againstthegrain
Senior Member
- Location
- Sun Valley, ID
Well ladies and gents hunting doesn't get more exciting than having a heard of about 50 elk feed around my tree stand this morning. You can tell by the time of day of this post that I didn't kill one. Breeze was light, 0-5mph, out of the nw, 45°F at first light as I climbed the tree.
I heard a few elk bugling from the pastures and hay fields where they spend the night feeding, before retreating to cover to spend the day. I slipped along in the moonlight walking fence lines, river banks, and a burnt over cottonwood stand for the 1 1/2 mile jaunt upriver to the spot trying not to sweat. Change into irrigation boots, several hundred yds later I check for animals and people up and down the river, before crossing to re-change boots and begin actual hunting.
Once in the the tree various bulls are bugling from the pasture, one w a particularly resonant bugle. I give it a minute or 2 so I can be sure it's light enough to shoot and begin cow calling. The bulls respond to the calls and to each others calls. Serious day; not enough hands to take pics.
Eventually they made they're way out of the pasture, across the river, and I begin to see them climb the riverbank. It turns out a group of about 50 crossed including a nice 6x6 and a couple cows pass by my tree giving me an easy shots which I passed on. About that time I see what might be a big bull we knew was lurking in the area. It comes somewhat in to view at about 35 yds. It was a big 7x7! He lingered close for a couple minutes and then wandered off. Heart rate was up! I would catch a glimpse of every couple minutes, but those big boys take a LOT of care deciding where and when to move.
I was right btwn the herd and the bedding area when I spotted another hunter on the ground about 120yds to my south. It wasn't 2 mins later when the herd just up and decided they were out of there. They fast walked their way up river and cleared out, no doubt headed to bed. Sunday typically brings a couple other hunters out, unfortunately.
16 days left, the rut is just getting underway, and after finally seeing the big one I'm in this till the end!
I heard a few elk bugling from the pastures and hay fields where they spend the night feeding, before retreating to cover to spend the day. I slipped along in the moonlight walking fence lines, river banks, and a burnt over cottonwood stand for the 1 1/2 mile jaunt upriver to the spot trying not to sweat. Change into irrigation boots, several hundred yds later I check for animals and people up and down the river, before crossing to re-change boots and begin actual hunting.
Once in the the tree various bulls are bugling from the pasture, one w a particularly resonant bugle. I give it a minute or 2 so I can be sure it's light enough to shoot and begin cow calling. The bulls respond to the calls and to each others calls. Serious day; not enough hands to take pics.
Eventually they made they're way out of the pasture, across the river, and I begin to see them climb the riverbank. It turns out a group of about 50 crossed including a nice 6x6 and a couple cows pass by my tree giving me an easy shots which I passed on. About that time I see what might be a big bull we knew was lurking in the area. It comes somewhat in to view at about 35 yds. It was a big 7x7! He lingered close for a couple minutes and then wandered off. Heart rate was up! I would catch a glimpse of every couple minutes, but those big boys take a LOT of care deciding where and when to move.
I was right btwn the herd and the bedding area when I spotted another hunter on the ground about 120yds to my south. It wasn't 2 mins later when the herd just up and decided they were out of there. They fast walked their way up river and cleared out, no doubt headed to bed. Sunday typically brings a couple other hunters out, unfortunately.
16 days left, the rut is just getting underway, and after finally seeing the big one I'm in this till the end!
Last edited:
