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Author Topic: Bulls, Bucks and chickens .. .a Wingnut, Trashwood and Jason adventure  (Read 12900 times)

Offline wingnut

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Re: Bulls, Bucks and chickens .. .a Wingnut, Trashwood and Jason adventure
« Reply #60 on: October 03, 2007, 12:29:00 PM »
That evening Jason and I slipped in from the same side of the ridge he had come from earlier and we moved up to the top looking for the elk.  It was a bit early and warm so we took up station on the edge of an open area overlook a large valley and leaned back glassing as the shadows started to lengthen.  An hour later it was time and we were up and moving again.  As we crossed into the pass that tops the blind canyon from that morning the wind was not great but we pushed on.   Big mistake...never give up the wind.  We made it 50 yds to an edge and peeked over to see two cows make tracks because they had smelled our sweaty bodies.  Can't say that I blame them. . .showers tomorrow for sure.

LOL

We moved back around and got the wind right and heard birds making a racket down the hill in a tangle of trees.  We'd been watching a pair of golden eagles in the area earlier so this was curious.  We slid and tumbled down the steep slope.  Soon the birds were in site and we knew that something was dead not too far away.  Curiousity got the best of us and we moved in that direction.  We found a nice forked horn mule deer that was about 3 days gone and half eaten.  Couldn't figure out how it died but it looked like a bow kill to me from the blood under the shoulder.  Too bad, it was a nice buck.  Bear and coyotes were making short work of it.

It soon was dark and we headed towards the truck.  About 150 yds up from the truck we encountered 3 bulls bugling above us on the ridge and had a starting spot for the morning.

Back at camp Rusty told of his encounter with the big buck and we told of the elk and promises of morning.

Mike
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Offline wingnut

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Re: Bulls, Bucks and chickens .. .a Wingnut, Trashwood and Jason adventure
« Reply #61 on: October 03, 2007, 02:16:00 PM »
The alarm went off and we were up and at them.  Jason and I had some climbing to get done and headed off after a quick cup of coffee.  Soon we were at the base of the ridge in the dark and started up.  Fifty yards up, I realized that I had too many clothes on and slowed the pace.  Our legs were strong from the months of walking everyday but controling the sweat was the problem.  We just didn't want to blow out our clothes.  So slowly we climbed until we got to the top and beautiful parks among the large trees.  A few minutes pass as week watch and listen.  Then a bull challenges with a bugle to our right and down the other side.  We are off in that direction for 200 yds.  Then I see movement ahead and stop quickly.  It's a nice Mule deer buck feeding our way.  We were lucky that he didn't see us coming and we kneeled behind a large tree in ambush.  He came rather quickly and closed to about 30 yds before he took a trail to the right.  Jason slipped out and behind some brush.  After about 20 yds I saw him freeze and begin to draw.  WACK I hear.  Was it a rib or a branch.  I move towards him as he watchs down the hill.  When I arrive he is looking at a 1/2 inch branch that deflected the arrow up and between the bucks antlers and harmlessly over the edge of the ridge.  The buck left a little wiser and we headed back after the bull.

We dropped into the flat below but were unable to get the bull to respond as the temps headed up to around 70.  So up and out we came.  The one thing I will not do on purpose is hunt in the bedding area.  Quickest way to move game out is to push them where they feel the safest.

Mike
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Offline wingnut

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Re: Bulls, Bucks and chickens .. .a Wingnut, Trashwood and Jason adventure
« Reply #62 on: October 03, 2007, 03:48:00 PM »
After discussion that evening we decide to head up Rusty's trail in the morning.  He'd seen a couple of cows moving up on to the flat that evening and felt that the herd may have moved to that side.  But instead of an alarm in the early morning hours, I was awakened by Rusty saying "hey that was a cow call".  We had elk in camp or real near.  We were up and got ready to go quickly and quietly.  Jason and I were going to cross the stream and road and head uphill, Rusty was going down stream.

But just as we cleared camp, a bull bugled downstream and the plans reversed.  I don't know if I explained earlier but Rusty was hunting deer and didn't have an elk tag.

