Elk hunt 2021

[Mesophilic]

Decided to start a thread about.this years elk hunt.  My wife and daughter don't care about my exploits so sharing with the PA community will help keep me motivated.  Will update periodically.

In addition to getting drawn for an elk tag, I also purchased OTC bear, mountain lion,  and turkey tags.


Day 1
A.M.
Walked 4.25 trail miles.  Elevation 9200 feet
Once the sun came up the dang squirrels wouldn't shut up!!!  Kept giving the warning alarm every 30 to 50 yards.
Put a stalk on a good size cinnamon brown bear approx 8:15 a.m.  He ended up detecting me and bolted thru some thick aspen when I got about 40 yards.  What a rush to stalk a bear when you're hunting solo!!!  The heart sure pounds when you nock that arrow.

No elk or fresh signs.  Heard bugles while scouting last week but all is quiet today (except squirrels  )

[WhistlingBadger]

A contrary and uncooperative critter is Cervus canadensis.  They have an annoying tendency to not be where you expect.  We put in about 13 miles in the Wind River Range on Monday, only to find out that a kid shot a six point about 400 yards from our camp!

[bjrogg]

Look forward to going on more hunts with you.
Bjrogg

[PaSteve]

Sounds like a great day. Stalking a black bear with a bow is definitely an adrenaline rush. Good luck on your next adventure.

[Mesophilic]

Day 1
P.M.

Well, went up 1000 vertical feet in steep terrain...and couldn't crest the hill.  Trail ended at an impenetrable wall of thorny locust and young aspen a couple hundred feet from the top.  Which was all for the better I suppose since I have no idea if I could've got help up there for a pack out and I sure as heck couldn't have done it solo.

[GlisGlis]

I always like hunting diary like yours 
they can also get better with pictures      
best luck for your hunt

[Mesophilic]

Day 2

A.M.
Elevation 9000 feet
Made a brilliant discovery on where not to go.  Scrub oak, locust, and young aspen provide zero visibility.  Looked good on the map.

Drove down the road a little way and the area is crawling with hunters.  8 or more campsites with a dozen RVs and travel trailers.  Maybe can use this to my advantage.   Going to check out another area while I'm out.

P.M.

Climbed up a steep ridgeline, crested at about 9200 feet.

Saw lots of fresher scat today, most of it was dry but some was still a little elastic.  Found a spot that smelled like a scent marking...detected a very strong urine musky smell that I've smelled on bulls while skinning.  First time I've smelled it coming from foliage.  A few fresh tracks, too.

Stupid GPS is lying again...tried telling me my ascent was only 450 feet...had to be a thousand if it was one...or maybe my scrawny legs are getting wore out from all the hiking, but I think it's the former 

Side note: the heat has been ridiculous.  We'd already gotten our first snow a year ago last week.  Everything is very dry and even some springs are dry.  Making this a big challenge.

[Mesophilic]

Sorry, pics gonna be huge, I'm image posting challenged.

[Mesophilic]

Day 3
A.M.

Hiked up a mountian at zero dark thirty, forgot to reset the GPS trip computer so I don't have any data like ascension or mileage.  Crested at 9900 feet though.

A week or two ago this would've been a happening place.  Lots of elk scat, still black but dried out.  Bed sites in various locations.  Lots of older tracks from a week ago when we last had some rain and the forest floor was damp.

Dang heat wave has really screwed with things, 84°F !!!  Way too hot.  Might change things up, skip this evening and get some rest, and then get up at 0300 and drive to the northern most part of the unit tomorrow.   Lots of sign up there and bumped a few cows last weekend scouting.  But can't do an over night and its 3.5 to 4 hour drive.

[Hawkdancer]

Keep after them!  Good luck!
Hawkdancer

[Mesophilic]

4th day (? too tired to keep track)
Up at 0215 drove north with a buddy at 0300.  Arrive in the AO at 0515 to 0530.

Temperature in low to mid 40's, elevation 11100 feet.

The minute we get out of the Jeep we hear calls from 3 different bulls along with some cow locator calls.  Pretty sure a solo satellite bull is moving thru the trees 70 yards north.

Not legal hunting until 0615.  Its friggin cold and I'm shivering both from the temp and excitement.  I unfortunately didn't bring the right clothing since it's been so hot lately.

At 0615 buddy starts calling from the forest above me.  No answer calls but we got action where we heard the satellite bull.

My adrenaline is pumping and I'm doing deep breathing to try to control my heart rate.  Excitement is off the charts as I hear this large creature moving through the trees...still too dark to see anything in the trees.

Bugles some more, more movement.  I'm shaky enough at this point it was difficult to nock an arrow.  Sun is coming up a little more and visibility increasing.

One half of my brain is in a fight with the other.  Side A says this no good,  we're  shaky, nauseated, heart pounding, and light headed.  Side B is saying AWESOME!!!  Side A says it won't be awesome if we pass out and our buddy teases us forever.  Then a third part, side C says both of you shut up, relax, and deep breaths.

Sun comes up a little more...and...

Friggin bovines in the trees!!!

Satellite bull probably winded us then went to follow the closer heard we listened to earlier.

We did eventually find lots of track (elk and turkey) leading to a stock pond.  As well as sighted turkeys a couple hundred yards across a meadow but the herd of elk was way too far ahead to catch.

Will be solo hunting tomorrow, so I'll probably stay closer to home where a packout won't be so brutal if I get lucky.

[Mesophilic]

[StickMark]

Keep it coming.
Used to live in Colorado, and I know that it takes weeks to truly get those thighs used to climbing mountains.
Best wishes on your hunt.

[Mesophilic]

Keep it coming.
Used to live in Colorado, and I know that it takes weeks to truly get those thighs used to climbing mountains.
Best wishes on your hunt.

Thanks!

The elevation isn't too hard on me, my house sits at 7400 feet.

[Mesophilic]

Elevation approx 9200 feet,  early a.m. temp low 40's

Was raining this morning when I got to the AO, my neck hurts something fierce to the point I can't hardly take a drink.  I'm tired and cranky.

So I drove around a while.  Stopped the Valles Caldera to watch multiple herds...hundreds of head of elk bugle and spar...awesome experience.  And old Marine I met at the pull-out let me look thru his spotting scope to watch elk way on the other side playing their elk games.

So after the rain I let up, I decided to check out a mountain side hoping some stragglers would wander down to the caldera to join the party.

Get a quarter up, and sure as flies on stuff I see two spikes about 150 yards away.

Wind in my favor, I beat feet to the other side of a finger so they can't see me, hauling my butt up a 30°, sometimes 45°, incline, going up about 450 to 500 feet to the crest. 

Instinct told me they'd come right to me if I pull this off.  Powerful motivation.

Peeked once in a while and sure enough, 60 yards away headed in my direction.

Heart racing from the climb and full of adrenaline!!!

I top the rise an pause and wait impatiently...holy stuff!!! the lead spike comes up...25 yards!!!

He's quartering toward me, his head comes around one side of a large burned tree trunk and his body hidden by the tree with his butt poking out the other side of the tree.  Such a magnificent animal up this close.

Buuuuttt...I got no shot!!!

I'm holding deathstill like a hipster wearing skinny jeans in a biker bar.

He's looking at me but doesn't really see me, though he knows something isn't quite right.

Come on...two good steps...you can do it!!!

Heart racing!!! Just pounding out of my chest.  Hands shaky. Anticipating the shot.

The wind swirls and he bolts.

Vanished like a ghost along with his buddy spike.