Trad Gang
Main Boards => PowWow => Topic started by: Jeff D. Holchin on May 14, 2009, 12:54:00 PM
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Anybody up for a new Tradgang bowhunting adventure? I was blessed to draw both bull elk and moose tags in the great state of Wyoming this year. I expect to spend most if not all of the hunt alone, but you are welcome to tag along here on Tradgang during the planning (done), preparation (in progess), scouting (hopefully in August) and hunting (September and possibly into October) stages of this adventure. I get almost as much enjoyment from the first 3 stages as in the final stage. Hopefully I can provide some useful information if you want to experience a similar adventure yourself in the future. I plan to include photos to the extent possible, like this one of a fine WY bull moose that I would be pleased to tag.....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/CO%20Vacation/100_9455.jpg)
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Oh yeah! I'm up for that...bring it on!
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That is awesome man!! Congrats on the draw. A couple good friends and I will be in WY in September as well God willing! I will be watching this one for sure.
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You lead and I will follow! Great idea and I look forward to it. Mike
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:thumbsup: Lookin forward to it!
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Where did you draw????
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You drew a WY moose tag? Very cool! Shiras moose is one animal I'd absolutely love to hunt.
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Sounds like a dream.
I'll be hunting trout with my other stick and string in August around Laramie. Saw a big moose in the vedauwoo area last summer. An incredible state, I hope to look for elk in it someday.
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Jeff,
Just sent you an email to catch up. Congrats on the tags. Daniel also on the Uath elk.
Dennis
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Jeff,
Congratulations on the draws. I haven’t been after moose since going to Alaska in 1999; I'm looking forward to living moose hunt vicariously on the internet.
You have a P.M.
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Originally posted by Steve O:
Oh yeah! I'm up for that...bring it on!
Took the words right out of my mouth!
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Glad to see there is some interest.
I drew elk units 63/64 and moose unit 4. I've never been in the elk units and have only driven through and hunted the edges of the moose unit. I'll gladly take any advice or tips for these units if you have such info - you can PM or e-mail me ([email protected]) if you want to keep such info private, and I promise to keep it the same. There may be general info on these units in this thread but not specific info.
Stage 1 - Planning coming soon.
Tim, where in WY did you and your friends draw?
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Get ready for a little bit of fun sir. I have had tohe privledge to attend a couple of moose hunts lately. This one was last year. Good luck on yours adventure. If i can help please let me know.
http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=069151;p=5
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Moose and elk are big --how are you going to get one out by yourself.
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Wow FerretWYO, how did I ever miss that thread??? After reading the thread and watching the video of the moose, I am fired up! I already took my backpack for a 4 mile hile this morning, but now I feel like going home and shooting my bow. I kind of had a similar experience as the shooter in your video, when I killed my Canadian moose in NH. I watched him out in a clearcut and correctly guessed the trail that he would take after trashing a young pine tree. It took an hour but he was standing straight on at 6 yards and I was crouched down in the grass, trembling with a mixture of excitement and fear. Then he took a few steps to his left and my arrow appeared behind his shoulder......
Great question STICKDP and one that must be addressed. I do have a little expereience getting out elk and moose by myself. One disadvantage of solo hunting is not have help when a large animal is down; another is not having help in an emergency. Even though the moose is bigger than the elk, I think I'll have less trouble with the moose if I actually kill one. My moose unit is the lowcountry around Pinedale and looks more like antelope country than moose country: flat to rolling with lots of sage with some willow-choked streams and small rivers. The eastern edge is the foothills of the bridger mountains so there will be aspens and pines there. Access looks pretty good from the maps and I hope to get my truck close to a kill - I'm more worried about high temperatures and spoilage, but I always keep coolers with ice in my truck.
My elk unit looks a lot more rugged and higher in elevation, plus I've been warned to expect lots of grizzlies and trouble if I get an elk down, especially towards evening. I will probably set up a truck camp at a trailhead and pack in several miles to a spike camp. I plan to hunt elk later in September when the temps, and risk of spoilage, should be lower. I have found several drainages that look good on the maps and Google Earth, which have FS trails. The system that I have used for several years now is to take a game cart to haul my camp, food and gear into the spike camp, and then use that game cart to haul out any meat (unfortunately I have not hauled out any meat the last few years). Here is my homemade cart I used on a CO sheep hunt several years ago...
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/CO%20Sheep%2007/Holch33-R1-048-22A.jpg)
Steve O called this contraption a "fridge hauler" and hurt my feelings, so I went out and bought a fancy Cabelas game cart, which I'll use for this hunt.....
Because of the grizzly bears that are in my elk unit, I am considering 2 other options but so far the costs have been too high: renting pack animals (horses, mules or llamas) or lining up a game packer to come and get out my elk if . Even though I have horses myself, I'm not really a horse lover and would rather concentrate on hunting elk than deal with pea-brained pack animals ever day. If I can find a game packer for $200 or less that I'm sure I can count on, I may go that route. Anyway, I will check out these trails during my scouting trip and possibly meet with a game packer or two. Depending on my game cart will restrict my mobility, whereas if I know I have a dependable game packer with horses or mules, I have the freedom to chase the elk just about anywhere they go.
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Area 4....ON or off Forrest? or did I miss that someplace. I have spent a couple of days in that area :bigsmyl:
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Hello Vance, this is pretty close to you, I was hoping that you would notice this thread. I think the entire unit 4 is off NF land. Some BLM and state land though. Not exactly classic moose country but I just didn't have enough points to draw a moose tag in the Big Horns or Snowy Mountains where there are no wolves, or even near Yellowstone or the Tetons where the wolves are eating up all the moose calves. I'm just glad to have this chance to finally hunt WY moose before the moose population drops too low to allow NR hunters.
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It will work....Perhaps no 60" class. There's something wantin to wear your tag :thumbsup:
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Jeff, we applied for Proghorns in unit 102. We wont know the results or our draw until the end of June. Hopefully we will get that area. It is near Buffalo just south of Sheridan.
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I... hurt your feelings... :D
You have an excellent plan...one I was actually going to suggest ;) ...WY is full of horse dudes. I would try to find one to pack out your animals. That would be worth EVERY penny!
You know Jeff, the only thing keeping me from the wilds of an Alaskan river for a moose is the packing. I was smart enough to be on horseback when I took my moose in the Yukon and I will never forget the task of dismantling it. The thought of packing out one of those things on my back still gives me the chills...
On the bright side, those little WY moose are not a whole lot bigger than the elk you are going to get.
If you can't find a packer, you are just going to have to cut him up into manageable pieces. Just a little more sweat and mileage, but if anyone is up to it, you are :thumbsup:
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VERY good point Steve.
"those little WY moose are not a whole lot bigger than the elk you are going to get."
Kinda like, them little Hippos ain't much bigger then them Armadillas your gonna be huntin.
I guess it's all relative..........BIG IS STILL BIG
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One of my cleaner nicknames is "Lucky Jeff" and not just because I seem to draw some good tags. I shot my Utah cow elk in some pretty nasty stuff 2 miles from camp, but she ran downhill and died next to a stream in the shade. This helped out greatly in the 80 degree weather and that FS road 30 yeards away was much appeciated, even if I did have to drive 5 miles from camp to reach the elk.
I was even luckier with the NH moose. None of the moose I saw close to the roads wanted to wear my tag, so I ended up shooting that bull 3 miles from the road, along an abandoned logging road with a locked gate. That morning while walking in, I met a timber scout who was nice enough to tell me the lock combination and I was able to drive right up to the bull, saving at least 6 round trips with my game cart and probably 2 more days of vacation time.
I will try harder to find a good gamer packer with horses or mules. If I can get the elk quarters away and high enough from the bears, this should work fine.
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Boy, I'll sure be following every step of the way Jeff! I've been building moose and elk points in WY myself, and hope to be able to learn from your adventure!
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Good luck Jeff, hopefully I draw my 62 Elk tag. We'll be hunting neighbors :thumbsup:
I'd rather hunt moose in 4 than antelope in 102 again. Hope you know someone, Tim.
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IF you are anywhere near Laramie, drop me a line. but, looks like you'll be occupied up north, while I'll be in the central/south.
Arrow Atomik, when you comin fishin and where? I'm in Laramie, Just got back from haulin in some hogs myself, love this time of year.
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Good Luck Jeff. :thumbsup:
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If you shoot an elk in grizzly country and leave it over nite you will loose the meat. you might be able to take a small 4 block hoist and hang it but there is not always a tree big enought to get it 10 or 12 feet off the ground.I know of 3 elk lost to grizzlys in the last two years. I would also carry a glock 10mm and spray.
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Absolutely not Jeff. Just keep all the hunt information to yourself! We all already know the outcome. You'll plan and scheme all summer and drive your poor wife and kids crazy. Then you'll leave for the whole month of September and hunt everyday with nothing but stories of woe! Then on the very last minute of the very last hour of the very last day you'll shoot a nice P&Y moose and elk. We're not interested! Just keep it all to yourself! NOT! Are you crazy? We'll all be on pins and needles the whole time! Tell your saint of a wife I said thanks for putting up with a dam engineer!
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Looking forward to you 'bringing us along' on your adventure...
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OK here we go.
