2015 Unguided Public Land MT Elk Hunt

[Scoot]

Powerstroke, we'll be camping up high and hunting down from right out of the tent.  it's not a backcountry area, but it's one that is sufficiently steep and crappy to keep most people out.  I've never shot an elk there, but every time I've been there I've been in elk.  When my partners wimped out on me last time there were elk all over the dang place there!  I sure hope they're still in that general area.  With such little time this trip iif I have to spend days trying to find elk, I'm SOL for sure.  If they're in the same general area and at least talking a little bit, I've got a decent chance IMO.  Any legal elk-- branch antlered bull, cow, calf is going to get my best effort at hanging my tag on it! 

We leave tomorrow at 5:00 PM.  We'll drive through the night and get there in time for hunting in the AM on Fri.  I can't wait!!!  I've got absolutely no business going right now- I'm busier than heck at work, I'm really trying hard to get my son a deer at home, I've got lots of obligations at home...  but, I really want a chance to have a chance.  Punched tag or not, I'm excited to get back out there knowing I won't get screwed like I did last time.  

[DonBo]

Good luck Scoot. We know you'll give yourself every possible chance for success. Either way, we're looking fwd. to hearing about it when you return.

[ANYFISH2]

Hoping for your success!  If anyone can do it quick you can.

[HooknHorns]

Glad to hear you making another crack at it. Good luck to you. 

[Bear55]

Good luck scoot!

Note to self, always bring two vehicles when you are unsure of hunting partners.

[Fishalittle]

May your calling be answered and your arrow fly true! Good luck and most of all have fun!

[Scoot]

Thanks everyone!  Tough going so far!  I've heard 4 bugles in 2 days and nothing responds to my calls at all!  This country is not very conducive to spot and stalk buy almost got a crack doing that this AM. Got to 50 yards before the wind swirled and they blew out. Dang!  

We're having a great time and I'm really glad we came back out here. 

Edited October 10, 2015 by Scoot

[Scoot]

Thanks for all the well-wishes everyone. I'm in the middle of ND on my way back home. We had a really fun trip!  However elk weren't talking at all and no arrows were sent airborne. Also my buddy unknowingly dropped my camera under the truck and it was driven over during the trip so I didn't get nearly as many pics as I hoped I would. When I get back to a computer I'll post a few pics sometime this week. 

I'd call the trip a big success!  It definitely got the foul taste out of my mouth from what happened the first time. I firmly believe I would have shot a bull if I had a few more days the first trip but that's not the way it worked out this year. That area is really really tough of the bulls have lock jaw and I only heard 4 bugles and got a grand total of 0 responses to any of my calls. Still had fun though!!!

[triggertrav]

good to hear things went better - safe travels!  looking forward to more pics

[deerminator]

Good story nonetheless and lessons to be learned. Thank you for teaching them to me! My boss once told me "Remember, you can't control how others act but you can control how you react." In otherwords, keep your cool but fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice..." Good luck this season whatever you hunt next.

[Scoot]

In otherwords, keep your cool but fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice..."

Absolutely, deerminator!  I will not make this mistake again and I certainly won't make this mistake with the same person again.  He won't be ruining any future hunting trips again- ever. 

Here are some pics from the trip this year.

A couple high mountain meadows.

I found some wallows I will return to at some point.

 

My buddy Jake, who joined me on the second go-around.

I was also lucky enough to spend some time in the mountains with my brother on the second trip.

A dead head we found.  Could have been an unrecovered archery kill, a mountain lion kill (lots of them in that area), or who knows...

Like I said before, I'm really glad I was able to go back and get the bad taste out of my mouth from the first go-around.  My tag went unpunched and I'm still unhappy about that because I'm totally confident I would have killed a bull if I had been able to spend a few more days in that area in Sep.  However, with this second trip the sun set on my 2015 elk season and I made some good memories and learned some good lessons.

 

 

[Boar]

way to keep up beat scott, at least ya had another go at it. Good for you, past is the past. 

[Scoot]

Thanks Boar!  Now, if only there was someone else out there who could post a great story of an elk hunt and add in some pictures to entertain us.  If only someone like that existed...  Maybe someone who knows more than me, but maybe someone "no wiser" than me.  Hmmm... if only someone like that was out there waiting to post up a great story...   

[HooknHorns]

Glad to here you were happy with the way this trip turned out compared to the last. Looks like some thick country! 

 

 

[Boar]

Hmmm Im none the wiser, and dont elk hunt, but could tell a pretty good story, but the pics would be way of subject, like that of my pregnant dog and such.  mybe...oooh i get it, hint hint no wiser, ha goofy me, just a goofy dude!! 

