Thicker then fleas on a Wyoming coyote

[Lefty]

Am I the only guy that gets to complain about too many elk. Last week I put the perfect stalk on a group of 20, as I'm lining up the shot 40 head of elk moved in and a couple cows were only 20 yards away and didn't like the way I looked' and ran everybody off.

Friday, last week I have a trail in front of me, ranged at 35 yards, with elk scattered from the trail to the far side of a ridge.
Slightly over two hundred head. Nearly all cows, only saw one spike in the group, again I'm getting ready to shoot and here comes more elk from behind,, watching me the whole time. The close elk ran off 50 yards out of range and wouldn't quit looking at me.

Last night I think I have an easy stalk lined up..
I get packed up and start heading down as I changed elevations I realized I was heading into a huge herd of elk . Way too many eyes
this morning I watched that same group of over two hundred head feed through a wide-open valley and then just scattered when they hit the timber
Thursday morning I was waiting for that whole group of 200 to come up the hill to me and then I feel the wind change what had been a steady 10 to 15 mile an hour wind stop and nearly reversed Direction the elk or just barely out of sight 20 more yards but they winded me and we're gone.

Not that I like crying about the ones that get away.
But I still walking around the elk woods

[Lefty]

I had to send that before I lost reception I'll clean it up when I get home. But the story that started this all happened last week as I watched about 70 head move into some timber I went to cut him off but somehow they had covered way more ground than I expected and they caught me flat-footed. A few of them busted: three small draws over I could hear they're down below me, so I cut in and dove down. 60 yards in front of me is a spike coming straight at me, and to my right is a cow , another cow and two calves. They didn't even know I was there, ( big ole fat guy and Im still getting in) I sidestepped to get out of their view, and make a dash for the spike .
l close the distance up behind a tree the bull is now 30 yards away. I cock the hammer, shoulder the gun, step to the side to shoot.
I hadn't realized, but moving to the tree put me in full view of a bunch more elk,,,,, they were watching me, and busted

[Lefty]

[Billy Goat]

these sound very much like first world problems.....

hopefully you can find a sparsely populated patch of dirt and a lonely foolish one will meander your way.

[Jhg]

Can't say I have that problem. My issue is what rope to use when I tie a bull to a tree in August...

[Lefty]

these sound very much like first world problems.....
hopefully you can find a sparsely populated patch of dirt and a lonely foolish one will meander your way.

Had a single gal just out of camp this morning, she headed up the hill fast.

Well last nights story.
I thought I was in line with where some of the herd would come up a steep knob. I laid in wait, for thirty minutes I got to smell that sweet elky perfume.

then nothing.?
No smell!
I inched over the edge, Backed up, checked the other draw, and saw ears.
I started to head for the pass to cut them off.
100 plus yards away where I had just looked were a handfull of elk,, then dozens,,.. all facing away .
Wow, how sweet would it be to get in front of them?

I made it 20 yards and a few more heads popped into view 70 yards way. Seeing me, the near elk pushed hard and headed back down the hill. Busted,,, but not bad they only saw me


Well Ill go back to plan B. As I hustled over to the pass 1000 yards away I stepped off 35 yards from the pass trail., laid down, put my pack under my gun, , pulled my hood up over my head to wait!
The dark cloud I had seen earlier ended started dropping snow falling straight down. The next 20 minutes 2 inches dumped on me. What were the chances. I suspected the elk would have held up, heads down during the heaviest snow.
the snow had let up,, Where were the elk?, I peaked towards the pass,.. I could see the heads of two cows. I snickered to myself, brushed the snow off my gun, Settled the barrel over my pack. Took my left glove off , just a matter of minutes.

Do I try for a dry cow,, a 1/1/2 year old? . Dry cow. I might even get a text out of this location. Andrew said he would come up and pack out. And this would be an easy pack. Slightly over 1 1/2 miles to a ATV trail, and all down hill

Two minutes, four minutes, Six, ten minutes. Im loosing shooting light. With 12 more minutes of legal shooting time I decided it was getting too dark to shoot all except for the shot straight in front of me. I edged up on my elbows, then raised up,... The elk were gone. I don't think they had winded me?

Well today I hunted through the area. The elk had milled around 60 yards from me, then walked up the ridge instead of coming down the trail in front of me,, oh-well.

The wind picked up, and it just got darkers, the snow was driving and was biting my face.
Just keep the wind over my shoulder and head down hill,. 30 minutes down the hill it became apparent I was pushing elk,, lots of elk,, I mean lots of elk In the dark. I could hear their feet as aI spooked nearby elk, a moment later the tracks confirmed that the elk bolted. For the next 2 hours I trudged through the snow, urged on by the constant calls and smells of elk. I walked all the way to camp listening to those elk. I chased those elk right back to montana
Back at camp. I microwaved a frozen dinner,. Washed up , laid clean clothes out, , and drank a couple electrolyte drinks, a couple bottles of water, and more water.
Part way through that frozen dinner I decided those frozen dinners taste as bad as they did 50 years ago.

I awoke before first light, refreshed and ready to go,, Still too dark. I made oatmeal with fresh blueberries With a double shot of milk.
Hopped in the Pickup, and up the hill,, Made the first corner,,, whoa an elk in the middle of the road. Up and over the hill she went. A mile up the road And I pulled into a spot to glass,as it got lighter,,,, elk,, and more elk,,, and more elk.

I texted my wife, " I can see over 400 elk right now"
She texted back , " Are the elk 5 miles away? In a different Unit?,, on private? or in Montana?
My wife has this uncanny knack and tends to read the rest of the story, even from a short text.