First Elk

[Rampage1]

I shot my first elk in late November at FHL. Man what a hunt! I bow hunted for the first 2 days and had some exciting moments for sure, but I whimped out and busted out the weatherby on the evening of day 2. I spotted a herd of about 40 elk on a ridge up above me looking down at me with the "OH CRAP" look on there faces. I set up for a shot off my sticks, but they where so bunched up I couldn't get a safe shot. I glassed the edges of the herd looking for a straggler and spotted this gal quartering towards me. I ranged her at 248 yds, and settled my crosshairs on her shoulder. When I squeezed off the shot the herd just kind of shifted around, so I lost sight of the cow I shot at. I was hunting alone so I didn't have a spotter, but I was really comfortable with the distance and angle so I didn't shoot again. I hiked up the ridge and found my cow laying there did as a rock right where she was standing when I shot. The TSX did a great job. She wasn't the biggest cow in the herd, but I wasn't going to take a tape to her ears! She field dressed at 250.

 

[DanD]

Congratulations on your first Elk!

 

[Speckmisser]

Congrats!

That's some tasty eating hanging on that hook there, no doubt about it!

 

[hank4elk]

Congratulations on your first elk. You won't stop now after you taste it!

 

[CaliJeephuntr]

Congrats Rampage! I was up there on Day 1 (day before turkey day) to help a couple friends. Unfortunately with 15/16 closed it really hurt our chances. Drove all through 12B, 24, and 9 for nothing. All the cows we saw that day were in 20, so all we could do was look at them looking at us. Oh well. What area did you finally get her in? I didn't hunt on day 2 and they ended up getting their cows in 15.

 

[Rampage1]

I plugged her in area 25. Congrats on your friends cows. It certainly wasn't as easy going of a hunt as I thought it was going to be. When I left for vandyland I think there had only been six cows brought in for almost 30 hunters. Here's a pic of my copper bullet. I told my wife that I love copper so much I am going to get us new copper wedding rings!

 

[Rotorhead]

Congrats on your first elk. Now you're really going to be addicted and will be finding new & expensive ways to try to get a FIX!

 

[wmidbrook]

First elk. You won't forget! Glad that there was lots of excitement in it for you. Cows hunts are never a sure thing but it's nice to have good odds of success and some good meat, ivories, and maybe even a hide to show for your efforts when it's all said and done.

Good bullets for sure--there's no doubt in my mind about that....copper wedding rings. If ya did that, Barnes should give you darn near a lifetime supply in exchange for your story on that one!!!

Nice cow. I might have to put in for that tag one of these years.

 

[CaliJeephuntr]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Rampage1 @ Dec 30 2008, 05:15 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

I plugged her in area 25. Congrats on your friends cows. It certainly wasn't as easy going of a hunt as I thought it was going to be. When I left for vandyland I think there had only been six cows brought in for almost 30 hunters. Here's a pic of my copper bullet. I told my wife that I love copper so much I am going to get us new copper wedding rings!

[/b]

Yeah, it was definately a tough elk year. I just got back from FHL late Sunday after helping our buddy who had a bull tag. He got a nice 9x7, but we definately had to look hard, like the cow hunt. Normally the elk are all over areas 12B, 15, and 9... but for some reason they just didn't like the valley this year. But, that's hunting. Congrats again!

 

[rgeisler]

Congrats on the cow. My buddy and I were up there pig hunting(no luck) the weekend after Christmas. We saw a mess of cows in the closed areas. We did see a few nice bulls mixed in and a few bulls hanging at the skinning shed. A 12-13 yr. old girl shot a nice bull. It went over 400lbs. on the rack.

 

[CaliJeephuntr]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (rgeisler @ Dec 31 2008, 09:14 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Congrats on the cow. My buddy and I were up there pig hunting(no luck) the weekend after Christmas. We saw a mess of cows in the closed areas. We did see a few nice bulls mixed in and a few bulls hanging at the skinning shed. A 12-13 yr. old girl shot a nice bull. It went over 400lbs. on the rack.[/b]

There was a girl who got one? I know there was a 14 year old boy who got a really nice 7x7 on Sunday. Was his first ever big game animal. He was all smiles to.

 

[Litch]

I was there for the Thanksgiving week Cow hunt as well. A buddy got drawn and I was down there helping. We were in the Chevy crewcab, not sure if I ran into you guys or not.
We too had a tough hunt and having areas closed, or only open 1 day really hurt us. We had a great plan for area 10 the morning it was open and hiked in from Sulphur Springs Rd and had a great set-up, only to get ruined by some tool in a white SUV who thought it would be OK to drive right up to where a nice size herd was the day before. Come to find out that the same herd was heading back down the valley to the water trough we were set-up near. Then the guy decided to drive all over the valley criss crossing back and forth for about 45 minutes, never did get out of the vehicle except when they got out to take a leak and slam their doors! That's public hunting though. We still had a great time and saw a ton of Elk, just on the wrong side of the fence or a huge rack on their heads. This was the second Elk hunt I have been on down there and sure hope to be able to go again, it was still a fun week.

 

[Litch]

Rampage,
Were you the guy that snuck up on a herd and got busted right when you got to them and the circled you? If so, I think you were camped near us, I talked to your buddy who wasn't hunting. Great job and congrats!

CaliJeephuntr,
I saw where your buddies got the Cows in 15, great spot, sign everywhere. 15 sure is a big area and that spot was not one of the obvious places, they sure have good cover in that spot, plenty of concealment for sure. That is where we would have gone the morning 15 opened if we hadn't spotted that big herd in 10, great move on our part! We hunted 12B opening morning and spotted 5 Elk right at shoot time about 1000+ yds away. We tried to go around them and come over a knoll to them, but misjudged in the fog, they took off across the road into the river bottoms.

