7 Days...One Strike...and People Rolling Boulders....WHAT!

[POk3s]

Well the title pretty much sums it up.

On Monday I start a new job. Well actually a career that I'm pretty excited about. Besides all that I was able to be in the mountains all of last week. I backpacked into a place with my best friend that I had backpacked into last year with another buddy. The night before opening morning we spotted a bachelor herd of 7 bulls with a couple nice 5 points in the mix. They went down to the creek bottom and wallowed around. The next morning we couldn't spot them and heard no bugling. We did find a nice 5 point bull well below us as we were on top of a cliff. Got down there and tried some mild calling but it didn't work. We waited at the wallow all afternoon and evening to no evail.

The next morning we went the opposite direction from camp and only spotted one spike before the rain came in. We headed back to the drainage we spotted the 5 point in the night before and from our "cliff vantage point" spotted a small raghorn and tons of cows. My buddy got a first hand lesson of "cow talk" as they were going nuts in the rain. One bull was bugling below and I told my buddy that I would bet money he would come check all those cows that night. I was correct. Everything we had been seeing to this point was below mid mountain so the next morning we headed in from the bottom...sure enough the bugling bull was above all the cows along with a crab clawed 6 point we spotted and another 6 point about 1/2 mile away and across the drainage.

This is where things get interesting. The wind was all wrong for the big bull (I'm assuming...never saw him just heard his bugling). I waited until 9 o'clock before sneaking in there when the wind was right. Tried calling to him but he would bugle from his bed and not move. Me and my buddy knew we had 4 bulls in the area (as another had started bugling mid morning as well) and all of them shooters. We were the only ones back there so we were just going to stick around, glass, and listen. It was about 2 PM when I heard two loud sneezes from our previous "cliff vantage point" above us. It's more of a slide but a cliff to us humans . I look up, see them, and just think "Oh great....I'm sure they just walked right through our bulls bedroom".

All of the sudden these people start rolling rocks down the slide. I would be lying if I said any of those rocks were close to hitting us but never the less we weren't that far away. They didn't just roll one or two....they rolled about 10 down before I whistled. Me and my buddy have long since stepped out from our mid day "beds" in the shade of a few big pines hoping they'd notice us. After the whistle, there was no response by the 3 "hunters". One guy kicked another big rock down the hill so I whistled again.....and again nothing. I'm sure they can hear me so I just sit there in shock as they roll rock after rock after rock down the mountain. After about 10 more I gave a louder and longer whistle and waved me hands in the air. They all hurried behind some trees and sat down like they were in timeout. I'm damn near in a complete rage as me and my buddy have been waiting under that tree for 4 hours already. Disgusted I pick up my stuff and we climb up and out of the drainage to never see any other elk in that drainage.

My buddy had to be home on Wednesday so we packed up camp and went back to "base camp" where my dad was waiting. He hadn't even seen an elk and I decided I'd hunt with him the next morning closer to camp. To our luck a couple bulls were bugling right below us all night. There was one other camp of older guys close and they gave us the go ahead to go after them. I chased a big 5 point bull (250-260")all morning before getting cliffed out and not wanting to bump them from their beds I backed out. I ended up calling a spike into 30 yards and wished my dad had been with me as he would've had a chip shot at his first elk with a bow. Me, I passed him up.

That evening I got an early start and decided I would get above them. When they started to move, I would move and try to get in front of him and his cows headed to where they were going to feed for the evening. Well on my way in I spot a cow in a small clearing in the timber. This cow is about 600 yards from where I left the herd that morning so I didn't think it was the same herd with the big bull but figured she wouldn't be by herself either. I'm about 40 yards from her and she has no idea I'm there. A couple times I would move ever so slightly just readjusting and she would pick up my movement but get bored and never bust. Finally she just feeds off calmly. I'm extra careful as I move up the mountain knowing there's more elk somewhere.

By shear luck I see horns glistening in the sunlight and know it's my bull. He's looking off to my right towards the cow and I ranged the tree he's under at 65 yards. I duck down, take off my pack and bugle and knock an arrow. I get back down the hill a little ways and sneak up the back side of a small rise. When I get close to the top I looked and he's still there. This time I range the tree he's under at 53 yards. Really no way for me to get closer as this meadow is fairly loud and he has cows all around him somewhere. I keep a watchful eye out for them but see none. I'm trying to creep as close as I can when I see his head whip toward me as a rustle a dried plant. I stand motionless and he turns back to my right. Again I try to take that small step and make another noise barely audible. Again he whips his head and I draw my bow. I've played this game long enough to know he's going to stand now. Sure enough he starts to stand seconds after I get my bow drawn. I settle my 50 yard pin a little high (which may have been my downfall) and release. At the release he jumps the string and ducks my arrow. What do you do that's part of the game I guess.

