Bigolwiggler
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jun 2, 2001
- Messages
- 1,385
- Reaction score
- 308
A friend / co-worker bought 20 acres and a fixer home near St.Maries Idaho a few years back . He has been bugging me since to come up and stay a week there. I always seemed too busy to make the trip . A few months ago he sweetened the deal by telling me to buy some over the counter deer and elk tags ....so I took the bait.
The tags were either sex . The elk had only 3 day window for cow. Of course I would like a bull though . I got there pre-rut on the deer and post rut on the elk. There were certain areas that had quite a bit of elk sign but had not glassed up any . Hunting mostly clear cuts with lots of forage on day 5, I eased around the corner of a logging road and spotted 5 cows. Because of cover I knew it would have to be a freehand shot so I eased in a bit closer.. The first shot was a bit forward and slightly low in the shoulder. When the shot went off, there was a crashing in the thick timber behind me and the clack of horns going through it . It was most likely their bull !! Had I came around the corner 5 minutes later he may have been out there with them ???? She ambled down the mountain about 175 yds and stopped in a gully and went out of sight. After making my way down there I placed a shot to the neck to seal the deal. Meeting up with two of my buds, I made my way back towards the jeep. I was clearing my way as I went on an old skidder trail, moving logs , filling in holes in it in hopes that we could make our way to the critter on this timber company land with the jeep.
We carefully made our way down to the cow , it was now fairly dark. She was a BIG girl. Much larger than the Tule / Roosevelts that I am used to seeing. ( keep in mind when you see the picture that I am 6 ft. tall. )
We opted to cut her in half rather than quartering . Just enough to get her loaded up in the back of the jeep. THAT was a chore. My bones are still feeling it.
On the 6th of the hunt I decided to take a doe whitetail just to fill the tag. They were plentiful but very VERY spooky. I ended up taking a respectable forky Bonus ! . My traveling partner took a similar buck the next morning. We had just enough time to quarter and bone everything out before our 14 hour drive home the following day . Lots of work but the wife and I are set for meat for a solid year.
2017 score ?
Wife , B zone buck !!! ; )
Myself , 2 B zone bucks , One Id. cow , one Id. buck.
I still have a bear tag but no room for the meat so the tag will have to cook up nicely in a soup.
Best meat year in our hunting careers. We feel blessed.
BOW
The tags were either sex . The elk had only 3 day window for cow. Of course I would like a bull though . I got there pre-rut on the deer and post rut on the elk. There were certain areas that had quite a bit of elk sign but had not glassed up any . Hunting mostly clear cuts with lots of forage on day 5, I eased around the corner of a logging road and spotted 5 cows. Because of cover I knew it would have to be a freehand shot so I eased in a bit closer.. The first shot was a bit forward and slightly low in the shoulder. When the shot went off, there was a crashing in the thick timber behind me and the clack of horns going through it . It was most likely their bull !! Had I came around the corner 5 minutes later he may have been out there with them ???? She ambled down the mountain about 175 yds and stopped in a gully and went out of sight. After making my way down there I placed a shot to the neck to seal the deal. Meeting up with two of my buds, I made my way back towards the jeep. I was clearing my way as I went on an old skidder trail, moving logs , filling in holes in it in hopes that we could make our way to the critter on this timber company land with the jeep.
We carefully made our way down to the cow , it was now fairly dark. She was a BIG girl. Much larger than the Tule / Roosevelts that I am used to seeing. ( keep in mind when you see the picture that I am 6 ft. tall. )
We opted to cut her in half rather than quartering . Just enough to get her loaded up in the back of the jeep. THAT was a chore. My bones are still feeling it.
On the 6th of the hunt I decided to take a doe whitetail just to fill the tag. They were plentiful but very VERY spooky. I ended up taking a respectable forky Bonus ! . My traveling partner took a similar buck the next morning. We had just enough time to quarter and bone everything out before our 14 hour drive home the following day . Lots of work but the wife and I are set for meat for a solid year.
2017 score ?
Wife , B zone buck !!! ; )
Myself , 2 B zone bucks , One Id. cow , one Id. buck.
I still have a bear tag but no room for the meat so the tag will have to cook up nicely in a soup.
Best meat year in our hunting careers. We feel blessed.
BOW
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