to my right. A turn of my head and at 60 yards out coming quickly from the west is a 5x5 Bull Elk. Unseasonably warm weather and a pond on my left, I position my 58 inch bow to my left on the opposite side of the tree where hangs my backpack because he is coming real fast now. Heart rate starts cranking which usually does not happen. I get excited of course like most hunters but not to the extent where I hear my heart beating uncontrollably. I look to the pond and do not look back to the Elk. Calm down! Seconds, minutes later he has not arrived. I slowly look back to my right and he is in line with my backpack at 6 yards apparently looking at the pond with only his rack visible. Rookie in the tree stand, there is nothing I can do except watch as minutes later he trots away with his rear end the only thing visible out to 50 yards where he feeds south into the approaching darkness. How do they aline themselves as they exit a hunters location all the time?
Nightfall coming with 30 minutes of daylight left, Preston should be coming soon. He always arrives before total darkness even though that is when the best of most species do their moving. It has only been 5 minutes and I hear slurppp, slurppp. Holy smokes a Bear at the pond, different one than this morning and this one came in unannounced like the previous one. He is bronze colored like a year old penny with a thirst that must be incredible. He has ears that look small, but if his head is huge they should look small. I estimate his weight to be 150 pounds similar to this mornings Bear. After his drink he ambles within 15 feet of my stand, walks the length of a 20 inch diameter log and heads west into the forest.
Preston arrives and I whisper "Lets be quiet and talk about what we saw today down the mountain and over the ridge". 30 minutes later I tell him of my sightings and he states "I can top that and I only saw one animal at 2:30 this afternoon ." "What!?"
Real cool, keep it coming!
Thank you for taking the time!
I know it pretty much tradition on Tradgang to let you hang.....so its 10:35pm here in Colorado. See you tomorrow :readit:
Last one for David Yukon
Sitting at his water he heard a Woof! from the hillside behind his ground blind. Then observes a Bear he said was much bigger than his 6'2" 220 pounds run down the hill to the waters edge and less than 20 yards from him. The Bear puts one paw in the water to "test" it and then dives in, totally submerging itself for at least 3 seconds. The Bear dived under the water 3 times over the next 20 minutes, came to shore and appeared to be washing its eyes. Preston had no tag for Bear so he was only able to watch and enjoy. We discussed this at length and believe the Woof was the Bear announcing to other animals that he was coming and the face washing was probably attempting to get the sediment from the water that he stirred up out of his eyes and not just good Bear hygiene.
During the following week my buddy Steve Boswell from Maryland that I met through one of the web based archery sites showed up at my home with his wife Deana and we made plans for our meeting this coming Saturday morning. They are pulling a camping rig and will set up a roadside camp 40 some miles into the forest, driving over rutted dirt roads. Steve will hunt for 2 or 3 days prior to the weekend when hunting activity increases.
My buddy Steve from Maryland far left (Longgggg drive), my son Preston and yours truly. Steve brought his spouse and a camper, so he came out each evening.
(http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp204/tradbutts2/Steve-Preston-RickHunting2010.jpg)
I am loving this!
Looking forward to the next installment...
Me too!
:campfire: I am loving this also.
Something to look forward to tomorrow. :goldtooth:
Nice story Rick.I wait for the rest.
Preston arrives at 8 a.m. Saturday packed and ready. We meet up with Steve and he has had numerous encounters in the past 2 days but the Elk have not held up their end of the hunting agreement giving him a shot. Preston and I will head in to our water sources and Steve will hunt the Oak brush slopes until mid morning and then hike in and hunt a lower pond that Railsback discovered which is 300 yards below Bear pond.
Minimal activity at the pond a few sparrows and that's it. A slight breeze and the tree puts me to sleep momentarily. It can not be over emphasized you must wear the safety gear, I don't even feel tired yet wow this tree stand stuff can lull you into too much swaying comfort. Each time I believe it is only momentarily as I would bolt awake believing I was falling when only my head would crash into my chest.
