First Out of State Hunt- Idaho

[MTLongdraw]

Hey All...Been a long time since I've posted but wanted to share my most recent adventure which resulted in some success. Still get on here almost daily just don't post much as life has changed from one little one to two, and we don't believe in naps or stopping for that matter. When I say WE, Mom and Dad still like naps but we don't call the shots around here all the time

Anyways the story goes like this. Have dreamed of hunting Idaho for 3 years now. In February I was able to come up with some extra money through lots of overtime and wife approval to be able to pull the trigger. The original plan was to buy deer and elk tag as I've always wanted an Idaho Muley tag. Then when it came time to buy the tags the Financial Planning Committee (momma) thought two tags was pretty expensive so plan was to buy an elk tag first, then later in the summer buy the deer tag. I knew how that would play out and later on I ended up buying a new hot water heater Such is adulting... Dark horned bucks will have to wait ....but hopefully only in Idaho...

Anyways summer came and went and most pay periods resulted in 20 or more hours of overtime. The guy I had planned to go with got a job and would be moving away ultimately not being able to make the hunt... Thankfully he had really helped me out with learning the unit from home as he had hunted it two years prior and has taken two bulls out of there. Long story short by September I hadn't stepped foot in the unit and had barely had anytime to Google Earth it. I didn't make it into the woods once this summer. NOT MT or ID. Stress of the hunt was starting to take the fun away long before it even started. I was trying my best to not allow that to happen.

Opening (Archery) week in Montana found me in archery camp with an old friend (Nate) and a new buddy of his (Paul). First two days were miserable. Rained and snowed and didn't see anything for elk. Day 3 my buddy Nate killed a nice 5x6 bull. Day 5 I killed a cow (sorry no pics as my camera was dead and didn't have my phone either). She was my second archery elk and a solo hunt in Griz country so I was proud of those facts. Day 6 resulted in a 2 fer with new our new friend Paul taking a cow and Nate's girlfriend also getting her first elk with a bow. 4 for 4 in archery camp is pretty good by anyone's standard...DIY in MT general archery even cooler. I wasn't going to shoot a cow this year with my bow as I'm getting much more confident in my hunting abilities, especially during late rifle season...I did it for the kids I'll keep working on that that self control Been 4 years since I killed an elk with my bow...It was time and when I drew my bow just went off!

Second week of Sep found me back at work before getting another week off to "guide" my cousin around the woods on his first archery hunt. Long story short we were in bulls 6 of 8 days, had bugling like crazy, saw a wolf at 70 yards and he got a shot at a 300 class bull. Didn't get it but we sure had a good week. This year my third week of September was my best since I started hunting elk in 2011 with a bow...Never even carried a bow but had a blast.

Now onto the special feature...Idaho!

About the first of October I was able to get a hold of a buddy who works in the hunting industry. As you can imagine this is his super bowl so I was extremely grateful he took the time to talk to me, just a guy trying to kill an elk, who could give two poops less about score etc. While he was in between hunts in several states he took a few minutes out to call me back. This meant the world to me. He ultimately said "hey I got a good buddy who works with me at _______ (I'll leave the names out because I'm sure they get bombarded with questions from everyone about every unit in the West.) He grew up in the area you are hunting. I'll give him your number and see if he is willing to give you a call." I appreciated that immensely but didn't expect much. It was truly a hail mary! About a week later I got a call from the buddy. Told him where I was looking and what I had planned. He confirmed most of the spots were good but kept me narrowed to a little bit smaller area than I had originally intended due to wolf pressure. One thing that meant the world to me was he told me it was a breath of fresh air to talk to a guy like me because he could tell i had done my homework and wasn't just some guy calling looking for a secret spot. For what its worth I think people are more willing to help if they know you've put in the effort. I also told him during our conversation that I would be happy killing a spike and he thought that was the coolest thing ever. Seemed crazy that a guy who kills the caliber stuff he does etc would think that. I wasn't blowing smoke, just being honest. My goal was pretty straight forward. Kill an elk in a unit I've never stepped foot in. Inches weren't the end all say all.