I've killed a bull at 55 yards and he was still eating when the arrow got there. I'm guessing that when you call in elk they're expecting to hear some noise. When all of sudden I'm standing there out of the blue and a big "POP!" goes off, that bull wanting nothing to do with it. Another lesson learned I guess but I don't think I can bring myself to aim for an elk to jump the string when I think it's relatively rare.

The next morning I chased him around a little and he bedded in the same spot as the day previous but I wanted the older gentlemen to have a crack at the bugling bulls in that drainage. They weren't going to drop down and ruin anything but they were gracious to let me and my dad chase them for a few days so I let them have their turn and dropped into a hell hole for the evening hunt. After 7 days of packing in gear, packing out gear, and chasing bulls up and down mountains I had nothing left. I left last night (friday night) so I could have everything ready to start my new job Monday. I'll be back after them as much as I can but don't know how much time I will have. Definitely no "extra days" to take off. Good luck to everyone!!!

[BROKECARPENTER]

Good story. Congratulations on your new career.

[POk3s]

Thank you very much I appreciate it.

[Castnblast]

Great story. What state you having all this activity?

[LckyTylr]

Great account of your trip. Maybe in your new career, your boss will be super cool and let you take off a Friday or a Monday.

[POk3s]

I already know him and he's pretty cool. I live in Wyoming (to answer one question) so a lot of the guys are pretty lenient on hunting time. I will get 3 weeks of vacation in my first year but that means next year. I work 4 10 hour shifts so that leaves me with 3 day weekends but it sounds like I will be working 5 days next week leaving me with one day of hunting and one day of packing out. I obviously can't miss a day this early due to packing out an elk. I may be rifle hunting this year for the first time in a long time! We'll see

[easeup]

rolling boulders??!!!!!!!!

[POk3s]

easeup, yes rolling boulders. Not only picking up rocks and rolling them down the hill but finding bigger rocks that couldn't be picked up, sitting down, and pushing on them with their legs to roll them down the hill. Absolute stupidity.

I gave this camp the benefit of the doubt last year when they put their tent up right under the elk quarters I had hung in the tree and had their horses on a line right ON the gut pile from my bull. I thought maybe they came in in the dark and somehow didn't see everything there.....nope, now I know their just a special kind of people. How these people find my area I have no idea. They obviously have the will to get in there, they packed in two trips worth of stuff as I found their stash. It's about an 8 mile ride from where they had their horse trailer....I just don't see why you spend all that time getting in there and then have no common sense.

[mjblowers]

I'm at a loss.

You saw more in your 7 seven days than I've seen in 3 years.

[MTLongdraw]

Great Story! Whats the new career?

[POk3s]

Lol sorry mj. My dad hunted 4 days and only saw 2 elk. Nearly had a shot at a spike he snuck up on in the trees but it didn't work out. I don't even know how many elk I saw and heard. First few days were tough, after that I was into elk almost every morning and evening.

I start at a local mine here in Wyoming called Solvay Chemicals. Entry Level but got my foot in the door and that's all I can ask!

[LarryBud]

Lol sorry mj. My dad hunted 4 days and only saw 2 elk. Nearly had a shot at a spike he snuck up on in the trees but it didn't work out. I don't even know how many elk I saw and heard. First few days were tough, after that I was into elk almost every morning and evening.

I start at a local mine here in Wyoming called Solvay Chemicals. Entry Level but got my foot in the door and that's all I can ask!

I worked 10.5 years for Solvay in a different division. Great company. Congrats on the new job.

[Bullnuts]

Good story! Seems like there are always a few knuckleheads in the woods so all you can do is try and avoid them. It sucks to be that far in and have them travel all that way just to mess up your hunt. Good luck with the new career!

[POk3s]

Lol sorry mj. My dad hunted 4 days and only saw 2 elk. Nearly had a shot at a spike he snuck up on in the trees but it didn't work out. I don't even know how many elk I saw and heard. First few days were tough, after that I was into elk almost every morning and evening.

I start at a local mine here in Wyoming called Solvay Chemicals. Entry Level but got my foot in the door and that's all I can ask!

I worked 10.5 years for Solvay in a different division. Great company. Congrats on the new job.

LOL well how bout that. Thank you.

and thanks bullnuts. I'm going to try and backpack past them a couple miles as it seems like they don't hunt off horse back just get to their camp and then walk a mile from camp blowing a bugle off every point. i would love to know what their success rate is.