On the east side and part of the north side within 15 foot of Bear Pond there are literally hundreds of small Aspen tree's 2 inches in diameter anywhere from 6 foot to 15 foot in height. Sometime later looking towards the pond I hear branches break and I see a brow tine above the saplings. Holy smokes, this is a monster Bull Elk coming in to the water if I can see a tine over the trees higher foliage. A few minutes go by and out steps a freaking Bull Moose! I was seeing one of his tines above the tree's. (A little side note - D.O.W. reported after all hunting seasons here in Colorado, 10 Moose were "mistakenly" shot as Elk....sad, some have no right to be in the forest) Moose were introduced in Colorado some time ago. Approximately 17 of them were transplanted from Utah about 90 miles west of here on what is called the Grand Mesa near the city of Grand Junction.
These are some magnificent looking son-of-a guns in MHO
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Late afternoon 13 Turkey pay a visit to the pond. They are some noisy buggers. How come when I hunt them in the spring they are not so vocal. They jump on each other numerous times, mainly on each others head or backside and they slowly wander off. 15 minutes later in the direction the Turkeys first came I hear a branch break 2 times. 10 minutes later out steps a 2x2 Bull Elk. He continually looks behind himself as he approaches the pond. When I get an opportunity I get my Bow in position to draw in case another Bull happens to be following. The youngster gets to the ponds edge and paws his hoof into the ponds edge half a dozen times and stops. Lifts his head and stares right at me positioned 20 yards away. He backs out and proceeds to circle me anywhere from 30 yards to as close as 5 yards while browsing never giving me another thought and he ambles northward and disappears.
The next morning Steve, Preston and I plan to meet at 1 pm on a high saddle's large bench to get a bite to eat together and chat about the mornings activities. Walking, stalking hunting to the saddle I feel slight tenderness in my right big toe. Upon arrival I am the only one there with mid 50F temperatures I remove boots and smart wool socks to investigate my feet. My right big toe is pretty swollen. They both show up and start discussing how slow the day has been with animal movement. Preston pulls his Gerber and asks if I want him to operate on my foot. Course not, let me borrow your knife. I put the smaller blade under the toe nail and a white liquid appears and the pain subsides immediately.
Preston states "Forgot to cut your toe nails a week ago like you told me to do, huh?" Steve then adds " We don't plan on having you cut up any food to share for lunch are we?
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90 minutes later I am sitting in the tree stand and from the same location as yesterdays small Bull Elk out steps another small Bull. At the top of this ones right antler a tine juts out 5 inches horizontally. He also keeps looking back the direction he came. He circles the pond and enters it facing away from me. He jumps, splashes, hops and is having a grand old time in the water. He then wades to the edge closest to me and lays in the mud half in and half out of the water. He would put his neck on the mud/water for a few seconds and jerk his head up to look again from where he originally came. He did this ritual 4 times, stood up and shook like a dog and trotted to the west.
Darkness comes and with it Preston. He saw a small 4x4 Bull accompanied by a cow and neither came closer than 50 yards. I said even though we are not hearing any bugling you want to have some fun time tomorrow morning to attempt to get some calling started. I get thumbs up so quickly in my headlamp I almost get hit. He then states that he is totally out of water. Oh, Oh! I pull my Camelback out and I have a fifth of my 100 ounce bladder full of water. Four or five years ago when we first came into this area we came via a road that has been closed since. We had to cross a small creek only ½ mile away, the opposite direction of our camp through some pretty nasty downed timber and up a couple of steep grades. We could go the 2 miles back to the pickup where we know the creek there is flowing well, but decide to do the short hike and take our chances. 45 minutes later we arrive sweating heavily to a dry creek bed.
Plan number 2 is that we go back to camp, split the water immediately to quench our thirst and get up even earlier and hike out to our pickup. 3:30 a.m arrives early and we are off heading to a known water source near our pickup. My Katadyn has one hose in the water and the other in Preston's mouth and I pump furiously and he just glug, glugs it down at the creeks edge. We fill our water bladders and drink water until we can't drink any more. We luckily still had one 2.5 gallon water container still in its package in the pickup so we fill it up as well and put it into my backpack for the hike back into camp. This water container goes into the tent for safe keeping from gnawing teeth. Back at camp, a little gorp and 2 energy bars for both of us and we venture farther into the high country in search of some Elk.
