NoWiser's 2013 DIY Wyoming Archery Elk Hunt

[triggertrav]

Great stuff! this is like a bible for the next wanna-be elk hunter(like myself). Hope the rain lets up and you get on some animals.

[Powerstroke]

I really like the sawyer filters. I'm glad you liked the squeeze setup.

This is a great story and great tutorial for the newbie DIY western hunter.

[NoWiser]

Day 4

After a night of rain it let up just in time for us to eat breakfast. We heard a couple of bugles from just across the creek to the south of camp, so we went after them while the wind was still blowing downhill. We crossed the creek and hiked about 1/4 of the way up the other side. It was hard to tell, but we figured this was about where the bugles were coming from. We made a set up with my dad as the shooter and myself as the caller. Unfortunately, the bull must have boogied out of there between when we heard him and when we got to him.

It was early in the day and we had some awesome country to hunt, so we weren't too concerned. We made our way east, sidehilling along the slope. There was decent elk sign here, but nothing outstanding. Still, it was a beautiful area. Eventually we broke out into an opening that consisted of jagged rocks about the size of a basketball. We considered crossing it, but they were wet and slick from the rain and it just seemed like a sprained ankle waiting to happen.

So, we headed straight downhill and hiked along the creek until we came to where the creek split into 3 fingers. This gave us 3 awesome north facing slopes to hunt. The problem was choosing which one we wanted to try. Any could have been great. We hiked a little farther before making our decision and noticed something that didn't look right. It was a wall tent!! Dang! They had a couple horses tied up next to it. We never imagined someone would be down here. It just didn't seem like the type of place a horse could get. Once again, we were impressed by these animals (neither of us were exactly fond of horses before this trip.) So, now the decision went from "where do we think the elk are" to "where do we think the hunters aren't". We decided on the farthest north slope and prepped ourselves for the climb. It was 800 vertical feet to the top and this was probably the steepest slope in our new area. If our timing was right we'd reach the top as the thermals changed, and should be in good shape to hunt the roughly 1 mile long slope.

As we began the climb, the rain started again. It was a hard and steady rain. The kind that will soak through everything you own eventually. Being we were climbing the mostly bare south slope, we had no protection from it. This was also the time our feet began taking a beating. My dad had to pull his boots off and apply moleskin and duct tape to his heels. My feet were starting to hurt as well, which ended up being caused by a simple crease in my socks causing extra friction. We climbed and climbed in the rain and eventually reached the top. We took a break waiting for the winds to settle down, and admired the view. We also glassed up a mule deer buck, the first we'd seen since we began hunting.

We began hunting our way across the slope and were instantly amazed by the elkiness of the place. The scent of the animals seemed to burn our nostrils. Everywhere you looked, trees were rubbed bare of their bark. Piles of elk "sign" were fresh and still warm. Beds were scattered on the benches. Our senses were on full alert as we crept our way along, stopping frequently to drop cow calls into the now misty air. There was zero doubt in my mind that we would have a close encounter any second. Many people say the hardest part of hunting elk was finding elk. Well, there was no question we found the elk, but why weren't we seeing them. Over the course of the next few hours we covered the entire north slope and didn't see or hear a single animal besides some squirrels and grouse. Dumbfounded, we picked up a trail that should take us back to our camp.

The sun finally made an appearance so we enjoyed the walk, shooting rotten stumps with our judo points here and there to make sure our bows were still functioning properly. The hike back also took us up to the highest elevation we would hit on our trip, about 9,550'. The views were fantastic and, although we were elkless, we were really enjoying ourselves. From the peak of our hike it was all downhill to camp, and my knees started to ache a bit. My kneecaps don't track right, which messes up the cartilidge below them. Downhills are the worst, but if I take it slow it's manageable. Dad let me lead, and we took it really easy down to camp. At one point I walked up to the edge of the valley to the north and bugled across it. Immediately a bull screamed right back at me. I bugled again, and he screamed again. We pinpointed the patch of timber he was in, but there was no way to get to him while it was still light, and no way to get him out without packers if we did manage to shoot him. I sometimes wonder if we should have went after him, but even now I know it would have been a bad choice. Rain was threatening again by that point and there is a decent chance we would have spent the night out on the mountain had we dropped down into that canyon. We continued on to camp.

