Biped vs. Elk

[LckyTylr]

Well, I'm sure that you all have read my account of calling in a huge 6-point three times one morning last weekend . . . close but no cigar. Looking back on it, those encounters culminated in THE Coolest Hunting Experience of my Life . . . and my tag stayed in my wallet. I headed back up Wednesday night after work to hunt through Sunday afternoon and give it my all. On the drive up, I decided to name this special bull that gave me such a wonderful experience, I decided to call him Lucky . . . because three different times in one morning, he was less than 3 steps away from earning himself an irreparable leak. So, with plans to give it my best shot in hopes that I'd entice Lucky or any bull into a shooting lane . . . I made the 3-1/2 hour drive to camp. I hunted Thursday morning and was able to get a bull to respond a few times amidst very strong winds in the general location of where I'd been playing with Lucky the weekend prior. With swirling winds and not a great feeling of where exactly the bull was, I decided to sit tight and wait for calmer conditions before I dropped down after him. Those conditions seemed like they'd NEVER materialize. I sat patiently in hopes that I'd get just a few minutes of steady conditions . . . or at the very least I was hoping that I'd be able to get another bugle out of him and maybe a better location. Around 3:45 I located and he responded. Finally, I had a better idea of where he was and the winds died down to where I thought I could make a play. I was JUST about to drop off and get to his elevation when I heard a dirt bike coming up the trail. I was nervous about the "road hunters" watching me diving off the mountain and potentially trying to get in on the action so I just sat tight to let the hunter pass. He ended up coasting to a stop and we talked for a few minutes. Immediately, I got the impression that he was actually a stand-up guy and that he really knew what he was talking about. He asked me if I'd heard anything and surprisingly I decided to spill my guts and tell him that after an all-day wait, that I'd located a bull and was hoping to kill my first elk. He told me that he'd had plans to ride his dirtbike up a NASTY trail to the top where I'd been watching elk and mule deer all summer. I advised him that if he's specifically after elk that he might be wasting his time and energy . . . and that further, if he wasn't a VERY experienced dirt bike rider . . . that he might want to consider different access. I wasn't TRYING to talk him out of his plans, but I didn't think he'd want to spend the last 4 days of the season where there's no elk as they'd mostly moved down the mountain. He offered me a proposition . . . he said "Well, you need a caller and I need a cameraman, what do you say I'll call in your first bull, we will get him hung and then you can film me killing a bull?". "DEAL!!!" I almost shouted. We both dove off and hunted that bull. We had him going for most of the evening but he was acting funny. We finally decided that he had cows and that he'd need a little more coaxing. We snuck around to within a hundred yards and started threatening him with bugles. He didn't appreciate that but by the time we got him going, we were running low on light. He started working his way towards us but as I said about hunting Lucky last weekend . . . it's THICK down there. We were getting to the point that if he didn't come charging in at us, that I wouldn't have enough light for an ethical shot so we made the decision to hightail it out of there so that we wouldn't risk getting busted. As we were huffing and puffing up to the trail he was following us and bugling. I still don't know if it was Lucky or not. He started off with a wimpy whistle bugle just like lucky did . . . but then he amped it up a bit as we were retreating . . . just like Lucky did when I was repositioning on him last weekend. Dang!

The rain started as we were pulling into camp (my new hunting buddy was happy to sleep in the pop-up camper that I pulled up with me for the last few days). That night we made plans for the next day that we'd try Lucky's drainage first thing and if we couldn't get him going . . . that we'd pack up our backpacking gear and get away from the roads. I had my dirtbike, tent and all of my lightweight gear . . . so why not play with some unpressured bulls.

To make an already long story a little bit shorter . . . we got two bulls fired up that next morning even despite the weather. It was nearly a constant rain and occasionally we'd get 15 - 30 minutes of light sprinkle and we capitalized on the improved conditions by calling and calling and more calling as we ran ridges. We were able to consistently spark up bugles. We'd make quick game plans, bail off into position and start working the bull. About the time that we'd finally get the stubborn bull out of bed and on his way to us . . . the rain would start again and silence would follow. We'd wait patiently in case he was coming in silent but it never happened. We had many bulls come in within 80 yards or less before the rain would shut them off and sit them down . . . Mother Nature has decided that after 5 years . . . I still haven't earned an archery elk. We managed to get within about 60 yards of two small 6-points and a dozen cows that were bedded really close to where we parked our dirtbikes one evening. They'd been harassed before and ran for a LONG ways. We hiked a LONG ways that evening and didn't hear a SINGLE bugle. Spotted another small herd out feeding (4 cows and 4 calves) with NO BULL!!! Throughout the 3 days that my new friend and I hunted together, we were able to spark up 2-3 bulls per day. It was awesome to hear that much action. Despite the nasty weather that kept the elk in their beds for most of every day, we were able to stir things up.

About 2 hours into the first morning of rain . . . my gore-tex jacket gave up. It completely soaked through and never dried out for the next 3 days of rain. I didn't have any other rain gear, so I was wet for 3 days of hunting. THANKFULLY, we had the camper and a propane heater to dry out each night.

For the first time since I have started Elk hunting, I'm walking away from a season where I really felt like I couldn't have done any more . . . like I left it all on the field. I had already proven that I could get a mature bull to within bow range (THREE TIMES) and I had proven that I could locate and get in on bulls that were stubborn and unwilling to play. I cut one hunt short because I wasn't having fun and you all helped me get back into the game, but other than that . . . I never looked at a distant ridge and wondered "Are there elk over there?" . . . I wondered and then I WENT! No stone left unturned, no basin that I didn't get to and poke around. It was an AWESOME season, more action this year than I've had in the last 3 years. It was just incredible.

To top it all off, I got to hunt the last few days with a guy that really hunts hard and is VERY knowledgeable about Elk (google Pure Elevation Productions). A huge thanks to Tyler Crockett (Paul and Paul Jr know him). He's a really nice person and he taught me a LOT just in the little things. When he called, how he called, the minor inflections that he used, the strategies that I was afraid to mention that he'd confirm were good ideas . . . all of the little things that just helped build my confidence for future hunts. I'm very thankful that Tyler took time away from his own hunt to help me on my quest for number 1, he certainly didn't have to and with his obligations to his filming crew, it was a huge sacrifice to take on the challenge of getting a rookie elk hunter in position for a shot at his first elk. Thank you Tyler . . . what an awesome way to end the season . . . who cares that it rained the whole time and I felt like a drowned cat.

So . . . this Biped . . . for the 5th year in a row . . . was defeated by the Wapiti. I'm not sad at all for the first time. In a sense, I came so close to killing Lucky that I almost feel like I did. The last two weeks have been the best hunting of my life and I'm such a fortunate guy. I can't WAIT for next season, it is BURNING me up right now. I'm really thinking that if I can convince Wifey to let me go . . . I might try to get up there again to get close-up photos of Lucky with my new DSLR. I just don't think I can leave him alone for 11 months . . . I think he and I should become close friends before I betray him next season.

A huge thanks to all of you Elknuts . . . without the knowledge that I have gained here, I'd still be many years back in my quest to getting an elk. So . . . Thank You . . . All of you.

[BRazz]

Great story, way to give it your all and leave it all on the field. Harvesting an elk requires so many pieces to fall into place - you are working hard enough and smart enough to make it happen. You'll get 'em...