So I have been back for over a week now and have been slacking at getting this posted.
Went hunting in Idaho on a back country public land elk hunt OTC for the first time. This was my first archery elk hunt out of state second time ever hunting elk with my bow and only third elk hunt ever in which I had a tag. My Dad and I traveled 12 hours from Nevada to Idaho plus a 5 mile hike in to camp all in one day. That ended up working out great for us.
We saw many other vehicles at the trail head and passed a few hunters that evening heading out as we were headed in. Seems that a lot of people hunt the low timber area. Got camp set up and were in our sleeping bags around midnight.
The elk were bugling like crazy all night it was hard to sleep and we were extremely excited for the next day to start the hunt. Got up early and starting hiking south of camp and were just following the bugling bulls. Seemed to have 6 or 7 different bulls going crazy around us. Quickly it became evident that we had multiple bulls withing a couple hundred yards of us. So we set up in the bottom of a canyon near a wallow. My dad called in two bulls a 5x5 and 4x4 which mind you would have been my first elk ever to 60 yds. However I could not see them through the trees and tall brush. He was across the canyon and could see the bulls coming in clearly.
After them moved out since they could not see any cows in the area we decided to move around the hill and try to call in any other bulls in the area. We did have a Montana decoy when we did this setup but it was facing the wrong direction for the bulls that came in. As we expected them to head down another trail.
As we rounded the hill to the north just minutes after calling in a bull up on the ridge began to chuckle. We immediately stopped and set up. I moved forward of my dad about 30yds as there wasn't much cover past that. Over the small ridge came a bull. Bugling, chuckling and making all kinds of noise through the brush. All you could see was his head and antlers. 6x6 bull dark chocolate horns with the ivory tips. Not a huge bull about 300 but man he looked huge to me. Came in to as close as 35 but didn't present a shot as he was facing head on in some neck high brush. Finally after what seemed like eternity he presented a shot at 45yds. The next 3 minutes I cant even fully recollect other than watching the arrow sail right over his back. We took a look at where I shot from and we think I hit a small branch from a bush that was between the bull and myself. This ended up being really our only chance of our five day hunt. It was a great experience and very awesome to have a bull moving in going crazy calling for that cow. Hunting Elk during the rut is definitely something that all archery and hunters in general should experience.
The next day was very good hunting as well having a few bulls close but nothing in bow range. We saw a very large 350 class 6x6 stealing cows up and down the mountain from other bulls but couldn't ever find him in close range as he didn't stay anywhere very long.
On day three is seemed as if everyone and their mother came into the area, outfitters, other hunters, hikers etc. We went from being 2 of 4 hunters in the area to 2 of 14 hunters in the one drainage we were hunting. The elk stopped bugling in the morning and evening and only were talking between 1 and 4 in the morning. We set up on some water holes and did some hikes through some area we had seen elk before all the people showed up and saw a couple of bull, however again nothing in range.
On the last day we had a bull moose at 15yds which was very cool and had a small yearling cow come in but never gave me a shot even at 40yds.
We ended up cutting our hunt a day short due to storms moving into the area and how muddy the trail and mountain already was due to previous storms.
It was a great hunt, great time with my dad and cant wait to do it again. Hope everyone that hunts with their son or father can have a trip like this at least once in their life.
Went hunting in Idaho on a back country public land elk hunt OTC for the first time. This was my first archery elk hunt out of state second time ever hunting elk with my bow and only third elk hunt ever in which I had a tag. My Dad and I traveled 12 hours from Nevada to Idaho plus a 5 mile hike in to camp all in one day. That ended up working out great for us.
We saw many other vehicles at the trail head and passed a few hunters that evening heading out as we were headed in. Seems that a lot of people hunt the low timber area. Got camp set up and were in our sleeping bags around midnight.
The elk were bugling like crazy all night it was hard to sleep and we were extremely excited for the next day to start the hunt. Got up early and starting hiking south of camp and were just following the bugling bulls. Seemed to have 6 or 7 different bulls going crazy around us. Quickly it became evident that we had multiple bulls withing a couple hundred yards of us. So we set up in the bottom of a canyon near a wallow. My dad called in two bulls a 5x5 and 4x4 which mind you would have been my first elk ever to 60 yds. However I could not see them through the trees and tall brush. He was across the canyon and could see the bulls coming in clearly.
After them moved out since they could not see any cows in the area we decided to move around the hill and try to call in any other bulls in the area. We did have a Montana decoy when we did this setup but it was facing the wrong direction for the bulls that came in. As we expected them to head down another trail.
As we rounded the hill to the north just minutes after calling in a bull up on the ridge began to chuckle. We immediately stopped and set up. I moved forward of my dad about 30yds as there wasn't much cover past that. Over the small ridge came a bull. Bugling, chuckling and making all kinds of noise through the brush. All you could see was his head and antlers. 6x6 bull dark chocolate horns with the ivory tips. Not a huge bull about 300 but man he looked huge to me. Came in to as close as 35 but didn't present a shot as he was facing head on in some neck high brush. Finally after what seemed like eternity he presented a shot at 45yds. The next 3 minutes I cant even fully recollect other than watching the arrow sail right over his back. We took a look at where I shot from and we think I hit a small branch from a bush that was between the bull and myself. This ended up being really our only chance of our five day hunt. It was a great experience and very awesome to have a bull moving in going crazy calling for that cow. Hunting Elk during the rut is definitely something that all archery and hunters in general should experience.
The next day was very good hunting as well having a few bulls close but nothing in bow range. We saw a very large 350 class 6x6 stealing cows up and down the mountain from other bulls but couldn't ever find him in close range as he didn't stay anywhere very long.
On day three is seemed as if everyone and their mother came into the area, outfitters, other hunters, hikers etc. We went from being 2 of 4 hunters in the area to 2 of 14 hunters in the one drainage we were hunting. The elk stopped bugling in the morning and evening and only were talking between 1 and 4 in the morning. We set up on some water holes and did some hikes through some area we had seen elk before all the people showed up and saw a couple of bull, however again nothing in range.
On the last day we had a bull moose at 15yds which was very cool and had a small yearling cow come in but never gave me a shot even at 40yds.
We ended up cutting our hunt a day short due to storms moving into the area and how muddy the trail and mountain already was due to previous storms.
It was a great hunt, great time with my dad and cant wait to do it again. Hope everyone that hunts with their son or father can have a trip like this at least once in their life.
