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The 1st day:
We left the Hotel about a hour before daylight. We have a 30 minute drive
to get to elk country. The plan is to first look for fresh tracks and then
start spotting with the binoculars and the spotting scope. A little after
daylight we found fresh tracks
so we park and start spotting. We had a couple of inches of fresh snow the
night before so it was pretty easy to see where the elk were headed. We
picked a couple of places to be the next morning for an ambush and then
continue looking for more fresh tracks. We need a couple of choices for
tomorrow morning. We found a little sign but nothing to get excited about
so back to town for an afternoon break. After lunch and a nap we headed
out to a different small valley and found some more fresh track
so we looked the area over and picked a couple of ambush spots. Stayed
till dark to try and get an idea what time they were coming out of the
dark timber but no luck. We didn't see any elk.
After dinner we get together to go over tomorrows plan and do a gear
check.
2nd day:
After a coffee check we left the hotel about one hour
before daylight; the idea is to be at our first choice for an ambush 1/2
hour before daylight. It was foggy and heavy overcast with snow flurries
when we left the hotel but when we arrived at the ambush location the
weather was a little better.
We started spotting the valley and the ridge for elk and it was not long
before we found our first elk. Here are the 1st Elk of the day.
A little too far and they were going to bed so we didn't have time to try
and get in closer. Waited until they had gone to bed and picked a couple
of potential spots for an ambush. We waited about a 1/2 hour after they
had gone over the ridge to go to bed for the day. No reason to take a
chance on letting them know we were in the area. We spent the rest of the
morning spotting additional ridges and valleys and did see some cow elk
but we are looking for bulls.
After lunch and a short nap we left for a ridge across the valley from
where we saw the two bulls this morning to try and pick them up coming
back over the ridge for their dinner. We took the long way which is by one
of our lakes and sure enough we found a Bald Eagle. We had given ourselves
a extra hour so we decided to try and take advantage of this eagle. Bad
luck; some ice fishermen came up from the lake and the Bald Eagle flew
off. We decided that tomorrow after our morning hunt we would come this
route on the way to the hotel and see if we could get a 2nd chance at this
Bald Eagle.
We spent about an hour parked on a ridge glassing and drinking coffee.
Then we spotted our first bull coming out of the timber. Since he still
had to cross a gully before he reached the meadow we got our gear ready
and waited until he was down in the gully and we moved about 200 yards
down to some cedar trees to try our first shots. As he started into the
meadow we fired off a few shots
and the bull decided to go north
rather than south toward us. There was a pretty stiff wind in our face so
he didn't wind us and did not act like he heard the shutter. He was just
being a wild animal and doing what he wanted; not what we wanted him to
do. If we had stayed at our original spot we would have had a good
opportunity to get the shot we were looking for. That is hunting; you win
some and you loose some. This evening was a draw. We got a few photos but
not what we wanted.
We were pretty excited on the drive back to the hotel so we stopped to
make plans for tomorrow at a cafe on the outskirts of town. While drinking
coffee and waiting for dinner one of the State Park Rangers came in and
came over to our table to say hi. I asked him about the Bald Eagle we had
seen not too far from the marina and he said he had only seen him there a
couple of times this winter but he was seeing him pretty regular
mid-morning at the top of the trail head by the river. We thanked him for
the information and he went to the counter and ordered some coffee. We
told the waitress to put his coffee on our bill. We were all pretty
excited about our plan and what looked like a good opportunity for
tomorrow morning. I don't imagine anybody will sleep real good tonight cuz
they will be thinking about tomorrow.
3rd Day:
An hour before daylight - a quick gear and coffee check
and off to the original ambush spot. On the way we decide to try elk first
and then spend some time trying to get the Bald Eagle the ranger told us
about. When we arrived at the first ambush spot it was a little foggy but
it looked like the sun was going to burn it off. We glassed the meadows
and along the tree line and didn't find anything but a few elk cows so we
back off and headed for ambush location number two. We just got stopped
and found a bull in between some cedar trees.
It sounded like a machine gun with the burst mode going full blast. The
bull was very co-operative and was not in a hurry to head into the timber
to go to bed. He was a young bull so we decided to wait and see if
anything else showed up. Yes, Yes & Yes his bigger friend showed up.
It didn't look like he was interested in stopping only interested in
getting into the timber to go to bed. I used a cow elk call to get him to
stop.
He was not really interested and continued on to bed.
His little friend was more interested in finding the cow so we had some
more opportunities at him.
After they had gone into the timber to spend the day in bed we waited
about another hour just in case another showed up. Nothing else showed up
so back to the hotel to charge batteries and download memory cards and a
little early lunch.
When we left the hotel we had about 4 hours before sunset so we have
plenty of time to try the eagle first. Lots of smiles and laughter on the
way down to the lake. It was a fun morning and we are thinking some keeper
photos were taken. We parked by the ridge the ranger had told us about and
glassed the area real good and didn't find anything. So now its time to
wait and see if he shows up. We have about a hour before we have to head
down to the meadows and try and find more bull elk. Murphy's Law is always
a companion when you are on a camera hunt. On the way out of the ridge
area a Bald Eagle shows up flying above the river. Stop and its decision
time: do we work the eagle or go after more elk. The location of the elk
is really better for a morning hunt so its stay and try to get the Bald
Eagle. About a 1/2 hour after getting back to the ridge overlooking the
river the eagle landed in a dead snag real close to where the ranger had
told us he was seeing him. Back off real slow and work our way to a little
4 wheel drive road that will keep a small ridge between us and the Bald
Eagle. We should be able to see him as we top the little ridge about a
mile from where we started. Here he is
Now we ease up at barely a crawl to try and get a few close ups.
Where we found him with a close up
A fun successful day; now for a good nights sleep and try and do better
tomorrow.
4th Day:
The last day of this hunt so we meet 1/2 hour before time to leave to
finalize plans. We decide the best chance for a bigger bull was back at
the ridge where we had seen the two nice bulls going to bed on the morning
of the second day. When we left the hotel it was think fog and heavy
overcast skies. We drank coffee and waited until we could see a little and
then we started spotting and sure enough we spotted a couple of elk on the
ridge
No chance to get any keeper photos in this thick fog. I played with this
photo so you can see the Elk we saw
Decided to head back to town and come back to this ridge for our afternoon
hunt.
We arrived back at the ridge with about two hours left of sun and the
first thing we noticed is they had crossed the road. This was good cuz the
sun would be behind us and the wind was going to be from our side. Picked
some thick cedar trees to park by and poured a cup of coffee and the
waiting began.
YIPEEEEEE ! ! ! spotted a bull coming down the ridge thru the timber
Here he is with a close up
a nice young bull with a broken main beam and also a broken tine. Unusual
capture - definitely a keeper. A better look at him
He turned so you can see how much antler had broken off
He must have an attitude. His #5 tine on one side and his #4 on the other
are broken. Probably happened during the rut.
A better look at his broken antlers.
Now that was fun. We got some photos and it is still early so its time to
try and find another bull.
About a mile down the valley to another high spot where we can glass the
ridge we found another Bull.
This Character is bigger and he also has a broken antler
A closer look at him
We used a cow elk call to get him to look towards the camera
That's all folks. I hope you enjoyed going on a winter elk hunt. This was
a fun and successful 4 day hunt. Please call and book your hunt. [ 800 ]
982 - 8679 of E-mail
Roger Roger |
