Harmy's 2012 Hunt

[Harmy]

Harmy’s 2012 Elk Hunt-Wasatch Unit-Limited Entry Muzzleloader hunt. Sept 26 through Oct 4.

Preparations for this hunt focused extensively on reviewing maps and Google Earth to locate water sources. Being a very dry year it was surmised that identification of water sources near good feed would be the primary vehicle for locating elk in this range. Numerous days were spent driving dirt roads and walking about in several different mountains, ridges, and valleys.

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Most of the summer left me searching for elk and finding nothing but moose on multiple occasions:

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Finally on Sept 22 I packed the rig and headed to base camp.

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[Harmy]

Continued:
The next several days were then devoted to scouting aggressively. The area we hunt is between 7500 and 9000 feet elevation. Our focus area consists of a North/South primary ridge that is about 25 miles long with many sub ridges going off at right angles to the West and East. On the East side it is mostly aspen covered with north faces being steeper thick pines. Wow were the aspens going off! On the West side it is more remote (less roads) with south-facing slopes being brush covered and north-facing being thick pine covered.
West Side looking North

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West Side Looking South

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East Side

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[Harmy]

Three days of glassing:

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My previous 4+ weeks of scouting had shown me that the elk were quite prevalent on the West side. They would be out on the open south facing sides of the sub ridges a good 2-3 miles from the main ridge with good vehicle access. By 8:30 in the morning the elk would march down and into the thick pines to rest. About an hour before dark they would emerge and again start grazing on the south facing hillsides. My plan was to setup in the canyon bottoms wherever I could locate the most heavily used game trails with the freshest sign. During the two months preceding the hunt I saw upwards of 100 elk with several dozen bulls in these west side sub ridges and never saw any elk on the East side of the main ridge. Thus I spent much of the 4 days before opening day searching these sub ridges looking for the ones with the most activity. Two days before the opener I spent calling with locator bugles at night on the main ridge. I heard a few faint bugles to the West but suddenly to my East I heard them within several hundred yards. The next morning we had plans to hike down into the most productive canyon on the West side and choose an ambush site. But, due to the bugles we heard I decided to look at the East side. Since it was closer to camp we did not have to get up nearly as early. About an hour before light we were out and getting ready. Lo and behold there were three separate bugles heard well in the distance (we were camped at the bottom of the East side of the ridge. Driving out the main highway which parallels the main ridge we suddenly had 4 cows and an unidentified big body run across in our headlights. We stopped and watched but it was too dark. About 1 mile further a solid 5x5 crossed 50 feet in front of us and headed to the East towards the reservoir (mostly open sage with scattered patches of aspen) and about a mile separating the highway from the reservoir). Another mile further and a smaller 5x5 was just grazing about 100 yards from the highway. Since we could now see we turned around and went back to where the cows were. Again, not 75 yards off the highway was another nice 6x6 just grazing and minding his own business. Wow, I was in a frenzy. Why couldn’t it be opening morning right now??? Oh well. This changed my well laid plans altogether. We then decided to drive some of the other side-roads near camp and came upon one of the largest bulls I have ever seen. He was about 25 yards away in thick aspens and moving quickly. A solid 7x7. Now I was really excited. We went back to camp and roasted up the three forest grouse I nabbed earlier in the week. That afternoon we went fishing but didn’t catch a thing. Oh well, my mind was elsewhere anyway... Come evening we were back at it. While we did not see any more elk we could hear bugles in many locations very close to the highway.
All week long I had been hoping and hoping for rain. The mountains were so incredibly loud to walk through that I was fearful I would never be able to sneak up on them. Well my wish came true and it was raining the day before the opener. Now I was getting way excited. Everything was falling into place except for a scratch in my throat…

