getting ready for FHL 444 cow hunt OCT 20-28

[tgthethird]

Also if you have a muzzleloader or bow, go to 29 park at the $outh parking lot walk in , go right at the T continue til the road splits and stay left. the road that goes right will meet up with the road your walking. where they meet up at look towards the river and work your way there. those elk walk that river bed to drink in san antonio in the evening right before dark and are on the northside of the riverbead in the morning p.s. you know you will be in the right spot when you smell or see the dead cow. .

 

[meatwad]

Thanks for all the tips, I also forgot to say I won't be able to hunt today. My wife, son and I will be back O dark 30 tomorrow morning. My plan is to hunt the lower end if 13E near the well, dust thing tomorrow. The cows that are in 13B have been getting water at the well. Then after the sun has been up for a while we will probably try 20, the biologist there also talked aboyt that oak grove. I hope to post some pics later today, nothing much just what the areas we have been hunting look like.

 

[lmjpsl]

If nothing is happening in the rifle areas, I would hunt 22 with a muzzleloader because it is an area that is generally opened only for elk hunting. You will have to walk, but it is better than having the other areas that are hunted. Area 20 is also an area that is not typically hunted.

 

[meatwad]

So todays hunt was a heart breaker. My wife has a Thompson Center encore muzzleloader so it is super reliable, I was borrowing my friends muzzleloader. So we got a small herd of 8 cows moving. We circled back on the cows a few times and I was trying to drive them towards my wife, but I could not get them to turn for me so I decided to take a shot. I got the herd to stop then I picked the lucky winner, squeezed the trigger and.....pop, that was it no boom. The elk looked at me then headed over the ridge never to be seen again. So note to self if I borrow a gun, make sure it is properly cleaned. I striped that muzzleloader in the field and scrapped out a lot of crap from the breech plug. Now it should be ok...or so I hope. I know of one elk that was taken today, but the hunt is still very slow and sightings of cows are few and far between. Well that is what I know today, post more tomorrow. I also will try and upload pics of the elk we encountered when I get the chance.

 

[spectr17]

I've had a lot of bad luck with borrowed guns myself meatwad, scope leaked in rain on .308, 30-06 Jam-A-Matic Remington 742 wouldn't fire on my first doe as a kid etc. I don't borrow guns if I can help it anymore.

Good luck out there, keep the reports coming. I wish I was up there to help bird dog for you, I love that place.

 

[meatwad]

Yesterday update, saw lots of bulls in 21 while I was in 22. Saw a group of 8, they were all quite large, the biggest was 8x8 the rest were 4x4 and up. Again saw a few cows but in areas we can't hunt. 22 has construction going on and the only area we can hunt is the river bottom, the elk were out near the construction..boo. also the base closed more zones on us, for a recap zones 5,9,10 and 12b are closed, and to make it worse no new zones were opened. It is almost like everything is aginst us this hunt. It is hard to stay motivated. Well I am about to head out again wish me luck. My wife is taking it easy this morning and sleeping in, she is quite depressed too. Day 6 of hunt is about to begin and only 4 elk have been taken......this is not going well.

Any tips?

Thanks,
Tom

 

[ltdann]

Damn. Keep after it. I guess you've got work with what you've got. Keep the reports coming.

 

[Mel Carter]

Sounds like its a tough hunt. Keep it up, persistence will pay off. Keep those reports coming.


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[usmc98]

Good luck on your hunt and if your still there i will see you tommorow when i go for my MZ hunt.

 

[meatwad]

Ok I am pretty tired today, but here is a recap. Morning hunt was cut short when I found a bull stuck in constantine wire. I had to call fish and game to find out what to do. Ended up waiting for them to show up and by the time they had git there the bull had got off, but he left a mess all over the place. He was cut pretty bad and blood was all over the river bed in 22. He managed to get the wire unstuck off of a tree then eventuality off his rack or so we think. So if you are hunting for bulls this weekend look for a 6x6 with wire on his head.

Next my wife and I had an awesome set up on a herd today, but just when we thought everything was perfect 2 coyotes ruined the ambush. We found a herd of about 60+ cows and had time to set up in front of them with out being seen. My wife was up on a hill top about 75 yards away from the herd and I was just around the bottom of the hill where they would exit. My wife was just about to pull the trigger when all of a sudden 2 coyotes ram out from in front if me spooking the herd back up the way they had come from. We were both so upset, our hunting days are dwindling away and we had another f-up. My wife was able to catch back up with the herd 2 more times but was not offered a clean shot. But I will have to say it was pretty exciting.

For the bull hunters I can tell you exactly where to go on Saturday. I have seen the same 8 bulls for the past two days within a 500 yard area.

Well unfortunately I will not be hunting tomorrow. I will be back out for the weekend hoping to fill our two tags.

 

[meatwad]

Sorry for so many misspelled words I am writing this on my phone every time and I have really big fingers...lol

 

[spectr17]

No worries on the spelling meatwad, we can follow what your posting. That concertina wire is nasty stuff. I filmed two coyotes trying to sneak up on a calf elk at FHL years back. The wind swirled and momma cow chased the one coyote all the way down the valley in area 12. They were doing the raptor trick, one coyote trotted by the small group in the open while the 2nd coyote was belly crawling in a little swale to get close. He got about 50 yds from the calf and was about to spring the ambush when Murphy bit him in the azz. Momma must have chased him dang near a mile, it was something to see for sure.

 

[ltdann]

Which area where the 60+ cows?

 

[meatwad]

News flash. This hunt is pretty much over zone 20 is now closed. We are fresh out of ideas, this hunt has turned into a nightmare the limited number of zones and all of the zones being closed is a real drag. 20 was our last hope. Does anyone have any ideas in what we should do. I have seen the big herds in, 20, 12, 15 and 10 none if which are open.

 

[Mel Carter]

What areas are now open?


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[meatwad]

13w, 13e, part of 22, 25, 9, and 29 I belive that is it.

 

[Live2hunt]

How about 24? Try the 20 and 24 boundary road starting at Hughes Reservoir.

Try 13W in the flat along the 13W and 13A boundary.

100 yards after you cross the green bridge in 25, take the 21 and 24 boundary road up to high ground, then glass back into the flat and river bed in 22. The elk should be in the open during morning and evening hours and still inside the opened portion of 22. When you spot them, make note of their position, then plan your stalk.

Go up Jolon Road in early AM and evening hours. Keep your eyes in the flat on the 13E side as you drive up. Go right on Argyle Road and look for them on the 13E side. They usually cross from 10 and 13W to 13E.

In 29, starting at the second parking, ride your bike down towards the lake. Once you see the water in the lake, stash your bike in the bushes or chain lock to a tree, then slowly hike up one of the fingers on your right and check the draws and canyons up there.

 

[meatwad]

Correction only zones now are, 9, 13w, 19 and 29 and maybe 12b. They closed more zones on us....I can't belive this. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Really can't belive they took 13e,22 and 20 away from us.

 

[meatwad]

Thanks live2hunt. Based on what little is left I am going to try 29 and maybe 13w

 

[tgthethird]

29, i was there helping my friends son and we seen em in there. the directions are in my earlier post. Also i was there for 9 days helping my friendduring his archery hunt and we seen them in there. good luck...