Stage 1 - Planning:
I decided at the end of 2008 that I wanted to hunt moose in WY in 2009, and that I might as well hunt elk too. I had 8 moose preference points, which might seem like a lot of points, but in reality would only assure me of a tag in a good or fair unit in western WY. I wanted to hunt elk somewhere nearby, so that I could switch from elk to moose hunting without too much driving. Since the elk drawing would come first, I began researching to the best unit for apply for. I had the maximum preference points (3) so I wanted the best possible unit for bowhunting in western WY.
Here is a quick summary of info for a NR elk hunter interested in WY, which is a little complicated: No OTC tags; application deadline is 1/31 with the drawing held shortly thereafer; you can apply for either a general or unit-specific tag; you must decide on either archery-only (type 9) or the rifle (type 1) tag; and you can pay the regular ($591) or special ($1071) tag fee. In general the rifle season begins on Oct. 1 but you can buy an archery tag and bowhunt the month of September. Also, paying the higher tag fee usually increases your drawing odds, but not always. Finally, NRs can't hunt big game in wilderness areas without a guide or a qualified resident, so that eliminated some units for me.
The WY Game and Fish web site (http://gf.state.wy.us/) provides a lot of information, as well as magazines like Eastmans' Bowhunting Journal. I have been a BOW member for years and subscribe to Wyoming Wildlife, which provided useful info. I had bowhunted elk in unit 97 with a WY resident in 2004 with a left-over tag, had spent a little time in the area close to the Idaho border above Kemerer, and visited the areas around the Grand Teton and Yellowstone NPs, so I had a idea of the type of area I wanted to hunt. After talking with several bowhunters who had hunted western WY, as well as some Game and Fish wildlife biologists and game wardens, I chose units 63/64. There was a some variety of terrain to choose from, including some big rugged country. The 2 biggest challenges seem to be getting the elk meat back to my truck if successfuk and avoiding a grizzly confrontation. The game warden for unit 63, where I'll probably hunt, told me pretty much the same things as STICKDP, and strongly suggested that I don't even hunt in the evenings because getting an elk down then would most likely result in a grizzly bear problem - either I'd lose the meat or worse if they found me while I was cutting up the elk in the dark.
Since I REALLY wanted this tag, I dished out the extra money for the special tag, which should almost double my draw odds. I never thought that I'd pay over $1000 for an elk tag, but I'm not getting any younger at age 43 and WY does have some pretty good elk hunting. I'm expecting pretty low bowhunting pressure, because I'm told that most people holding this same tag will be gun hunting rather than bowhunting. I'll learn soon enough if this is true.
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These are good tools for selecting hunting areas...
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture006.jpg)
I also use Google Earth to view the areas. Once I have the tags in hand, I order the specific 7.5 minute quadrangles and BLM maps.
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Good stuff Cooter...See you this weekend.
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Hey Jeff, Congratulation on area 63/64. I've only drawn 1 elk tag in the past 18 years but if I draw I will be your neighbor in area 62. Area 63/64 is a great area if your willing to put in the miles like it sounds you are. I've heard late season alot of the elk will get down on private but I've heard some awesome stories from the backcountry of 63/64.
Let me know if you need anything and shoot me a private reply and I'll give you my phone number. I have a few horses and mules and if time allows I can help you out as far as packing out an elk With that being said I am building a new house which is due in August and my wife and I are expecting our first child in August so like I said "if time allows" is open to interpretation. If I draw my elk tag, which I should know by mid summer, I'll let you know my plans and maybe we can work something out.
As far as grizzlies and wolves they are out there and there's nothing we can do about it. Keep a clean camp and if you shoot something lay the quarters/meat in an area you can glass and watch prior to going back and packing out. Knock on wood I have not had a negative encounter with either one yet.
good luck and let me know if there is anything I can do.
James Kozisek
Cody, Wyoming.
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Jeff,
Thanks for being kind enough to take us along in such fine detail. I'm really looking forward to this thread over the coming months. My WY elk points are making me want to get older.... quicker. Not good.
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Best of luck to you Jeff!
I love everything leading to a hunt as much as the hunt itself....you can bet I'll be following along
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Vernon....there's no elk in 62, don't even bother :readit: :thumbsup: Hopefully I'll still get my doe tags for the Wood River.
Jeff, if I have a chance at drawing 62 (since everybody and his Vernon apply for 62 :biglaugh: ) I'm sure we'll meet up.
Sent you an email
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where is your area at? I was raised in Sheridan Wyoming and grew up hunting the Gros Ventre wilderness next to Kelly wyoming. I would be willing to help you out deciding and finding spot in anyway.
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Thanks for the support, everybody. There's a good chance that one or both tags will go unfilled, but at least I'll have some fun and will share the experience. I'm not a great bowhunter but I do work hard. My son will have 4 elk preference points next year, so even if I don't tag an elk, the knowledge I gain won't be for nothing.
Vernon, I sent you an e-mail. You sure have a busy fall planned, but I hope that the house is completed on time, the baby comes on schedule and is healthy, and that you do get to hunt in unit 62. Two votes for unit 62, you and Barney must know something, hmmmmmm....Thanks for your e-mail too, Barney.
Travisc406, the north tip of the units is at Meeteetse, the eastern limit is Thermopolis, the south border is the Wind River Indian reservation, and the Wood River is the wertern boundary. One person who has hunted this unit told me that there are basically 2 types of hunters here - those who hunt up to 1-2 miles from the road, and those with horses and mules that go into the back country. That is why I'm so interested in that zone from 2-6 miles from the road.
Jeff
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I haven't hunted in that area. One thing you may check into is they rent horses for hunting in Pavillion Wyoming and will deliver. that is real close to where you will be hunting. it is called Wyoming horses. they have a website and rent all the gear too. When we guided in the Gros ventre we used there horses to fill the gaps in our herd and they are damn good ones. I know you said you didn't want to mess with horses but you drop one 6 miles back in and I think you would be a wanting them. In the back country the moose are pretty docile. any info i can help with let me know. I am about 1 45 from thermopolis.
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Thanks Travisc406, I'll definitely follow up on that lead.
In early February this arrived in my mail and I was 1/2 way to my goal of elk and moose tags....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture002.jpg)
Now on to the moose tag, for which I was a little more prepared.
I began applying for moose preference points for Wyoming about 10 years ago, when the cost was only $7. Like most people earning these points, I wanted to hunt WY moose someday, with no specific plan as to where or when. I was lucky enough to bowhunt moose twice before, in NH and NF. Then several years ago, two things happened that made me decide to cash in those preference points soon. The moose population, especially calves, began a real decline (most say this is directly related to wolf populations) so tag numbers began dropping, and WY game and fish made it much more expensive to buy preference points. It was time to seriously plan a WY moose hunt.
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Oops, this is the first tag to arrive, I copied the wrong image...
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture001.jpg)
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LOL.........MEETEETSE I know folks here that can't even say that, let alone spell it :thumbsup: Just plan on feeding him BUNCHES to get him to QUIT TALKIN :goldtooth: :goldtooth:
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I'm workin on it Vance, I'm workin on it. :thumbsup: Gotta get ahold of Louis, see if he's got some "inside info".
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In 2007 my friend Bill Allard of Utah drew a unit 26 bull moose tag (in the random draw, beating very low odds) and bowhunted much of September and into late October, passing up numerous bulls and enjoying the hunt, before arrowing a nice bull during the rifle season. (Bill is an excellent bowhunter and great storyteller; PM me for more info. about his moose hunt if interested.) I visited his moose camp in mid to late September on my way to a Montana hunt and checked out that unit. I had 6 preference points that February 07 and would have needed 8 to be almost assured of a tag for unit 26, so it became obvious that I would not be moose hunting in unit 26. So, I began looking at some surrounding units that seemed like similar country but were easier to draw.
In 2008 I had plans for other hunts and not enough time or money for a WY moose hunt, but I noticed that the number of available moose tags had dropped. I discovered that a fellow Tradganger had lived in Pinedale and knew some easier-to-draw units that still offered good hunting, so I was encouraged for 2009. Also, the WY bowhunter who had taken me elk hunting in unit 97 in 2004 had moved from Saratoga to Pinedale, and offered to scout for me if I ever drew a nearby moose or elk tag.
Using the data available on the WY Game and Fish site plus EBJ, I saw that the only units which offered 100% success for NR bull moose tags with 7 points in 2008 were 4, 6, 18, 22, and 44. These units offered 3, 2, 5, 3 and 1 tag, respectively, in 2008. However, I expected that the available tag numbers in 2009 would drop and they did, at least for the unit I selected, going from 3 to 2 NR tags. Unit 18 might seem like a good choice with potentially 5 tags, but it is a small unit and I didn't hear great things about it when I checked it out. Also, it is in grizzly bear country (next to the Grand Teton NP) and I was hoping to get through the moose hunt before having to deal with bears. Of these 5 units, unit 4 seemed the best so I sent in my check and application marked for unit 4 at the end of February.
I was very happy when I learned that I drew the unit 4 bull moose tag - it turns out that I drew the first tag with 8 points and the other tag went to some other NR with 7 points. Several years ago I was applying in MT, CO and UT along with WY for a Shiras moose tag, wondering when it would happen. Thanks to Wyoming's preference point system, it has happened! I'm going to bowhunt Shiras moose and bull elk in Wyoming this fall, God willing.
