#12

Posted by: Dogfish

#12 - 10/31/13 07:44 PM

Had a great time hunting over in eastern Washington with some old friends, and new friends. We had great weather for the start, with Wednesday in the high 50's to low 60's at 4800 feet. T-shirt weather as we set up our camp.




Thanks to Bryon, camp was pretty comfortable.


We were literally in the elk from day one. Dave and I blanked out in the morning, but found them later that day in a spot close to camp. Close encounters with elk at ranges of 10-50 yards was not uncommon. I had a 1x2 at 15 yards, but I had to let it go because of the "True spike" only rule.

Sunday the weather changed and we got some snow. Lots of guys pussed out for that evening's hunt, but our group headed out and started putting the patterns together as we ran into more elk. Saw some bruisers.

Heading out on Sunday's evening hunt.


On Monday we all had close encounters as our group went down to four, just not any legal bulls. We did find a few gut piles, and one downed cow, that unfortunately got hit.

More pieces of the puzzle were put together.

Tuesday started out with Dave giving us our marching orders, "Stomp on the terra!" So we did. We made yet another game plan based on what we had learned the previous few days and I went back to an area where we saw LOTS of elk activity, and a pinch point. On the way in there was a large herd to my east, as you could literally hear them squealing and bugling.

We sent one of our party towards the far side of the group to push them towards the shooters, and then the shooting started, but not in our group. The elk heading towards me sounded like a freight train, and then I saw the first one about 50 yards below me in the tree line, so I booked it downslope. About 20 cows passed me before I saw my first bull, and then another, and so on, but no true spikes. More cows, and then out steps this "unique" bull. He had one horn up, and another one hanging down, after a bit of looking, no extra points so he got hit.


I am calling him the "Shillelagh Bull". wink


My twelfth elk overall, and my third bull. He went all of 5 yards. As the guys closed in on my position, they continued to chase elk. The line of elk on the far hillside stretched for a quarter mile as they got out of Dodge. It took two hours before the woods were finally quiet enough to start breaking the elk down, so I quartered him up with a lot of help from Bryon, and then Dave and Aaron showed up and we all packed him out in one trip.

Headed out again that evening and got into the elk again, and had a fun chase down the mountainside after seeing a spike at 55 yards. They won. It was a teaching moment for the youngest of our group. He'll run next time, instead of casually walking down the hill. Be aggressive.

Wednesday was cow tag day. We had one tag, so our goal was to get Bryon onto a cow. Shooting light started at 7:20am. I think Bryon had the cow by 7:35am, about a third of a mile from camp. This one we got out whole, as I got to use one of FP's (Fred's) buddy's elk rope spools. It was nice to be able to butcher it in a controlled manner. Chain hoists are also a wonderful thing.


We break up camp, and as we are saying our good-byes, shots start ringing out near out camp, and yet another herd runs through the woods below our camp.

Not the biggest elk for me, but certainly one of the funnest hunting camps I've been a part of. The number of elk we saw were measured in hundreds, literally hundreds.

Stomp on the terra!

Posted by: Direct-Drive

Re: #12 - 10/31/13 08:05 PM

Sounds like a great trip.
Congrats !

It rained pretty good where I was on Sunday.
We roughed it under a tarp with the propane heater.
Posted by: steeliedrew

Re: #12 - 10/31/13 10:07 PM

Awesome Andy! Way to get it done buddy.
Posted by: Dogfish

Re: #12 - 11/01/13 12:46 AM

It was a true team effort Drew. A few of us have hunted/fished together for the past few years, others are new to the group. Quality people who all did their part.
Posted by: Driftin'

Re: #12 - 11/01/13 12:06 PM

That's a dandy, Andy. Congrats on finding a spike in the stack of cows and branched antlered bulls....
Posted by: STRIKE ZONE

Re: #12 - 11/01/13 01:41 PM

Noice.Glad ya got one. I only seen one bull on our bull hunt down in Oregon last week.I should have taken a head shot but chose not to....kicking myself in the ass since the encounter.Oh well live and learn.Good luck,
SZ


PS, Still looking for Elk #1.
Posted by: Anonymous

Re: #12 - 11/01/13 02:39 PM

Good job and excellent name! My best friend growing up grandparents were from Ireland nicknamed one of the girls in the neighborhood, Shayla to Shillelagh. Being the sweet kid I was I would hit her with sticks and call it a Shillelagh stick.
Posted by: FishRanger

Re: #12 - 11/01/13 08:03 PM

Great time out in the woods!!
Tenderloins on the grill last night.
DF can certainly pick a great camp location.
I learned a ton this season as well . . . . .

Can't wait til next year.


STOMP THE TERRA !!!!



And I still think "The Corky Bull" is more fitting . . . .
Posted by: Todd

Re: #12 - 11/04/13 05:57 PM

Team efforts are always more fun, and even moreso when effective!

Fish on...

Todd
Posted by: Coho

Re: #12 - 11/04/13 06:24 PM

Good work
Posted by: Castingpearls

Re: #12 - 11/07/13 11:39 AM

Right on Andy. Looks like a lot if fun. I shot my first elk on opening morning locally. Makes deer hunting feel kinda secondary.
Posted by: Dogfish

Re: #12 - 11/07/13 11:54 AM

Nice job Jack! The first time you walk up on an elk, especially a big elk, and you see 700-900lbs of animal just lying there it is a little bewildering when you start thinking how are you going to get it out of there.

Posted by: FishRanger

Re: #12 - 11/07/13 05:21 PM

Yeah, for me it came with the realization that hunting solo probably wasn't the best option any more . . . . . .

Nice job Cp, pics??
Posted by: Castingpearls

Re: #12 - 11/07/13 09:52 PM

I have pics on my phone. I'll try to post.
Posted by: Castingpearls

Re: #12 - 11/07/13 09:59 PM

Posted by: Dogfish

Re: #12 - 11/08/13 03:33 AM

Nice raghorn!
Posted by: Castingpearls

Re: #12 - 11/08/13 10:38 AM

Thanks, not bad for my first one. My buddy and I were walking a crk bottom trying to cut some tracks. Didn't see anything too fresh when we hear a cow mewing. We walk a few more steps and see a cow at 25 yards. She is facing away from us feeding. We sneak back a few yards to some cover.

We just waited on them and sure enough, that cow was the lead cow and here comes the rest. Calf, calf, cow, cow. They were making their way toward us at approx 50 yards. Wind is in our faces and we are hidden so we wait.

5th elk to walk up the trail has horns. Legal bull. Crap there's a cow in front of him. Wait, wait, ok clear shot.

All I had was a head shot but like I said, we were at close range.
Bam! Dropped in his tracks! First elk down.

520 yards of rope to a landing. Took him out whole.
Posted by: SKYSTEELHEAD

Re: #12 - 11/08/13 02:10 PM

Right on Andy! thumbs
Sounds like a fun Elk hunt camp trip.
Congrats on your true spike elk and Bryon's Cow!
Posted by: Todd

Re: #12 - 11/08/13 05:53 PM

Very nice, Jack!

Fish on...

Todd