# Who is gitting ready fer elk?



## Budda (Aug 19, 2014)

Anyone else gittin ready fer elk?  Got another year or two of riding into the back country fer a 900 pound brute with a back scratching rack!


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## Lawdawg939 (Aug 20, 2014)

Leaving Sept. 5. Colorado OTC. Have been cyberscouting and getting ready. Putting the finishing touches on now. Any last minute advice?


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## Budda (Aug 20, 2014)

Check out what the weather has been like fer the last couple months....ifn it had been dry, find the water, ifn it has been wet, find the grass.  Ifn it has been hot, hunt the outskirts of the dark timber.  etc etc.  I personally love the hot and dry years, Elk are high up and near the water, funny thing is, the higher you go, the less water which makes it all to easy to wrap yer hands round a bigun.  Oh, and learn to sound like an elk.  Learn to chirp like a cow and bugle too.


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## Lawdawg939 (Aug 20, 2014)

Thanks. Good advice on the weather. Been working on the chirping!  Just looking forward to the experience. Can't wait!


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## ben300win (Aug 20, 2014)

Leave October 9th for first rifle either sex colorado. Can't wait. Gotta start taking the pack for a walk though. Never enough time to get in shape.


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## Pointpuller (Aug 22, 2014)

Im packing now for WY. 16 days DIY hunt is just about to get started........after the 28 hour straight through drive.


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## bluemarlin (Aug 22, 2014)

I'm keeping my eye on them in the back yard.. AKA: Gallatin National Forest


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## QuackAddict (Aug 22, 2014)

I leave three weeks from today for Colorado ML bull. I just looked at google earth for so long that now I'm  cross eyed. 

Everything I have heard is that it's cooler and wetter than normal.


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## godogs57 (Aug 23, 2014)

Headed to New Mexico opening week of rifle season. Oct 1-5. Wife and I hit the gym (run, weights) 3x-4x a week year 'round, so nothing other than the usual stuff in that regard. Will be trying a new (to me) Sako 338 this time around. We had 103 degrees today in SWGA so I'm ready for some cool/cold weather in a little over a  month! Good luck to everyone.


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## weathermantrey (Aug 23, 2014)

I'll be in Colorado for opening day, Saturday morning of next week, trying to lung punch a herd bull!


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## Budda (Aug 26, 2014)

Any of you do it yerselfers looking fer another man fer next year, look me up.  I am always lookin fer my next bigun.  T - 30 days and counting


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## ben300win (Aug 26, 2014)

Think we're gonna burn some points next year for Wyoming antelope or you could go with us Budda.


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## hoghunter007 (Aug 27, 2014)

*late this year*

my wife has a WY late season cow tag with a rifle. we will be in Dubois the week of thanksgiving, she got a nice bull last year on the 7th day but we couldnt get a tag for a bull this year in the area we like to hunt but we will again hopefully next year. never been out before middle of october cant miss the south ga bear season


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## hoghunter007 (Aug 27, 2014)

*antelope are fun*



ben300win said:


> Think we're gonna burn some points next year for Wyoming antelope or you could go with us Budda.



antelope in WY is a great hunt. lots of goats and everybody can kind of hunt together. only problem is the good buck tags are starting to take several years to draw.


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## swampstalker24 (Aug 27, 2014)

Couldnt afford a tag for wyoming this year, but a buddy of mine is going to let me tag along with him on a bow hunt and show me the ropes.....


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## Budda (Aug 27, 2014)

ben300win said:


> Think we're gonna burn some points next year for Wyoming antelope or you could go with us Budda.



Antelope would be fun but Elk are where the heart is.


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## Thunder Head (Aug 27, 2014)

I keep waking up at 3-4 in the morning and cant go back to sleep. Im running the "to do list" thru my head, worrying about the unit I picked etc. etc.

 Leaving sept 13th for two weeks OTC in western Col.


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## Budda (Aug 28, 2014)

I got about 3.5 weeks to go till i head to MT and then ID.  Goina try to top a 5x5 this year.


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## ben300win (Aug 28, 2014)

We have like 5points each for antelope and elk for Wyoming. Gonna save the elk points up till we can get a real good area. We can draw almost every year where we hunt in Colorado, so we will be real prepared when we draw that trophy unit in Wyoming. Thinking about hunting up near Shirley Basin area for goats. Never been goat hunting or to Wyoming. Been saying we were gonna go for a few years, but we're too hooked on Elk -Budda. Lol.


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## weathermantrey (Sep 8, 2014)

Well, I saw plenty of elk on my trip.  I blew an excellent opportunity on a decent 5x5.  He strolled right by me and I stopped him at 30 yards in the wide open.  I then proceeded to stick him right in the shoulder bone...  It all happened so fast I was lucky I even got my bow drew back.. lol

I was really hoping for a bull this year, as I burnt my preference points on unit 66 in Colorado. Towards the end of the week I figured some cow elk meat would taste better than tag soup and I was able to double lung this cow at 63 yards.


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## QuackAddict (Sep 8, 2014)

Sorry to hear about your bull but it happens. Don't beat yourself up too bad and at least you got some tasty cow meat! 

I leave Friday for CO and hope to fill my ML bull tag. Talked to my buddy today and they heard 5 different bulls bugling yesterday afternoon. 

Were they bugling much?  Were you sitting on a wallow or meadow when you shot the bull or moving/calling?

Congrats again on a fat cow.


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## ben300win (Sep 8, 2014)

Congrats Trey on the Cow. They eat good. I leave one month from tomorrow. Getting stoked.


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## weathermantrey (Sep 9, 2014)

QuackAddict said:


> Sorry to hear about your bull but it happens. Don't beat yourself up too bad and at least you got some tasty cow meat!
> 
> I leave Friday for CO and hope to fill my ML bull tag. Talked to my buddy today and they heard 5 different bulls bugling yesterday afternoon.
> 
> ...