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90 minutes later and 2 drainages further than we had previously been this year we get a bugling response from our cow calls far off in the distance. We proceed about another 200 yards and call again. We get a response from across the forested canyon that is in front of us and moments later another response really close. Preston gets in front of 2 small 6 foot Pine trees and I trot back about 50 yards behind him. We get responses for 30 minutes from the other side of the canyon though the close one never sounds off again. I walk up to Preston and we see 3 branch antlered bull Elk "together" that are crossing a clearing ½ a mile away and across the canyon. Too far and too late to get there.
I pull out my GPS and small topo that I printed out at home to mark the location where we saw these Elk. It is good to know where the Elk are but its also good to know where we are. Part of staying found while in the forest, having a good idea of where you are at all times.
We start to head back to the saddle about 1 mile away to hopefully meet up with Steve. I have a cow call in my mouth and call constantly as we walk, especially if we misstep and break a small stick. Due to the steep grade we are climbing we only go 15 steps give or take at a time and rest 45-90 seconds to keep the heart rate down and not sweat (so much). The third time we stop, we are standing there only 10 seconds. Preston looking south me looking north only 3 feet from each other. Preston whispers" Don't move there is an Elk only 20 yards away". It was a young Bull with both antlers 3 foot high and 3, 3 inch tines coming off each antler. It hung around us for 5 minutes with me cow calling every 5 seconds the entire time. When the Elk left Preston said "I tried my best to make him grow another tine, darn it".
That evening I tell Preston when he comes by the tree stand that I am going to leave my heavy backpack up here in the tree stand. I will just wear a heavy wool shirt over me on the way out and back. I have enough water in my Camelback so I will be set for the next day and not be as warm coming in. He agree's and decides to do the same. I already had my pack in the stand harnessed so I climb back up, hoist his up and attach his to the tree as well. The next morning in we see with our headlamps wet Bear tracks coming out of the pond heading in the direction of the tree stand. In the mornings darkness we see Preston's pack hanging down, but still harnessed in. There are claw marks on the tree and 5 minor puncture marks in his pack. We apparently just missed this recent visitor.
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The next two days were totally uneventful except for the Turkey always making an appearance somewhere on the mountainside. The following morning we packed up camp as Preston had to go back to work. After dropping him off at his home I paid a visit to Railsbacks archery shop to purchase a bow tip protector, some Muskrat fibers for a string silencer and of course tell and hear some hunting tales. While chatting with him another customer comes in and after some time the guy asks Rails back "When you going out again?". "Don't know. Business is not real overwhelming now with everybody out hunting". I asked "Want to come with me to hunt Oner Creek tomorrow?" True hunter that he is, he does not take a breath. "What time you going to pick me up?"
3:50 a.m. I round the corner to Railsback's place and he is standing in the middle of the road drinking coffee. My dogs will wake my wife, so this is better for loading my gear. He had hunted this creek drainage previously last week and saw a really nice Bear and some Mule Deer. We were at the trailhead by 5:15 a.m. and we see only one campsite and there is a light on. Moments later a fellow from Minnesotta comes over to ask us of our plans as its only him and his brother and he is tagged out already. Railsback tells him we are heading west and they had planned on going north so this works out great we won't be stepping on each others toes. They state they have heard considerable early morning bugles and seen 3 Bear in 4 days.
We slowly trudge uphill into the forest as the darkness continues to linger. We hit a good sized park (clearing) ½ mile in and wait for shooting light before we make our presence known with an Elk cow call. It makes sense to utilize the cow call first rather than a bugle to locate. Why put out a challenge when a Bull could be close by with cows and then just herd them up and vacate the area. Better to say here we are, we want to meet you, not fight you.
I hit the hand held reed call and we get an immediate response about 200 yards north of our location. Railsback goes forward 25 yards and I retreat about the same distance to start calling. The Elk and I "talk" back and fourth for 40 minutes before he goes silent for one of the many reasons they detect us. We observe a cattle trail and decide to just follow this all the while cow calling until another opportunity arises or we decide to venture off trail.