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Final note before moving on. My buddy Terry Receveur (IndianaBowman) has been building poreference points also and we had hoped to draw our WY moose tags together and share the hunt. As you can see from his Avatar, Terry knows a little about moose hunting and has a very strong healthy back, made for packing large quantities of meat over long distances, but it just didn't work out this year. He has 9 points and would have had a 23% chance of drawing the unit 26 moose tag this year. Hopefully I can join him when he draws his moose tag.
Next up: Stage 2 - Preparation.
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Way to go Jeff. Bill is an awesome guy and one of the best bowhunters I know. Hope you have a great hunt. Looking forward to more.
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Jeff, good luck on your hunt :archer:
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Looking forward to following this thread Jeff!
Congrats on the tags and good luck!!! :thumbsup:
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Jeff,
I was figuring you would draw. It is never too soon to start the planning process and it is neat to see you include it as part of the hunt process. In many ways the research and preliminary parts of the hunt is as much fun as the hunt itself.
Can't wait to follow this,
Nathan
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Can't wait to hear the stories....get after em bud!
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Jeff, sent you a PM with some info for ya :thumbsup:
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Soak it up & have fun. Thanks for taking us along.
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i will be following along for this one without a doubt! I have been building WY elk points in hopes of a bowhunt in 2011/2012.
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Wow Jeff! Doesn't sound like you need Montana this year!!!
Good Luck!!!
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Steve H. provided 3 great adventure threads recently, and all 3 turned out well (the brown bear adventure spanned several years). I have no idea how this one will turn out and I may return home empty-handed (or with empty-coolers), but I plan to give it everything I can. I don't have many good photos now, but promise to take a lot during the scouting trip and actual hunt.
Stage 2 - Preparation:
Two weaknesses have resulted in unfilled tags during past bowhunts - inadequate physical preparation and poor shooting at the moment of truth. I consider myself to be in "good" shape, but really need to be in "great" shape to give myself the best chance in this hunt, especially in the more rugged elk units.
So, I have been biking, hiking with my backpack, working the Bowflex machine and even running a little. I'll run in several 5k races this summer, with the first one in less than a month....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/CO%20Sheep%2007/P1010023.jpg)
I've been hiking a "mountain" with a 1000' elevation gain nearby, and gradually increasing the amount of weight in my pack. I like using a 5 gallon water jug in the pack, because if the weight gets too heavy, it is easy to dump out some water.
I've been shooting more also. The misses are more mental than physical, so I need to work more on my concentration. I get so excited that I sometimes forget to pick a spot.
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture009-1.jpg)
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I have been making good progress on the "information gathering" front, thanks to some very helpful Tradgangers and other bowhunters. I have been a Bowhunters of Wyoming member for several years, so I e-mailed some other members asking for help, and several have provided some tips. One NR bowhunter who killed a bull moose in unit 4 last year provided some great info and is even sending me his maps of the unit. I talked with wildlife biologists and game wardens from the Pinedale and Cody offices of WY game and fish, and rangers from the Shoshone NF and BLM people. Since the elk units are pretty big, I'll wait until I know specifically where I'll concentrate my efforts before buying those topo maps. I also have a lead on a very interesting fellow in the Pinedale area who might be able to help with the moose hunt, as well as names of landowners who may allow me to hunt moose on their land.
I really believe in scouting an area before hunting it, but that is not easy in this case. I did get lucky on a previous moose hunt in NH, when Tradganger David Kretchmar actually scouted my unit for me and joined me on the hunt for a few days. I do hope to meet some Tradgangers in person during this hunt, but for scouting I have come up with a plan.
Initially I tried to convince my family that our summer family vacation should be spent in WY moose unit 4 and elk units 63/64, but the girls voted for the beach instead. Since my son Daniel was recently accepted for the PBS youth hunt in Utah, which starts on August 15 and lasts a week, I decided that we would leave NC several days early and spend some scouting time in WY. I had always planned to drive to WY for my hunt anyway, so now my general plan is to take the long route to Utah in mid august, enjoy the PBS youth hunt with Daniel, then park the truck at Bill Allard's house in SLC on 8/21 and fly home. Daniel will start school the next week and I can catch up on the honey-do list, get some work done at the farm, and make some money at the office (I have a part-time job with very flexible hours and nearly unlimited vacation time - I just don't get paid if I don't show up for work!). By this time, I will have completed my scouting, taken Daniel to his UT hunt, and left my truck with hunting equipment relatively close to WY.
For my bowhunt, I'd like to concentrate on the last 3 weeks of September for several reasons. I know that the weather and rut activity will be better later in the month, and I do not want to bowhunt elk once the gun season begins on October 1. However, I'm told that I can bowhunt again after the first few days of the gun season for moose, due to the relative low number of moose huners in my unit. So my plan is to fly back to SLC around September 11 or 13, retrieve my truck and head to WY and hunt for the next 3 full weeks or so, before heading home. That will give me about 6 to 8 days to bowhunt moose before the gun hunters have their chance on 9/20. If I don't have a moose by that time, I'll head to the elk units with the hope of tagging a bull elk before October 1 and returning for a second chance at the moose, once the guns have quieted a little. I don't have a firm date in mind to return home, so I can (in theory) hunt moose well into October. However, I'm sure that I'll be missing my family by the first weekend in October (plus I'd like to remain married) and may have to go to plan B if my tags are unfilled by then....
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Quick update:
I'm still in the preparation phase, trying to get myself in good physical condition. I've been riding my mountain bike, running (got a 5k race this weekend), and hiking with my loaded backpack....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture004.jpg)
I also trying to eat better, narrowing my choice in ice cream to just one type...
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture003.jpg)
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Things are looking good for the moose hunt. I have 3 guys providing very timely help. The first bowhunter pointed me in the direction of numerous spots to check out, and the second bowhunter sent me the maps he used last year on his own successful moose hunt in the same unit, complete with "hunt here" sticky notes...
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture002-1.jpg)
The third guy is somebody that Vance was nice enough to introduce me to, who may be able to help a lot once I get to WY, especially if I actually get a bull moose on the ground. I really appreciate this and look forward to meeting this gentleman during my upcoming scouting trip.
Speaking of scouting trip, it appears that my son and I will spend 2 and 1/2 days in mid August checking out both hunt areas. I can't wait to see the areas up close and personal, and will check out access roads, camping spots, and do some hiking. Originally I was hoping to make it a family affair and have my wife and girls join in the fun, but they decided to spend the week at Grandma's instead. They know from experience that my family vacation/scouting trips don't always turn out as fun as advertised (several days of hard driving, hours and hours of hiking in the heat, driving old dirt roads, swatting biting insects, leaky tents, etc.)
My efforts for the elk hunt are lagging behind, but I do have some maps now and some leads on specific areas. I have not been bashful in asking for help, and I was surprised when Mike Eastman answered my email with some tips and suggested several ranches that may allow a few individuals to hunt. Since I am more worried about my elk hunt, I will spend more time in that hunt area during my scouting trip than the moose area.
One last item - I found this on my farm the other day. I plan to carry it with me during the hunt; maybe it will bring me some luck...
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture001-1.jpg)
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Jeff,
I used to hunt area 67 for years until I got tired of grizzlies and getting snowed in, but the area is a lot like what your side of the mountain will be like. You are very wise to get in shape; the mountains are tall and steep, and you will find big piles of grizzly crap, but the Absorakas are wonderful elk habitat and some of the finest country in the state. It should be a great adventure. Someone mentioned the horse rental in Pavillion; his name is Lonnie Mantel. I know he has been renting hunting/packing horses for many years, and has a good reputation. I hope you do better on your moose than I did when I drew (in 1984!). Had to shoot a bull, hunted 14 days in the Teton wilderness, and had cows and calves within easy bow range every day, and never saw a bull. :banghead: :banghead:
Keep on humping those Carolina hills; you will be glad you did!
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Thanks Centaur, I will call Lonnie, and step up my workouts even more. I just finished my morning workout and will go shoot some arrows. I've been warned to not expect any big bull moose in my unit but I don't mind.
Things just took a turn for the better regarding my elk hunt, as today the WY Game and Fish provided their HMA maps and I will now be able to access significant chunks of private land from 2 different cattle companies. That leaves me with the choices of serious back-country hunting with rough terrain, big-time varmits and potentially nasty weather, and the easier low-country private lands. I like choices and hope to see both areas during the length of my elk hunt.
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http://wyominghorses.net/
Jeff, Here is a website. From the looks of it, I think Lonnie must have passed on, but the business is still going. Hope this helps.
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Jeff, enjoying the ride my friend. Sorry I won't be with you! Jen, Jeff, and I are really getting setup for a great alligator hunt.
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Jeff, I'll PM my phone # to you and help as best as I can...(since I won't be elk hunting :readit: , I'll try my best to help you get him out.
Don't get the griz in your head cause they'll stick there. Enjoy your hunt, just be careful and aware.
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Terry, I mailed your alligator arrows and floats yesterday; I hope to see some photos and stories here on Tradgang after your adventure.