 

[Rampage1]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Litch @ Dec 31 2008, 12:47 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

I was there for the Thanksgiving week Cow hunt as well. A buddy got drawn and I was down there helping. We were in the Chevy crewcab, not sure if I ran into you guys or not.
We too had a tough hunt and having areas closed, or only open 1 day really hurt us. We had a great plan for area 10 the morning it was open and hiked in from Sulphur Springs Rd and had a great set-up, only to get ruined by some tool in a white SUV who thought it would be OK to drive right up to where a nice size herd was the day before. Come to find out that the same herd was heading back down the valley to the water trough we were set-up near. Then the guy decided to drive all over the valley criss crossing back and forth for about 45 minutes, never did get out of the vehicle except when they got out to take a leak and slam their doors! That's public hunting though. We still had a great time and saw a ton of Elk, just on the wrong side of the fence or a huge rack on their heads. This was the second Elk hunt I have been on down there and sure hope to be able to go again, it was still a fun week.[/b]

Yup that was me! I was bowhunting on that range that they openend up for hunting for the first time in like 15 years (archery only), the one right across the road from 25. There is NO cover out there but I managed to crawl within about 40yds of a huge herd of cows. If you notice in the picture of my elk my pants are almost black. That's courtesy of all the mud out there. Anyways, I mangaged to get to about 40 yds from the closest cow when one of the them spotted me laying in the knee high grass. I thought she was going to bust for sure, but she started stomping her hooves and walking right toward me! I think she though I was a coyote or something. She walks to about 10yds from me and stops to give me a "what the hell" look. I had the wind in my favor so she started to cirlce around me to see what the hell this funny looking mound really was. I knew what she was doing, so I slowly rose to me knees to draw, but it was futile. Without any cover, I got busted right away. So that was the exciting end to a stalk that took almost half a day. I must say, it was pretty intimidating having a 400+ animal bearing down at you at less than 10 yds when your are laying on ground as flat as a pancake. I hear yeah on the road hunters, they can be a pain just about everywhere with good road access. Better luck next time!

 

[Rampage1]

Anybody know of any thing cool to do with the ivories?

 

[Litch]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Rampage1 @ Dec 31 2008, 04:37 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Anybody know of any thing cool to do with the ivories?[/b]

I put them in the front pocket of my jeans for awhile to polish them. There is a lot of things you can do with them if you like jewelery, myself I don't so they sit around on my dresser. One of these days I should do something with them as the collection gets larger. At the RMEF show last year, there was a couple booths that specialized in Elk ivory jewelery and there must be some websites if you google that subject.

 

[CaliJeephuntr]

I know a lot of people don't like road hunters... and just driving a National Forest road doesn't allow one to cover much ground. But at FHL it's a different story. Part of the strategy is driving the roads because the roads are every where. Especially during deer season you cover a lot of ground during the times they're moving. Getting out on points to look in canyons or at ridges and then driving on to the next spot is a very productive, and often used strategy at FHL. Later in the morning as the deer movement slows down more traditional hunting is done where people get out and hike canyons, ridges, etc. Of course just because there's roads every where doesn't mean that people don't get out and just sit on a ridge, or hike a ridge first thing in the morning. I know I have my spots that I love to hike at first light. But it's really starting to get a little bothersome that people look down on "road-hunting" like it's not really hunting. I can tell you that you still have to spot the deer in order to be successful.

Elk hunting at FHL normally utilizes the road strategy because they're generally herded up in the flats, valleys, and low draws. So it's easy to drive around, covering a lot of ground, looking for the elk. This year wasn't really like that and we had to get up high and just sit and glass until we found the bulls bedded, feeding, and sunning themselves on the tops of the ridges because it was so cold.

FHL is really it's own style as you can't really effectively use road-hunting as a tactice in a lot of places. National forest you have to get out and walk in order to see a lot. VAFB you have to get out and walk to see a lot. But FHL it is part of the strategy in the ever popular area's. Doesn't mean people have to use that style, but it is effective. That's why you see a lot of jeeps up there.

Back on topic though, I'm glad you guys got your elk. Rampage, the area you're talking about was in the flats? Off of the road where you have to go through the gate? I think that was closed as we were told you could only hunt along the river section. It may have been different during the cow season however. But a friend of mine is LEA up there and told us it was basically along the river that they were allowing archery hunting.

 

[Rampage1]

I really couldn't tell you if where thinking of the same area. It was only open for one day during the cow hunt and it was walk in archery only. I am really glad I brought my bow because they opened up almost the entire river bottom and that area I was talking about and there was only one other bow hunter there! The cordinator told me it was the first time he had ever seen it open entirely. He was a really helpful guy, he brought me and the other bow hunter aside during the orientation and told us right where the elk where at in there! That's the only way I got on elk the first day.

To each his own with road hunting. Personally, I don't like to road hunt. The one exception is when I am with my grandfather who is 70 and had a couple knee operations. I am not saying it can't be effective, I just don't get a lot of enjoyment driving around waiting for some dumb forkie to run across the road. I understand that some hunters can't get to far off the roads either because of their age or a disability, but at 22 years old I just can't justify not getting out of my rig and getting in the game. Road hunting can be done ethically, ( I know some great outdoorsmen who do a lot from the roads) but I think it promotes questionable activities as well. I cringe when I see a pick up driving down the road with a bunch of guys piled in the back like they're behind a turret. But I don't have anything against people who do it legally and ethically. More room for me out in the cuts! Good luck next year!

 

[dw33]

Nice going on the elk.

 

[Hiker]

Nice job! Hopefully the first of many.