So Jason ran back and told Rusty of the change in plans and we headed down the stream.  400 yards later we were in a open flat with large trees and minimal cover.  We took up in a couple of brushy spots and started to cow/calf call.  Immediately, I hear a bull 200 yds or so uphill racking what sounds like a dead tree.  Shortly there after Jason signals that he can see cows moving to our downwind.  We break from cover and try to head them off before the smell us.  40 yds into the move Jason whispers "BULL!"  and we hit the deck.  The bull from up the hill has snuck in and is now at 60 yds and closing.  He is looking hard for the cow he heard and on a line to run over the two stumps in the middle of the opening.  One problem, we were the two stumps.  At 35 yds he stops and looks right through us to the creek bottom.  Hmmm, no cows?   He turns to go and I gave him a calf call over my shoulder.  Around he comes and he's really looking now.  (remind me to get a Montana decoy before next year)  He shys again and starts up the hill.  A couple of cow calls and he is now circling down wind and will cross behind a few trees with a nice shot window.  I whisper to Jason to get ready and that I will stop him in the openning.  The bulls head hits the open and I call, jason draws and the bull stops with the tree covering the sweet spot.  A few seconds and he steps again, the arrow is away and zips right over his back.


The 6x6 bull wheels and heads up hill but at 60 yds stops again.  I cow call and he heads for us one more time.  This time he steps into the open and looks down the creek away from us.  Jason draws and looses the arrow.  Zip . . .right under.

Dang!!!!!

Off he goes.  Jason and I regroup and gather nerves.  I tell him I will change strategy and go aggressive.  After changing calls I bugle a spike squeel and follow with a mirade of cows and calves.  Jason is moving 50 yds toward the last place we saw the bull.  I close to 30 yds as I see antlers coming down the hill again.  It's the 6x6 and he is headed for Jason.  But wait. . . .more antlers a 5x5 is coming on the other side of the brush.  Both are headed towards Jason and if they keep coming they will pass on both sides at about 10 yds.


My heart is in my throat as the distace closes.  Then the 6x6 cuts across and cuts the 5x5 off of the trail.  Just like a cutting horse would.  The 5x5 wants to come but time after time the bigger bull moves him back up.  I don't know if he was warning the other bull off or was waiting for the cows for himself.  They moved off about 60 yds and the 5x5 squared off in front of the 6x6.  The bigger bull moved up and locked up.  The mock battled in front of us for a few minutes and moved off.  We stayed in sight of the bulls for over 1 1/2 hours trying to close when they were pushing each other around.  But finally the herd bull on the other side moved the cows up the hill and the young bulls followed.  What a morning!!!


Mike
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Offline the Ferret

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Re: Bulls, Bucks and chickens .. .a Wingnut, Trashwood and Jason adventure
« Reply #63 on: October 03, 2007, 03:57:00 PM »
Dang...my nerves would have been shot at this point!   :knothead:
There is always someone that knows more than you, and someone that knows less than you, so you can always learn and you can always teach

Offline trashwood

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Re: Bulls, Bucks and chickens .. .a Wingnut, Trashwood and Jason adventure
« Reply #64 on: October 03, 2007, 03:58:00 PM »
They both came into camp white as sheets that morning.  I knew the story was gonna be good.   :)    it was.

Hey I never said I was Mark Trail. the only thing I know is.....Deer are mammals belonging to the family Cervidae in the order Artiodactyla (the even-toed, hoofed mammals). The order Artiodactyla also includes pigs, cattle, goats, sheep, camels, antelope, giraffes, and hippopotamuses.

I figured I could rule out the hippos, camel, and girafffes.  other than that the onwer of the track is in question ?????

OK OK boyz let me see ya do it.  

how old is the track and what made it??

   

rusty

Offline trashwood

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Re: Bulls, Bucks and chickens .. .a Wingnut, Trashwood and Jason adventure
« Reply #65 on: October 03, 2007, 04:03:00 PM »
well the track is 2 tabs long that is pretty big.  most be elk.  center ridge is dring out asw well as the edges, must be around 36 hrs old.

here ya go

 

rusty

Offline trashwood

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Re: Bulls, Bucks and chickens .. .a Wingnut, Trashwood and Jason adventure
« Reply #66 on: October 03, 2007, 04:09:00 PM »
hmmm only one tab long, knida pointy.  Maybe a young mule deer doe???  Not as dry as the first one but clearly not fresh.  maybe 24 hrs old.

one more

 

rusty

Offline trashwood

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Re: Bulls, Bucks and chickens .. .a Wingnut, Trashwood and Jason adventure
« Reply #67 on: October 03, 2007, 04:13:00 PM »
Ooooo harder to identify??  deep track, more weight?? or wetter, softer soil???  1&1/2 tab long with good weight and not qite as pointy as the second one.  Mule deer buck? young bull elk?

hey, I told ya I weren't know Mark Trail, how should I know LOL  :)