Sorry about the back draw luck Barney, but I'm looking forward to meeting you soon. Hopefully your tag will find its way onto a big buck.
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Sent you a PM
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Jeff, got the arrows and floats! I hope to put them to good use. We went out last night and shot a lot and hit a few!
Keep the moose updates coming!
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I'm headed out for the hunt next friday (9/11 hmmm...) and thought I'd give an update. I've been exercising and shooting all summer, but was a little slow in organizing my gear. Normally I'm hunting one animal and can fit my gear into my truck, like this....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture086.jpg)
However, since I'm hunting 2 animals in very different terrain, and my son and I were also taking out his gear for the PBS Youth Leadership Hunt in Utah, I realized that I needed another way to include the extra gear. I checked into an Uhaul trailer, which I see other hunters using on their western trips, but that option was too expensive. Looking around the farm, I remembered my old utility trailer....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture082.jpg)
Using materials I had available and not worrying too much about the looks, Daniel and I soon had an enclosed trailer for the gear....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture083.jpg)
Feeling pretty confident about this hunt, I decided to take along a freezer too. Hope such confidence doesn't bring me bad luck...
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture084.jpg)
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All the best!
:archer:
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Daniel's hunt with the PBS group in Utah started on August 15 and we were supposed to be in camp the day prior. Mapquest said 33 hours from home to the Utah camp, and we wanted to spend several days in Wyoming scouting for moose and elk. If we left early on Monday morning and drove hard, we would pull into Pinedale, WY late Tuesday night, leaving Wednesday, Thursday and Friday morning to scout. That was a great plan......until my boss asked me to work that Monday, then I had to send off my wife and girls on their own little vacation to grandma's, then there was baseball practice for Daniel, fence in the pastures that needed fixed, a yard to mow, and all the packing to do. So we finally pulled out of the driveway at 7:00 am on Wednesday, August 12. 32 hours of hard driving later, we dragged into Pinedale late on Thursday night, with numb butts and minds. So much for the great scouting trip I had planned.........
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With only half a day available on Friday before we headed to Utah, there was no time to get to scout my elk unit. However, I could make a little progress on the moose. We were staying with a new friend, courtesy of Iron Bull (Vance) who introduced us several months ago. This local guy was fun to meet and get to know, starting with a great breakfast of apple pancakes in the log cabin he built with his own hands. He knows the area and has both horses and mules; we helped him get some hay into his barn loft and the other friends who were helping reported moose sightings from that same morning but on private land. I am looking forward to getting to know him and his wife during my moose hunt. He offered to keep my trailer of hunting gear and a bed to sleep in during my moose hunt, and possibly some help butchering if I get lucky. We went to the Game and Fish office to talk with the local game biologist, but he confirmed that this unit will be tough to hunt without access to private land. There is no national forest land, but lots of BLM land. On the way out of town, Daniel and I checked one of the spots he recommended....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture093.jpg)
Great land if you are hunting these...
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture092.jpg)
Obviously any moose will be concentrated at the water sources, so the key will be getting access to the water, willows and moose. Some place like this....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture087.jpg)
We left Pinedale a little sobered with the reality that my moose hunt will be toughter than expected. Based on what the biologist told me, I am not going to be very picky here, but at least I'll be bowhunting moose. Young bulls taste good and I will hunt hard.
Hopefully I can provide updates during my hunt - I have 14 full days to hunt before the long drive home. I am ready to hunt!
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Great thread so far. Be safe and looking forward to the rest of the story.
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Jeff...Where are you now??
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Jeff, great post, looking forward to some moose and elk pic's.
:thumbsup:
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Paying attention for a few days....
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I don't know how I missed this Jeff, good luck to you and Daniel and I will be following from here on in........
David
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Hey jeff, the best of luck to you on these hunts. Will enjoy this to the end!
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Been looking forward to this one. Be safe and make the most of it.
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excited for you
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Jeff, I am really enjoying this. Thanks for "taking us along"! Mike
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Thanks everybody, hopefully I can provide some good photos and stories after the hunt. Not sure how many, if any, updates I can provide during the hunt.
David, do you remember this?
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture003-1.jpg)
Your gift on my last moose hunt. For those who don't know David, he is another Tradganger who is very helpful on other's hunts. He helped me kill my first moose, in his home state of New Hampshire. I will get to meet in person several more Tradgangers on this hunt in Wyoming, including Vance and Barney. They have been so helpful already.
Just a few more days of work and I'm headed out. Yesterday was the archery opener in western NC, so my son and I took our bows for a walk up this mountain....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/Picture047.jpg)
I'll be hiking much steeper mountains chasing elk, but I feel that I'm in pretty good shape. We didn't see any deer but retrieved a trail camera - only a photo of a bobcat and a bear on it.
Got the rest of my gear ready, shooting my bow, and finishing the "honey-do" list. Here is another thing I always keep in my pack, for those quiet times while enjoying God's creation......
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture005.jpg)
Can't believe it is finally time. I haven't been this excited in some time.
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Jeff I wish you the best of luck. If for some reason you end up in this part of the state hit me up.
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Sweet!
Looking forward to the stories.
Best of luck to you!!
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Good luck Jeff, I will be waiting to impatiently to see how it goes.
Nathan
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Just wrapping up last minute items. Used to be so easy when my kids were little and my wife didn't work - she just took care of everything and I didn't have to worry much. Now it is much more complicated, as my wife works full time and my kids attend 2 different Christian schools with no busing, plus they have baseball, scouts, horse riding lessons and church activities. I just left a neighbor's house after working out arrangements for her to pick up the kids from school several days each week, feed them and get them to their activities until their mom finishes work. Another friend from church will take them into school several mornings, and yet another neighbor will help take care of my farm animals if needed. I'll miss a baseball tournament and one birthday for sure and possibly a second birthday. My wife had to adjust her work schedule too, so they all are making sacrifices so that I can make this hunt. I'm feeling a strange mix of excitement about this hunt and anxiety about leaving my family for over 2 weeks.
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I know the feeling Jeff. I leave Thursday for 2 weeks in Montana and I am very excited but feel a littel guilty leaving the family. My wife says it will all be worth it if I bring an elk home. Good luck on your hunt and stay safe.
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Jeff,
I've really enjoyed "living" the preparation for you trip vicariously, and love the attitude and maturity as a hunter I see in your approach.
I pray you'll have a safe and successful trip... and perhaps even get in the midst of some very big game!
I did a self-guided Colorado elk hunt in 2000. It was less involved than your hunt, but a wonderful challenge. Got withing 75 yards of 23 animals, but nothing close to bow range on any of them. I left quoting Ahnold's "Ah'll be bahk" but "decided" to contract Mutiple Sclerosis the following Spring, so there's a great chance that will never happen.
Reading your thread scratched an old itch very nicely, and I look forward to following your exploits as you get up close and personal with the moose and elk population.
I wish you the VERY best! Thanks for letting us tag along.
Daryl
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Good luck Jeff. With that book there, you will be in good hands :thumbsup:
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Good luck Jeff. Can't wait for the stories.
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Take lots of pictures!
Best of luck and be safe!
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Jeff,
Glad we got to talk last night, if you have time email me Daniel's jrgl dates, hope to be able to help during those dates.
Will be praying for you and your family during the hunts.
I have a new can of bear spray, if you need it call and I will bring it over. Good Luck.
Dennis
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Jeff,
Good luck! :thumbsup:
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Jeffro,
All the work this summer will pay off shortly. Good luck and be safe.
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Howdy bowhunters, I stopped by the Pinedale library for a quick update near the end of day 3 of my moose hunt. Can't upload photos but I can say that I'm seeing some moose, and think I have a plan. There are about a dozen public areas that may have moose in this unit, ranging from as small as 20 acres to several thousand acres. I've spent all my time so far mostly scouting about half of these areas, and have not been closer than 500 yards from a moose and as far away as more than a mile. However one area where I have seen most of the moose has a funnel where the river makes a big bend, and I've seen several moose cross right there, so I'm headed now to hang a treestand there. I think I'll hunt it in the mornings until the moose stop moving and bed for the day, then spend the rest of the day scouting other areas. I've also realized that I may never again draw a shiris tag, so I'll stay here until I either kill a bull or have to head home; I'll eat the elk tag if I have to. More later......
jeff
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:bigsmyl:
Go get'm!!
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Thanks for the up date, stay focused it will come together
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Got a call last night! Looks like Jeff will have some time for elk hunting. He has a long day ahead of him today packing moose meat! I'm sure he'll chime in with all the details and photos upon his return.
Way to go Jeff!
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Cool!!!! I'm looking forward to the story.
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Yep.....Reality Check time for Jeff :clapper:
Just how BIG is a HORSE...REALLY :biglaugh:
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As I have said before 2 words in the English language that should never be used together are: "BACKPACK & MOOSE" :scared:
At 100lb per loud, it will be several loads, oh! the joy :clapper:
Looking forward to the details.
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I am happy for your success, and envy that feeling of dreadful anticipation of the big job ahead. Let the pain begin.
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Can't wait to hear the details :thumbsup:
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Can't wait to see the pics and hear the story...a big CONGRATULATIONS to you sir! I also think elk soup will taste much better than tag soup so go get'em!
