Funky incidents or stories while on the elk hunt

[Lefty]

The first evening of my archery elk hunt as I was walking towards camp, I stepped into an opening and this terrible sound ,.. sounds like a moo cow with a calf stuck in her sideways. The sound was relativity close, maybe 200 yards, but its too dark to tell. Each time the sound came my direction the sound gradually turns into a coyote howling and yipping.
Every single night walking back to camp after dark this coyote makes the most natural sounds,The coyote starts with a huge amount of volume working his way into what eventfully sounds like , or similar to other coyotes.
Each Saturday morning my first calling set up was about 3/4 mile from camp, maybe 10 minutes into shooting time . And each time that coyote, would hang up 200-300 yards away and howl back at my bull bugles. Actually kind of neat
The last night at elk camp my wife and I are enjoying the stars, each others company while Im relaxing before bedtime.
We hear this terrible sound. Unlike anything we have ever heard. My wife had heard"my Coyote" the night before but this was different. Was it a moo cow? A love sick red angus bull?. then after some time, maybe a wolf? At first the sounds were 600 yards away. The sound was getting closer. Now maybe 300 yards. This was the only time archery hunting I wanted a big gun instead of pepper spray
I was even joking it was Sasquatch. Eventually this sound turned more and more like my coyote buddy.
Ive heard a lot of coyotes in my life, but nothing ever like how this coyote would start out his evening yodles!

[WapitiTalk1]

Dang yotes, I have a bumper pack that likes to stage a rock concert below my place every few nights. Not one of them can hold a note. Drives my dogs crazy.

OK, back on topic. Was hunting the Stampede Pass in WA State many years ago when it was still pretty good for early season wapiti. I used the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail) to get a few miles south before I hunted a sweeping draw to the west that usually held a screamer or two. Well.... I rounded a turn in the trail right after sunrise (seems that everything odd begins with a "I just rounded a corner and..."), and I heard faint sounds of splish/splash off the trail up to my right perhaps 25 yards up the hillside. I stopped, obviously wondering what the water source was on this dry ridge and what was splashing in said water source. I observed a long blond haired lady, washing her hair by pouring water over her head and flicking it back like a Clairol commercial... She saw me in my full battle gear (camo from head to toe packing a bow) about the time I saw her and she slowly retreated to her tent where her significant other (boyfriend/husband) came crawling out giving me "the look". Onward up the trail I went. They were gone on their PCT trek when I cam back that afternoon.

[powderhogg01]

2 years ago I was hunting a new area between where I live and silverthorne co. I was a ways up and near some small lakes, the elk were being silent and it was early on in the hunt so I decided a lake side nap and maybe some fishing after were in order. I slept for about 30 minutes and woke up feeling hungry, figured one of these brookies over a fire would get me in the killing mindset for the evening. I fished the lake for an hour and gave up fish less and decided to take my gear and head down stream a little bit,down a steep hill and around the corner maybe 300 yards out in the creek is a fella in full hazmat suit testing the water.
We saw each other at about the same time, he point at me and says I wouldn't be standing in this creek, then goes on with his work. I am still not sure if it was an epa guy testing mine run off or what, but that was definitely an odd occurrence.

[Swede]

Like Lefty, I have heard some weird coyote sounds. Sometimes they can sound like a regular dog, and at other times it is hard to figure out just what they are, and what they are sounding off about.

This September I was sitting in my tree stand at about 4:15PM. All of a sudden I heard a bull bugle off in the timber about 200 yards away. I was saying to myself, "this is the real thing. That was no plastic flute." "Plastic flute" is my term for most elk bugles used by human callers. I told myself "stay quiet and wait. Don't let him think anything is around." Often bulls will bugle before coming in to water or to wallow. If you call back, they will leave and go somewhere else. About ten minutes later I heard him again. He sounded big. This time he is much closer. Then in another couple of minutes he was in the wallow about 60 yards away. "Rats! I am in the wrong place. I should have had my stand at the other water hole" The trees around me blocked my view, but I could hear him and he was making some short squeals, and splashing. It sounded like he was delighted to be in the wallow.
I could see patches of brown and some legs around the wallow, so I knew other elk were with him. I also knew I could not get to him without being seen or scented. Suddenly a big cow came around the trees in front of me and started getting a drink from the stream below. I stood there and pondered whether or not to shoot. I would have preferred the bull, but the cow is just 25 yards out and broadside. I thought about her a little more, then she turned and came even closer, and bent down to get another drink. With her head down just 20 yards away, I settled the question in my mind and came to full draw. I sighted in on her. In an instant the hunting season was over. And I sat down to wait a little while.
She stood there a few seconds after being shot. The arrow had pierced both of her sides. The bow was very quite, and she was not spooked by anything. She trotted off a ways, and the woods became eerily quiet. I waited there for a while hoping to at least see the bull and other cows, but they never showed themselves. About 6:00PM I heard him bugle from down the draw about 150 yards away. He was trying to contact the missing lead cow. About two hours later I heard him again chuckling for her. After that the woods remained quiet except for the subtle sounds of the lone hunter going about his work.

[CurlyTail]

Ok. This year we took a hike from one side of the mountain range to the other, shuttling cars at both ends. Ended up taking a ridge I had never hiked before. Stumbled upon a pile of wreckage below a large utility line/tower. Upon inspection, it became clear this was a helicopter crash site. I figured they must of crashed the chopper installing the lines or towers.

Once I got home and started to do a little internet research, turns out it was a Denver Sky 9 news helicopter. Crashed in 1988 returning from reporting on an airplane crash near Monarch Pass. Was foggy and windy and they hit the power lines, crashed, killed both the pilot and the cameraman. Crash was found when a power outage was reported, and the power company flew the lines looking for the problem.

Kind of spooky, and a real memorable event.

[powderhogg01]

thats one heck of a find. I am sure it felt uneasy being around. I have never come across that, We did find a dodge durango way up mt mcclellan near georgetown CO. We were scouting at the time, the vehicle had clearly rolled a long ways before coming to a rest in that creek bottom where we found it. No plates on it, nothing left inside but some squirrel nests. By the age of the aspens growing around, it had to have been there at least 5 years. my guess was that it was a stolen vehicle, all I know is if you roll the off the road up there, its several thousand feet before you stop rolling.
I remember thinking to myself as we looked it over, god help me avoid the day I come across a scene like this with people hurt. Sure I have a first aid kit on me, but not for something like a truck wreck or plane or heli crash..

[Tigger]

we were in the black timber in WY and came upon a tent from about a year ago. kinda odd, but not as odd as the next one was....about 250 yards later. A big tent, complete with wood stove, lanterns, pots, pans, etc all abandoned. Probably 5 years ago? all ruined. As we poked around the tent, i whispered....are you prepared to find a body??? The oddest thing about the whole thing...it was a terrible campsite. I cannot imagine why they picked that area.

[husky390]

My ears still hurt from the squeaks I heard from a rifle hunters hoochie mama last Sunday. That dude's either got one helluva handshake or he's gonna end up with arthritis someday with the way he was constantly hammering that stupid thing.

[Lefty]

My ears still hurt from the squeaks I heard from a rifle hunters hoochie mama last Sunday. That dude's either got one helluva handshake or he's gonna end up with arthritis someday with the way he was constantly hammering that stupid thing.

Hoochie Mamas should have a limiter switch on them