As we were organizing some of our gear at the tent we heard the sound of horses coming down the trail to us. We walked out and met a husband and wife, each on a horse, with a pack horse following. Although he had hunted this area for 40 years, they were just out for a ride today. We talked to them for quite a long time and told him about our hunt that day. He asked what time we hunted that north slope and then said about an hour before we got there, some hunters spooked about 40 head of elk out of there. It turns out the horse camp we came across had the same idea as us. He did compliment our selection of campsites and also confirmed that there were basically no water sources on these mountains besides the main creeks. He knew of only a couple springs and wallows and wasn't about to give up their locations. His wife got a funny/surprised look on her face and said "you have to walk all the way down THERE for water!!" , suddenly realizing that you can't carry much water when you are backpacking. We chuckled and said "yup". She then opened a saddle bag and started tossing us bottles of water. We laughed and said it really wasn't a big deal, but she insisted that we take them "so she could sleep easier that night." We then told him about how we tried to hunt the area to the north the first couple days, and he shook his head and muttered something about being crazy. Soon the sun was setting fast and they had to be on their way. We thanked them and watched them ride off, down the ridge. We had worried that the locals may not like us easterners hunting their area, but these were two of the nicest people we'd ever talked to.

The last half hour or so of daylight I glassed to the south for elk and snapped some pictures. My dad hiked a bit north and glasses some of that area, but turned up nothing. We at supper and crawled into our sleeping bags as the wind cranked up and the rain started again. I spent a good portion of the night worrying that a tree would fall on the tent and listening to the sheets of rain pummel us.

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I figured I could talk a bit about food today. This was a critical part of our hunt because without fuel, you won't last long in those hills.

Each of us had one sack with all of our breakfast foods in it. Our choices for each morning was either two packages of instant oatmeal, or a premade, vacuum sealed package of granola already mixed with powdered milk. Both were good, but I really like the taste and simplicity of the granola. Just add some water, stir, and enjoy. I believe this was the granola that was my favorite:

For lunches we had had vacuum sealed packages for each day that we could just throw into our pack. Each one contained a snickers bar, a natures valley granola bar, a few ounces of trail mix, and a peanut butter, bacon, and honey tortilla. Also in each one was a packet each of Energy and Focus and Hydrate and Recover Wilderness Athlete drink mix for vitamins and electrolytes.

For supper we each had a Mountain House freeze dried meal. A 2 serving size seemed about right for one person each night. We opened these packages before the trip and trimmed any extra packaging at the top, and then vacuum sealed them, resulting in them taking up quite a bit less space in our packs. Here is what one days food looked like for us:

As a general rule for a hunt your food should contain at least 100 calories per ounce. This assures that you aren't carrying too much weight in food. Our food weighed 24 ounces for each day and came out to about 2,900 calories, or about 121 calories per ounce. I found out that I could have easily done without the trail mix each day. I just couldn't eat all the food after hiking up and down the mountains, and ended up dumping out most of my peanuts and raisins for the whiskey jacks and the squirrels. Even though I lost nearly 9 pounds on the hunt I would bring less food next time. I would also find an alternative to the peanut butter bacon and honey sandwich. The first couple tasted awesome. The few after that satisfied my appetite. The last few made me want to curl up in a ball and cry. Imagine eating a giant extra slimy garden slug stuffed with peanut butter. It was bad. Really bad. My dad and still joke about them.

Dad: It's been a long day ice fishing, I could eat a horse

Jim: If only we had a peanut butter, bacon, and honey tortilla!

Dad & Jim: Involuntary gagging and dry heaving, eyes start watering

Dad: I'd rather starve to death than eat another one of those BLEEPING things....