King...I could not agree more...elk and backpack don't go to well together either...I would much rather it be elk/moose and frying pan! I have been in a few places where we would have been better off just using a frying pan to get them out instead of a backpack ;)
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:thumbsup: :thumbsup: Can't wait for the story
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I'll buy SUPPER.....When yer done Jeff :jumper:
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I knew you'd get a Moose Jeff, bet you'll get an Elk as well....
Congrats bud :notworthy:
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:) :) :thumbsup: :) :)
Congrats can't wait to see some pics!! Joe
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Can't wait to hear the rest of the story.
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I have a deep need to see some pictures!
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:campfire:
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Good deal Jeff. I had no doubt you`d get one. Your one of the most persistant hunters I know.RC
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Congratulations Jeff. Proud for ya man!
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That's awesome!!!!!
Can't wait for the story.
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Looking forward to hearing about this one.
Congrats Jeff,
Nathan
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Way to go Jeff.
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:campfire:
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Well, my adventure is over, I survived the LONG drive home and even made it in time for my middle daughter's birthday. I'm downloading photos (I did get some great ones), taking care of some things here at the home and hope to share some stories and photos tonight or no later than tomorrow, starting with the moose hunt. I will say that hanging that treestand was a good idea....
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I cant wait. :thumbsup:
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I've been waiting on this one, and will be watching as the story unfolds.....
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YESSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!! Way to go Jeff, can't say I'm suprised though. Can't wait to read the story and see the pics.......
David
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i was hoping you would let us see some photos Jeff. Cant wait.
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I'm really very excited but this and I typically couldn't care less if I never hear another "war story" again. Way to go Jeff, I'll be paying attention tonight and/or tomorrow to hear about the moose.
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Jeff, wife said you called but I can't find your number. Sorry I missed you, looked up the Wood River a couple times but couldn't find you anywhere.
Glad you had a good trip. :thumbsup:
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:bigsmyl:
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Here we go. First I need to thank those who were so helpful, starting with the moose hunt. Nate was the bowhunter who shared his best spots in this unit, and who will recognize many areas in the photos. Vance was nice enough to hook me up with Dexter, who provided a room whenever I needed it, a place to park my trailer, and his gear and equipment to butcher my moose. John from New York also provided his maps and info, which were very helpful. Finally the WY game and fish biologist Dean, himself a bowhunter, and a receptionist named Dez helped me get onto some private land. Unfortunately Vance and I couldn't coordinate to meet in person this time, but hopefully the next time we can meet.
For the elk hunt, thanks especially to Barney - I'm sorry we didn't get to meet but your info was very helpful. I promise to try harder to meet you the next time I'm near Cody. And Trapp provided some very accurate descriptions of trails and areas, plus advice that made me drop some silly plans (like trying to haul in my camp several miles over a narrow horse trail with many river crossings...). Finally, a sheep hunter named Don provided some company and tips on where he saw the bears and elk - congrats on your bighorn sheep! Thanks also to anybody else who helped.
OK, here are some teaser photos to set the stage...
During the many months of preparation and anticipation, my idea moose hunt would go something like this: I would be walking back to the truck after a long day of chasing bulls, and as I approached a stream crossing, my ears picked up a commotion upstream in the willows and then a faint grunt. Reflexively, I cupped my hands and grunted back, and this is what I saw step out of the willows.....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture289.jpg)
He is the king of this drainage, surviving the hard winters and many grizzlies, so he doesn't appreciate the rutting call of another bull moose. Notice the small tree stuck in his rack - he has just finished destroying that tree and is feeling pretty strong and mean. He can't locate his rival so he heads downstream, looking to kick some butt...
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture293.jpg)
For me this is the ideal situation to kill a nice bull, and he is a really nice bull moose: Big thick rack, large body, many points, no cows and he is rutting. The wind is drifting downstream and he hasn't seen me, so I ease 10 yards closer to the trail he is on and prepare for the shot - I like 'em close.
The bull steps out onto the trail and is only 25 yards away, then stops broadside as I make a small noise with my foot. What a nice bull!
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture303.jpg)
This is the part of my dream where I usually wake up, sweaty and excited. However, this is the real thing and I raise my bow....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture315.jpg)
Fortunately for this bull, I have already punched my moose tag and he is safe; the only shots I could take were with my camera. Unfortunately for me, the moose hunting was much tougher back in unit 4, so I was quite happy when a much smaller bull gave me an opportunity on day 7. I will explain tomorrow.....
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Awesome already! Thanks Jeff!
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Looking forward to it Jeff......you are a moose killing machine!
David
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Can't wait!!
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Most excellent!! Love those Meeses! :thumbsup:
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Great read so far. Congrats on your moose.
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Moose Day 1: After a long travel day yesterday, arriving in Pinedale around midnight and sleeping in my truck on BLM land, I was finally bowhunting moose! Well, sort of. I was on a bluff overlooking a river bottom with lots of willows and hopefully some moose. My plan this morning was to watch and try to pattern any moose....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture398.jpg)
It didn't take long to see some moose, first this cow and calf feeding on a peninsula where the river made a big 180 degrees bend....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture408.jpg)
Within an hour I had spotted 2 sets of cows and calves plus a lone cow in the small portion of this large rivver bottom where I could hunt, plus a nice bull and his 5 cows about a mile downriver, safely on private land. Things were looking great with 9 moose spotted, until Kurt pulled up in his truck.....
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Oops, correction already, there was one cow and calf, making the total 9 moose for this morning. Still a lot of moose. Kurt is a local guy with the same bull moose tag I had (10 bull and 5 cow tags offered in this unit), and he had been scouting this particular spot for months. We shared some info and he seemed like a fine fellow - he had his bow in the truck, but with 2 full months to fill his tag (sept. 1 to 20 with bow and then until oct. 31 with the rifle or bow), Kurt was in no hurry. I let him know my plans and we parted company, with me heading to Dexter's place to organize my gear. Changing from road tires to good tires paid off later, as I found some rough roads in some areas....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture388.jpg)
I spent the rest of the day checking out several areas on the eastern part of my unit, encountering numerous antelope hunters on the BLM land and elk bowhunters as I got close to the national forest border, which was also the limit of my moose unit. The Big Sandy river was also part my eastern limit. I'm a bit of history buff regarding the old mountain men, so I enjoyed the historical significance of the area I was hunting....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture394.jpg)
The day ended with a final moose sighting, a moose over a mile away at the edge of the national forest. Not a bad day, seeing 10 moose, but unfortunately I didn't see any fresh sign on the 3 public areas I checked in the afternoon.
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Moose Day 2: I was back at the same bluff at daylight, although I would only watch for a short while so that I could attend church in town. It was nearly a repeat of day 1, with 8 moose seen (3 sets of cows and calves and 2 single cows) but no bulls. Kurt arrived shortly after dawn and I decided that this place was getting crowded as I headed to church. After learning that I was moose hunting, the pastor reported seeing a small bull in town several blocks from the church and another member offered to help pack out any moose that I killed. Then I got some lunch and headed north to explore that part of the unit. This public area is within sight of town, but there were only cattle and old moose sign there to be found there....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture411.jpg)
The next several areas were on BLM land and consisted of small willow patches in the open sage....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture004-2.jpg)
These areas had lots of these animals at the moment...
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture414.jpg)
but few if any moose. This spot had only old sign and I wondered if a moose could be killed here....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture003-2.jpg)
but there was my answer inside the willows....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture006-2.jpg)
I headed further north to a pocket of public land which was hard to access, but which looked promising. I especially liked the fact that I saw no other hunters there....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture022.jpg)
The map shows a series of pothole ponds along several drainages, and there was some fresher sign at this pond....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture027.jpg)
I checked out several such ponds by dusk, but only saw antelope, a few mulie does, and a little whitetail buck. I decided to stay overnight and see if any moose were present in the morning. The coyotes announced their displeasure with my decision to stay.
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Jeff, glad you made it home safe and sucessful. I am off this week, going out in an hour or so, we will talk soon. Looking forward to "the rest of the story."
Dennis
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Rough roads huh Jeff? As rough as you found getting to your moose here????? If so, I feel sorry for your truck!!!!!
David
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Up before dawn, I walked to a high point where I could see several ponds and hopefully some moose. This sure is beautiful country...
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture029.jpg)
Nothing showed after 2 hours so I did some hiking. Again the moose sign was not very fresh..
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture037.jpg)
By noon I had covered the entire area and was ready to head back to the river bottow where I had seen some moose..
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture045.jpg)
After a short practice session...
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture046.jpg)
I headed out. I did visit with some elk bowhunters nearby and they shared some useful info. They had seen several bull moose but within the NF land, which were off limits to me. They mentioned a public area along the Green River (western boundary of my unit) where they had seen moose while fishing, with directions to their "hot spot". Most importantly, they warned me to watch out starting tomorrow for rifle hunters, as the anterless deer season opens in this area. I thanked them and spent almost 2 hours driving through dry BLM land to find their "hot spot"...
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture048.jpg)
Well, this particular tip didn't pan out, but eventually one such tip would be very helpful.
