11 years ago

[Coveyleader]

I went scouting today, and often look down into a place one can only describe as an elk Oasis! No matter if it's archery, ML, Rifle, etc, elk, and many bulls will be down in this god forsaken place. As the season goes on, it just loads up with elk.

Well, Friday I was standing in a spot that lets you see down there and bang, big six point. I look just above him in a slide and another nice bull. I'd been down there before, so Saturday morning, I dropped down. It had been 11 years since I''d been down there, 29 then. Same water hole was hammered, old wallow still there, but as I was coming out, I thought to myself, can I pack an elk out of here? East facing oak brush all the way out means HOT! Imagine crawling on your hands and knees for yards at a time due to the Oak Brush being so bad. I lost a bugle down there years ago, that place hadn't changed a bit, and now I recall why I lost that bugle. In my 20's it was a place I used to drop into to get away. Now a month away from 40, I'm not sure one guy could get one out.

As happended to me years ago, someone was waiting at my truck when I came out. That day I was into a herd and called three bulls in within 5 minutes all in view of those guys in their truck. I remember them saying we're going in tomorrow, and I remember saying have at it. I told them how great elk hunting is down there and I have nothing to hide. It is; very few public land spots will get a guy into elk like this place. Heck you can see them from your truck!

Saturday, as I sat on the tailgate of my truck, bare feet enjoying the sun I mentioned to these two guys that very few guys will go in there "Once" but very few will ever go back again. You see,nothing really changes except the fact time is rough on a guy. Maybe a guy should just go in with a bugle and have fun. Leave the bow in the truck. It might ruin your week.

You guys in your 20's, hunt those holes now!

[elkohalic]

Let me know where it is and I will hunt your elk !! I do agree though, that oak brush can be like walking through walls.

[Lefty]

Aghhh come-on
What will you think when your 50? or 60? ,..
Its a mental game as much as physical, sometimes more mental toughness than anything.
We all make consessions as we get older. I havent been on my water ski in three years
But on the bright side my FIL drew and killed a sheep at 79 years old. And have put in for his OIL goat hunts


And sometimes common sense prevails, other times hardwork!


This year my daughter drew a OIL moose : our plan, kill the moose if far enough back I will cut up-bone and depending on conditions package the meat while a runner makes the round trip for horses back home . Maybe horses cant make it where you are.
I had an alternate plan when in Utah. I had 1200 feet of rope and 5000 feet of cable

Overall hunt where you want to hunt.

[easeup]

my youth has left me too, decades ago mr. covey.
You bring up a sobering reminder of one of the truths of life. and the observations you made are so very true.
I want to offer up a word of encouragement to you and guys like us that have seen the dark hair turn grey or lost forever. Many times what seems too hard is a result of our minds limiting us because we lost some courage or we lost the desire to go get what used to be so very valuable to us. We can do what it takes; it may take us longer now. We just have to want it bad like when we were young.
So many times in our life when we say we lost something, what was really lost was our desire for that which we say we lost.

As I look at my typed words, please dont take them as an accusation or finger pointing; I just wanted to say that that honey hole is still there for you like it once was!
thanks for the post too.

[Coveyleader]

Where do you guys draw the line to kill an elk? I can walk with the best of them, and am very strong willed. I guess that's why I don't have a hunting partner, they all just seem to fizzle out, or don't have the drive to go into hard places. Heck the reason I dropped in there Saturday was to "Do it". I didn't need to go down there. I knew what was there.

My concern is hunting alone these days, I'm not sure a guy could get an elk out of there before bad things happend to the meat. You cannot get a horse in there, I guess Lamas would work.

I find computer scouting, heck computer anything kind of funny. The tight grid lines on your PC don't account for one, two steps, take a break. One two steps, take a break. Ok, to that tree. Half way to that tree, take a break. Man, I said to that tree!

I'm sure many can relate to that scenario!

[WapitiTalk1]

I'm with you Coveyleader. 30 years ago when I was in my early 20s, a buddy and I would hunt a certain area or two in NW MT just like you described (substitute alder fields for your oak brush). These "holes" always held multiple bulls. Quick story..... Headed up late SEP one Friday afternoon after work (early 80s). Parked at trailhead and busted a$$ in three miles and set up camp close to "the drop". Set up an el cheapo two man pack tent and stacked a bit of firewood for the two day adventure. Right after dark, I threw out a locater bugle into the abyss. At least 4 bulls screamed back up the steep canyon... these were all nice bulls. OK, went to sleep and woke up with cheap tent collapsed on top of us with a good 10 inches of snow. Morning came, got up to hunt, and we were already soaked when we crested the ridge.. Locater bugle and again, multiple answers down below.. Down we went, and down, and down all the way to the bottom. Got into two close calls with very nice bulls but no shots.. Time to head back up early afternoon. Extremely steep snow covered hillside was a mess to climb back up.. Took several hours of grabbing alder to stabilize each step.. Got to top finally and tried to build a fire with the wet wood.. that wasn't happening. We did the smart thing at got our soaked gear packed up and headed out to the jeep. Were both borderline hypothermic by the time we hiked out. I think long and hard before I dive into those holes nowadays.

