2007 Elk Hunt

Well, I finally got an Internet connection back in my house. Who would have thought all it would take was to unplug and plug the LAN back into the router? (I did)

Hopefully it'll hold up until I'm done with this.

We left last Friday for our hunting spot. We had the Kazinsky (lonely shack in the woods), 2 ATVs, food to feed an army for a month, and lotsa tarps. The two hour drive went quick and we set up a relatively hasty camp because the weather was just perfect bluebird. It stayed that way for a couple days actually.

First couple of nights camp.

Nice can though. Good view too!

Anywho, Monday was going to be the first day of seven for it to be legal to shoot a cow elk. Saturday I took off for a distant ridge that we had communicated with a bull a couple weeks prior. I knew they were there. So that's where I went. But, I took some advice from a guy at work who said he ran into them more when he just walked like he was working. I did that, and about three hours later and two miles from camp, I busted a herd of elk! I had found an area with trees up to 12 inches in diameter with rubs on them. And many rubs. And trails that were the elk's equivalent of super-highways. After spooking the herd, they ran down to the creek about half a mile away...and then up the other side. I had accomplished what I wanted to accomplish (finding elk) and so made my way out of the area. Not hunting, just hiking. It took 2.5 hours through demoralizing brush and downed timber to get out! Ugh.

One of the killer rubs. Notice the trail in the background and my rifle leaning on the tree.

So, the following day, Butch came with me over there. He's having some problems with his leg, but is pretty good contouring and going downhill, so out we went. We contoured around the first finger ridge...hunting while we went. I was impressed, we seriously sounded like a couple of elk. Well, we got to the first finger ridge at noon and his leg was getting to him. It took ME hiking fast 2.5 hours to get out from the further ridge. We decided the best thing to do was to contour back to camp. We got there at about 4:30...when it gets DARK at 6:30 it made that a good decision.

The following day (Monday) I decided to try yet another route in to try and find an easy way out. I got out to a ridge across from the one I wanted to hunt on and just went straight down to the base of the other (bypassing the finger ridge.) Well, that was all well and good until it went vertical on me. Then, when in the bottom it was wet with many many many logs with no bark. That led to slow going and the potential for slipping on one of these logs or sticks became very apparent. So I went up the vertical hill on the other side and started hunting. I got to within a quarter mile of the area I was in the first day and really put on the stealth. I was very pleased with myself on how I could move through that country in silence. And I put an insane stalk on an empty chunk of real estate. Shoot. NOTHING THERE. So, by this time it was 2:00 and I was back in a ways. I managed to stay under the brush line but that led me to the creek again. STRAIGHT up the other side I went...huffing and puffing back toward where I had left the ATV. After a bit, I knew I was on the wrong finger ridge to get to the vehicle, but I decided it didn't matter. I headed straight for camp. With a lift from Butch, we got the other ATV to camp and relaxed into the evening.

The weather was looking like rain, so Tuesday was a "rest" day which meant more wood gathering and putting up tarps that covered the woodpile and fire pit. This was a relaxed adventure that took most of the day. It is very nice to have the time to do stuff like that and not get overly worried that you aren't in the woods. "We've got all week!" So that afternoon / evening we checked out another area for camps. Actually, we were looking for volume of people. Going down in there, we found NO ONE. It was a popular place during bow season, but nothing while we were there.

Extended camp...now in the clouds.

Well, it did rain. And it kept raining. On Wednesday morning we were in a cloud, which was kinda neat actually. However, the wind was blowing every which way and the snow that came in over night melted quickly. Since I didn't want to risk breaking a leg and getting hypothermia, we decided to go to that other area and hunt clearcuts and whatnot by walking roads. After a chilly 8 mile ride on the ATVs we got to the end of the road and split up. It only took about 30 minutes before all the clothes I put on for the ride were way too much, so I stripped down to a more agreeable layer. It was hard to see anything through the clouds and rain, but I rounded a bend and heard crashing on the hill above me. There is no mistaking the way elk run through the woods versus deer...and these were definitely elk! I caught sight of them running above me and couldn't get a shot. They then ran down to cross the road in front of me...I hit my butt and got set up for a shot. I nearly took a running shot at them, but didn't, my morals having a lot to do with it. I don't flock shoot. So they ran over the road and down the other side into a small clearcut, I hit my feet and hoofed it closer hoping to see them again or stop them with a cow call. Before I could get 10 yards though, they did a 180 and came BACK across the road. I again hit my butt and got settled. In the course of three seconds, the two of them paused. I picked out that one was a bull. I settled on him. I touched off a round. I actually SAW his reaction through the scope (which was a very-solid-hit reaction.) It looked like a horse kicked him in his chest. Now this is unusual, usually you don't remember seeing the critter's reaction when you shoot them. Usually there is a moment went you can't see or hear after the report of the rifle. I must have been seriously amped up at the time. There was no time for shaking, doubt, nerves...it was all reaction.

OK.

