Screw Deer

[Warmouth]

After hunting elk between 7,900' to 10,700' elevation, camping, gernerally roughing it, etc., I would trade all deer hunting for 2 weeks of elk hunting in an instant.

It's hard to get back into the swing of things here in the real world.

[RB]

I guess that means you did not get an elk?

[Warmouth]

My best chance was openning day at a herd bull around 11:50. I was still hunting all morning between 9,300' and 10,000' and flat snuck up to 45-50yds of a herd bull and 10-11 cows. I had about 4-5 seconds to decide to head shoot the bull in black timber and blowdowns, over the top of his cows. He lived.

I was in elk, 80yrds or less, every day but the last day we hunted, when we were forced off the mountain due to weather, Wednesday morning.

There had been a lot of pressure before and durring our hunt, but I'd go back right now for twice the price to hunt the same conditions.

If anyone goes that hasn't hunted elk yet, just go with the mindset that elk hunting is a war of attrition. Your equipment will let you down, your body will hate you, and if you have any opportunity at all for closing the range, do it now, do it fast, and damn how your legs feel or how thin the air is. The only advantage you hold is what is between your ears. The elk have every other piece of the puzzle working in their favor.

The second day of the hunt I didn't drop down into a canyon 1,200' lower in elevation and go after a bugling bull. Day 4 I laid it all on the line and did drop in that drainage after a bull. He was killed as I was closing in the last 400yds.



Thinking that the rest of the year I'll be climbing in a tree stand to hunt, makes me want to puke.

[Limbshot]

Sorry that you weren't able to take an animal on your trip, but sounds to me like it was still a success. I have always heard that you should not go elk hunting, unless you plan on going again, and again, and again, etc. Sounds like you have confirmed that. Sounds very addicting! Nice to have you back though buddy! You haven't missed much.

[Warmouth]

I noticed the lack of posts.

Anyway, I'll get some pics uploaded and post them up today or tomorrow.

My cousin who lives in NM only missed one day of hunting with us, his second elk trip of the year, and has a Nov. cow hunt still comming up. He is an animal, and lives around 7k elevation. The other guy is from St. L. area, and is an endurance/adventure racer. I am proud that I was more then keeping up on my end of things physically, and of the way I hunted eventhough I had zero elk exprience going in.

I wish I could do it justice in the retelling.


Anyone kill anything around here?

[Two Tall]

"If anyone goes that hasn't hunted elk yet, just go with the mindset that elk hunting is a war of attrition. Your equipment will let you down, your body will hate you, and if you have any opportunity at all for closing the range, do it now, do it fast, and damn how your legs feel or how thin the air is. The only advantage you hold is what is between your ears. The elk have every other piece of the puzzle working in their favor."

Dave, that's as true as it gets for mountain hunting.

Decide you want a lighter rifle yet?
Dark timber requires a different mindset. Somedays I'd rather have a opensighted levergun, but you'd be sorry when you walk into a open canyon and see something at 300 yards.

I use a VX3 2.5x8x36 and it seldom leaves 2.5 power and I often wish it I could get it down to 1 power.

You should have taken the headshot. At the time you decide against things like that, but your experiance is with whitetails and it's a different game in the mountains. I have had chances at bulls within 60 yards a half dozen times and the shots were questionable. I lived and learned, and regret every passing. You can hunt as hard as possible physically and be in an area with good elk and in 5-9 days of working yourself to death, earn maybe one marginal chance to kill. I've since learned that it's no whitetail hunt, you take what your given and take advantage.

[Warmouth]

My 300wm is a pig at 9+lbs. Complete chit for this type of hunting.

The last day we hunted we woke up to 6" of snow, decided to get out and try to make something of it while it was still workable. By 9am everything was soaked. My wood/blue rifle looked like it spent the day at the bottom of a river. I litterally tipped it butt up twice to pour water out of the barrel channel of the stock.

I would have been better served with a stainless 45-70 carbine with a ghost peep. Never saw an elk past 60-70yrds, it was just too thick, and the pressure was on. I would have been better off with an open sighted 30-30 than my scoped 300wm. There were open areas, but there elk weren't in them in daylight.

Our hunt was after 2 archery hunts, and 2 muzzleloader hunts, we may have been the 2nd rifle hunt, but I haven't confirmed that. We put in for the easiest tags to draw, 10% success rate for the hunt we drew.

