Transcripts (day one of hunting season)

09/03 1314

I slept really well last night, it was surprising. See, I knew better, but didn't check my headlamp [batteries] until it was dark, and I was already undressed, and in the sleeping bag. Dumb. So I had to quit reading at about 2030. But I fell asleep quickly and actually slept most of the night...killed my plans to get up real early though, since I didn't know here the batteries were and didn't have light to find them. So I simply got up when I could barely see what I was doing, got dressed, and headed out. I did figure out on good thing in the dark though, and that was where my anti-stink spray was. I had my boots in there with me and every once in awhile I'd get a whiff. Woofta! But, this stuff works! I found it blindly and sprayed the boots, and viola! No stink!

So I started on the ridge close to camp this morning. I was making some setups and then realized I was subconsciously going for the bigger bull I saw last night. I decided that was dumb, because the wind had already started at 0630 blowing from the south, directly TO where I figured he was. So I gave up on doing that and was working on making a circle around camp and then over to where I could contour that north slope and see what I could see. On going to the south slope I hear a "thump thump" and hunkered down. About 30 yards away comes this cow and calf. Last night was morals, this morning it's ethics. I decided to not even try. One, I didn't have a shot and two, it was a calf with its momma. I think I'd feel bad.

..Man are you kidding? I have like 10 flies all around me, buzzing landing, buzzing landing. Driving me nuts! They like the way my stuff smells. Once my socks, boots, and stuff dries of sweat, we're doing the baking soda thing.

Okay, so I let the elk pass. I was just crossing the ridge trail when along comes this backpacker. He said he'd been hiking this trail for nine weeks from somewhere in Colorado and was going to be done in Butte, MT. Wow. He said he hadn't seen any elk, but he heard some, "bugling I guess you call it" at an "alpine" lake he was at the other night. Man, I'd wish they'd start here.

As it is, it's like hunting whitetails during rifle season and NOT during the rut. You have to sneak around and try to find THEM. They are moving entirely silent. And this is tougher since I need to be within about 20 yards. I used to think I was good because all my rifle or pistol shots on deer have been under about 100 yards...most between 25 and 70 yards.

Anyways, so I walked down on the north slope, then contoured to the east. I heard a lot of branches and beargrass stalks breaking over a little rise from me. It sounded like something was coming my way! So I found a tiny patch of Christmas trees, nocked an arrow, and hunkered down. Cow calls didn't bring this thing in. After awhile of being frustrated, I went and peaked over the hill. Nothing. So I continued contouring very slowly, maybe it could hear me and mosied out in front of me. Well, I did that for about an hour, then I hear MORE branches breaking...many...quickly. I just dropped where I was out in the open and watched that same cow and calf coming my way! I mean, these things were on a beeline to step on me!

Earlier they passed 30 yards away and directly downwind and didn't spook. Impressive. [Now I know, all my scent-control works if it's within 2 hours from being exposed to my stinky body at least.] Now their tongues were hanging out and they were panting. Something was behind them! Bull? The cow noticed my shape when she was about 10 yards away, but only stopped for a second and then angled to go around me at about 4 yards. Well, the wind was blowing downhill. She got to the 4 yards and just BOLTED down the mountain..the calf in hot pursuit. I had been presented a chance to draw and could have sent an arrow in her, but ethics plus the curiosity of what was behind her got the better of me. I'm glad I waited, because about 50 yards away was a confused 5 point and he was HUGE. Long tines on top and really long impressive eyeguards. If they had kept passing me on the upwind / uphill side, I would've had a bull. As it was, he tried to figure out what spooked the cow and calf by standing there and staring at me for about 15 minutes, then turned to follow them down the hill. [Just think if I would have shot her, I know she would have been in the bottom of that stupid valley before she died...think of THAT pack trip.]

Rather than pursuing them, I moved on and checked out a three-way saddle I had seen on the map. I didn't find anything there except a FAT spruce grouse (I wanted to kill it for dinner, but we can't have fires right now.) [What was I going to do, boil it?] So I let him cluck along his little log. Then something heard me walking and bounded 3 times before it stopped. I thought it was a darn elk it was so big! Nope, just one of the largest mule deer I've ever seen. His antlers stuck out past his EARS what looked like about 8-10 inches on each side [they have about what, 8-inch ears?] and were about 6-8 inches from the tops of his ears. More than all that? Probably. [He was out about 50 yards...length is "relatively relative" at that range.] But since I'm hunting the unit boundary, I could even think about trying, [he was on the wrong side]. Too far away anyways. Oh no, I don't have any problem shooting something on one side of the line, then having it die on the other. If I caught hell for that I would simply ask how to make something fall where I wanted it to...then I'd have the man in a curious conundrum. Again, morals. Crap.

Now it's hot and uncomfortable to be moving around. I'm at camp drying off and relaxing. I at part of an MRE at about 1000, but wanted more, so decided to come back here and have a big meal. So far I haven't blown one of these bulls totally away because none have actually seen or scented ME. They've smelled the camp and probably heard me walking...so I figure, why ruin that by blowing them out of their beds?

My plan is to lay around, eat, and read. I'm going to wait for it to get closer to dusk, then head down to those wallows and see if any thing has been using them. Then I might just sit there until it's dark, or close to it. I almost want to just stay on the ridge and wait. So I'm thinking they use this north slope in the day (it's not burned, much to my surprise) and then head to the meadows in the evening to feed. But if I was an elk, I would use a wallow when I was hot and getting annoyed by flies...like now!

Killing something on the ridge would be handy, but I really don't feel like sitting here all day. Looks like...tomorrow..I'll need to go get more water.

So the only way I've found animals so far is by hearing them walk, squirrels, or by just seeing them first. Not how I imagined elk hunting.