I seldom hunt with anyone besides Preston so its unusual to see someone go slower than me. I would be going about 50 yards in 10 minutes and Railsback would be 25 yards behind me. About the 4th time this happened I mentioned this to him and he states " I am in no hurry, I enjoy the journey and this country each time out even more".
We go off trail through some Aspens and over 2 knolls and enter a park about twice the size of a football field. The Aspens are 20 feet apart in this park so visibility is pretty good. We are almost all the way through the park and I see movement up ahead. A large Bull Moose coming right at us. I turn to whisper to Railsback and he is 20 yards back behind me. The Moose angles uphill away from us very slowly and before I know it Railsback is at my side. The Moose stops 50 yards away and apparently never gives us a thought. I state "I am going to have some fun and do something I have seen on a hunting tape". I put my Bow with attached quiver over my head and walk towards him maybe 10 yards while rocking the bow back and forth. I stop ...close enough for me and mouth out braaah, braaah to which the Moose makes the same noise back at me! Holy cow, this works.
(http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp204/tradbutts2/MooseOnerCrk20102.jpg)
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The Moose starts swaying in my direction perhaps the 10 yards I came forward and stops. I walk backwards to Railsbacks and put my hands to my nose while vibrating my "Moose" cow noise. This makes the Moose very happy as he beats the living daylights out of 2 small Aspen tree's. I tell Railsback I better quit while I am ahead. As he pushes me towards the Moose he says "Yeah, I think so too". We move behind a very protective (yeah, right!) 7 foot tall Pine tree and the Moose goes by at 20 yards allowing us to take a few photos. Within minutes later we hear an Elk bugle very close out to the southwest. We set up like we did in the morning except I meekly hit the bugle a couple times as well and get no other response over the next 30 minutes.
I approach Railsback and state I did not hear a thing. He said " He answered your bugle almost every time but he is going the opposite way, must have some cows with him". We head in his direction and up over the knoll there is a nasty bench thick with Oak brush but it has some cattle trails through it that are manageable. Its time to try something else so I hit the bugle hard as I assume a dominate Bull may and we get 2 responses immediately. Railsback states "I'll go after the one to the southwest you go after the one to the northwest". Fine by me and I am gone.
I head back the direction we came from and head up hill100 yards and try to cross back. I hit a wall of thick Oak brush and back out repeating this process 4 times before I finally have an accessable trail in the Elks general direction. Looking at my watch its taken me over 30 minutes to navigate through this brush and I was not able to do it quietly. My bow keeps getting caught, my pack grabs every bit of brush I go by and even my ears reach out to hang onto this nasty stuff.
The Oak brush is only 30 yards wide at the most and I come out in a small boxed in area. I hit the cow call and wait 5 minutes with no response. Meekly hit the bugle and instant response from the other side of the hill and to the north. Climb the hill and slowly peek over from around a small Pine tree. Another bowl this one though very large, with Aspen and Pine clusters everywhere. At the top of the bowl 150 yards away is a wall of dense Pine trees. I hit the bugle again and get 2 responses. One directly across from me but some distance away and the other from the Pines.
I put the hand held reed call in mouth and cow call constantly as I stalk uphill for about 70 yards. I take a knee, control my breathing, slow down and listen for 10 minutes. I attempt to really work the estrus into this setup and out of the Pines runs an extremely high spike bull and 5 seconds later and 20 yards further away trots a 5x5 bull. The spike is heading right for me, stops at 20 yards and the Bull stops at 40 yards. The spike is slobbering all over himself and looking around for the cow elk he just heard. The wind is minimal at best and heading west. The spike starts walking south, he hits my scent and barks twice extremely loud running into the timbered Pines with the Bull right beside him.
I cow call though I know they have no intention of coming back to me, so I head west about 100 yards and start downhill on one of the many forest trails you come across. I am not on this trail 50 yards when I see on the trail ahead of me at 70 yards a cow Elk. I am caught standing there so we stare at each other for mere seconds and she trots off to the west without making a sound. I nock a Cedar arrow and continue down the trail in her direction and barely can get over a large downed tree in the trail. I am actually sitting on the tree about to lift my leg over and further down the trail out steps a branched antlered Bull feeding. I have to sit about 5 minutes until he goes off the trail to the west in the direction of the cow. I start to move and see 2 brown shapes to the east at only 30 yards...yikes, stay put.