I have regretted not taking the shot since 11:55 last Saturday. It was risky as all get out, but he was a true giant NM herd bull, and that didn't help me keep a good sight picture at all. Out of breath to begin with, and then up to my neck in elk at spitting distance. The cows weaving all around him and the brush decided the rest. Still, I would have played it different if given the same chance 4 days later.

[Two Tall]

Welcome to the eye opening experiance that is elk hunting.

Gear made for walking from the truck to the stand for 99 percent of whitetail hunting is worthless out west. That goes for clothing, guns, optics, backpacks, knives and about everything else you buy and use here.

Every Bod Dick and Harry who whitetail hunts has this idea about what they can expect and do for elk hunting. I was no different. They can't even reason the difference till they've been there and done it the hard way, the right way.

Second Truth you've said... There were open areas, but there elk weren't in them in daylight. LMAO... every outdoor channel episode shows exactly what hunting elk is exactly not like.

I have a .444 Winchester 94 that I bought for timber hunting... I know I'd be better to carry it, but there is always the chance for a long shot across a canyon or some tiny sparse cover patch. That's where the low power scope comes in handy to help with both. I'm sure you get what I'm saying now. I was glad I did this year, My bull was 315 yards on the trot. Rare chance at a shot out there, but I made the best of it.

If you do it more, it'll get more successful.

The unit we hunted was a 12 percent success. We pulled 50 percent with 4 guys not counting a missed shot that would have put us at 75.

Elk do not tolerate pressure. They go places that suck. Unless you've walked thru a straight mile of real Black Timber the idea is lost on how impossible it seems to kill anything in it.

Bump and elk and it will bed 6 miles away. Bump a whitetail an it stays on the same 80 acres.

Chit, most don't even realize those animals will bed 4 miles from where they might go to eat and drink every night.

[Triton X2]

Dave, the most important question I have is "did ya get to cut any wood"?

Glad ya had a good time, but why didnt you find all this out from TT before you went out there. He is the resident blood letter

[Warmouth]

You really can't know it until you get neck deep in it, Triton. I took advice from my cousin who lives in NM about what to bring and what to expect, and hell, even some of his chit broke, wore out, or otherwise wasn't worth it's wieght in the mountains.

There is no knowing it until you've been there, imo.


The drive in, 24 miles from pavement.


Camp


Kitchen

[Warmouth]

10,700' elevation.


Rim of the canyon, 9,600'.


Relatively open area.


The start of trouble.

[Warmouth]

Listening to the weather radio at camp, 9:30 Wednesday morning.


The look out at 24 mile mark again.



Getting out.

[Warmouth]

That 5x5 skull was found by me and my cousin 1/2 mile from camp. 39" main beam, if I remember right. I had found another 5x6, but it was not in as good of condition, and obviously we had some time cut from the trip, so I never got back to pick it up.

I don't know how to act since I've been back. I probably should have kept myself away from elk hunting, because everything else seems pretty weak in comparison at this point.

I saw several blue grouse, two bobcats (one at 6 yrds), 3x4 mulie at 35yds, mulie doe and fawn at 18yrds, grey fox, lots of bear sign, elk trails 18" wide with dirt and wood pounded to dust 3-4" deep, and looked down at golden eagles soaring below me.

That is real hunting, up there.

[Two Tall]

What was your bugling activity like?

[Warmouth]

They were still getting it. Sunday night a bull was .5-1mile behind camp and tearing it up all night, woke me up at least 3 times. The dynamic duo went after him Monday, and must have spooked him back to where I was the next day. I think I encountered that same bull Tuesday morning, as he bugled over 15 times before 8am. I was working in on him and actually getting position and on the final decision to wait him out or go, I went, and him and the whole herd busted like a covey of quail. I wasn't 45yrds out from him. But, he had cows, and was the reason he wasn't moving fast for the wind. It's how I got that close to begin with.

Sunday morning my cousin and I had two bugling pretty good, one went straight away (most likely had cows), another kept trying to drop below us, and it ended up being a call, 80yd down hill sprint, call, sprint, type of situation. He eventually got wise to us. 90 minutes later, we were on another bugling bull.

The chit was ridiculous.

The rut was supposed to have been over for a month, but the big boys kept bugling. Half of the reason was because hunters were busting up herds and the bulls were just trying to reclaim their cows, imo. Shawn, my cousin was pretty shocked by all the bugling, but his Sept archery hunt was a bust due to almost no rut activity.