This is just a story about one day in my life! Thanks to the wolves the elk here travel in very large herds and are often out on bald ridges for better sight and get aways. I have two cow elk tags and not a great need for more meat in the freezer, so hunting has been about being in the hills and pullin sneaks. There is a lot of pressure on the herds so they are seeming always in flight. Our weather was a once in a life time warm, sunny, and free of snow, so the elk were not in their usual habitat for most of the beginning of the season. Then came a good snow and the hunters poured into the hills. My neighbor who is convalesing from a surgery and can't hunt, called and said a big herd was moving up the mountain on his ranch and would I care to go after them. It took only the time for gasing up the wheeler and changing clothes with my latest project cast on the "I'll be back table" for me to hit the trail. I found them on a very steep canyon side grazing and some bedded down. Looked to be several hundred and they seemed not to see me, so the long around and up behind them trip Begin. The wind was calm which was unusual for these Wyoming mountains, so I figured with a little luck I could have them surrounded in about an hour. It was thrilling to see them scattered in a big semicircle around the canyon and bedded down. I could only see some of them and there seemed to be about 300 head and I had them surrounded from above. I hunkered down in about a foot of snow to glass for a dry cow. There are lots of them since the wolves cause major damage to the calf crop by both predation and aborting from constant winter harassment. There were several to choose from and if I could slide down the hill to a dead pine tree I could pick out one that would be the easiest to pack out. No problem, just take the time to slide a foot or two and in twenty minutes I would have cover and a good shooting rest. Finally made it to the tree and then came the sensation of being watched. One young cow that had been laying in the sage brush to my right had busted me! In unison, the herd was on its feet and looking up the mountain and in the next few seconds they were on their way down country. One cow stood broadside looking back trying to see me and offered a shot! One I didn't take as the herd ran out on the bare hill side and as they topped the hill, the count was more like 500 elk! What a beautiful sight. That means a thousand eyes and nostrils straining to see or smell me and then two thousand legs to head for parts unknown! The next fortyfive minutes I just stood there and marveled at how they could cross the several miles of barren steep ridge and top out on the skyline. What a beautiful sight to see! Of course I had left the camera behind so no pictures to share! Was a long hike out and I was thankful that I didn't have to worry about a griz eating my elk! Wish you could have been there to share the moment! A/Ho Pokie