Yea they were bugling pretty good where I was. I watched a 6x6 with about 30 cows one afternoon while he thrashed around in a wallow for 20 straight minutes. I had 3 or 4 opportunities to hunt herd bulls, but I always wound up getting smelled by cows that I didn't know were around.  

The bull I  shot was actually walking through some aspens by himself, it just so happened he walked right by me as I was stalking along.  He was the only bull I saw all week that wasn't surrounded by massive amounts of cows.


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## Thunder Head (Sep 11, 2014)

Congrats on the cow. Should be real tasty.

 Ill start packing the truck up tonight. Im pretty much useless for anything else.


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## QuackAddict (Sep 12, 2014)

I just landed in Denver and it's 34 degrees!  It's looking like awesome weather the next couple of days. 

I left my 3 year old twins at home and I guess karma caught up with me on the flight out. Thought I was going to get a good nap but had a 3 yr old in the seat behind me that kicked and screamed the whole time. 

Good luck everyone and I hope to have some pics to share soon.


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## ben300win (Sep 12, 2014)

Good luck Quack! Awesome that it's so cool already.


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## Pointpuller (Sep 14, 2014)

Back from Wyoming DIY hunt.  Shot this big cow the first week with the compound and unsuccessfully chased mule deer with the recurve for 9 days.  Looking forward to a years worth of quality eating from the cow.  22 degrees and snow when I broke camp Thursday morning.  32 hours straight driving and been sweating all day unloading and unpacking.





Camp for 2 weeks.




A couple of good views from high altitude.


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## Curtis (Sep 15, 2014)

congratulations, looks like you had  good time out there.


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## ben300win (Sep 16, 2014)

Congrats point puller. Ready to go myself. Leave three weeks from Thursday.


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## Pointpuller (Sep 16, 2014)

Thanks Curtis and Ben300Win.  I hope you have a great hunt. Post up some pics when you return.  Whats going on with Scoutman?  He usually keeps this topic going.  Hope he is at 9500' and getting it done.  Just finished some grilled med. rare elk steaks and they were great.


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## QuackAddict (Sep 29, 2014)

We'll I managed to get it done in CO!  I arrived on Friday the 12th and we were on the very edge of that cold snap that pushed in from the north. We camped at 10,000 ft this year and awoke to temps in the upper 20s on opening day of ML season.  There were 6 hunters in our group. Four with ML bull tags, one with a cow tag and one with a buck tag. I fell into the trap of hunting where I saw them last year and wouldn't you know it they were not there.  I did see a 140" and 170" muley buck that morning but had no tag. For some reason we decided to send the guys with the buck and cow tag to one of the best spots and of course they saw 3 different bulls. Three of us with bull tags went back to that spot in the afternoon and of course saw nothing.  Fast forward a few days and we got on a bull right at daylight but couldn't get to him before they bedded. Had high hopes for the afternoon so I get settled in my blind for the afternoon hoping to hear an early bugle. About 30 minutes before dark I hear him bugle a ways off. I was thinking there was no way to get to him before dark so I'll sit tight. He bugles again closer and a second bull sounds off so I storm up the mountain. I made it to the edge of the timber and he chuckles about 100 yards away. At this point I'm thinking he's going to stay in the timber and I've got to do something to get him to come out before it was too late. I blew the cow call and then literally stomped down the mountain about 50 yards rolling rocks the whole way trying to sound like a cow running away.  I couldn't believe it when I stopped and turned and heard his horns crashing through the timber.  He ran out below me and stopped about 90 yards on the way.  I saw the one side sticking up and put behind his shoulder and let the Ol smokepole rip.  He ran about 30 yards and piled up. Reloaded and ran down to him and he let out his death bellow with me 5 yards away. Intense is an understatement and i could not be happier with this bull.  Five on one side and he was broke off after his second on the other side. 







The next evening we go back to the same spot to try and fill my buddy's tag.  The carcass of my bull was sitting right out in the meadow so we decided to go up the mountain a ways.  I thought I might have heard one growl back towards the meadow and asked my buddy if he heard it and he doesn't. I figured I was hearing things so we made our way back down.  We get above the meadow and look down at my carcass. Wait a minute there's an elk standing there.  Wouldn't you know it there was a BIG bull standing 75 yards from the dead elk. He let out an incredibly loud alarm bark and ran off up the mountain.  What an adventure and I can't wait til next fall!


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## weathermantrey (Nov 7, 2014)

Sounds like a fun hunt!  Looks like that bull had a big body compared to the size of his rack.


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## openwyde (Nov 12, 2014)

Just got back from a week long trip to Wyoming, my son Tanner passed several good 5x5 elk early in hunt. Had some bad luck on a few stalks on big 6x6 later. Ended up with a last min. bull before rushing to catch a plane.  
  I'm so proud of Tanner, he has been in treatment for leukemia for 3 1/2 years, takes his last in clinic chemo next week. two more weeks of oral chemo and he is done. He was a trooper on this hunt long stalks on the mountainside with a body beat down by chemo. Never give up, and get the most out of everyday . Best week of hunting ever !!!!
   Scope got him a little on 250 yard shot as well !!!!
   I'm one proud dad !!!!!!


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## QuackAddict (Nov 12, 2014)

Congrats!  He's a trooper for sure!


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## ben300win (Nov 13, 2014)

Great Job! Any elk is a trophy for sure. Want to take my daughter out for elk sometime. Just hard to clear it with school.


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## Hawken2222 (Nov 15, 2014)

I have enjoyed everyone's pictures and stories from this fall congrats to everyone and thanks for sharing your adventures.


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