I got a good reminder why I don't rifle hunt elk. We got to our spot about 4:30 and hung out in the truck for a few hours. At daylight we started hiking into the clearcut where the elk were. Shortly after daylight, a truck drove around my truck (parked at the edge of the road at the start of the cut in hopes that a courteous hunter wouldn't blow it for us) and came driving into the middle of the clearcut. I just stood in the road and the driver attempted to drive around me. His tire was within about a foot of my foot when he finally stopped. I explained that we were sneaking in on the elk in the cut. He said "we're going to hunt them too, we saw them from another road." About then, a guy in the back seat jumps out and starts jogging down the road in front us while trying to shove bullets in his gun, put his coat on, and put orange on. Long story short, no elk were harmed and I got a good reminder why rifle hunting sucks.

My friend did get a bull though across the canyon. We're headed back for more (fun?) this weekend. Hopefully the yahoos went home.