[walleyehunter02]

Not being a thread thief, but i am no good with making my own write up so here is the short. I am no wiser but went on my first DIY elk hunt in Colorado this year. 4 of us went (3 newbies) and no tags were punched. I went in not fully physically prepared. Hunted pretty hard we thought with logging 57 miles on the gps over 8 days covering from 8000 ft to 10500 ft.  Between the group we had 3 close encounters (20 yards or less) with bulls too small to shoot, and a respectable 5x5 at 30 yards with trees blocking his vitals and another decent 5x5 at 8 yards quartering towards heavily and a downed tree covering his vitals, then he was gone in a flash! It was a fun physically demanding trip. It took everything my body had to keep going after 5 days, so i give lotsa credit to those guys who put the hard work in ahead of time to make it easier while out there. We learned a lot while out there and can't wait for next year! I'm addicted!! Thanks to you Scoot and others who have done write ups in the past i have enjoyed reading them. Sure is some pretty country out in the mountains.

[Scoot]

walleyehunter, sounds like a dang fun trip to me!  Elk hunting and close calls seem to go hand and hand!  If I had a dollar for every time we've been within bow range or almost within bow range to a bull and had the wind swirl, or a tree blocking the vitals of a bull, or both I'd be rich!  That's part of the fun though...

The first year I went out West I wasn't in good enough shape.  I was young enough so that I still thought being a good athlete would carry me through just fine.  I had no idea what I was really getting into in that regard and I got my butt kicked!  Honestly, that trip changed my life and I'm in much, much better shape as a result.  I work out all year long in an effort to stay in good shape for my hunts out West.  I ramp up my work outs in the three months prior to the hunt, but my baseline level of fitness is pretty good due to 3-4 weekly workouts.  It takes that kind of commitment to staying in shape to go out there and be able to do what I want to do.  YMMV, but that's what it takes for me.

Welcome to elk hunting!  It's fun and better than anything else IMO.  I think about it every single day of the year...

[nofishfisherman]

Is there any special workouts you do to get yourself in shape for a hunting trip or is it just your basic fitness stuff?

I'm only 34 but each year I find that even deer hunting in MN or dragging my ice gear around through a little snow isn't as easy as it once was.  I think a lot of us would see an improvement in our hunting and fishing trips if we focused on being physically fit for the activity.  We don't need to go on a mountain elk hunt to see some pretty big benefits.  

 

 

[Boar]

thats awsome even with out the puched tag WH2, Going out there and giving it your best, the opportunities were close but they were at least given.  Sounds like a pretty successfull trip if ya ask me. I dont get a bear every year, but im give it my all, its what we do. Awsome effort!!

[NoWiser]

Thanks Boar!  Now, if only there was someone else out there who could post a great story of an elk hunt and add in some pictures to entertain us.  If only someone like that existed...  Maybe someone who knows more than me, but maybe someone "no wiser" than me.  Hmmm... if only someone like that was out there waiting to post up a great story...   

I have no idea who you are talking about??

Nobody wants to read about a boring bowhunt for elk in New Mexico anyways

I'll try to throw something together next week, but I can't make any promises....

[Boar]

Scoot, theres your money maker, A exercise video devoted to what it take to get in shape for DIY elk hunts. 

no leatards tho.

[NoWiser]

Scoot, theres your money maker, A exercise video devoted to what it take to get in shape for DIY elk hunts. 

no leatards tho.

Oh God, please say no.....

[nofishfisherman]

Scoot, theres your money maker, A exercise video devoted to what it take to get in shape for DIY elk hunts. 

no leatards tho.

I'd buy that, leotards or not.  

Too much?

[TylerS]

Dang Scoot, talk about ups and downs!! Whether that one hunting partners was "cut from the same cloth" or not, I honestly can't comprehend ever being in a situation where I make the whole group cut a 10-day hunt way short simply because I couldn't hack it. At the very least, I would have walked off the mountain and got a hotel room for a few days. 

Other than land access, good hunting buddies are probably the most precious resource. There's a reason I can count on one hand the number of people I take to the field with during a given fall. Many people I hunt with once and (purposely) never hunt with again. Just the way it goes. 

Glad to see you at least got a second shot at redemption. Sets your mind at ease a little bit knowing you gave it all you could. 

God, I'm pissed off for you! Seriously...some people's kids, eh??

[ozzie]

I love these threads!! haha Scoot did the warm weather in Montana effect your hunting at all?  I was out in MT on 10/5 to 10/9 and Friday the 9th it was suppose to be warm and getting warmer thru the weekend.  Now I am not sure what part of Montana you were but I was in the Gardiner area which is by Yellowstone North Entrance.  We had rented a cabin just out of town and boy were the Elk thick in the area!!!  As the week went on and got warmer they would start to go up a bit in elevation during the day then make there way back down into the fields at evening.  Had my son (7)screaming trying to sound like a bull and quickly had 4 scream back at him.  The herds stayed in our area all week though and we saw some pretty crazy stuff with dominant bulls chasing cows and other bulls in the area letting out massive bugles.  We also had pronghorn everywhere which was neat!  After hearing the bulls bugle back and forth I could just imagine getting near one in the thick part of the mountain and trying to hunt it with bow and arrow and how it could create an obsession!!!  Glad you (Scoot) got to get back out and get the sour taste out and end the season on your own terms!  To the other hunters out there willing to share their stories and adventures THANKS as it is always fun reading personal hunting experiences when we are stuck not being able to get out in the woods for whatever the reason may be!!!  Take care n thanks!-Ozzie