jmwarren65 Report post Posted December 5, 2012 I should have realized how my hunt would go when I arrived in camp Thursday but my 30.06 and .50 caliber muzzleloader ammo were on my counter back home. A quick drive into town Thursday night fixed that problem. Second problem was a camp of 4 vehicles set up right next to some of the best elk grounds around. That eliminated my primary spot for opening morning. So opening morning I opt for my secondary spot. I am in position watching the sun rise when I hear a vehicle. Then I realize it is driving down the middle of the valley meadow I am watching. I'm stunned thinking to myself "Who in their right mind drives down a sheltered meadow at sunrise on opening morning?" Then the vehicle stops behind a tree in the meadow and turns the engine off. I figure that spot is not worth anything and turn to walk back to camp. Five minutes later...BOOOM...from the meadow I just left. I am now thinking of every curseword known to man. The next big shock opening morning was the sheer number of vehicles and quads and hunters that I saw. It seemed like most were road hunting, but a few got out on foot. My dad joined me for the first three days of the hunt. So we went over our maps and decided on a plan for the rest of the morning. Having killed 4 elk in this area over the past 15 years, we feel confident we know where they eat, where they water, and where they bed. Most importantly, we know their main trails between those points. So we headed for the area with the most used trails and found a lot of recent elk sign. We revised ours strategy one more time to take advantage of natural terrain and vegetation in the area. By the end of the day Friday, we felt like we had a solid hunting plan that would be helped by all the other hunters pushing the elk around. Saturday morning I woke up with a massive headache so we delayed our start til mid-morning. When we did reach the spot we wanted to hunt, my dad starts calling my name very quickly and quietly. I turn around to find an elk staring at us from 300 yards away. He is facing us head on in between 2 junipers with 5 yards of space between the trees. I can see he is a ragtop, but can't determine much more. As I raise my gun, he turns and runs. I fired a quick shot that went behind him. I tracked him for 1/2 mile and then lost his trail. I saw no blood or other signs of injury. Both of us then canvassed a quarter mile around the area in case I was on the wrong trail. Such is the peril of hunting in junipers....not much visibility or time to shoot. All I needed was another half a second to get ready for a shot. We stayed in that area for another 2 days before my dad left on Sunday. Sunday morning I had a chance to take a 200 yard shot at a spike standing still and broadside to me. I passed on it. Monday I returned alone to the same area where I had another chance to take a broadside shot at a motionless spike. I passed. I had decided before the hunt...no spikes. My son got his first bull in October and we have a freezer full of meat. I was willing to wait for a ragtop or larger. Even though I did not put my tag on an elk's antlers, I enjoyed the hunt with my dad. I saw 5 bulls in 6 days...shot at 1 and could have bagged either of the 2 spikes. Most importantly, we used our knowledge of the area and adapted our hunt strategy to adjust to all the hunting pressure...and it paid off. Even with the success my family has had in this area, on 3 prior hunts I saw 0 elk. So I understand how hard it is to even see elk. And just to end the hunt on that perfect note....I was driving home late last night through the unit when a ragtop bull ran out onto the road in front of me. I Just smiled and thought what a perfect way to end the hunt. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JLW Report post Posted December 5, 2012 nice write up.... it's all good when your freezer is already full! public land hunting is always an adventure in 1 way or another but I wouldn't trade it for nothing! thanks for telling the story James Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
trophyhnter Report post Posted December 5, 2012 All the late hunts are a tough hunt but the important thing is that you enjoyed it! Thanks for story! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jmwarren65 Report post Posted December 6, 2012 Call me crazy, but I would do it all over again....even with the same results. I love this hunt. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