[elkohalic]

one, two steps, take a break. One two steps, take a break. Ok, to that tree. Half way to that tree, take a break. Man, I said to that tree!

I'm sure many can relate to that scenario!

Aint that the truth!! at age 44 I seem to be picking closer rocks and trees every year!!

To answer your other question "where do you draw the line" I don't have a line yet, I'm sure I will some day soon.

[LckyTylr]

I'm still a young gun (26). Being from the East Coast, I hate to admit, but I think it's more difficult for me to overcome my mental shortcomings than for someone that grew up in Elk country. As I grew up, when I was wandering the rolling hills of Upstate NY, standing on top of the highest hill, I could see for about 3 miles and within direct line of site of those 3 miles, I could see 7 or 8 "peaks". From top to bottom, you would only gain/lose 500 feet of elevation. Within those hilltops, if I were to walk the entire distance, I'd encounter dozens and dozens of whitetails. From my hunting background, why would I walk any further than I'd need to to harvest an animal?

As I'm approaching another elk season, I'm in better shape than I was when I was a 3 sport athlete in High School, by FAR. Last year, I was NOT hearing bugles, I wasn't hearing anything, and I only saw a handful of elk the entire season. Frustrated and lacking motivation . . . . . . you betcha! The very last day that I could hunt, after 4 three-day weekends of busting my butt trying to find an animal, I finally gathered up the nerve to drop down into a "honey hole" that my friend pointed me towards. My friend grew up in those mountains and his stomping grounds were MUCH more radical than mine ever were, so it was nothing for him to drop several thousand feet down into a hole in search of a critter, while I thought that was not just unreasonable, but borderline impossible. With my season rapidly dwindling, I crossed my comfort line and went for it. It was just bad luck that the elk had, for some unknown reason, vacated that hole in search of greener pastures. I'd say that I was disappointed after all of the effort that I expended getting down there, hunting all day long and then hiking back out in the dark, only to hear a small pack of wolves surrounding me in the timber at the bottom as I called to them, but to be honest, it was a huge victory for me. Now I know that I CAN do it. More importantly, I'm GOING to do it the first weekend, and the 2nd, 3rd and 4th this year. I do worry about the meat spoiling if I get one, but I also know that if I get one in such a nasty location, I'm going to hike all night and all day if I have to.

Right now, it's easy to be afraid of what I'm capable of, but I know that if presented the opportunity, I can rise up to any occasion, one step at a time. It's going to hurt, but I know that I can be hurt and smile simultaneously. Go for it!!!

[CrazyElkHunter]

[quote="Coveyleader"]I went scouting today, and often look down into a place one can only describe as an elk Oasis! No matter if it's archery, ML, Rifle, etc, elk, and many bulls will be down in this god forsaken place. As the season goes on, it just loads up with elk.

That's how I ended up with the nickname "CrazyElkHunter", when I was a lot younger I would not hesitate to go after bulls in hell holes when no one else in my group would. When we discussed the night before where everyone was going to hunt the next morning, I would say in the hole. They all would say " Your Crazy". It stuck! 1999 took me 3 days to get all the meat out. Now I am almost 61 with 2 bad knees so my deep canyons have turned to slopes instead of cliffs.

[ElkNut1]

Coveyleader, I enjoyed reading that info! We too hunt some areas guys shake their heads at! (grin) At 57 presently there's not many places I wouldn't go! (grin) I may not be the fastest but I will get there!! I agree that meat is always a concern in the heat!! So far we've handled it pretty well, the upside is I can rely on help!!! (grin)

ElkNut1

[Swede]

Good story Coveyleader. I hear where you are coming from. There is a little draw that seperates Oregon and Idaho, that is reported to have some geat elk hunting too. I have occasionally been invited to join some adventuresome friends on a hunt they want to discuss during the winter. I always say "if you get a reliable packer to haul us in and out as well as to come and pick up our meat, I am interested". That is always where all plans for hunting Hells Canyon end.

[bullrub]

one, two steps, take a break. One two steps, take a break. Ok, to that tree. Half way to that tree, take a break. Man, I said to that tree!

I'm sure many can relate to that scenario!

Aint that the truth!! at age 44 I seem to be picking closer rocks and trees every year!!

To answer your other question "where do you draw the line" I don't have a line yet, I'm sure I will some day soon.[/quote]

Like you said elkohalic one step at a time. My 20's are long gone, but i still hunt the same places. It takes me longer to get there and get back, but it has made me a better hunter because im not running and gunning to get to that hot spot. I have found that there were alot go good spots that i blew right by and alot of game that i bumped out. Now its just slow and steady. I now have my setting rocks and stumps named. NEVER EVER SAY YOU CAN'T GET THERE.

[elkohalic]

That was actually a coveyleader quote, Not sure how it got messed up but I think I fixed it

[LckyTylr]

That is always where all plans for hunting Hells Canyon end.

Haha, that's Awesome! I put in for 18 archery this year. Didn't draw but a buddy did and he drew mulie, lucky dude. He killed a 340 something up there last year and saw a monster mulie while packing out.

I guess that's how I know that I'm mentally ready to give it my all, or get my butt kicked trying . . . . . . I put in for 18 AFTER wandering around in it for a few days. That place would make a good ski/snowboard resort . . . . . if you like the Double Blacks!