The two of them crashed up the hill. Then I heard something top the ridge and cross over. But I thought I heard something else fall...but couldn't be certain. I went to where I had hit the bull and found tracks but no blood, no hair...nothing to prove that he had been hit. I followed the tracks as well as I could in the brush and downfall, and found nothing. I topped the small saddle and didn't see anything. So I started gridding. I gave a 20 yard buffer to my original line up the hill, and headed back to where I had hit him. Getting to the bottom....nothing. I stood there for a bit and DID notice a truck at the end of the road! It was about 50 yards from where the elk paused for that split second. I truly believe they got nervous with the opening AND this truck, that that's what forced them to turn back up the hill. Well, while I'm standing down there contemplating my next route up the hill and getting really nervous, I heard a drawn out sound that sounded like someone with a deep voice blowing through a tube. That was the bull and his final breath. To me, it was a gift. I finally knew where he was at. I walked up there and found him, touched the barrel of the rifle to his eye, confirmed he was dead, and then my legs didn't work! Seriously! I hit my knees at about four yards from this elk, prayed for it and I, and nearly cried.

First elk.

I had killed an elk. I had killed a bull elk. I succeeded in accomplishing something I have tried to do for the past seven years. It wasn't a jumping kind of excitement. It wasn't a cheering kind of thing. It is indescribable.

VERY happy young man.

Well, I took about four million photos. While I'm standing there, a doe comes bouncing up about 40 yards away. Then stops. Broadside. I thought about shooting, but had plenty on my mind so didn't. How convenient would THAT have been? So anywho, I hustled back toward the ATVs trying desperately to reach Butch on the little handheld radios we had. I kept ringing and ringing him, with no luck. Finally a guy came on and said, "WHO IS DOING THAT!?" I asked his name and I'm sorry again Mike, but if you don't want people on your frequency, turn off the radio. I got back to the ATVs and saw yet another doe. Again, I didn't shoot. But again, how convenient! I waited around for a bit, left Butch a note in broken beargrass stalks, then took the ATV back to the elk. I heard one fella get in that truck and went and talked to him. One, to tell him I was up there snapping and cracking and to not shoot me; Two, to tell him if he was headed out to watch for another ATV coming up the road. He joined me to admire the elk....then headed off with his son.

I then performed the gruesome and tough task of gutting an elk solo. I had parachute cord tying legs and things all over the place....it was like this guy got stuck in a sadistic spider's web. And I guess I was the spider. There were things hanging onto this thing like you never see in a deer. It was tough. It's like anytime you do that, but worse. Eventually you just get into the job and get it done, but it always takes some convincing. Equivalent to jumping in cold water.

I shall leave the rest to your imagination. You are welcome.

Okay, so this done I took the heart and drove back out to see if I couldn't round up Butch. As soon as I got there I saw his little orange hat bobbing up to me. We chatted for a bit. And he asked if I saw anything. I handed him a game bag with the heart in it. He started grinning, I started grinning, and was able to say, "Butch, I killed an ELK!" We had a beer and literally flew back to camp to get prepared with a capstan winch and my truck. Kinda ricketed the truck up this road and got it in a place where it would be convenient. This winch is cool. It's portable and works on friction, so once we got it figured out, we were able to pull this elk out whole. Luckily for me it had only run about 70 yards after getting shot, and that put it at about 100 yards from where I could get the truck. How is THAT for yet another gift!?

THIS is the way to pack elk

Okay, this is getting too long even for me.

We got back to camp, proudly, with a bull in the truck. Set up a meat pole, and tried to hang this critter. Even standing on the bed rails of my truck, the pole wasn't high enough for it to clear the ground. So we left the front half in the bed and just skinned everything we could so that it might cool. The next day was more snow and we skinned and quartered the rest of this thing and made that secure. I tossed the head out and Butch stopped me. I have never known of ivories and honestly forgot. But, luckily I had a thoughtful partner. After a drive in a blizzard to a saddle where we could get cell reception, we then celebrated. We celebrated late into the night. I think we must have burned a cord of firewood, but we had a good time.

After a drive to the saddle

Camp on Friday

The next day we tried to go to the "Happy Hermit" a little pub/resteraunt/hotel in essentially the middle of nowhere. Actually, we didn't try, we made it there. But 40 miles in a truck on bumpy dirt roads takes a bit. We were hoping for a little bit more action than just the two of us, but got denied, and left there with full bellies. There wasn't much talking. It was nice down in the valley, but again, snowing pretty good at camp. On the way, we ran into a guy that we had seen drive past our camp a couple times over the last couple days. He was holding his rifle and looking down the hill. We couldn't tell if he wanted us to stop or not...so we stopped. He said, "I just shot a lion, and it's right down there somewhere. Do you guys want to hang around while I go down there?" Yes. So we stood there until he said he found it and then asked for a handgun. Butch offered his .40 and I took it to the guy who then finished the cat. We hauled it up to the road and it turns out it was his first! He was pretty excited about it and it was pretty interesting. Shot it right on the road. Weird.

Unsure of the days now, but on Saturday we loaded up camp and took off. No where in town could process this elk. This included Post Falls! They were all too busy. Since I had to go to Missoula on Monday, we simply hung the pieces in Butch's woodshed for me to pick up Monday morning. Which I did. And I took them to H&H in Missoula (the best in the area, if you have a choice, go to that guy) and now I'm good to go! I expect a call from him in the next couple of weeks.

So that is that. Not sure about deer hunting now...not sure about the room I have in the freezer. But I may go on a walk with the rifle now and again. Just to see what I can get into.

I'm a grinning fool.