The Elk Thread

[TildenHunter]

If you need someone to fill a spot let me know, I’ll come play.

10-4. Will keep that in mind and let you know if/when the time comes! Would love to get together and make a hunt.

[TildenHunter]

So I did a spike camp hunt with Broadmouth Canyon Ranch the 2nd week of September. This took place on private land, high fence. This hunt was for my 50th birthday gift so I wanted to be in elk every hunt and really experience the elk woods, no diy. It would be my 2nd time elk hunting as the 1st time was about 15 years ago. The weather turned out to be unseasonably hot and dry when I was there but I saw elk on every hunt. They were not bugling much but we made the best of it spot and stalking the mornings and sat at wallows in the evenings. My guide tried calling them in but they just weren't very vocal likely due to the hot weather as well as it being kinda early for the rut. It's probably starting there this week, I am sure. On day 1 in the afternoon we sat at a wallow and had some bulls come in but they knew something wasn't right and bolted. I tried to draw on a bull at last light but he was on full alert and was gone in a second. The afternoon of day 2 we sat in the same wallow. We arrived early and brushed ourselves in on the hillside above the wallow. For some reason the flies were really bad on the ranch and I could barely hear my guide talking to me as they buzzed around our heads. Jist after 7pm my guide signaled me he heard rocks rolling so I got ready and as soon as I saw antlers coming through the trees I drew my bow. This really nice 6 x 6 bull came straight in and started drinking at the wallow facing directly at us. I waited and after about a minute, he turned quartering towards me and I had to make a split decision whether to shoot or let down. I thought with the elevation I was at that I could get my arrow above his shoulder and down into his vitals. I touched off the release and my arrow hit where I was aiming and he fell right over. He was still kicking so I put another arrow him and it was over. My guide was so happy there was no tracking needed. Everything on this hunt was awesome.....sleeping in a wall tent on the mountain, waking up to bugling elk, the fantastic meals our cook prepared and the beautiful scenery! Only thing that would've made it better was some cooler weather and rutting elk!

Congrats on a great bull! I have hunted and stayed in that same spike camp! We did it back in 2017 I think??? We had a good time and was able to spot and stalk a good bull the evening of the second day. Not something I want to do every year but it was a blast and have a really nice representative elk on the wall because of it. I have killed a couple smaller free range bulls but it was big fun to knock one down on that ranch! Is the spike camp still located right at that steep arse drop off right before you get to the camp? It will make you pucker!

[BuckSmasher]

No dead elk but fun story. My buddy and I went out saturday evening, he for elk since he has an A tag, I was toting a bow just in case one of the big bucks we have on camera did something stupid but I was primarily going to be his caller. Occasionally unusual things happen in the woods right?


On our way out of a steep drainage two and a half miles in, just about 300 yards from the truck and about 45 minutes after dark we hear what we thought was deer run downhill off the trail in front of us. I had forgotten my headlamp and his was crappy but we could see eyes 30 yards below us. We thought it was weird the deer were not spooking. He said he thought it was wolves. I didn't think so, we are running cameras down there and no wolves so far on any of them. We made a few cow calls to see if they would do something (we end up regretting that). We walk thirty yards or so, look downhill eyes are keeping up with us 30 yards downhill. He wants to shoot at them, I am against it, we don't know what they are! We conclude to pop a round into the dirt. No movement from eyes. Starting to believe it may be wolves. Walk another 30 yards look downhill just in time to see a big pale whitish/grayish wolf jump over a downed log! It just got real.... lol. We hustle to the truck but never see them again. They were probably just curious, especially after we made elk sounds but it was an adrenaline rush for sure!

[Bowtech Lefty]

Congrats on a great bull! I have hunted and stayed in that same spike camp! We did it back in 2017 I think??? We had a good time and was able to spot and stalk a good bull the evening of the second day. Not something I want to do every year but it was a blast and have a really nice representative elk on the wall because of it. I have killed a couple smaller free range bulls but it was big fun to knock one down on that ranch! Is the spike camp still located right at that steep arse drop off right before you get to the camp? It will make you pucker!

Thanks, it was an awesome trip. That sounds about right on the spike camp location. I think they have made camp there for several years.
Yeah not sure how those guides navigate those steep hillsides on a daily basis! They had horses available but I just couldn't imagine riding up and down those steep mountains on horseback.

[Chad_E]

Brother and I just got back from Colorado last Friday. I was lucky enough to call in 6 bulls. Only one that gave me a shot opportunity happen to be the largest one I called in. We saw some bigger bulls, but I'm very happy. Scores just over 282".

[Who Brought'em]

Congrats Chad. Hope to hear about it soon

[solocam_aggie]

Congrats Chad! Great looking bull.

[deep n the heat]

Finally here to give an update on our Colorado hunt. We were in elk everyday. I passed on 3 small bulls. I had 2 bigger bulls I would have shot but they didn't quite give me a shot. I did put a follow up shot on a bull my buddy shot first. His arrow apparently only brisket shot the bull. Mine looked good but a hair back. Arrow was covered in dark red liver blood. We trailed him up the mountain until he circled or something and we lost blood. If I would've know his shot wasn't lethal I wouldn't have shot. He had a broken beam but was a mature bull. Overall it was a very good hunt with lots of elk.

[rtp]

My Montana hunt was a bust elk wise. Tag soup this go round. I did shoot a muley doe the last morning to have some meat to bring home. Quite a few opportunities on smaller bucks during the week but passed on them.

[justletmein]

That's awesome Chad, congrats!

[ladrones]

Nice CO bull. Congress

[LWC]

West bound and down tomorrow evening. CO diy rifle. Should be pretty cool for this old southern boy. Can't wait.

[Bill]

You guys who were not successful, you’re not alone. I’m closing out my 3d bowhunting season as a Montana resident without pulling the string back. I wanted to get a last bowhunt in today in an area where there are elk (I’ve helped pack a couple out), but the 2’ snow drifts are kickin’ my butt.

God only knows how I’d get an animal out of here to my side by side.

I’m going home, building a nice fire and practicing the guitar.




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[Bill]

The Elk Thread

I didn’t have a TBH flag to plant at the summit, so I had to improvise (adapt and overcome). Tobacco Roots Mts, sw Montana (which means ‘mountain’ in Spanish).



Looking east, the north end of the Madison Range is behind/ below the pine, and the Gallatin Range 40+ miles away (and Bozeman) below the Big Sky.

God is great. To be healthy enough able to do this at 66. And have a wife who encourages it.




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[unclefish]

Great stuff Bill!