The 2 Elk close to me move east down the hill out of site after only 2 minutes. For no reason I do not go towards the Bull I saw, but I head back up the trail 50 yards and then head east towards the 2 Elk, which I never did make out to be male or female. I go off the trail maybe 20 yards and see a great looking bench with a large downed pine on the edge that overlooks the forest. Good place to set up and cow call to locate the Elk that went off into the shadows. Stupidly, I go to the edge to look over and I believe we all gasped at the same time. At 15 yards looking right at me is a 6x6 Bull, frozen in his tracks with his 6 cows. At some time after leaving the log I was sitting on I had put my arrow back into the quiver. The Bull and cows gave me time to pull an arrow from the quiver, nock it and angle myself slightly sideways for a shot before they all took racing off up towards the dark timber.
(http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp204/tradbutts2/Preston_sunset_on_Big_Klein_Hunting_012.jpg)
I saw the cows seconds later heading up towards the timber 30 yards away and the Bull never did show himself cross the small opening. Possibly he did not see me and make me out to be an extreme danger and was just standing below. I stepped behind a small 7-10 foot Pine and with my mouth call, I cow called for almost 10 minutes. Nothing showed from down below so I turned around and there standing behind me at 20 yards are 5 cow Elk looking at me. Amazing, the size of these animals and how quietly they move, I had called back the majority of them. Though they of course are not my intended target I am busted and they make a ruckus busting branches as they run off.
I pull my watch out of my pocket and read 11:35 am.. Man, time sure can fly. At the pickup 1hr 55 minutes later I meet Railsback, where he tells me he saw and heard nothing after we split up. We have hit the mother load of an area, so we plan to get another friend Todd Hill tomorrow and his 10 year old son to come along as well. This day turns out to be uneventful for the most part with some far off bugles heard and nothing coming in.
I get home at 3pm wash my hunting cloths put away 90% of my gear and have to come to terms that tomorrow is Saturday and Monday is back to work after 10 days of hunting. I will hunt tomorrow afternoon get a good nights sleep and call the season, a heap of fun. I turn on the television to one of the sportsman channels to hear some noise while going to and fro getting things done. One of the shows a guy states in the background voice that the most consistent hunters are the ones that keep after it day in day out no matter the consequences, that's me.
3:30 a.m. comes and I decide I am not going to go easily away I am going out again. I get to the trailhead at 4:45 a.m. and Steve's camper has a light on inside. I am parked 100 yards away and at the back of the pickup putting on my backpack when I hear him shout out. Moments later he is by my side and we discuss some of what has happened and his plans are for the day. While talking we hear a bugle off in the distance across the road, near the dreaded Oak brush. He states I am going that way again this morning, but I will be up there later as I stashed my backpack real high up in a tree. I plan on going up to the top bench past Bear Pond towards Preston's pond but will hunt Bear pond in the afternoon.
I get to the high saddle 15 minutes before even good daylight. I stand for 10 minutes with my headlamp off and I hear down off in the valley that I was heading towards a bugle followed by 3 more bugles. Jackpot! Nobody in their right mind is this far off the road and in front of me, especially coming in from another direction. I crest over and head west towards Prestons water hole where one of the call appeared to be coming from when suddenly the 4 Elk bugle again. One appears to be from ahead of me but another is northeast. I decide to head west when the Bull from the northeast bugles and follows it up with a couple grunts. Okay, your choice here I come as I turn and head east from the direction I just came.
100 yards later I cow call and get an immediate response about 200 yards northeast of me. I cautiously head north 50 yards and east about 75 yards. As close as I should get without determining where he may be before continuing. I cow call softly and again instant response to my right and there he stands at 40 yards a small rag horn 5x5. I can do nothing, he is looking 20 feet to my left for any sign of cows. He proceeds for over 2 minutes to beat the daylights out of a 4 foot tall bush. After he stops he looks off in the same direction he was looking previously, I am sure its to see if he has impressed any females. He turns and walks away from me. I quickly head in his direction about 10 yards and there is no place that looks good to set up. I cow call so he does not get too far off and he instantly appears again. He is facing right at me but he is still looking to my left. I have an arrow nocked but he is still too far off and is not giving me a broadside opportunity. He then starts to lick or chew on a 15 inch diameter tree for almost 5 minutes. I do not recall ever seeing or hearing of this happening though you always see apparent teeth marks on many of the Aspen tree's. He suddenly stops turns and is gone. I hear one or two bugles but nothing pans out.