After 3 days of mostly scouting the unit (essentially wasting hunting time because I failed to make the earlier scouting trip happen), it was clear that I needed to spend most of my time on the river bottom where I had seen so many moose the first 2 days. The problem there was that once down in the willows, it was very hard to see much and the moose would have the advantage. I needed an advantage.....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture057.jpg)
Remembering that I had seen several moose crossing the peninsula, I grabbed a treestand and rapid-rails before heading down to the river. Finding a relatively straight cottonwood with game trails on both sides, I was done and back up to the bluff about an hour before dark. As soon as the binos were put to use, I saw the flash of antlers only 200 yards upstream of the stand - it was a nice bull rubbing a tree and he had about 8 points per side and about a 36 inch spread. Unfortunately he walked upstream and I never saw him again, but at least there was a legal bull on public land. Tomorrow I would finally hunt moose!
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Hey Dennis, do you recognize that old loc-on stand??? Thanks, it worked very well. Daniel and I are hunting the Johns river next weekend, maybe we'll see you up there?
David, I sure did find some roads as rough as in NH, and my truck took a beating. Once I thought I would turn it over, as it balanced on only 2 wheels!
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Just a quick detail I forgot to mention for day 3, which was a telling moment. When I walked up to the bluff overlooking the riverbottom, I was shocked to see a cow moose standing and staring intently upstream. I followed her gaze and saw a man in a red vest and what appeared as a bow in his hand, approaching the moose. A quick look with my binos revealed that instead of a bowhunter, it was a fisherman and he wasn't aware of the moose. I thought I might witness a stomping if she had a calf nearby, but instead she circled the clump of willows as he passed and he was none the wiser. I looked upstream and there was another cow with a calf, that he must have walked past, and I think he walked past the bull moose I saw too. So, these moose were used to humans after all. I had been intentionall keeping out of the river bottom, worried about leaving too much scent. With a cloudy, rainy day forecast for day 4, I decided to spend the entire day on stand.
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And then???? You have my full attention!
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Tap, tap, tap! That's my fingers tapping while waiting. Hopefully, yours are tapping on the keyboard!
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Moose Day 4:
After seeing those moose so close to the peninsula yesterday afternoon, it was easy to wake early and get into the stand well before daylight. I was prepared to stay all day, even bringing some reading material....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture052.jpg)
The view was pretty good from the stand, but there could have been moose 50 yards away in the willows and I wouldn't see them....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture069.jpg)
However, I still had not seen a moose 11 hours later, until this young cow appeared across the river, followed by mother moose....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture066.jpg)
Moose Day 5:
Back to the treestand before daylight - obviously I would just have to wait 'em out at this location. However, by noon I had only seen 3 whitetails and couldn't take the lack of action, so I went back up to the bluff for my truck and some lunch. I was hoping to spot a bedded bull and make a stalk, as my friend John had done at this location last year to kill his bull with his bow, but I saw no moose. Time to try something else. The Game and Fish biologist Dean had provided a list of landowners that might allow moose hunters, and Dexter had tried contacting them with no luck. I figured that he would get a better reception than me when asking to hunt, but that didn't work out. I used my cell phone to call each number but got no answers, so I went back to the maps. I saw a likely looking area and wasn't sure if I could hunt there, so I headed to the Game and Fish office to ask. Lucky for me, Dean wasn't there but the receptionist provided names and numbers of 2 other landowners, not on the list, who might allow moose hunting. You can bet that my fingers were dialing thaose numbers as soon as I left the office - the first place only allowed 1 moose hunter per year and they already had a moose hunter. The rancher at the second place, a 1500 acre ranch bordering the same river system I had been hunting that morning but further downstream, was hesitant because of previous problems created by hunters and the neighbors, but told me to come over tomorrow morning to meet and discuss moose hunting. Finally possible access to private land!
I spent the rest of the day checking out the another public area north of town, but there was no fresh moose sign there.
By the way, here is moose camp when I'm staying at Dexter's B+B - pretty rough, eh?
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture128.jpg)
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Moose day 6:
I showered and really brushed my tooth this morning, as I wanted to really impress the rancher. I was at the bluff overlooking the riverbottom at daylight (6:30 am) but saw no moose, and then drove to the ranch at 8:00 am. I guess I passed the test because the rancher jumped into my truck and showed me the property boundaries and where some moose had been seen, including a small bull at the north end. However, I was warned to stay off the neighbor's property, make sure any wounded moose didn't go there, and call before each hunt.
As soon as that tour was over and I thanked the rancher repeatedly, my phone rang and it was one of the other landowners, saying I could hunt and to come over now to meet him. I did so but the area I was allowed to hunt was essentially a willow-choked stream through miles of pasture and thousands of cattle, so I went back to the first ranch to scout, starting at the north end.
It took about 5 minutes to see this little moose at 20 yards, the closest I had been to a moose this hunt.....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture075.jpg)
Turns out he was a little bull, but he had to walk only 100 yards before he was on the neighbor's property and the river....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture081.jpg)
I checked this area a little, and on the way back to my truck spotted the young bull the rancher had mentioned, but he too soon crossed the property line onto the neighbor's land....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture097.jpg)
I then drove to the south end of the ranch, which offered a lot more room to hunt before encountering the property line. Immediately I saw a cow drinking in this pond, in the middle of the day....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture112.jpg)
I stayed until dark but didn't see any moose, but was excited about my chances of killing a bull here....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture125.jpg)
Things were looking up!
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:campfire: :coffee:
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Great photos and story Jeff! Thanks for taking us along.
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Wow. Beautiful country and great pics. Thanks for sharing.
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Man Jeff, you really covered some country the first day. All the way from Buckskin Crossing to the Upper Green. Wish I was there! Did you go to Pinedale Bible Church when you were there? Can't wait to see the rest.
Nathan
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Yes Nathan, I covered some ground - really should have made that scouting trip in August more worthwhile! I attended the Lutheran Church.
Well, here is the grand finale.
Moose Day 7:
The pressure was increasing. I forgot to mention that I had begun to see orange-clad rifle hunters beginning on Tuesday, which made me a little nervous in my camo, especially when 2 such hunters stalked past my stand late tuesday when I was climbing down the tree. Something had spooked the 2 moose I was watching, and their stares led me to the hunters who were upwind. Also, the gun season for moose in this unit would begin on Sunday. Even though I finally had access to a good private ranch, when I called to make sure I could hunt there on this day (Friday), I was told that a deer hunter would be on the ranch for the weekend so I needed to hunt somewhere else those 2 days. Finally, I had an expensive elk tag in my wallet and I love to elk hunt also. I decided that I would not be very picky if a bull moose got within range.
I was at the south end of the ranch before daylight and by mid morning I had seen 3 cow moose. Then I moved to the north end, and after parking my truck, walked 10 steps, looked to the left and saw this....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture136.jpg)
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A nice bull moose was standing straight-on and staring me down - I was busted! He was about 36-38 inches wide and I soon saw the reason he was there - a sweet little cow fed past but his stare would not be broken, that is not until the little bull on the left began sniffing him over and got a little too close to the family jewels. This made the bigger bull whirl around and whack the little guy in the side! He took off and I saw him about 1/2 mile away about 10 minutes later. This was the first sign of any rutting activity, and after the bigger bull ran off the little guy, he followed the cow across the property line and out of my life! I hung around for several hours hoping to see them again but they were gone. The wind was from the east this day and they were to my west, so I decided to head back to the public land where my treestand was located.
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I parked the truck, shot a few arrows, ate lunch, loaded my pack and headed to the bluff for a look-see before heading down to my treestand for the rest of the day. I immediately saw moose - first these 2:
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture141.jpg)
Then another cow bedded back in the willows, then these 2 moose:
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture149a.jpg)
Hey, are those antlers on the one? Yes, pretty small but he is bedded not 50 yards from my treestand! Believe it or not, I dialed up the game warden and made sure that there is no minimum size for my tag, and upon confirming that there is not, I circled way to the west and sneaked into my treestand. Finally secured and ready, I checked and the 2 moose were still there. The waiting game began. About 30 minutes later, the little bull rose and could have gone any which way, but made a beeline for my tree...
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture162.jpg)
It took about 20 nerve-racking minutes as he stripped willow leaves almost under my feet (no photos now, it was just too quiet and close to screw up the whole thingg now), but finally he turned away and offered a perfect quartering away shot at 12 yards. I debated with myself the whole time until he finally headed my way, if I should kill such a small bull, but considering the number of bigger bulls that had been within range in the past 7 days (zero), I decided to accept this gift! At the shot, he bolted back across the river, wavered a moment and then fell....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture163.jpg)
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This is awesome Jeff!!
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I gave Thanks, and the bull some time to expire, then the unbelievable happened: voices on the river, coming from a fisherman and his guide on a raft, headed straight for my bull and the cow. My bull gained his feet and moved off into the high grass, where I couldn't see him. This definitely is not a wilderness moose hunt, but I knew that going in. After 30 minutes, I moved in and claimed my prize. As I was tagging him and preparing for the work ahead of me before dark (I had 3 hours to dark), more voices behind me and here came 2 fishermen in waders, who were a bit surprised to see me and the moose! At least they took a few photos for me...
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture165.jpg)
I was very happy with this bull, not the biggest in the area but he was now officially mine...