So come October 14th I knew what unit I was hunting, what general area, and that I had a week of vacation. I also had confirmation that a good buddy of mine was going to tag along for the hunt. We had been talking about this for over a year now but he had had a lot of things come up so I wasn't sure he was going to be able to come until pretty much last second. He told me he would I'm just cynical like that. He didn't have a tag just needed an elk fix after archery season found him sick with a man cold The kind that puts you in the hospital

We left mid morning Friday and drove to the unit. Stopped in at the ranger station to get a map. Talked to the clerk and told her where we were planning to go in hopes of getting away from people. She told us we'd be wasting our time as everyone she knew was going to be up there. On our way down the road we saw about 6 campers in a row. All out of state plates and most with chase rigs and UTV's...Change of plans. Turned up another drainage to find it full of people. Running out of options we picked the only semi flat spot we could find to pitch a wall tent and set up shop. When I say flat I mean I had to use split fire wood rounds to level out my cot... I'll be honest at this point and time I was sick to my stomach. Roads were terrible, people everywhere, ATV's, UTV's and horses in almost every camp...And those topo lines. They sure look steeper in person than they do on the computer in April...

[MTLongdraw]

After setting up camp we ran into town real quick. On the drive in and back I was ailing quickly, literally upset over the whole deal. I had had this tag for 8 months and hadn't stepped foot in the unit (Definitely not like many out of state hunts where I could have taken a day or two to drive down and check it out) I had spent hundreds of dollars on an elk hunt and self admittedly didn't give it 100 percent before starting.

When we got back to camp I looked up behind the camp and realized that everything around us was steep. Really steep! That was a given and that sure as hell wasn't going to change come morning. But me and JJ (hunting partner) also realized there was very little for access points. It was our hope that all these horses, ATV, and rigs would head up the few trails and roads leaving the big nasty to us hard headed MT boys. Our plan was to be bull headed and hunt harder, not smarter.

Opening morning found us leaving tent an hour and a half before shooting light. Should have made it two and a half. According to the GPS we went 1700 vertical feet in .75 miles and I can tell you the Apple Cinnamon oatmeal wasn't as good the second time as it was the first. Got to the top about two hours after departure. Immediately glassed up 25-30 head of elk through three groups. Saw a wolf and a few mule deer. Oh yeah and hunters...on horses.

After catching our breath we moved onto the next drainage and saw three more hunters...on horses...

Frustrated to say the least we sat down for some lunch just hoping to find an area we could glass from. No such luck and vantage points were tough to come by. While we ate the hunters on horses shot...for about an hour...Not sure at what but I can tell you if they shot at one of three groups I had seen earlier that morning it was OK with me lol.

As we finished our sandwiches and stood up, both physically and mentally dejected we heard that beautiful sound...A bugle, and not that far away. I've heard a few bugles during rifle season but not many. It may be more fun that hearing them in September We began to work towards him. I cow called a few times but no luck but every time I let out a locator he answered. We just kept working and working. Pretty soon we were where I thought they should be. Inched around the finger of the ridge and found 3 to 4 cows feeding in front of me about 80 yards. All was right in the world. He was still below us bugling but wind was right...Everything was going perfect.

A few seconds later I saw movement in the thick brush below me...the body of elk broadside at about 60-70 yards...Awesome. Threw the rifle up and waited for confirmation...and waited and waited. Nothing. That elk would not move his head from behind the brush. I had quartering too, quartering away, Texas Heart Shot, Broadside. You name it I had it for over 4 minutes. Literally got tired so I put my gun down. I tried cow calling. I'd get a bugle but couldn 't confirm the elk I was looking at in my scope was the bull bugling. I was 99 percent sure but wasn't willing to bet the farm on it. I bugled again and got a response. Went right over the top of him. Nothing. He answered me but would not move his head enough for me to confirm he was a bull...JJ whispered to me that he had cows coming up the hill to him at about 50 yards and suggested I inch forward to try and change my angle. By this time the cows directly in front of me had moved enough so i thought this would be ok so I started to move.

