Even the best laid plans go foul I drove into camp last nigh

[Lefty]

I set up camp .
I just laid in bed and had a hard time falling asleep.
This morning before sunrise I tried to get my camper into position, for the hunts.
I glass from a number of locations I think in my previous 10 years hunting up here this is the first year I could use the spotting scope opening week.
Very limited smoke .
I glassed till 9:30

I was putting together a text to send my wife daughters and Andrew about my day's hunt plan.

I accidentally called my buddy Dave.
When lonesome Larry bugles below me 150 yards.
So back to camp grab my gear .

[Tigger]

Did you take a nap then?

[Thegreatwapiti]

How do you know it is Lonesome Larry? Maybe it was Angry Arnold or Sexy Swede? Do you know them all on a first name basis?

[Lefty]

I did get back to camp and realized I hadn't unpacked anything from the night before. So I made a quick grab of everything that I might need on a short notice hunt.
Originally the wind was real good for where I expected the elk to bed.
The area is a flat bench with thick grass that the cows haven't been in.
Sneaking in there and glassing as I took my time or relatively open old growth for forest, The trees itself pruned 30 to 60 ft high.

(Short story: twice my daughter and I have been busted here One time we set up and my daughter whispered something to me and a bull got up 25 yd away and meandered off. Another time after a long call and sequence where I took a nap when my daughter and I got up to leave so did a cow elk she was at 60 yards the whole time )
I work slowly walking 25 yd then glassing walking 25 yd glassing looking for a bedded bull.
.
Plenty of good sign It was apparent that the area is heavily used.
For well over an hour I would give a single cow call every 7 to 10 minutes.
Then I switch to a bugle every 15 minutes.
3 and 1/2 hours, Nothing
The wind started doing funky things I knew I was done if he was near.
I worked my way out on a ridge point 120 yards, his obvious preferred betting place.

I don't know if you saw me or smelled me but he did take a good pee before he walked off the ridge.

Woohoo only place I had cell reception so I sent my wife and friend text message. And I could hear a calf mu a few hundred yards away.
I worked my way around getting above wind the best I could again I heard the elk which had evidently moved lower.

As I set up I heard some strange noises couldn't tell quite what it was at first. Sounded like kids in a locker room.

Ended up being cowboys pushing cows, and the elk disappeared.

Yesterday I wanted to hike through a canyon just north of camp relatively small area and in 10 years of being up there I've only seen elk in it last year.
I set my pack down. And thought I saw something on the adjoining ridge 100 yd away.
I was kind of doing the white-tailed deer head bob thing looking and there was a black bear working its way up a ridge. I knelt down knocked an arrow and dumped everything out of my bag looking for my predator call. Which I'd left at camp today before because I didn't need it . I ended up grabbing my Primos raised pallet diaphragm. Making my best dying rabbit sounds I could. I brought my bow up and was ready to hook my release on my d-loop.

My release is back at camp. So I checked real quick how well could I draw with four fingers.
I also on holstered my Glock 27 and chambered around.
The plan was to stick with the bow and arrow. This was the first time I had ever put around in the chamber of that pistol.


I did my best imitation of a dying rabbit every 5 minutes for an hour. My guess is the bear was out of earshot before I called.(upwind)

[Lefty]

Discovered some good news The rancher with the lease on the forest service ground made a gate so tight that I think the only way you can open the gate is with the fence stretcher or a wire cutters. That should eliminate those pesky guys using a shortcut to Montana,

I've never seen so many red current and black current berries in my life . I had probably picked over 200 berries off this bush before I took the picture.

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While sweet is likely in his tree stand I was laying on the ground picking berries

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[Lefty]

And some news My wife's not so thrilled about.
The areas I used to get cell reception. I no longer meet the requirements of the Army and Navy and ATT to access their" service.
It must be for real because I got a message stating that ."
And I have zero reception. So now it's 8 or 20 mi to get cell reception.

[Lefty]

Started raining at 5:30 a.m. rain good and steady until about 4:30.
I did have a nice little standoff with a 11-in spike buck that was still in velvet That was quite entertaining.
I had to drive out to give my wife a call and check in at home park beside the road I had a forky horn 20 yards away

[Lefty]

My wife said kill it and come home .

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[Lefty]

Did you take a nap then?

I've missed a nap three days in a row

[Lefty]

How do you know it is Lonesome Larry? Maybe it was Angry Arnold or Sexy Swede? Do you know them all on a first name basis?

Well tomorrow I'm going in after Bugling Bob

[Lefty]

I shot once, I shot twice, and that girls just stood there not having a clue that I just sent $50 his direction to never be returned.

An hour later I worked my method of a slow play.
2 minutes in and my second cow mew, and a cow dirted across the opening in front of me 120 yards.

45 minutes later she came in after my attempt of a simple roundup bugle she stood out in the open at 73 yards for a number of minutes then walked off and did not respond to another call s.
I stayed at that set for a total of an hour and 15 minutes.

Moved ahead about 150 or 160 yards. 25 minutes into that set I'm bull strolled into 26 yards.

With his head behind a piece of sagebrush his front leg forward my 25-yard pin, a nice smooth release. And there are went wild.
He jumped and spun.
Then just walked away with his butt staring straight at me.
I kind of goofed I didn't make another sound at 90 yards he stopped broadside for a moment and then continued on his way.

That bull doesn't know it but we have another date tomorrow morning.