For cooking we borrowed a relatives MRS Whisperlite International Stove.

There are many different options, but this was one that was free for us and it worked very well. I know Scoot likes to cook with an esbit stove, which I considered, but in the end I went with what was available and, although there are probably better options, I'd be fine with using it again. To heat water and eat our meals we just had a cheap aluminum Coleman Mess Kit that we split between the two of us. I think it cost me $6.00 or so. There are lots of lighter options out there and if I found a smoking deal on one I might consider, but this served the purpose.

[Scoot]

Great post and thread, Jim. Two things struck me in this post: 1) meat will keep a lot better than I think you're imagining it will if you get it deboned, in game bags, and hung in the shade. That's particularly the case near a water source, so if you can find a good spot near a stream it'll keep for a very long time. 2) I wasn't there, but I can almost assure I'd have gone after that bugling bull. If there's a snowball's chance in heck that I can get to a bull in time, I'll go. I wait too long each year to not go after them when I hear them, even if it's not prudent to do so. The only thing that'll usually stop me is if the wind isn't cooperating- that's a deal breaker and I won't go in swirling or bad winds. If the bull was responding as well as it sounds like he was, I'd have gone as fast humanly possible to inside of 100 yards from him and tried my best to call him in. Maybe there was no chance at all and it just wasn't doable. If there was a chance, I'd have taken it.

One other thought-- when I read your posts I keep wondering how early you were leaving the tent? I used to leave the tent just as it was getting light enough to see where I was heading. Now I leave the tent so I'm in the area I want to be to hunt 30 minutes before light. Earlier is better. That way, all of the bugles you hear on your way there will happen close to you, rather than while you're walking there. It's tough in foreign country, I realize, but lots and lots of guys don't leave their tents until they have enough light to see. I think this is a big mistake. Similarly, lots of guys don't want to walk back to their tent in the dark- again, similar mistake. Much like fishing, many of the great opportunities happen in the first or last hour of light. If you're on your way to the area or your tent during this time, you're really missing out.

...and just so I'm clear-- I'm not trying to be critical or pick on you at all, Jim. I'm just reacting to what you wrote and thinking of all of the mistakes I've made while elk hunting. I still make many mistakes and I'm sure I'll make more, but I have learned a few things so far and wanted to ask and comment regarding them. It's a great story and you guys are kickin' behind so far! Great pics and thanks for sharing!

You didn't like the peanut butter, bacon, and honey treats? What's wrong with you??? I put mine on french toast flavored bagles this past year and I really liked them. Heck, I'd eat them once a week all year with no problem.

[NoWiser]

No worries, Scoot. Most of all I want this thread to be educational, and you hit the nail on the head when it comes to a few things we would do differently next time.

As far as the mornings go, we should have left earlier most days. Added to my list, as I mentioned, will be the watch with an altimeter. But, it will also need to have an alarm clock. We did not have one and it made it tough. For the most part we would eat breakfast with our headlamps and get hiking as it was getting light. Part of the reason was that most mornings we were hunting completely new territory, and part of it was that after running up and down the mountains we had trouble waking up early enough without the aid of an alarm clock. Also, strangely enough, those first few days there was zero bugling at night. They would only start sounding off about an hour before sunrise, or about 1/2 hour before it got light. It would last about an hour and then they would completely shut up. For the first part of the trip, the bugling was kind of our alarm clock. The guy we met said he could never remember a year with less bugling than last year. As you will find out, it definitely started heating up towards the end of our trip! The question is, will one of those bugles lead us to a dead bull??

We already have a game plan for when we draw the tag again, and a big part of that is getting into key locations while it's still pitch black.

As for the evenings, these first few days we got back to camp before dark. A big reason was the monster thunderstorms that seemed to hit right at sunset each day. And, sometimes it worked out that we just ended up near camp at that time. As the trip went on, we tended to stay out quite a bit later.