Just as I did a round torched off and it was damn close. Scared the living hell out of me. I turned around to look at JJ more or less in disbelief. He whispered he though the guys down the drainage who had been shooting for the last hour had shot at something. OK...Seemed legit to me. Elk weren't scared but damn it that was close. Anyways move down the "trail" a few yard and set up behind a tree. Start looking to see what that elk is and now I see nothing. About two minutes later JJ asks me if I'm going to shoot that bull. Bull? What Bull there isn't a f-ing thing out there!!! Move two feet to your right. OH THAT BULL...THAT BULL AT LIKE 60 YARDS WITH THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BLACK HORNS IVE EVER SEEN WALKING RIGHT AT ME. Throw up my rifle, bump my Ruger back to safe (NOT PART OF THE PLAN), take it off safe and re-acquire him in the scope just in time to have him drop down into the thicket and out of site. I literally almost started crying. How can I be 60 yards from a bull whose bugling and have a rifle and still not kill him. Mentally beat at this point. I will never say "If I had a rifle I would have killed that bull." again

Wise beyond his years JJ suggest I move down the trail to where I last saw the bull and try to find him again. Just as I do I hear movement below me. About 30 cows start to file out in front of me at about 40 yards. Had them all dead to rights as they stop in the opening. A really nice spike comes out (full velvet) and stops broadside at 40. I'm not going to shoot a spike way back in here on opening day so I pass. Pretty happy with myself and that whole self control thing at this point and time. See another spike and pass on him...Still doing really good opening day on self control Can hear bugling in the bottom and suspect a small satellite is working up...Wait and wait but no luck.

As all this is going on, the last of the cows and two spikes walk by me and 30 ish yards. As I stand up to follow them and try to find that dark horned 6, the last cow turns and starts coming back towards me. I sit down and wait. All the cows leave past me in a hurry straight down the bottom, the way they just came...Then the spike comes by again and I pass him a third time...Then at 60 yards he stops and starts feeding. Ok at this point and time I've done really good on self control but there has got to be a penalty for error so I decide to take him. He piles up. I did it. I killed an elk in Idaho on opening day in a unit I'd never stepped foot in. The look on JJ's face said it all when I said "Your gonna hate me!" He knew I'd shot that spike....He just didn't want to pack a spike out of the hell hole we were in But like a good tempered mule he congratulated me.

As I reached down to grab my spike I looked up to see a gorgeous 6 point laying ahead of me 60 yards on the same contour...Thankfully he was dead!!! Confused and disoriented I couldn't figure it out. No way in hell I had shot two elk...I was sure of my backdrop and beyond. I looked down the ridge to see a hunter coming up to him. He said you scared me, I responded by saying likewise. Long story short "Shane" had been across the draw set up on these elk for an hour. He shot that bull from 380 yards away not knowing we were on those elk either. I couldn't believe they didn't spook. After talking with him a while he confirmed there had been 3 legal bulls and the dark horned bull I had been on had run up the hill after I lost sight of him.

After talking with Shane and taking a few pictures for him I was happy. All was right in the world. I had got my spike and Shane, a local guy who had hunted these grounds for years got a nice bull. He deserved it and I hope he gets ahold of me in the near future because I have some cool pictures of him and his gorgeous bull together. Two different guys with two different stories hunting the same elk from different ridges...That just doesn't happen often.

Long story short. I was happy with a spike. Its hard to swallow the fact I could have killed a really nice bull that day but in all reality a lot of things were out of my control. Yep I did mess up by bumping my safety, but if that half second it took me to flip it back was the deal breaker maybe that wasn't the shot for me. I did what I set out to do. I gained a ton of confidence and killed a bull in the Idaho Backcountry on sheer grit and determination. That spike means as much to me as the big 6 point I killed with my bow 4 years back. Not because of score or points but because of how I did it. That is what I'm proud of. 3 miles in, hard nosed DIY hunting in treacherous country. Accompanied with the fact he came out in one trip on our backs. Thanks to the 4 individuals who helped me on this hunt. 3 of you weren't there but you know who you are.

[six]

That is a cool spike! Great story. Thanks for taking the time to write it.

[ElkNut1]

Josh, wow! What a story there! The ups & downs were exciting & real world stuff, congrats on getting it done bud! Your family will very much enjoy that spike, it doesn't get much better than that!

p.s. there will be more 6 points coming your way, you have that don't "give up mindset" -- Good Stuff bud!

ElkNut1

[WapitiTalk1]

Congrats! Great write up; thought I was on that hillside with you.

[Old school]

Thanks for taking the time to recap your hunt Josh - that was great. One of these days I'll make it back to Northern Idaho...

--Mitch

[Swede]

Thanks for a great story and congratulation on a nice bull. You did just fine as far as I am concerned.

[MTLongdraw]

Thank you Gents. Much appreciated.

[Timber]

Congrats! Great story!