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That morning we continued our efforts in trying to locate more elk and to specifically see if we could locate the 7x7 again. What a change. This day we did not see a single elk but saw 8 bucks with 2 nice 4 points. We could hear a few bugles but they were quiet by 8:00 am and we did not hear them again until late in the evening. Now I was wondering what to do.
Opening morning came and I decided to hunt the small aspen clumps right next to the highway. It was raining lightly and predicted to rain most of the day. Yay! Now it would be quiet and easy to sneak around. Since we had not really observed any other hunters this low I figured we might as well try to get close to either the 6x6 or the 7x7. All morning I searched these groves and saw nothing but mulie does but could hear the elk going crazy about 1/3 of the way up towards the main ridge. They bugled right up till about 10:00 and then silence. These sub ridges are about 3-4 miles long between the top of the ridge and the highway. I figured that in two days they had moved up. My morning was shot so in the afternoon we changed plans and drove up one of the sub ridges to about 2/3rd height. Then we began to slowly walk across to the South.
After about 2 hours we got busted by a nice 5x5 about 75 yards away. I chose not to shoot even though it was an easy shot and the bull was anchored. I figured that with so many larger bulls close by I needed to wait. Plus, I figured this was a satellite and that a herd might be nearby. Sure enough, 100 yards on the opposite side of the 5x5 I busted them in a thick bunch of chock cherry bushes (much like alder but not as thick or tall). There were about 10 cows headed out and sure enough there was the big 7x7 following them. They were only 50 feet away but I had no shot and my nervous grunt did not anchor him. Off they went. I decided my best bet was to give chase. They bee-lined due south, so I headed after. The bull was bugling all the way. About a mile into the chase I noticed that I was paralleling a small 4x4 raghorn. He was headed straight toward where I was headed and soon I was following him at about 400 yards behind. Man was I glad I did a bunch of cardio because I was gassed out. The raghorn disappeared and within 20 minutes I was nearing a ridge where I could hear huge activity. Upon getting close I was simply shocked. Here was the herd I bumped right on a saddle. There were more like 15 cows and 4-6 satellites. Plus, on either side of the herd were two more herds with large bulls, many cows, and more satellites. I was about 500 yards away at this point. The terrain was sloping up gently in a wide bowl with open aspens and grass covering the ground. Near the ridge the elk were milling about in another chock cherry bramble. As I slowly approached I was able to see the big 7x7 go back and forth several times to each of the other herd bulls. They were locking horns and grunting and bugling like nothing I have ever heard before. Back and forth and several times just screaming at the multitude of satellites that were circling. I would hazard a guess that there were more than 100 elk on that ridge right then. There were 3 dominant herd bulls and upwards of 20 other bulls. I was completely memorized. I began to sneak up the bowl. I was crouched and nearly crawling. I would try and wait to make sure no cows were looking my way before moving and would position an aspen between me and the cows as much as possible. In about 20 minutes I had snuck to within 100 feet of the center group. The big bull was just finishing bashing in the right herd bull and was headed back to the left side to go deal a blow to the left bull. As he entered my opening I brought my gun up to shoot and DAMN, DAMN, DAMN, I can’t see a thing through my scope because both lenses are full of water, my glasses have water all over them, and I am overheated and fogging up everything! Now, my wish just screwed me royally…
Well, I had no choice but to remove my pack and fish out a cloth to clean my optics. Now it was getting really late. I figured I had maybe 15 minutes of light left. Note, I am basically in the wide open grass sitting behind a 15 inch aspen. There are probably 4 trees between me and the ridge and there is a minor thicket of chock cherry where the elk are basically going nuts. I take extreme caution in removing my pack and finding my cloth. Do you have any idea how loud a slowly opened zipper can be? “Click!, Click!, Click!” It probably took me about 5 minutes to open my pack zipper enough to get my hand inside and again that much to close the darn thing. I finally had optics I could see through but of course the heard had now moved off to the left and were about 150 yards away and moving slowly. I have no idea what happened to the other herds or satellites as I lost all concentration on them when dealing with my gear. Now I needed to quickly pursue as I figured I only had 5 minutes of light left.