Leaving that bugling bull was one of the hardest things I did. But, I just don't see how it could have worked. It was 1,600 vertical feet down a canyon that you literally couldn't walk down. You would have had to lower yourself using trees and brush. Then it would have been about 700 feet up the other side of a mountain just as steep to get to his patch of trees. Couple that with the wet, slippery, and sometimes muddy terrain and our odds were much better trying to find a bull close to camp to go after. So, even though I can still hear that bull screaming at me like it just happened yesterday, I know in my heart that it just wasn't a smart thing to do. I'm sure there are people that could have gone after that bull. In our case an injury was much more likely than a dead bull! That country north of us was much more rugged than Google makes it look!!

Maybe the bagels are key! All I know is I've slip-bobbered with leeches less slippery than those tortillas were after 9 days in our packs!

Again, don't hold back on any questions or comments. I definitely want people to learn from my mistakes, of which we've only started to make at this point in the story

[Scoot]

But, it will also need to have an alarm clock. We did not have one and it made it tough. For the most part we would eat breakfast with our headlamps and get hiking as it was getting light.

[nbadger23]

Looks like a great trip and it's been a fun story to read so far! Some day I hope to try something like this, although it will probably have to be a bit less "strenuous." I hope the story ends with a full freezer of elk meat!

[certified jumbo]

Excellent stuff nowiser. Good read and info...

[Bear55]

Need more!!!

[eyedr]

For the guys who do the DIY trips, what do you usually figure for the cost of the trip? If you had all the gear what's a ball park on the cost of license, food, fuel, etc? Lets say specifically to Wyoming.

[frogtosser]

NoWiser, Were you going to profile your backpacks and put pics of them soon? I was wondering what the cubic inches were and what brand and model you two used.

[HooknHorns]

No wiser I have a question on the Core 4 element pants you wore. The only good pair of mountain hunting pants was of Sitka brand that was available at a retail store. I really want to try the Kuiu attack pants and the brand you wore but, where does a guy try pants on if no stores carry these? I was thinking trying on Sitkas mountain pants on at Cabelas then shop online. Probably wait till kuiu run a special and order those. I just hate buying something sight unseen.

[Scoot]

HnH,

No chance to try on KUIU unless you know someone who already has them. I don't know who carries Core4 locally- nobody as far as I know. Sitka Mountain pants are awesome! I thought I'd hate the knee pads, but now I absolutely love them. The Timberline pants are the same thing with a little extra reinforcement in the knees and butt (if I remember right).

Regarding NoWiser's pack, he bought one of those cheapies for this trip- I don't know how he managed with such a junker pack on his back! LOL I'll let him tell you about his gear, but I can tell you he used a great pack.

[NoWiser]

Eyedr,

For my trip, in order to hunt elk, I needed an elk license, archery license, and conservation stamp. The total came to about $620.00 for this. For two of us driving a truck out there, it cost us each about $220.00 in gas. We didn't plan on it, but ended up getting a hotel room on the way there and back for another $50.00 each. I don't usually count food into the cost of a trip because I probably eat for cheaper out there than I do at home, but I suppose I maybe spent $10-$12 per day for food, so $110.00 there, for a trip total of right around $1,000.00. Maybe Scoot or someone else can chime in if they see I'm missing something big.

On a side note, Wyoming will most likely be raising their tag fees next year. You can also buy a "special" license there for approximately double the cost which will usually allow you to draw a license easier. You will also need to invest in preference points at $50.00 each if you want a good shot at a tag. A general tag, like mine, takes 1 point. To get a top notch tag you may need many more. The very best units you will most likely never draw in your life unless you started buying points right off the bat when they went to that system.

[NoWiser]

No wiser I have a question on the Core 4 element pants you wore. The only good pair of mountain hunting pants was of Sitka brand that was available at a retail store. I really want to try the Kuiu attack pants and the brand you wore but, where does a guy try pants on if no stores carry these? I was thinking trying on Sitkas mountain pants on at Cabelas then shop online. Probably wait till kuiu run a special and order those. I just hate buying something sight unseen.