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture173.jpg)
It was then I discovered that my good knife was gone and I only had a pen knife for the task ahead of me. Time for the gutless method...
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture180.jpg)
I did it "one piece at a time, and it didn't cost me a dime"..
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture178.jpg)
I carried the pieces back across the river and laid them on a log to cool..
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture187.jpg)
I couldn't forget this choice cut; Larry Fischer made me promise to take the tongue too..
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture183.jpg)
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This was the first time I tried the gutless method, and I really liked it, since I had no help...
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture191.jpg)
By pitch dark, all the meat was ready for packing, along with the head, my gear and the treestand.....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture203.jpg)
It was now 8 pm and my truck was 1/2 mile away, uphill. It took 6 trips with the pack, but luckily I had plenty of coolers and ice in the truck. The loads with hindquarters had to be 110 or 120 lbs, while the front quarters were probably 90 lbs. That last load felt so good at 1:00 am. I was tired and sore, and my knees and hips hurt for several days, but it "hurt so good"...
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture208.jpg)
I slept in the truck that night and spent most of the next day, Saturday, processing the meat and getting it into my freezer at Dexter's place. I finished in the late afternoon, ditched the moose hunting gear, loaded the elk hunting gear, and turned my truck north to elk country, where I encountered that bull moose shown at the beginning of this story. I did have another week to hunt, and possibly I could have killed a big bull moose. I'll never know, but I have no regrets. I had some moose burger several days later - yum! Such a tender young bull, it will feed my family and me for the next year.
I need to take a little break to bale some hay on my farm, then pack up the truck with camping gear. My family wants to go camping in the Smoky Mountains this weekend, so I'll tell the story of my elk hunt soon.
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Very Nice Jeff,
Congratulations!
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Nice going.And from a tree stand!Quite the hunt.
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Nice job Jeff!
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I did it "one piece at a time, and it didn't cost me a dime"..
...and I'll dang sure know its you when you come through my town.
Great story. Congrats.
Now, let's hear about the elk hunt!!!
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Fantastic Jeff! Can't wait to hear the rest of the story!
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Jeff....I dont know how I missed this!!! Awesome bull and story thus far! Just feel bad I have a good friend who lives in Pinedale and I've hunted elk very near there in 02...Sounds like you had some great support though! Can't wait for more!
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awesome!
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Great job Jeff! What camera were you using. It takes great field pictures and the zoom seems to work really well.
Elk hunt story....
Thanks again for all your time in sharing this hunt with us!
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That was a great storey Jeff and you did a fantastic job.
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Thanks all - I used a Panasonic FZ8 digital camera with 10x zoom, which allowed me to zoom in well but I can't figure out how to save and show the zoomed-in photos when posting.
Here are some teaser photos from the elk hunt. I will admit that the biggest mistake I made was trying to combine the moose and elk hunts - originally I thought I had 3 weeks total so about 10 days for each hunt seemed OK. But when the duration changed to 2 weeks, I wished that I had that much time for either animal. Oh well, live and learn. Arriving in elk country at midnight on Saturday, I had just 5 and 1/2 days to find and kill a bull elk. Just a few photos:
The area was rugged and beautiful - unlike the moose hunt, I would be physically challenged here and I would end up sharing the area with only 2 other people, and they were hunting sheep...
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture231.jpg)
I got to know this satellite bull well, getting close 4 of the 5 days I hunted him...
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture250.jpg)
This was the herd bull, busy here getting ready to breed this cow. He was distinctive due to a broken right beam...
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture273.jpg)
I really liked this mountain country, and some snow helped with tracking, especially the very fresh grizzly tracks I saw while walking in before daylight the first morning. Taking my cue from sheep hunter Don who had seen numerous grizzlies in this area, I thereafter waited until dawn before heading in and made sure I was back at the truck before dark each day. My bear spray and pea-shooter didn't give me much comfort in the dark....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture268.jpg)
Sorry for teasing, but I need to get on my big green tractor!
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Very cool story Jeff, congrats on the moose!!!
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Jeff,
Not sure you will get this reply. I am on trad gang now but still quite ignorant of its use. As I said, I searched for your link but was only able to find it after you nfyd me via email. That was a fantastic story and pictures!!!! Your the man! Hope to see you again someday. Jim
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Congrats! Great story...keep it going.
Since I'm missing hunting season again...its awesome to read about everybodys hunt!
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Congrats. That last pic is awesome!
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Come on Jeff, you've been sitting on that tractor for 9 hours now. Isn't your butt getting sore?
Time for a story break....
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Great story, keep it coming!
GLENN
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Way to go Jeff!! Great moose! Now as mentioned before...on with the elk story!
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Ok Jeff, you are my hero!
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Great story Jeff.Congratulation on the Moose.Your hunts keep me dreaming.RC
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Ok Jeff I've caught up reading so far and I'm ready for more. Glad you scored on the moose! I wqas in Colorado last Friday and at 6:30 AM I walked out of our popup camper and set the coffee pot down to light the stove. I heard a russelling noise and turned to see a bull moose come trotting through the aspen trees about thirty-five feet behind me! What a blast! I thought about you and wondered how your hunt was going. I got my wife up and we went looking for him to get a picture.
Game warden came by as the news spread fast and told me there were about 300 moose turned out in southwest Colorado. He said they were having a rough time with parasites because it was too warm. I think, though he didn't say, that he was thinking it might be dangerous as it came so close to our camp! Anyway congrats on the moose and can't wait for the rest of the story.
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Congratulations Jeff! Thanks for sharing the story and the pics. Looking forward to reading more about your elk hunt!
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Jeff....you're killing me here. :readit: :bigsmyl:
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Sorry guys, I'll finish this up today, since I got the hay in the barn and took my family camping in the Smoky Mountains over the weekend, where we managed to see some of these....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture057-1.jpg)
Thanks to efforts of the RMEF and others, bulls like this are only 3 hours from my house....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture033.jpg)
Elk Day 1:
My strategy was to drive over as much of my elk units today as possible, find the best area (I had one particular spot in mind in the backcountry but hoped to find some easier elk, closer to the road), and spend the remaining days there. This area came highly recommended and I spend several hours driving around and talking to some hunters who had spent the weekend there, but assuming they were being honest, the reports were not good....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture216.jpg)
One husband and wife team were coming back to their camp on their horses and reported one bugling bull in 3 days, but they were nice enough to offer some breakfast and advice on the horse trails into the backcountry. By mid afternoon I was at the area I had expected to hunt, by loading my camp on the game cart and going in about 4-5 miles to where several drainages went up from the river.....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture224.jpg)
Trapp had warned that my plan was not very good, and I soon confirmed that the narrow horse trail and numerous river crossings made my plan would force me to use my backpack if I wanted to hunt here. There were several horse trailers at the trailhead and clearly this area was best hunted with horses ort mules. I talked with some more hunters that were coming out, and again assuming they were honest, they said the elk were back in 6-7 miles, close to the wilderness boundary, but that they were bugling like crazy. I decided to move on. A thunderstorm was upon me and snow was predicted in higher elevations. The aspens were getting some color...
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture378.jpg)
I arrived at another trailhead about an hour before dark, and even with the rain and wind, I heard a bugle as soon as I got out of my truck. A sheep hunter was loading his horse onto the trailer and he told me that there were more deer and sheep than elk at this high location, but that he had seen 2 nice bulls up a certain trail, which was the direction the bugles were coming from. Finally, some elk - this is where I would hunt. However, he warned me that a certain trail had a dead cow on it, along with a big grizzly!
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I walked up that trail and watched the 2 nice bulls and some cows until dark; the rain turned to snow before I was back to the truck and I had a hard time sleeping that night, partly due the excitement of knowing where I could find some elk in the morning and partly because of dreams of killer grizzlies ripping the fiberglass camper off my truck and munching on a stinky bowhunter. Yes, I was afraid of the big bears - I had specifically picked this area to experience some wild country, and many people who live and hunt in grizzly country advised "don't worry about the bears", but that is easier said than done for a flatlander eastener.
Elk Day 2:
I was up 2 hours before daylight and ready for breakfast. I headed out an hour before daylight, going up the same trail where I had watched the elk until dark. That is where I saw the huge bear tracks in the snow, coming down the trail, obviously made several hours prior! However, the constant bugling lured me on and at dawn, I was within a hundred yards of the herd with the wind coming down the canyon. Perfect!
Sorry for the repeat photo, but I followed the herd for several hours until the cows bedded in a small clump of pines and the herd bull, with the broken right beam, followed this cow around and passed close by but too far for a shot...
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture273.jpg)
The satellite bull went down into the timber and began raking trees and bugling his frustration...
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture250.jpg)
Eventually the herd bull "finished up" with that cow and then bedded in the middle of his cows and fell asleep, but he was very safe from me there, so I moved into the timber looking for the other bull.
I am not a good caller and was hoping to ambush the satellite bull, but snapped a branch and heard the bull run start running away from me. The area was torn up with rubs, trails and droppings. I quickly let out 3 cow calls but before I could get hidden and remove my pack, I saw his antlers headed my way. He came straight on, until he was 15 yards away and seemingly looming over me - I was at half draw and hoping he would pass to the side, but after scanning the area, he locked onto me and froze. He couldn't smell me but realized that something was wrong and swapped ends quickly and headed out - I was tempted to try a shot as he turned but declined. The herd then moved out and my morning hunt was over. I love elk hunting!
