falcon
09-09-2007, 08:03 AM
I want to thank all the contributers to this forum. Although I didn't arrow an elk this season I am sure that I could have killed one in the encounters we had. Wrong tag lesson.
What was really different this time was the confidence that I could find them by applying knowledge gleaned here. I set out each morning to make it happen. Where I live, I know and recognize whitetail bedding, feeding and travel routes easily. I just had to try and switch grass for browse, black timber north side for plum thicket, etc.
Not living in the mountains is part of it. I stood at vantage points several times this year looking at basins and ridges, and benches where I had hiked and knew what was underneath the canopy. Then started adding all the tips I gathered here at Kifaru and imagining how the animals would use it.
My partner would ask "Why are we here now?" "Well, Kevin had this timeline sheet on elk, looks right on"
"What are we looking for?" "Belly high grass"
"Why wouldn't they bed here?" "I think they're bedding on that north slope and feeding here, 800 feet up and down ain't nothin to an elk"
Time and time again I used what I have heard here on the hunting and bow forum and had it fall into place. The only glitch was us going early. Seems the cows were just all spread out still with calves only or in pairs. Most of the bulls we saw were alone and not really looking for company till Thur. the fifth day when they began to bugle.
Here's an elk hunting chuckle. Friday morning at daylight we're sidehilling down an aspen/grass slope that goes down to the creek and then back up to a north facing slope where I suspect they're bedding. The plan was to catch the cows feeding down and up to the timber. Gotta move fast.
As we head down I spot a bull feeding up towards us, he must have a hideout up above the aspens on this side. He is going to cross a game trail in front of me so I lay down my bow and grab the camera. Right then I hear a loud cow call(like a hoochie mama) in the creek below us, dang thing had beat us down the hill!
I looked at my bow and then back to the bull. He was a small 5x5 rack and paid no attention at all to the cow sound. I set up to take his pic at about 30 yds. where he would be in the trail.
As he is feeding up a bugle sounds from straight across the drainage, calling the cow up to him. The bull in front of me jumps about four feet! Guess he recognized that voice!
I wish the pic turned out, we have tried to edit it several times. The flash on the second shot sent him downhill about 40 yards, but he stopped and then went back uphill at a walk. Wind was perfect, even though it was morning and thermals still dropping this creek pulled it sideways down the drainage.
This was another time that with a different tag we could have worked the other bull as well. I don't think you have to wait for the last weeks to call bulls, less eyes watching too.
I hope you'all who are still hunting get a chance to stick one and take pics, it is a great time to be in the places where they live.
Thanks, Glynn
What was really different this time was the confidence that I could find them by applying knowledge gleaned here. I set out each morning to make it happen. Where I live, I know and recognize whitetail bedding, feeding and travel routes easily. I just had to try and switch grass for browse, black timber north side for plum thicket, etc.
Not living in the mountains is part of it. I stood at vantage points several times this year looking at basins and ridges, and benches where I had hiked and knew what was underneath the canopy. Then started adding all the tips I gathered here at Kifaru and imagining how the animals would use it.
My partner would ask "Why are we here now?" "Well, Kevin had this timeline sheet on elk, looks right on"
"What are we looking for?" "Belly high grass"
"Why wouldn't they bed here?" "I think they're bedding on that north slope and feeding here, 800 feet up and down ain't nothin to an elk"
Time and time again I used what I have heard here on the hunting and bow forum and had it fall into place. The only glitch was us going early. Seems the cows were just all spread out still with calves only or in pairs. Most of the bulls we saw were alone and not really looking for company till Thur. the fifth day when they began to bugle.
Here's an elk hunting chuckle. Friday morning at daylight we're sidehilling down an aspen/grass slope that goes down to the creek and then back up to a north facing slope where I suspect they're bedding. The plan was to catch the cows feeding down and up to the timber. Gotta move fast.
As we head down I spot a bull feeding up towards us, he must have a hideout up above the aspens on this side. He is going to cross a game trail in front of me so I lay down my bow and grab the camera. Right then I hear a loud cow call(like a hoochie mama) in the creek below us, dang thing had beat us down the hill!
I looked at my bow and then back to the bull. He was a small 5x5 rack and paid no attention at all to the cow sound. I set up to take his pic at about 30 yds. where he would be in the trail.
As he is feeding up a bugle sounds from straight across the drainage, calling the cow up to him. The bull in front of me jumps about four feet! Guess he recognized that voice!
I wish the pic turned out, we have tried to edit it several times. The flash on the second shot sent him downhill about 40 yards, but he stopped and then went back uphill at a walk. Wind was perfect, even though it was morning and thermals still dropping this creek pulled it sideways down the drainage.
This was another time that with a different tag we could have worked the other bull as well. I don't think you have to wait for the last weeks to call bulls, less eyes watching too.
I hope you'all who are still hunting get a chance to stick one and take pics, it is a great time to be in the places where they live.
Thanks, Glynn