I don't think there is anyway to try on Kuiu or Core4 unless you know someone who has them. With a bit of research you can usually figure out exactly what size you need. About your best bet is just to make sure you can return the items before you order them. Try them on and inspect them at home and if you aren't happy, send them back.

[NoWiser]

Day 5

Once again it rained off and on the entire night, but the weather cleared just before light. We ate our breakfast real quick and hiked to the west, following the ridge that our camp was on. Our plan was simple. Pinpoint a bugle on the slope across the valley to the south of us, charge in, and kill the bull. No problem. Unfortunately, the bulls were mostly quiet this morning. We heard a few half-hearted bugles in the area across the valley and east of us, but nothing consistent. Without any specific bulls to chase, we hiked a few miles down the valley, with the plan of hunting the north facing slope back towards camp throughout the day. We knew there were at least a couple bulls using the area and we hoped to find one. We started hunting and doing some blind calling setups but just couldn't get anything to happen. When the thermals started swirling a bit we found a nice clearing in the sun and took off our boots and socks and spread out our gear to dry. At this point in the hunt all we really wanted, besides an elk, was to have dry clothes again. After a quick break that at least got the outsides of our clothes starting to dry, it was back to hunting. We moved quietly, but quickly along the mountain call cowing to try to get the interest of a bull. At this point, though, a cow elk within range would have also been a welcome sight. About 1/4 of the way back towards camp we came across this:

It was the first water hole we had found since we left the truck. The grass was beaten down coming into it so we knew some animals were using it. But, the water was also clear, which meant that if it was an elk wallow, it hadn't been used recently. My dad hiked up and I hiked down, trying to see if there were any good wallows being used from this seep. Without any luck, we marked it on our GPS units and continued hunting. There was plenty of elk sign in the area, and much of it was fresh. But, we just couldn't get on to any animals. When we finally got to the point where we were straight across the valley from our camp we decided that my dad would continue to hunt up the valley to about the point where the other camp was. I would go back to the water hole and sit. We'd meet back up at the tent at the end of the day.

So, I turned around and made my way back. I didn't have real high hopes, but we were running out of options for this area. When we moved we had pinpointed the very best areas and planned on concentrating on these. Unfortunately the horse camp was right at the base of these areas. With no way to know exactly where they were hunting, it was a crapshoot for us to go there and hope that they hadn't just chased the elk out the night before. We really didn't want to spend an entire day hunting someplace that had just been hunted. So, I figured while I was sitting at the water I could come up with a "Plan B."

With the thermals blowing up I constructed a makeshift blind uphill of the water and another downhill and to the side that I could switch to when the wind switched in the evening. I sat down and it felt good to rest the legs a bit. While looking at my maps I noticed a constant buzzing noise and looked to my left. Turns out I had sat down within 16" of a very active yellowjacket nest under a rotten log. The very log I considered sliding over to sit on! I counted my blessings and spent the next hour or so watching the busy insects cruising in and out of their nest. Here is my view from the "bee seat"

Eventually the wind shifted and I moved to my other blind to finish off the evening. It was the first full day without rain and I was really enjoying the sights, sounds, and smells of the mountains. Suddenly a bugle rang out straight west of me. My heart started beating 100 mph. My fingertips were tingling with the surge of adrenaline! Soon another bugle, and it was getting closer! Another, closer yet!!! Pretty soon, though, it quit coming my way. At this point it was pretty close, though. I dropped a couple of cow calls and the bull almost immediately bugled in response. I was ready and before he could finish I screamed over the top of him as loud as I could. He screamed back and I did too. It was working, he was heading my way, and fast! I cow called again, he bugled, and I screamed. I could hear branches breaking at this point, but once again, the bull hung up. We exchanged bugles a few more times and I was starting to get mad. I picked up my bow and ran as fast as I could straight at the bull. It was getting dark and I needed to make something happen. It turns out sprinting up mountains at high elevations is not my strong suit, and I almost vomited when I was done, but I mustered up the strength to continue my screaming match with the bull. I could hear him trying to circle me, so I sprinted off again, trying to get ahead of him and as close as I could. Hearing me run, he assumed I was another bull and was ticked off. He screamed at me, and once again cut him off and screamed back. I had an arrow knocked and was ready for something to happen. A few more twigs snapped and the bull poked his head out of the trees 60 yards away, looking back and forth for the intruding bull. I could see why he wasn't coming all the way, though. He was a small bull and, although I could see his antlers, I couldn't tell if he was a large spike or a small branch antlered bull. Either way, it didn't matter. I wanted him!