I head off to Prestons pond where I sit until noon then head to the saddle to meet Steve for some lunch. I put two sticks in the trail in an X formation leaned against a log as a stop sign. I get off the trail by 20' where the high altitude sun is shining and close my eyes momentarily, enjoying the fall warmth. I fly buzzes me and I look at my watch 1:30. Cripes I was out for an hour. I sit barefoot to air out my Smartwool socks as well as my hunting boots, look at my topo maps, investigate my GPS marked points, sharpen a Broadhead or two and its now 3:30 p.m. and no Steve. I need to get going to my tree stand as its pitch dark by 7:30 and I have a ½ hour walk to get there.
I hit the trail and the X is gone! Either he came by when I was sleeping or someone else did, though doubtful and neither one saw me. I have to get going time is wasting away fast. I take off on the trail about 100 yards towards Bear Pond and drop 50 feet in elevation and stop. If that was Steve he climbed up all that way in elevation 900 foot, I need to let him know I am here and am glad he is here (hopefully). Back up the hill and ½ mile along the mountain side, I am not hunting I am cruising along quickly. I get close and continually cow call as I approach and there he sits in a timbered blind overlooking Preston's water source.
(http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp204/tradbutts2/abovebearpond2011.jpg)
We talk of my morning and my nap, advising him that 3 of those Bulls had no contact whatsoever with me and they know this is a major water source. Steve said he was going to sit until 7:15 or zero visibility, then head my way. With that said I am off after 25 minutes of whispered conversation to the tree stand. When I hit the saddle, instead of continuing along the trail I decide to go in to the stand a more difficult way, but also a way to conceal my scent and my approach. I cut across the mountainside and then go down a steep hill and through some small Aspens groves.
I get all harnessed in with enough cloths to endure the approaching cool mountain air and an hour later I hear noise behind me about 70 yards. I see 5 turkey heading off the main cattle trail eastward. All is quiet for the next hour when I hear a noise again from behind me from the same area as before. I turn and see 2 Turkey running out of the area that they originally went into.
Numerous times during "this evening" I spoke to the heavens' to a friend named Rona that had died of cancer 3 months prior to hunting season as if she were with me. She knew how a Bear was the animal that I really wanted. She was at my home the 2 previous times when I came home from hunting and had blown opportunities on Bear. This night I would repeat to her "Go ask God to send a Bear my way". 10 minutes later I would say "Go ask God again Rona".
At 7:14 p.m. I looked at my watch and with visbility almost gone, I knew Steve was probably on his way. I looked to my left at the pond and instantly from the small Aspens on the north side of the pond out stepped a Bear walking quickly towards the water. I immediately thought good bear. He went around the pond and walked around a impenetrable log-jam that Preston and I had made at the far corner of the pond to make any Bear show his left side and to make the Bear go past the mark I had put in the tree with my knife at 31" for size referencing. During this time, consistency and familiarity with my bow had kicked in and I was on auto. My fingers were on the string in the shooting gloves grooves, my bow arm was up and I was focused on the Bear's side with the fletching touching my nose. The Bear was at the waters edge for 2 seconds and my arrow was gone. I heard a loud roar and he ran into the saplings in the direction he had come with my arrows fletching protruding from his side. I looked at my watch it was still showing 7:14 p.m., this had not taken 60 seconds.
Oh ya!!!!!
I had a feeling this was coming........
Rick,
Great story...!
Made my snowy Saturday morning.!!
