November FHL cow hunt

[Trkyhntr3]

Geat experience from start to finish. I couldn't have done it without Dan's help and Alan's muzzle loader.. I think Dan is in the wrong line of work. We spent about 7 hrs today butchering the meat, I had to leave and we still had one side of the ribs to go. The first shot was not a pass though. We found it today just inside the the opposite shoulder. The bullet mushroomed nice. No regrets, but next time I will take my bow. I'm not sure we did anything special except hunt hard from sun up till sun down. The biologist (Jim) told us in the brief it was all about hunter effort, he was right. Some of the guys just didn't seem to be putting in the effort, so I hope the rest are successful. Hunter Liggett runs a great program but the base police seem a little aggressive.... Ask LtDan......

 

[Mel Carter]

Did you guys notice what condition the bulls were in? Where they broke up much? I'm looking for something nice and clean with 6x6 being the minimum, for the first part of the hunt anyway.

 

[acldo6390]

My buddy Ozzie just got cow number two, took us a while. Details to come with pics. Have to dress it out and drink a brew!
Mark

 

[ltdann]

Congrats to Ozzie! 6 Days into the hunt and #2 cow taken. Tough hunt!

 

[ltdann]

Did you guys notice what condition the bulls were in? Where they broke up much? I'm looking for something nice and clean with 6x6 being the minimum, for the first part of the hunt anyway.

Mel, sent you an IM. Don't be too picky, the hunts only 9 days and there won't be too many shot opportunities.

 

[jls456]

Good job guys. There's so good eating there.

 

[Mel Carter]

Mel, sent you an IM. Don't be too picky, the hunts only 9 days and there won't be too many shot opportunities.

Not going to be extremely picky, but I know what type of bull i'm looking for and I know they have them. The only days I wont be hunting is the 24th & 25th, I have the entire rest of the season (looks like I may need it) to fill the tag.

 

[myfriendis410]

Thanks Mel. These elk are a little bigger than those blacktails we chase down at Vandenberg. I think I am going to buy a TC Omega, thanks Alan, that gun is awesome.... Hit the cow in the shoulder at about 100 yds while trotting.... 2nd shot, she tipped over and didn't get back up. Dan's new name is "the Herder".

You know; Dan's last name is kind of appropriate if you're going to hang "the herder" on him..........

 

[acldo6390]

Alright here are the details some photos and Mel send me an e-mail @ mark.stack@navy.mil for some intel on your upcoming hunt. For the last three years we (several fellas stationed in Lemoore, CA) have been applying for these elk hunts and this was the sixth tag to draw and our seventh tag is set for a hunt in December(cheaper when we all pool our resources together). So far we are six for six but I'll tell you it was harder than most would think. We had a Muzzy, Compound Bow (which I drove home to pick up as things were getting a bit worrisome) and a 30-06 ( you better bring em all to ensure you are not limited to areas that do not hold animals but are just transition areas).

Thought we were going to be done the first day when we got covered up with bulls in a muzzle loader zone but not a single cow in the group of twenty or so bulls. Just an observation: Driving around looking for the animals is important but should not be the only method employed and most hunters on this hunt have been driving the wheels off of their hoopties. Every time we got on animals it was after spotting or finding sign then walking a ridge or two then we would be on them. Most every day we had opportunities but for whatever reason we could not close the distance or the animals would move 150 yards into a "no-play" zone which happened to us three times over two days. Well frustration was officially upon our group on Sunday morning but we decided to give a muzzy zone a try as the only other elk taken had come out of that zone. At five a.m. we were hopping the fence and creeping along in the pitch black up a gravel road to an elevated position. After 100 yards or so, we hear branches crack just ahead of us in the black and then it starts, a whole heard of elk were rumbling from our right to left and the noise was crazy. We then looked at each other in amazement that we had been so close and had perhaps ruined our chances at stalking on this group, (I about *&^% myself by the way). A bit dejected we climbed our hill and spotted the heard happily grazing in an archery zone. We waited for half a morning and twice it looked like they were going to enter a muzzy zone but each time they would balk and head back away from the zone.

Frustrating stuff but what are you going to do, back to the room grab some grub and back out to the field. Settled on an area that had recently been burned and was showing signs of green vegetation and earlier in the week had sign of elk. As we near the zone off in the distance we spot a heard of fifty or so grazing in an off limits area so we park, walk to a hill top and determine that they are working slowly to a zone on the west side that we can hunt. At that point I have to depart back for home as my war department has declared my absence no longer authorized. (Daughter in town from the Naval Academy and I had to say good bye) So, I was on the road for an hour when I get the call that the cow was down and I had missed all the excitement. Apparently two road hunting elk herders had pressured the elk right into harms way and they never knew the heard was there because a small hill protected them from the view of the elk herders. So Ozzie was able to pick out this cow which dressed out at 305 lbs. Sorry I missed the shot which was actually two, the first shot was a pass-through in the shoulder and the second did her in with a double lower lung shot. I had a great trip and was very happy for my friend and his first elk. Sat at my house last night drank my brew and chuckled knowing those two were most likely having a heckuva time loading that cow and dressing it out back at the shack, hahaha. Now for the December Bull hunt.

Observation: Heard a lot of grumbling from other hunters while I was there. Seriously, I think some people feel that these elk are going to drop into their laps and offer up heart and lung shots at fifty yards. Not going to happen for most folks. Going into these hunts I think expectations need to be realistic. Hunt hard, glass areas from a distance and when animals are spotted hike to them and avoid trying to drive up to them. Most of all bring all three weapons to ensure you are afforded a chance to at least pressure a heard into an area you can hunt with your preferred weapon. Well those who have tags left, good luck and I hope you get them filled!
R/
Mark

 

[ltdann]

Amen to that! Glass, glass, glass. See where they are, where their going and get there first.

 

[ltdann]

You know; Dan's last name is kind of appropriate if you're going to hang "the herder" on him..........

You know....that's kinda funny.

 

[acldo6390]

Lt Dan, did not recognize you w/out your mask. Yall were rolling around in the camo truck right? Glad you got it done and that hunt sure was tougher than the last several I had been on. Seems like the 600+ animals they told us about are in about four or five pockets or so. Did you notice how big that bachelor group was? There were definately a few good shooters in that group with minimal or no broke tines. Two for sure that I would love to have a chance at. Well, I sure hope I draw next year.
Cheers,
Mark

 

[ltdann]

That's me! It's tough to see with the mask on...I had it in the pack. Yeah, we were hunting that first evening along the river until last shot. After we went back to the truck, we drove maybe 300 yds more towards the check station and 16 of those bulls ran within 20 yds of the front of the truck. We got a good look at the whole bunch in the headlights, one by one, as they passed. I doubt there was a ratty one in the bunch.I really expected alot more elk to be brought in during the first few days... It seems the herd's were really skittish and bunched up in the "safe" zones. The october guys must have pushed them hard.

 

[k_rad]

Congrats Jim, Elk is my favorite meat! what a great Thanksgiving!!! Dann your the Mann! LOL

 

[Mel Carter]

Mark,
Sent you a PM.

 

[ltdann]

Anybody heard what the total take was on the NOV cow hunt. Last I heard it was 2, and it ended yesterday.