We continued our game of cat and mouse until I ran out of light. No matter what I tried I couldn't close within 60 yards of him. Finally it was too dark to shoot. I backed out without spooking him and headed straight down the mountain to the creek that would take me back towards camp. Even though I didn't get an elk, the day was a success. I accomplished exactly what I set out to do. Get up close to a screaming bull and interact with him. I was smiling as I started the 2 mile trek back to camp. Hiking up the creek I decided to take a "shortcut" up to the ridge that camp was on. Unfortunately this shortcut ended up being a 45 minute death march through tangled blowdowns and jagged rocks. When I finally reached the trail to camp I was exhausted and covered in sweat. Luckily the last mile was an easy one, and there were bulls literally bugling EVERYWHERE around me. It was absolutely unreal. Every single direction had bulls screaming their brains out! The sounds echoed off the mountains. By the time I reached camp dad had finished eating and was just waiting for me. I fired up the stove to boil a couple cups of water and the most ear piercing, nasty sounding bugle came screaming from no more than 60 yards behind the tent. It sent shivers through my body. My dad instinctively grabbed his bow and knocked an arrow for protection, certain that this crazed bull was intent on killing us. I shined my flashlight in the bulls direction. I at least wanted to see my attacker before it gored me to death. But, it moved on down the mountain, letting the whole world know that he was king. There was no doubt in my mind that he was. We crawled into our sleeping bags, trying to fall asleep with the commotion going on all around us. I have no idea how many bulls were participating in this party, but I'm guessing there was upwards of a dozen different animals. After telling Dad my story, our plan for the next day was simple. If there were no bugles close to camp, we would get to the water hole bright and early, wait for a bugle, and chase it. Sleep did not come easy that night.

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Since it was requested, I'll talk about the pack that I used on this trip.

When I first drew my tag, and for the first few months after, I had not planned on buying a pack specifically for this trip. I have a Cabelas Alaskan Outfitter pack frame that I am very happy with. I also have the pack that attaches to this frame. My plan was to fit everything into this pack, and then strap my bow to it, along with my Blacks Creek Western daypack. If I shot an elk I could probably get 40 pounds of meat into the Blacks Creek pack to get it to camp, where I would use the Outfitter frame to finish the job. As the month of June came along I started to make a list of gear for the trip and added up the weights to see where I would be at. Things weren't looking good. Just for the Outfitter frame and pack I was looking at 12.5 pounds. The Blacks Creek pack was another 5 pounds. 17.5 pounds just for packs was WAY too much weight for the type of hunt I was planning. I needed to look for alternatives.

After much research I realized that if I wanted a pack that I would be very happy with in the long run, I had a few different choices. Mystery Ranch, Kifaru, and Stone Glacier stood out as the top 3. None were going to be cheap options. In the end, I ended up going with a Kifaru BT2, which is the Bikini frame and Timberline 2 bag. With this setup I could haul as much weight as with my Cabelas frame, use it easily as a daypack, and the best part was that it weighed in at a mere 5lbs 5oz. A 12 pound savings from my other option. The bad part was that it is a very expensive pack. My dad and I both made the decision to purchase one. We would find things to sell in order to come up with the money. In about 2 weeks we had the cash to do it, so I placed the order.

