lxtrail
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- Joined
- Jul 26, 2004
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Drove up to Lone Pine on thursday with my daughter and one of my Buddies. Got in late to the campground at lake Diaz. We got set up and had some dinner the a family of 9 raccoons decided to join which my daughter thought was Lemurs
. lol. We finally got to sleep
Friday I wake up at 3am with a severe sinus infection wake everyone up at 6 am and we head out to spot for some elk. We spot a very nice 7x7 with 12 cows
. We met up with one of the 5 cow elk tag holders, and his buddy Mike and Eddie greats guys. we then all left and went and had breakfast in Lone pine at Alabama Hills cafe ( great food I highly recommend)
That after noon we took the rhino and went exploring the desert side looking for the elk when they go to the sage brush to bed in the afternoon. My buddy spots a nice 6x6 down in the river bottum with 7 cows and two calfs. He had awesome curved down front eye guard tines. he was on the south side of 136 which was area i hadnt scouted before.
That evening we watch the 7x7 about 100 yards from hwy 395 until dark, i meet the other bull elk tag hold another awesome guy from sacramento named George.
Saturday opening day----
I over slept alarm didnt go off
I get out to the area I want to hunt at 6:30 with my 2 buddies and daughter spotting from hwy 395. the 7x7 is on the north sis of the area of where he was the night before. and headed east, which was where they were at the morning the before. Im making my way to a group of tules. I get to the spot where i think they are going to cross. im soaking wet at this point. the wind is light and in my face but starting to swirl as I am out of cover and on my knees at the edge of the patch of tules. I stand up and take a look to see where the bull is
the 7x7 is at 84 yards in this picture. Im hoping he will curve to the right which is where the rest of the cows are. at one point i have a cow at 6 feet from me in the tules. 3 other cows out in the field either got a little of my scent. of had the feeling that something wastn right rigth and starting acting skittish. The bull held up before getting to the point I was at. I made my way through the tules in the picture above and tried to get better shooting lanes. I get through and I got the bull at 55 yards and i wait till the cows are not behind him range again and let the arrow fly. CLean miss they all bug out and held to the river and the cover of the tules. I find the arrow and no blood thankfully. I must of held on my 50 pin and not the 60 pin. Im devestated........
Go and have breakfast, have a nap after my buddies and my daughter head home.
I get up and go scout the desert and nothing
At 4:30 I head back to the area from the morning and I start glassing and I see a loan 6x6 on the edge of a tule patch bedded in the water. I start to move in he has his back to me. I get to the last bit of cover which is 85 yards away and I start to cow meew. he gets up and Im hoping he will cross the creek to investigate. he is intrested and is trying to get the cows wind. He dont like the situation and meaders off towards the area i was at in the morning. after he gets a couple hundred yards off I beeline stright across the meadow hoping to head him off.
That dont work the 7x7 comes out with his cows and the bugling war starts. with light fading I figure i have no chance so I find a old stump so i can see over the tules and watch this go on. eventually the 7 pushes his cows off. The 6 is left out in the open and starts now walking towards my posisiton hes about 400 yards out. everytime he bugles I cow call. i check the time and its 7:03 and sunset is 7:13.
I figure I may have a shot so i grab my gear and head to a small patch of tules that offer me the only cover.
he closes the distance in 10 min. he would bugle I would cow call. He holds up just on the the opposite side of the tules. i let out a soft mew. i can now hear him walking and can catch his movement throught he tules, I hear his foot splash the water, and i know i have a shot, he contiunes walking and steps through the creek and I see his eyes Im already at full draw, he spooks a little and takes two big steps and is at 2 yards I bark like a coyote hunt to get him to stop, he does now maybe 10 feet away quartering away, i release the Fred Bear sending the the carbon express arow with a 3 blade muzzy broadhead through his vitals. He turns and runs about 150 yards across the creek and lays down.
I back out because i dont want him to get up and head into the tules (where they are impossible to find from what i was told)
I call my buddy who drives back up from ridgecrest to help me pack out the animal. he arives at 9:30 and we have a bite then head to where i saw him lay down and he is done. Im not sure what he scores, yet. but we got him loaded up on ice called the deputy and had him sign off the tag, the finally roled into camp around 2am, had a few beers grabbed a shower and was asleep by 4 am.