Great story! Great to hear then this time of year for sure :)
Due to the aftershock of what had just happened or the cold I started to shake, a lot. Taking the tree stand down, lowering my bow and backpack and removing the steps out of the tree took quite some time. I was removing the last 2 steps while standing on the ground when I looked up the mountainside and saw Steve's headlamp coming down the trail. The light stopped right where I assumed the Bear should have crossed the main trail on his run. Thinking Steve may have seen blood I shouted out " What are you stopped for? " No response and the light starts moving down the trail, crosses through the saplings goes along the ponds edge and comes to me.
Steve said "What the heck did you yell out to me for?" I just wanted to know why you stopped, don't know why! He started in again " All I saw this evening was squirrels, how about you?" Steve you need to know is a man's man. Rugged dude in appearance and manner, worked for Uncle Sam, trains dogs, builds custom rifles and brews his own Beer among other things. "I said so you think you are pretty macho, huh? How macho are you?" He says, "I am not carry your backpack out for you just so you can carry that tree stand". I jumped on him right then and said "I just shot a big Bear and WE are going to track it in the dark".
More (manly) hugs, high fives and I tell the tale as we eventually get to where the Bear was last standing and find no sign of blood. We walk 20 feet to the Aspens and find a couple of spots on downed timber. Initially, every time we would find blood we would leap frog with one of us staying at the last located spot until the next blood was found. We were finding blood every 10 feet for the first 30 yards, when we found 8 inches of the front end of my arrow with the broadhead all covered in blood.
The bear crossed the main trail, jumped on a 24 inch diameter log and went along its entire 30 foot length. There was blood splatters every 3 feet all along the right side of the downed tree. Yahoo! He is bleeding very good from the opposite side of the arrows entrance. At the end of the downed tree we go into more small Aspens and then we hit a wall of Oak Brush with a small opening like a dogs door. It's a freaking tunnel entering the Oak Brush!
Numerous times we are on our stomachs and our backs pulling our way through this Bear maze, which at times appears less than 18 inches high. This Bear must have been much smaller than I assumed when observing him briefly prior to my shot to be able to get through here. Another 20 yards and we find the rest of my Cedar arrow with blood covering fletching and all, with the next blood found on both sides of the Bears escape route.
I had put my camera on my belt through "double" Velcro bands in my camera carry case when we had stashed our packs at the main trail and I just realized the camera was missing, *&^@#$%! Told Steve to wait here, I left my bow with him and crawled back through, locating the camera in less than 20 feet, then returned.
Steve said "Bad news I did not wait and we are at a dead end, I can't locate any more blood." There is a massive amount of blood in this one spot and we can not immediately locate any blood elsewhere. We crawl every compass direction for 20 minutes before Steve speaks out "Got some blood". The Bear had backtracked on his trail about 40 feet and started to go down the mountain side. Yawhza! I have read about Bears doing that.
We belly crawled forwards 20 feet and came to an opening about the size a pickup and stood. I for no reason reach down and my camera is gone again!! Wait here this time Steve! Do not go on without me! I crawl up through the tunnels we had just came and see a reflection from my headlamp. It's my pocket watch given to me by Rona and 3 feet from it is the camera, wow, I am being watched over.
I crawl back to Steve and he says, "We better back out, this Bear has gone a long way, we may be pushing him with all the noise we are making, maybe he's gut shot". "No way! He is bleeding like crazy. You go back to the main trail and wait. We have a tremendous blood trail, I'll go alone, I am fine with that".
He says okay put your glasses on and you lead for awhile. Nothing clicks in my mind. Steve says "I think we need to go east and he points in that direction". I take 3 steps and there lays a dead Bear 15 feet away. He had seen the Bear but had not went any closer. We get closer and we state simultaneously "He is huge!"
It was just after 10 p.m., many pictures later we pull our knives and game bags out to get started. Steve says " What are your plans for the Bear? Do you know how to take care of the hide and everything?". I had carried for 5 years in an upper pocket of my backpack a printout from a taxidermist I had found on the internet on how to properly cape a Bear for a rug. We followed these instructions to a tee. Steve had a knife I had never heard of, a Havalon. This knife had replaceable surgical blades that made easy straight cuts amazingly simple. The various knives we used and grasping the hide were made more secure with latex gloves which I had never worn while skinning which Steve also had brought. My arrow had entered just in front of the Bears rear left leg and the broadhead along with a small portion of the Cedar had exited out its front right legs armpit.