Here is the frame:

And the pack:

I honestly can't say enough good things about the pack. At 5,200 CI (which included its pockets) it was just barely big enough for 7 days in the backcountry. With other gear upgrades, it would be more than sufficient, but our funds didn't allow for this after the pack purchase itself. The packs handled weight extremely well and was very comfortable. One of the things I like most about them is how adjustable they are. I have one shoulder that's about an inch lower than the other. Each side of the frame can be adjusted individually to get a perfect fit. It's something you just don't find on a cheaper pack and makes a huge difference when you are carrying a lot of weight a long distance. The waist belt is also incredibly comfortable and allows you to put almost all of the weight of your pack onto your hips with no discomfort. As daypacks they cinched down to the point where you hardly noticed you had them on your backs. Neither of us regret the purchase at all, and have since added a few pockets and belt pouches to the packs to make them a little more convenient. After deer season this year my dad boldly proclaimed the pack as easily his favorite purchase since he bought his rifle about 10 years ago.

[DonBo]

Finally, some decent action on day 5. Can't wait to hear how day 6 unfolds. Great story and pics so far.

[gunner55]

+1 & I don't even hunt anymore but have spent some time in Wy. around these amazing animals.

[HooknHorns]

Not that it matters and you don't need to tell exactly where you were at but with grizzlies on the west side of the state. What zone or what part of the state were you in and how close did you hunt next to a "wilderness area"? I'm trying for the Bighorn mountains but it sounds like Colorado this year. When I'm going solo it will be the bighorns cause of the big critters. Just curious what situation you had.

[HooknHorns]

Also when you and Scoot were going over the area you cyber scouted . What were the key things on google earth or bing maps that made you think it was an good looking spot. Elevation, timber, benches, water, or food?

The reason why I ask is that I'm now looking at gmu 82 in Colorado west of LaJara reservoir and seems like the wheeler trails are too close. Looking for out of the way spots that might hold elk. What do you guys look for in a spot from sattelite?

[NoWiser]

Day 6

As planned we went straight to the waterhole where I had had encountered the bull the evening before. The bugling had dwindled throughout the night and the elk were silent in the morning. We got to the waterhole and remodeled the blind a bit to accommodate two people. Our plan was simple. We would spend the day sitting and waiting. If a bull bugled, we would chase it.

Shortly after getting comfortable a bugle did ring out to the west of us. It was already pretty close when we heard it, and moving up the mountain. We quickly hung our decoy on a tree to get the elks attention, and my dad backed off and tried to seduce the bull with some cow calling. It was working, and the bull started making its way towards us. I had an arrow nocked and was ready for him to step out into the little opening where our puddle was. Unfortunately, as happens all too often, the wind swirled and the elk just vanished without a sound. It was a disappointing outcome, but a good sign that there were elk moving nearby.

For the rest of the day we sat at the waterhole waiting, watching, and listening. All that came in for a drink was a muley doe. We didn't hear so much as a single bugle. Oh yeah, and I almost forgot to mention, it rained. And rained. And rained. Finally, in the late afternoon, the rain quit..........and it started hailing. We were soaked.

We went back to camp at dark and ate quick as a nasty electrical storm approached. Once again, sleep was tough as I worried about a couple of beetle killed trees falling on us that were close to the tent. Soon we were right in the middle of the lightening storm and it was like nothing else I've experienced before. I've had some close calls with lightening while fishing........rod trips snapping and crackling, fishing line that floats up into the air when you cast, but nothing compared to this storm. The lightening was so close that when a bolt hit struck, a split second before the deafening noise, it felt like someone slugged you in the gut and knocked your wind out. It caused your entire body to freeze. You couldn't breathe, and everything went numb. It happened a few times before the storm blew over. The rest of the night it rained nonstop. I found out my side of the tent was the low one, because by morning I was sleeping in a small pool of water.