. lol. We finally got to sleepFriday I wake up at 3am with a severe sinus infection wake everyone up at 6 am and we head out to spot for some elk. We spot a very nice 7x7 with 12 cows
. We met up with one of the 5 cow elk tag holders, and his buddy Mike and Eddie greats guys. we then all left and went and had breakfast in Lone pine at Alabama Hills cafe ( great food I highly recommend) That after noon we took the rhino and went exploring the desert side looking for the elk when they go to the sage brush to bed in the afternoon. My buddy spots a nice 6x6 down in the river bottum with 7 cows and two calfs. He had awesome curved down front eye guard tines. he was on the south side of 136 which was area i hadnt scouted before.
That evening we watch the 7x7 about 100 yards from hwy 395 until dark, i meet the other bull elk tag hold another awesome guy from sacramento named George.Saturday opening day----
I over slept alarm didnt go off
I get out to the area I want to hunt at 6:30 with my 2 buddies and daughter spotting from hwy 395. the 7x7 is on the north sis of the area of where he was the night before. and headed east, which was where they were at the morning the before. Im making my way to a group of tules. I get to the spot where i think they are going to cross. im soaking wet at this point. the wind is light and in my face but starting to swirl as I am out of cover and on my knees at the edge of the patch of tules. I stand up and take a look to see where the bull is
the 7x7 is at 84 yards in this picture. Im hoping he will curve to the right which is where the rest of the cows are. at one point i have a cow at 6 feet from me in the tules. 3 other cows out in the field either got a little of my scent. of had the feeling that something wastn right rigth and starting acting skittish. The bull held up before getting to the point I was at. I made my way through the tules in the picture above and tried to get better shooting lanes. I get through and I got the bull at 55 yards and i wait till the cows are not behind him range again and let the arrow fly. CLean miss they all bug out and held to the river and the cover of the tules. I find the arrow and no blood thankfully. I must of held on my 50 pin and not the 60 pin. Im devestated........Go and have breakfast, have a nap after my buddies and my daughter head home.
I get up and go scout the desert and nothing
At 4:30 I head back to the area from the morning and I start glassing and I see a loan 6x6 on the edge of a tule patch bedded in the water. I start to move in he has his back to me. I get to the last bit of cover which is 85 yards away and I start to cow meew. he gets up and Im hoping he will cross the creek to investigate. he is intrested and is trying to get the cows wind. He dont like the situation and meaders off towards the area i was at in the morning. after he gets a couple hundred yards off I beeline stright across the meadow hoping to head him off.
That dont work the 7x7 comes out with his cows and the bugling war starts. with light fading I figure i have no chance so I find a old stump so i can see over the tules and watch this go on. eventually the 7 pushes his cows off. The 6 is left out in the open and starts now walking towards my posisiton hes about 400 yards out. everytime he bugles I cow call. i check the time and its 7:03 and sunset is 7:13.
I figure I may have a shot so i grab my gear and head to a small patch of tules that offer me the only cover.
he closes the distance in 10 min. he would bugle I would cow call. He holds up just on the the opposite side of the tules. i let out a soft mew. i can now hear him walking and can catch his movement throught he tules, I hear his foot splash the water, and i know i have a shot, he contiunes walking and steps through the creek and I see his eyes Im already at full draw, he spooks a little and takes two big steps and is at 2 yards I bark like a coyote hunt to get him to stop, he does now maybe 10 feet away quartering away, i release the Fred Bear sending the the carbon express arow with a 3 blade muzzy broadhead through his vitals. He turns and runs about 150 yards across the creek and lays down.
I back out because i dont want him to get up and head into the tules (where they are impossible to find from what i was told)
I call my buddy who drives back up from ridgecrest to help me pack out the animal. he arives at 9:30 and we have a bite then head to where i saw him lay down and he is done. Im not sure what he scores, yet. but we got him loaded up on ice called the deputy and had him sign off the tag, the finally roled into camp around 2am, had a few beers grabbed a shower and was asleep by 4 am.