3 a.m. came none to quickly as we completed bagging all the meat and drapped the hide over a large tree leaning against another. We could easily see or breath from our headlamps as we gathered our backpacks, the tree stand and headed for his camp. The lights were on in his camper and his wife Deana then got to hear the tale and see the pictures on the digital camera.
More pictures and a little more story to follow
(http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp204/tradbutts2/sbRickBeardown2.jpg)
3 hours later after some food and a quick nap we returned to the Bear . To my horror there were blow flies everywhere. I have killed numerous Elk and never had I seen anything near this intense. We were swatting them away and removing as quickly as possible all visible blow fly eggs. Filling our backpacks and hiking out took our immediate attention. At my pickup with the Bear meat and hide all accounted for numerous hunters were there and the conversation went fast. I had to get this meat and hide taken care of now!
Having no idea of how to cut and package a Bear I took it to a game processor, where I was told I had done a great job and the fly contamination was non-existent. Whew! The taxidermist where I took the Bear exclaimed that our capping was excellent and that the fly's caused no damage there as well. Whew again! The Bears estimated weight approached 400 pounds! What an exciting 60 second ride.
woah! Thank you for a great story! What a bear!
(http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp204/tradbutts2/sb9242010042.jpg)
(http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp204/tradbutts2/RickbigBear.jpg)
(http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp204/tradbutts2/sbRickStevecongratulations.jpg)
Steve Boswell and I congratulting each other
(http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp204/tradbutts2/sbBeardrappedonlog.jpg)
Check out how thick this Oakbrush is
Awesome story!!! I think somebody needs to make a book of just the stories that appear on this website without all the advertisements that the magazines have.
Well this is the end fellows. Thanks for letting me share this and I really hope you liked it.
(http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp204/tradbutts2/BearRug003-1.jpg)
Awesome story!!! I think somebody needs to make a book of just the stories that appear on this website without all the advertisements that the magazines have.
:clapper:
Way good stuff! What a big Yogi. Thanks!
That's what I'm talkin about! Great trophy and a great friend and hunting partner you have. Excellent story telling, felt like I was right there.
Is that a Thunder Mt. Bow you are shooting?
I really enjoyed your story and pictures! That is an awesome bear!!! Thanks for giving me a good way to spend part of a Saturday morning after the close of hunting season.
Great story :bigsmyl: Sounded like an eventful, exciting hunt. Congrats :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
WoW what a great story and pics.Congrats on agreat bear. :thumbsup:
Great story and pictures! Nothing better on a lazy winter's afternoon...! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
"Bucket list" for this Ga boy !!!!!
:saywhat:
Whew nice story! Looks like a HUGE bear too!
congrats Rich,monster bear and a great hunting season!Great story really. :thumbsup:
Great story, Congrats
doug77
:thumbsup: :thumbsup: about wore out my refresh button this morning waiting for you to finish. Great times...congrats. Beautiful bear.
:archer:
Great effort - both the hunt and the telling.
Thanks for taking the time to post, lots of anticipation.
WOW! Great story. Thanks so much for sharing that with us.
Great story, really enjoyed coming along for the ride!
I shows the effort that goes into a successful hunt and the little bit of luck too.
Thanks for putting it together for us I was glued to the screen for the whole thing. Really well written, thanks.
Nice Job Rick! (on the story and the bear)
Rick is such a nice guy that he let me hunt over the waterhole this year. Although I didn't get a bear I had a few on the trail cam that were rather large.Not to mention a 6 point bull that came to the hole also. Let's see if Rick is as nice this year as I would love to take a bear with my old Kodiak.
Now that's a great story, great pics too. Thanks for sharing with us.
Just awesome!
I am the Railsback as mentioned,,, that is a Jerry Barr Lobo, one of the first ones made. Great story Rick, We will be there again ths year. Dick
Excellent story and Bear! Thanks for sharing with us. :clapper:
That was one great story and a well earned trophy. Also had to be the best hunting season ever. God Bless
NICE! Well told story and a pig of a bear!