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Speaking of tents, this is one area of the hunt where we could have saved weight, but did not spend the money to do it. We stayed in our Cabelas XPG 3 season/4 person tent. I don't think they make this model anymore, but it's a great tent. The size allowed us both to keep our backpacks in the tent with us, with room to spare. Good vestibules allowed us to keep our boots just outside the doors, without worrying about them filling with water. It worked out very well for us with one drawback - it is heavy. I believe the tent, rain fly, and tyvek footprint weighed in at 8-9 pounds. We split it up on our packs so it was the equivalent of each of us carrying about a 4.5 pound tent. The extra space and comfort it provided were very welcome, especially in the conditions we encountered.

There are so many great options for shelters out there now that I would suggest getting something lighter than what we carried. I haven't done too much research regarding them but a search of any number of backpack hunting websites will turn up a ton of good options.

[NoWiser]

Not that it matters and you don't need to tell exactly where you were at but with grizzlies on the west side of the state. What zone or what part of the state were you in and how close did you hunt next to a "wilderness area"? I'm trying for the Bighorn mountains but it sounds like Colorado this year. When I'm going solo it will be the bighorns cause of the big critters. Just curious what situation you had.

Hook,

I really don't want to get into too much detail about the area we hunted because this is such an easy tag to draw that it could get overrun with hunters in no time if I posted it on the internet. We plan on returning as soon as we can draw the tag again, and the last thing we want is to have to deal with a bunch of people.

I'm not sure what your definition of "close" is regarding wilderness, but we were not close enough that we needed to worry about wandering into it accidently.

Hope I'm not coming off as a jerk, but I've seen what the internet can do to a hunting/fishing spot, and it's not pretty.

[NoWiser]

Also when you and Scoot were going over the area you cyber scouted . What were the key things on google earth or bing maps that made you think it was an good looking spot. Elevation, timber, benches, water, or food?

The reason why I ask is that I'm now looking at gmu 82 in Colorado west of LaJara reservoir and seems like the wheeler trails are too close. Looking for out of the way spots that might hold elk. What do you guys look for in a spot from sattelite?

From all of the research I did as soon as I drew this tag I knew that there were a lot of elk in this general area. We were looking for places within this general area to concentrate our efforts.

The first thing we looked for were roads and trails. I ordered a forest service map and highlighted all roads and trails with different colored sharpies. When this was finished, remote areas jumped out at us. We looked for areas at least a mile (preferably more) from the nearest motorized roads. Then we looked for areas where no established trails ran through. Once we had these areas located we moved over to Google Earth and looked for heavily forested north-facing slopes, where elk would theoretically spend their days escaping the heat of the day. According to the map, water was everywhere out there (reality was much different) so we didn't worry too much about that, although we did note meadows and clearings where we imagined elk would feed.

If you want a GREAT resource for helping select areas to hunt, check out the University of Elk Hunting DVD on Elk101's HSOforum. This is the first thing I would purchase if I was looking to do an elk hunt for the first time. Corey presents a TON of great information. You could also get Elknut's Scouting for Elk DVD on his HSOforum, which is pretty decent as well.

[HooknHorns]

No wiser your not coming off as a jerk and I didn't want you to give any specifics. So I hope I didn't come off like that. But yes you answered my question about the wilderness area. I asked about the location because you never talked about bears, wolves or if you carried spray and other protection. I have my heart set on an area in Wyoming already for solo trips. It does seem easier to pull a tag in grizz country for archery.

My buddy is kind of hung up on an area in CO that seems is easy access for wheelers and I would rather not hunt there. He is older than me and it might be his last trip out west due to cancer. So as long as he is happy I'm going with him. He can wheel around and I'm trying to finds spots of solitude for myself for now till my son is old enough.

Thanks for the help and the great thread I hope you pull this tag again to spend time with your dad and doing what you both enjoy. I don't have that option any more and my buddy has been a great mentor. Life can be too short. A guy needs to take time and stop to smell the, well elk I guess. Thanks again to you and scoot.

[sticknstring]

Yes, a big thank you to those willing to sacrifice the time and effort to share your hunts and experiences here!