Week 1 elk hunt synopsis

[neargeezer]

Great pictures of a beautiful place. Thanks for sharing it all with us.

[ron w]

Sounds like your in the "SPOT", get after them!!! Your Morningstar needs the rush of the shot.

[centaur]

I hunted the last three days, seeing elk each day. I came off the mountain today because we are in for a good winter storm, and where I am camped, it can be iffy to get out, but I plan on returning when the storm breaks. The forecast says we might get a foot of the white stuff, which is a bit much for tracking snow.
Anyhow, I hunted this morning in a pouring rain. I was soaked and so was my shooting glove, which brings me to this sad tale of woe. I got into a herd of about a dozen cows, feeding all around me. I had a cow feeding at 5 yards, but couldn't shoot because she was head on. She finally saw the boogie man and spooked, but the others kept on feeding      , and a few minutes later, a cow was feeding broadside to me at about 20 yards. I was in a very thick lodgepole forest, and as she fed, I saw a window of opportunity when she would pass behindtwo trees, spaced about 2 feet apart. When she hit that spot, I was already at half draw, and hit anchor and watched my arrow bury itself into the tree on her right. My wet glove had made my release bad, and after the rather loud 'whack' on broadhead on tree, the elk decided to leave the area. Very good penetration on the tree, the single bevel took about 15 minutes to free it from almost an inch deep into the bowels of the lodgepole . I'm pretty sure it was a fatal hit on the tree.
So, at least I got a shot, and have time to head back up.  That's why we call it hunting and not killing, I guess.

[DennyK]

Hope you do well Pat, thanks for the beautiful pictures. Good Luck!

[centaur]

I'm not sure, but I think the lodgepole may qualify for P and Y, if I can chop it down and get it out of the forest.

[Charlie Lamb]

Love your take on the hunt buddy! Looking forward to more.

[Izzy]

Hope your back in the mountains and the elk stand still for you like a Colorado moose. Good luck Pat.

[stickandstring]

You are so fortunate to be able to chase Elk.

[fmscan]

I used to live in Oregon and love hunting elk even though the hunting was not good, your pictures brought back many fond memories. Thank you for taking us along. I miss it...

[MnFn]

Thanks Pat, for the story, and the great photo's.
You are way further in the pursuit of elk than I got this year. But it is fun anyway.

I am wondering about the wet glove problem. I picked up a Bateman Tab while in Colorado.  It SEEMS like it might be easier to maintain a good release with a tab under those conditions.

Here I go again, tab versus glove- round three or is it four? I want to like a tab, but so far I seem more consistent with a glove.

Thanks again,
Gary

[centaur]

MnFn:
The miss couldn't have been my fault, it had to be the glove   . I definitely got a bad release, and my glove was definitely wet, hence the glove reference. A 'chicken or the egg' scenario.  Had everything been dry, and I still blew the shot, maybe it would have been a sudden earth shift that caused the miss.

[elkken]

Can we have a hero pic of that P&Y tree    

[Hud]

Sounds promising. Love it when it start out this way and things begin to happen.    

[huntnmuleys]

the glove for sure!  keep it coming man, love your stories and pics.

[stujay]

Keep on them...beautiful area.  

[centaur]

I hunted the last 4 days, and the first two days had me seeing elk and being within 20 yards of a cow that I couldn't get a clear shot at; just too much brush/trees for a good shot. The last two days have been like the elk have quit the country; no sightings, no bugling, no fresh sign.
Returning to camp from this morning's hunt, I found myself wishing very hard for a moose license. I stalked this guy and took his picture for about 20 minutes. He knew I was there, but just didn't seem to care. He would have been oh so easy, if only I had a tag. Why is it that when you don't have a license, animals seem to know it, and when you have a license, they either don't show up at all, or hide behind brush, trees and the like.


At least I am getting plenty of exercise, but I sure wouldn't mind a couple of days of packing out quarters. Oh well, I will be back at it tomorrow.

[cacciatore]

Hopefully next year I'll draw a moose tag in WY.

[ron w]

The moose is cool......and your right, they seem to know....lol!

[FerretWYO]

Awesome stuff buddy.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Great Updates. Good luck this week.