Bowhunt 06' Snake River Style

[Shay Mann]

Myself and my buddy Kevin went on an incredible drop camp archery hunt in the Hell's Canyon Wilderness in Oregon.

I just wanted to share our adventure in this little photo montage.

I can't wait to get back there again......

 

[Shay Mann]

First Day - Trailhead Waiting for the horsies

After a 9 hour drive, we pulled into the trailhead at about 1:00 a.m.

Slept in the back of Kevin's truck.

Next morning, got our gear ready, and waited for our packer.

I should note, this was NOT a guided hunt. We use my buddy and packer Barry Cox to help get some gear in the wilderness, and more importantly get our elk out. Back there, it is next to impossible to get an elk out, before it spoils.

The packer drops us off, waves goodbye, and him and the horses will see us in 9 days.

 

[Shay Mann]

The Ride

The ride in was uneventful. Oh yeah, except that we were witnessing the most awesome country Oregon, or the lower 48 for that matter, has to offer. And doing it on horseback sets the soul back about 150 years.

The weather was awesome clear blue skies, white puffy clouds.... HOWEVER............

 

[Shay Mann]

First Hunt

At base camp we got all our gear ready for the hunt. The first night we would head off down the ridge where we saw some elk back in our August scouting trip.

Before we headed out, a few INNOCENT snow flakes began to fall. At the last minute, Kevin insisted that we pack one of the tents, instead of just our bivy sacks..... GOOD THINKING KEVIN !!!

 

[Shay Mann]

First Sightings

In the fog, Kevin let out a bugle, to see if the elk were still down where we thought they would be.

Sure thing, a bull fired back, and along the ridge we went.

We then spotted a group of 3 bachelor bulls feeding along a real steep, rocky hill side, 700 yards from us.

They were feeding our way, so I went down the ridge to a better ambush spot, Kevin stayed back up top, doing some real light cow calling.... The bulls liked Kevin's sweet, seductive, song.

They couldn't have fed through any better... Just as we planned.

I ended up shooting the first, and largest of the 3 at 43 yards. Then the SNOW came in.

 

[Arrowslinger]

Good stuff shay....keep the pics comin.

 

[Shay Mann]

BULL DOWN

I ended up killing this really cool looking 5 X 5. Really good 4 / 5 splits.

I was super stoked. !!!!!!

 

[Shay Mann]

AND IT SNOWED

I shot my bull at 4:15 and by 6:30 we had us some snow and wind to deal with.

 

[Shay Mann]

Taking Care of the Bull

Kevin and I quartered the bull up, and took it over to a couple of trees to hang. With temps dropping to the low 20s, and a windchill probably around 10 degrees. I had no worries about the meat.

 

[Shay Mann]

Hike back to camp

We hiked back to base camp to clean some gear, and grab some better snow clothes.

The hike back was awesome, the skies cleared again, and it started to get real cold as evening came on.

 

[Shay Mann]

Take Advantage of the Sun

Even though it was cold, the sun helped dry some gear.

 

[Shay Mann]

DAY 3

Clear and Cold -

Spent the entire day glassing. Heard a few bugles, spotted a couple of different herds. And one big bull, in Oregon standards. Approx 325 - 335.

He bugled alot, had about 35 head, including 2 rag 5 x 5's in his herd.

 

[Shay Mann]

Here KITTY KITTY

The big herd with the big bull was spotted across the creek. We glassed them up for hours.

They bedded down for a mid-morning nap, and then all of a sudden they busted out of their beds and bolted downhill.

A cougar made a run at the herd. Thankfully he failed, but that would have been real cool to see a cougar take down an elk. Nature at its' finest right there.

We watched the cat retreat back up to the ridge top. We probably glassed him up for a full minute or so. The longest, I've ever seen a cat.

The bad news is, on the entire trip. I believe we saw 6 or 7 calf elk. The cats are making their mark on this country.

Time to go back in the winter and kill a couple of those killers.....

 

[Shay Mann]

More Day 3 Photos...

Heading back to the base camp. We watched the big herd all day, and surmised a game plan for the morning.

We were going to walk all the way around the head of the creek, and down the other rim, in hopes to make a play on the big bull.

Time for a fire...... It is cold.....

 

[Shay Mann]

The evening of day 3. Went to sleep with visions of the big bull dancing in our dreams. Well within bow range of course.

The morning of day 4 we headed around the head of the creek to the east side where the big herd was the night before.

But the wind was totally wrong. Unlike the first day when I got my bull, the wind was blowing straight down the ridge to the north, and west. Thus putting a wrinkle in our plans.

 

[Shay Mann]

BUSTED HERD

We busted a small spike down in a place we dubbed "hidden basin". So we knew we were close to the herd.

Then we herd the big bull bugle. We got on the herd. I stayed back as Kevin made his ambush move.

Unfortunately 80 yards was as close as he got, the wind swirled and we busted the herd.

 

[Shay Mann]

Mule Deer Hunting

With a mule deer tag in my pocket I decided to head down a couple of miles on the ridge and try my luck at mule deer hunting.

Kevin flanked the herd that he busted and we agreed to make radio contact at 11:00 a.m.

During my hunt, I glassed up a small 5 X 5 bull elk bedded, and was waiting for 11:00 to call and tell Kevin, that I think he could stalk it in his bed if he wanted him.

 

[Shay Mann]

BULL #2 DOWN !!!

But at 11:00 we made radio contact, and Kevin informed me that he shot a bull.

I told him, I could be there in about 1 hour to help him out.

The entire time I was walking, I was wondering which of the 2 bulls he killed. The rag bull or the big 6 X 6.

Knowing Kevin, I figured he was playing it cool on the radio, and probably killed the big dude. Having killed 18 or 19 bulls kevin was plenty capable of shooting the big dude.

 

[Shay Mann]

5 X 5

Kevin had a flash of the big bull at 40 yards, when the herd got in the jack pines.

He was able to run and gun in the trees, bugling his way through, basically creating a rutting frenzy that had elk all around him.

This 5 X 5 flashed through an opening, so Kevin stopped him with a cow call, and he hit him with a perfect 20 yard shot. 80 yards later he had his Wilderness bull.

 

[Shay Mann]

Nothing Like the TOP

There is nothing like having to deal with a bull that was killed on top of the ridge versus a hell hole like mine.

In fact this bull was only 100 yards from the main pack trail on flat ground.

We quartered him up, hiked him 50 yards to some jack pine trees and hung him high in a tree.

The horses could literally walk right underneath the trees that the bull was in.