I spent the afternoon checking out another area, and had the encounter with the big bull moose, described earlier. A new sheep hunter, Don, arrived that afternoon for the week, and since he had scounted and hunted this area a good bit earlier, knew where the elk had been located. He suggested another drainage to try if I didn't kill either of the bulls I had seen today.
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Elk Day 3:
Waiting until daylight before I headed out the main horse trail, I soon heard some bugles and found the herd headed to a small but nasty side canyon...
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture319.jpg)
The same herd bull was with the cows, and he bugled much, even though I kept my calls in my pocket...
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture322.jpg)
I just watched, as they were in the open and had the wind in their favor, and I would only spook them if I tried to follow. However, another bugle betrayed the satellite bull, and I did have a good chance to ambush him because he was following the herd on a trail by a noisy creek with the wind at his back. If I could get ahead of him and next to the creek, I would have a close shot...
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture329.jpg)
Unfortunately, he beat me to the spot I wanted to use, and spooked. Here is another photo of him yesterday, before the snow melted. He is a fine bull elk!
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture283.jpg)
The bulls were active until mid morning and the last several hours before dark. I headed back to the truck, taking the scenic route so that I could check out a spot where Don had seen some elk. The wind was good and I saw lots of fresh elk sign as I walked along the edge of the timber - maybe I would return later today. I accidently dislodged a big rock, and as it rolled and made noise, I decided to bugle to cover this noise and see if any bulls were nearby. Being a long-time turkey hunter, I should have known to get set up and ready to shoot before calling, but I had acted quickly to cover the noise from the rolling rock.
My shrill bugle wasn't even complete when a bull roared back and immediately I saw a big set of bull antlers coming from about 50 yards inside the timber. Oh no! I dropped down next to a small pine, removed my pack, and nocked an arrow with trembling fingers, all the while watching the bull rapidly approach. I was still trying to figure out how to draw my recurve unseen when, in order to pass through some small pines to get out into the open with me, he closed his eyes and turned his rack sideways to get through and I yanked the bow back to full draw! He popped out at 12 yards and looked right at me - I expected him to bolt away but he began turning, from straight on to quartering and finally broadside, but with every step he was staring at me. I was aware of that fact, but was concentrating the crease behind the shoulder and when the green light went off in my head, released. Unfortunately he dropped and bolted in reaction, then took off quickly in a tight circle back into the timber and now heading back the way he came from. I bugled again and he stopped - now my heart sank as I saw the arrow was buried nearly to the fletching but way too far back and high! Oh no, again - a bad shot. He looked around for a minute, then walked away and I saw that it was 11:15 am. I was really feeling sick when I took up the trail at 3:00 pm, and found about 10 drops of blood before losing the trail at 100 yards, where he had made a sharp turn downhill. A golden opportunity, and I had blown it. I should have realized that he could react, even at 12 yards, unlike the moose that was oblivious to my presence. I searched until daylight without any sign of the bull.
Elk Day 4:
The ridge was about 1/2 mile long and I searched every trail all day, even out in the open areas but found no sign of him. Ironically, after lunch the same elk herd came through and I had the same "stubby" herd bull broadside at 22 yards, but couldn't shoot. First of all, I still hoped to find "my" bull, and secondly, I was so disgusted with myself that I didn't think I could make the shot. I was feeling about as low as possible, but after talking with Don back at the truck about an hour before dark, I decided to check out the drainage that he had recommended. I saw this small herd there but they were several miles back in......
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture340.jpg)
It was another long night in the truck.....
Elk Day 5:
Walking in the new trail at daylight, I realized that this bear poop wasn't there last night....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture351.jpg)
I found the elk herd and followed them around all morning and into the early afternoon, but just couldn't get a shot at the herd bull. Too many cows and swirling wind kept him safe. I walked many miles that day, and that evening after supper, decided to try one last time for the "stubby" the herd bull in the morning.
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Elk Day 6 - final day:
Even though I was the only one bothering the main elk herd, the effect of my pressure was obvious. The 2 bulls had bugled over 100 times that first morning, but now I heard ony 3 or 4 soft bugles after daylight, but they were enough for me to get a location and direction of travel for this herd. After several hours of playing cat and mouse, with no calling from me (I had lost my favorite diaphram call yesterday and now could barely bugle), I was in front of the herd with the wind in my favor, so I let out a wimpy bugle followed by several cow calls. The herd bull answered immediately and then the real cows mewed back. I was hiding behind a samll pine out in the open, where the herd had bedded the first day, and was very excited to see some cows and calves headed my way. Soon they were on the other side of the pine and I could hear them walking in the grass and softly calling, then they began filing past on the right and I saw stubby's antlers coming my way. I would get a 10 yard shot if this all worked out, but of course the wind swirled and the cows all scattered and the bull retreated back to the timber. After a 15 minute wait, I saw him tip-toeing by just inside the woods and tried to cut him off, but he busted out and headed for that nasty side canyon with the deadfalls. No wonder the elk like this spot, it is very secure....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture352.jpg)
It was 9:30 am and I had to be driving by noon, so I dropped down the mountain and entered the small nasty canyon from the downwind side. Soon I heard a few cow chirps and then saw this....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/WY%2009/Picture353.jpg)
Elk! Maybe I would have one last chance. I eased forward and an hour later was standing within 20 yards of several cows and calves but couldn't find the bull. Then a cow caught me and I was busted - she barked the alarm and elk were going everywhere! I bugled to sound like a satellite bull trying to steal some cows, and the bull answered, but he was more of a lover than fighter and took his herd across a nasty rock slide and out of my life.
My elk hunt was over - very fun and exciting but disappointing due to my poor shot selection and wasting of a golden opportunity. I drove to Pinedale, loaded up my equipment and started for home. Only 34 hours later, I pulled into my driveway.
I hope that you enjoyed my stories and photos.
Good hunting to you.
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What a great hunt Jeff, it's easy for me to feel like I am right there with you. It's unfortunate that the elk you shot was lost, but as I'm sure you know, it happens.
Thanks again for taking us along.......
David
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Great story Jeff. I know the extra workinvolved with capturing and writing these types of hunts. Thank you!! Sorry to hear about the bull, a lot of guys wouldn't believe how fast an animal of that size can react, but things like this happen. It doesn't help, but I've been there, and feel your pain.
Thanks again for a great story, and congrats, on both hunts :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
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Great story Jeff, thanks for sharing it with us!!! That was one heckuva hunt. You will remember it long after the last of the moose meat has been consumed.
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Congrats Jeff!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
:clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
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One heckuvan adventure. My hat is off to you brother. :thumbsup:
Many thanks for taking the time to let the rest of us get our "fix."
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Great hunt. Sorry for the loss of the miss-hit. Unfortunately, I know the feeling. But, you had a great hunt and worked hard.
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Congrats again Jeff, and thanx for taking the time to post a great story with equally great pix!
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Thanks Jeff. Great hunt.
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Thanks for sharing a great hunt with us Jeff. I always look forward to reading your stories. You obviously work hard at your hunting and preparations for same. It is like being there with you. One has to face some boogers when hunting alone in grizzly territory. I appreciate also your honesty of the missed hit. It is a risk we take every time we pull a trigger or loose and arrow. Sounds like you made a great effort. Hats off to yuo and thanks again for the pictures and the sharing of the tale.
Bill
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Congrats Jeff, sounds like the trip of a lifetime.
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Mr. Holchin, I thoroughly enjoyed your pictures and story. I am so happy for your success and feel your grief on the elk. We have all been there and more than once for most. It's nice to have friends like you. Hope to see you in Ioway one of these days. Tell the family I said hello.
Jim McInteer
"long in the tooth"
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Jeff, somehow I had missed the conclusion of your story, but just finished reading it. Thanks for taking the time to post. I enjoyed it.
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Sounds like a great adventure Jeff.....Thanks for sharing your hunt with us...
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:thumbsup:
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Thanks again everybody. I have been blessed to have seen and hunted some great places. Adding a decent camera to my pack was a good decision I made several years ago, to help share the hunting adventures. I was very tempted to take some photos when that bull moose was under my tree and I was looking at him down between my feet, but was afraid that I'd end up with only photos and no moose!
Life is short - maybe my stories will help you on your own bowhunting adventures. The hardest part is making the decision to "just do it", and following through. Several times, when things were getting complicated, I wondered if it was all worth it. My wife and kids had to sacrifice, I lost wages, and I missed my son's birthday. I like the freedom and flexibility of doing it myself, but there were many times when it would have been better with a good partner or two. I did have help from some Tradgangers and hope to meet and thank them in person some day; better yet, I hope to share a hunting camp with them next time. Feel free to PM me with any questions about this particular adventure - WY is a GREAT state to bowhunt and I can't wait to return. Maybe even live there some day. Anyway, go out and make your own bowhunting memories now, before it is too late (and share with the rest of us on Trad Gang). Thanks finally to Trad Gang, for being there for us seriously addicted traditional bowhunters.
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Awesome Jeff...you did it man!! All of it!!