SUCCESS

[Shadow]

I just got back from the hunt fellas, and man do I have some stories. First off, it snowed on my second day up. It has been a long time since I have seen snow. I saw a pretty nice bull a day or two before the season while driving to a hunting spot. The first day and a half of hunting was a bust. The guy that owned the cabin we were staying in came up to work on it. Well, he had a heart attack, and he had to take care of his needs and baby sit his 18 year old son. The first day we got to hunt, dad missed a cow, and I saw a good bull 50 yards behind my stand. He thought he was hiding, as he was checking me out. His whole body was standing broadside in the open, and he had his head behind a small spruce tree. There was about 2 feet of horn sticking over the tree. He came past dad's stand a day later, but never came close enough for a shot. We did find a hot wallow back in the dark timber. I set my climber up on it and hunted from 11:00 am to dark the first day with no results. The next morning,at the wallow, I had two bulls come in at 8:00. It was perfect. I was about 25 feet high, and they had no clue. As soon as one offered the chance, I drew and held. The smaller of the two stepped clear of the brush first. Beggers can't be choosers on public land, so I took him. The other bull was a little better, but probably the same age class as the bull I took. Neither were large by any stretch of the imagination. Dad blew another shot at a cow, and I saw a real monster while glassing a hill side while he hunted. I am talking 350+. Guess where I am going to start looking next season LOL. I will post pics as soon as I get them scanned in. I also had my first bear incounter the night before I flew home. I heard something beating on garage. When i flipped on the lights and looked out side, there was about a 250 pound black bear about 10 feet away. Have you made it back yet Dan?

[Blackhawk357]

Great story, Shadow. I'll bet you're eating well right now. Just reading your post makes my mouth water!! Was it a long pack to get him out??

[Shadow]

I got luck this year. The wallow was about 30 yards off a road used to skid out timber. It was 4 wheeler accesable. I cleared a numerous small down falls, and was able to drive a 4 wheeler right to the spot he fell. We tied his head to the back, and drug him to the skidder road where we loaded him up. The polaris 500 was loaded down with my dad and the elk, but it did really well with all the weight. The one two years ago was a horse pack out. We had to debone the whole thing and load it on the pack saddle. It was a major task, but well worth it. I forgot to mention, it was a 4X5 bull still shedding velvet. He made a rub just before I shot him. The arrow nicked the shoulder blade and a rib on the way in, and penetrated up to the fletching. By the way, I saw a HUGE mulie buck the night before I got the elk. He was the biggest thing I have ever seen on the hoof (deer wise), but still not as good as the ones you have taken on your property.

[John Maynard]

GREAT GOING SHADOW!!!!!! Congrats on the elk. My knee is getting a bit better but it's really limited where I can hunt. But I missed a shot at a 5x5 the other night at 40 yards and very steep downhill on a logging road. simple misjudgement of where to hold. The small elk are going nuts rounding up cows now but the big ones will be coming down the mountain in another week or so to run them small buggers off. It's a great time to be in the woods. :D