Just as I get to the ridge and head toward the herd I am fully busted by a cow at 50 feet. She just stands there looking at me. I freeze not daring to even breathe. I am totally exposed and know that if I move it will be game over. After what feels like 5 minutes she walks off. I can see her head toward the herd and I catch a glimpse of the big bulls rack. Damn, I am almost too late… I take three steps and now another cow fully busts out. She jumps airborne in a 90 degree turn and lunges head on and full tilt right smack into a 20 inch diameter dead aspen. KaPow! The tree fully explodes as if hit by lightning and comes crashing down in a pile with splinters and chunks flying in all directions. Hell breaks loose in all directions around me and nothing but thundering hoofs can be heard moving in all directions. Soon silence falls on me as I am completely dumbfounded by what just happened. I can’t believe it. I must have had drool hanging from my mouth to my feet as I stood there for so long with my mouth open. Now it was fully dark and time to hike out. I was so exhilarated I couldn’t even be bummed out. I was psyched to say the least.
The next morning I was determined to get back into the action but I was coming down with a nasty respiratory infection (still have it two weeks later in fact). I went back up to the ridge but found no sign of the herds. I was beginning to cough every few minutes and knew the elk were long gone. By lunch time I was pretty frustrated as I had been hearing bugling several ridges to the South and figured the herd had bailed that direction. I sat back down in the bowl that I had approached the group the night before and had lunch. I was totally in the open sitting with my back against an aspen. As I sat there I was playing with my cow calls. Of course, as predicted and reiterated by at least 15 people on the ElkNut forum, here comes a bull. It looks just like the 4x4 Rag I had paralleled the night before. He was coming right at me. I could see him easily at 200 yards coming my way. At about 120 yards he slowed and turned 90 degrees. He walked right to the spot where he was directly downwind of my location. He stopped and stuck his nose up and sniffed around. He was looking right at my position and I was fully exposed. Of course, he winded me and headed back the way he came. I cow called and he stopped and looked again. Since he could not see the obvious cow he started off again. This time I threw a nervous grunt and wow did that bull put on the brakes and hold his position. He stood there for a good 3 minutes just looking at my position. Then he bolted due to my coughing fit. Well, I guess I can’t learn lessons by reading, I have to repeat what ElkNut taught me these last few months in person for it to sink in... But wow that was an experience as I had no plans to shoot that bull and enjoyed the experiment immensely. Note, until this season I had never called before.
As the evening progressed so did my infection. I realized I was in trouble and needed to salvage my hunt by leaving the mountains to getting to the doc. I had to take the next day off and go get antibiotics, cough syrup, and cough drops or I figured my hunt would be a total bust. Dang, it hurt having to leave right when the action was so hot but I really had no choice. I could not hunt with my cough. I felt fine physically but the noise I was making was a game changer.
Day 4 started with an earlier start than before. My partner and I headed out toward the ridge where I thought the 7x7 and his herd went. As we were driving up the canyon I would stop and listen. Some faint bugles. Up further we stopped again. Louder bugles but still a mile away. Nearly to the top we stop and bugles are 200-300 yards from the truck! It is still dark. We get out and walk toward them. I can hear what appears to be a herd bull surrounded by 4 satellites. Yes! I am back into the action. As we approach I figure my partner and I are about 100 yards from the loudest and roughest sounding satellite. It is just getting light enough to see that he is in a thicket of chock cherries. I can’t see him. My partner and I setup behind a couple of aspens and I begin with some light cow calls. The bull responds immediately with “come on over little lady”. Of course, if I move I will be in the open and it will be done. I try a few more seductive estrus calls and the bull is obviously more excited and bugling but not chuckling to me. Hum, what to do now? Playbook, where are you when I need you? Left it in the doctor’s office damn it! Ok, regroup, what did I learn? I don’t have a clue. I have forgotten everything I ready and watched for the last two months… Desperation. I turn behind me and blow an immature bugle as if there is a bull coming toward me. I escalate into a level 2 as the bull I am after is now silent. He does nothing. I start raking and kicking and grunting interspersed by cow whining and actions to get away. He is still silent and invisible. I can hear 4-wheelers coming. They are 600 yards away. Damn, this is over before it starts. Last resort. I tell my buddy, who has never done this, “take this cow call, and loudly walk away calling”. He looks at me with the biggest “you have to be kidding right?”. 4 wheelers are now 400 yards away so I push my partner forcibly. Off he goes with the worst cow calls sounding like a sick goose in heat. But it works! Out pops the bull! I can see he is a 6x6. I blow a grunt and he anchors. I aim and shoot. Of course, all I can see is smoke. Then I hear thrashing. I head over slowly continuing to hear him thrash. I can see him. I put another 348 gr slug into his neck and it is all over. I have my first bull in the dirt! Yea!

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[Harmy]

I am only 10 feet from the road! All summer long I had been planning and working to get in shape to carry out a carcass for several miles. Not this time…

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Ok, No more limited entry points. What state to I put in for first and when do I apply? Colorado? Wyoming? Idaho? I am ready!

[planebow]

Congarts on a nice bull!!

[WapitiTalk1]

Nice bull and great read.. Thanks for sharing your hunt with us. RJ

[ST52V]

Awesome write up. Being new to this addiction I enjoy post like this. I read all that I can in hopes to learn enough to kill my first elk and make a post like this.

[T/H]

Nice bull. As far as your prep for hiking in and packing out goes........ I'd rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it. That goes for conditioning too!

[hornart]

Congrats on a Great Bull and an awesome story

[Dirty D]

Congrats! Great writeup & amazing pics!

[Harmy]

Took Friday off to go after my cow. Could not leave until 1:00 PM. Figured we would simply get up high and spot for saturday morning. As we turned off onto the 4x4 road we got out to stretch and my partner exclaims, "where is my sleeping bag?" He is certain he packed it and that it has blown out the back of the truck. I just shook my head and told him it would be a fun night suffering with all his clothes on. No way we were going back at this point. By now it was about 3:30. He then told me I had better get my cow in the next couple hours so we can go home tonight. There was about 3 inches of snow on all aspects with no sun and the low temps were projected to be in the mid 20's. I figured my partner was going to be miserable but he said lets go for it.

We drove down the ridge (muddy son of a B!) stopping occasionally to look around. About 6 miles in I saw a bunch of elk milling about in a meadow which was about 1000 feet below and a mile away. There looked to be 50+. My partner and I headed down the hill staying in a ravine and in the aspens. We got to within about 125 yards and the elk started to move away. There were more like 100 to 150 head in a large herd. There were bulls, spikes, and many cows milling about and headed off to the West. No shots presented themselves so we watched them move off into the aspens. When the coast was clear we pursued them hoping to get into a position that I could get a shot. We ended up following them for about 2 miles contouring across the intermittent meadow/aspen slopes. On several occasions we could see small bulls locking horns and pushing each other around. Interesting thing was that there were no herd bulls present. Of the 20+ bulls in the herd most were spikes and the largest were rag horns. I wonder if this is typical for this time of year. As we moved farther from the truck I had my partner double back to get the truck and meet me at a cross road about a mile away.

As I approached the herd again I was comming out of a stand of aspens and the herd was entering the next stand across a 100-150 yard wide sage clearing. They were milling around on the opposite side in a very tight group and so no shot. I dumped my pack on the ground and proceeded to crawl across the meadow. After about 75 feet the herd spooked from some hunters a mile to the west and so the whole group headed right back towards me. I was sitting in the middle of the open sage as they came across. They were trotting in a near single file line about 50 feet from my position. I had a 20 feet wide opening where they were crossing and each time a cow came in view I tried to get on her. Not much luck so instead I simply held my sights at the right height on the left side of the opening. I figured the next cow that came across I would shoot right when she entered my cross hairs. As the first 15 animals crossed I figured out my timing and then several bulls came across. Several more cows and calfs. Then a really nice looking large cow came into view and I shot her right through the lungs. Of course I could not see anything through my smoke cloud and when it cleared the herd was simply standing around frozen in the meadow. They had no clue what had happened as I was sitting right in the center of the meadow and they could not see me. I started to reload and of course then they saw me and took off running right back into the other hunters who soon took three of their own cows.

I got up and looked around. My cow was piled up about 30 yards away right on the edge of the aspens. She was still alive and got up. As she moved off I shot her in the head and down she went. A few minutes later and she quit breathing. I called my partner on the radio and signaled I had a cow down. Turned out I was only a 1/4 mile from the road. My partner joined me and we were able to get her packed up and ready to go. The sun just went down as we loaded up our stuff. My partner carried a hind, the bag of straps and scraps, and my muzzelloader. I took a hind in my back and both front quarters over my shoulder and top of pack. Off to the truck we went. I made it to within 200 yards of the truck and could no longer carry that much so dropped the fronts. By this time my partner had already dropped his load at the truck and came back to take the two front quarters the rest of the way. We loaded up and were back at home by 10:00 pm. Fastest elk hunt of my life. Of course, my partner found his sleeping back still in his car. Luckily he simply spaced it and did not loose it. I still think I should have made him camp out though...

Today we got her all processed and into the freezer. Now I am off to try my hand at making some sausage...

[MTLongdraw]

Congratulations on a great year. Great bull. I started laughing pretty hard about the cow running into the tree.

[Magic]

Congrats. Nice writeup and a super "smokepole" bull.

[cnelk]

Thats a great story and bull!