Hasta La Pasta!

[Tigger]

Hey you mental midgets, I am leaving for elk hunting tomorrow morning! All year we wait for this and it is here. Gear is scattered about, last minute shopping (I could have done this the last 50 weeks of the year, but I had to run up to Menards to get a pole for hanging clothes!), and packing is going on.

Havent heard from Swede at all or Lefty lately. I hope all is well and they are knee deep in wapiti (not that would help Swede!).

Be safe and I will see ya when I get back unless I can squeak out some reception somewhere.

[WapitiTalk1]

Go get um Dean. Be safe and have a GREAT hunt.

[Lefty]

Hey I'm out here somewhere.
Today's hunt stung a little bit. We left a bull and 20 cows last night. We spent a lot of time and never found them today. The little squeaker calf responded to cow calls again today We were hoping she would have drugged Mama elk in the open and Grandpa. The calf just hasn't figured out what being downwind is all about.

Today I saw more hunters on a 2 mi stretch of Forest Service road than I have all season new

I do get cell service 8 miles from camp. I need to check in with my wife everyday.

[7mmfan]

Good luck Dean. I'll just assume you meant everyone else when you referred to them as mental midgets. Cudn't posseblee bee me.

[Swede]

Tigger, I hope your elk hunt goes well. I did not try to keep people here posted about my hunt because cell service where I hunted was nonexistent. Besides there was nothing worth talking about. I am kind of bummed about the hunt. I have never had one like it. I was gone nearly a month and never saw an elk. It was a new area and a new challenge. New area 1. Swede 0.

[Lefty]

Sweet that makes life tough not seeing elk.
I went 4 and 1/2 days without seeing an elk or here in a bugle.

And last night the motherload came back.


About 6:00 on three different major ridges I saw elk but no bulls.
About a thousand foot in elevation up above a series of elk camps There are about 40 head that I could see feeding on the ridge s.
Then heading back to camp
I was quite depressed I glassed until dark never saw an elk.

It's late enough in the season that there should have been elk in this one basin.
About her 8:30 I heard the first bugle.
They buggled until I left at 10:00.
This morning they were building like crazy until sunrise.

My daughter's on the way up right now so I'm hoping we can get in there and work at least two bowls that I know are down there.

[Lefty]

Yikes weed so what do you think happened.
We had one year where we had four Saturdays and one Labor Day where we only heard a single response bugle..
The last couple of days we had heavy fog clouds and rain.
With very limited visibility so glassing wasn't much help.

Sky's cleared
We have a plan
For a mature bull and a small bull
And maybe a cow.,

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[Swede]

Lefty, I assume you are asking me what happened as no one else has responded. To be honest I am not sure. I have no real excuses. I tried my best, but it did not work out. This is an old OTC public land hunt. I am not sure on this type of hunt it is supposed to work out every season, no matter how hard we try. I needed an elk to come by my stand. It never happened. I needed a good break, but one never came. Hopefully next season is better.

[Lefty]

Swede
.
Glad you're already looking forward to next year.
I'm not looking for excuses because I know when you put in a hard effort sometimes everything doesn't go our way.

I hope you still had an enjoyable time hunting.

[Swede]

Of course, I am looking forward to next season. I am home.
I will give it my best shot next year, the Lord willing. Maybe during this off season, I will read a book, I have heard about on how to effectively tree stand hunt elk.

[Tigger]

Well I am back. New unit. Steep. Steep. Steep. High altitude. Very few elk. They were there, but not many. I had response bugles pretty consistently, but a long ways off usually which is tough. It sounds good on paper....hey, that bull responded! Yeah, but it is a 1/2 mile away through an ultra steep drainage. I struggled with a cough all week and my lungs were not 100% due to my cold just before we went. That is not a recipe for success. Yet we still had a great chance at the very end of the trip. And goofed it up. Dang. Saw some decent muley bucks.

[7mmfan]

Sounds like a great week in the mountains and some new country seen and learned. Now you know and better luck next time.

[WapitiTalk1]

Welcome back Tigger and Swede. I’m glad you both got to spend time in the elk woods this year. I’ve had more than a few years in my Army days when it wasn’t possible. Do you cats have some deer season plans?

[Swede]

Thanks RJ. I saw a lot of very nice bucks when I was out looking or waiting for an elk. As weird as my elk hunt was, the number of good bucks I saw was equally crazy. I did not bother to try and chase one and none gave me a chip shot from my stand. I was not motivated to go after any of the critters, so I doubt I will pack up and go after one later. The truth is Mrs. Swede has had enough of venison and does not want any more.

[Tigger]

Deer, duck, pheasants and grouse are left. Plenty of things to do. My kids have already been a part of 90 ducks this year (yes, we always stayed within the legal limit!). Yes, we have eaten a lot of ducks.