I'd ask Mike  :)

rusty

Offline trashwood

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Re: Bulls, Bucks and chickens .. .a Wingnut, Trashwood and Jason adventure
« Reply #68 on: October 03, 2007, 04:14:00 PM »
Hey my hunting skills are two!! I am a good shot and I never miss a meal  :)   that ain't all bad.

rusty

Offline joe skipp

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Re: Bulls, Bucks and chickens .. .a Wingnut, Trashwood and Jason adventure
« Reply #69 on: October 03, 2007, 04:15:00 PM »
Great story and super hunt...cool...  :cool:    :thumbsup:
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Offline bohuntr

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Re: Bulls, Bucks and chickens .. .a Wingnut, Trashwood and Jason adventure
« Reply #70 on: October 03, 2007, 04:35:00 PM »
Wow that was some action!!! Keep it comin boys!!!
To me, the ultimate challenge in bowhunting is not how far away you can succesfully make a killing shot but rather how close you can get to the animal before shooting.

Offline trashwood

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Re: Bulls, Bucks and chickens .. .a Wingnut, Trashwood and Jason adventure
« Reply #71 on: October 03, 2007, 04:37:00 PM »
now that scat that is a lot easier.  If it is still green and steaming (scat turns dark after a few hours).....hide immedately and calf call.  If the scat is green an cool.  look for tracks and follow them.  go slow listen a lot and call a little.

If the scat is dark.....keep on tracking.

as for the owner of the scat that is no porblem.  just put a little pinch between your cheek and gum.  Mule deer has a milder flavor, but full body with a piney after taste.  Elk is stronger flavor with a heavy body and a huckleberry after taste  :)

if the bear scat is fresh.....back out and watch you back  :)

bear scat taste like dirty underware and has gold and sliver jewerly in it   :confused:    :eek:  

rusty

Offline Marvin M.

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Re: Bulls, Bucks and chickens .. .a Wingnut, Trashwood and Jason adventure
« Reply #72 on: October 03, 2007, 04:47:00 PM »
Yeah, and if it tastes peppery, its Grizzly Bear scat.

Offline wingnut

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Re: Bulls, Bucks and chickens .. .a Wingnut, Trashwood and Jason adventure
« Reply #73 on: October 03, 2007, 05:21:00 PM »
I'm going with calf elk on the last one.

Mike
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Offline trashwood

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Re: Bulls, Bucks and chickens .. .a Wingnut, Trashwood and Jason adventure
« Reply #74 on: October 03, 2007, 05:28:00 PM »
:clapper:    well I'll go with.  

rusty

Offline wingnut

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Re: Bulls, Bucks and chickens .. .a Wingnut, Trashwood and Jason adventure
« Reply #75 on: October 03, 2007, 09:04:00 PM »
On with the story.

We were real pumped when we got back to camp and told Rusty and planned to get back up the ridge without blowing out the herd early in the evening.

After dinner we headed out.  Moving up slowly and keeping the wind in our face.  We settled in and waited for the shadows to grow and the air to cool.  As the sun dipped towards Oregon in the west, we started our play.  First stop some soft cow and calf talk.  30 minutes and nothing, so up we go.  Only 150 yds but enough to get a different audiance.  Soft talk again. . . .Nothing.  Up we go another 150 or so.  Jason heads up to set up and I call once.  A bull bugles downhill and to our right.  We get together and head downhill and downwind quickly.  This was not the spot to have him come.  After we set up, I called once in my best cow talk.  He answered with a tending grunt from about where we had come from.  Good he is real interested.   I waited a few minutes and called once again.  This time he started to bugle but cut it off, did the tending grunt and then finished the bugle.  Sounded like he yodelled.  I think he's hot and on a line.

Then there he is 100 yds up hill and on a trot right at me.  Usually I'll adjust my position a little to on side after my last call to keep the dang things from running over me, but5 this time I didn't move.  .mistake.  He came straight at me and finally at 10 yds stopped to look for the cows.  He's a nice young 6x6 and I was already figuring where he'd fit on the wall.  But I had work to do and he was burning a hole in my camo from real close quarters.  I've got the bow up and ready to draw.  My thoughts are turn, turn, please turn.

I can hear Jason cow calling from 50 yds to my right.  He's trying to turn him for me. but no dice.  He going to stare me down.  Finally he takes a step to the right, showing a front quarter, no good, but better.  Now one more, just one more. . .please one more.  He steps and I come to full draw.  He saw the movement and spins to show his butt and head.  He's 10 yds and no shot and I'm at full draw with a bad shoulder.  This is going bad quick.  I have to let down, slowly, so slowly.  He doesn't move.  I renock the arrow as he turns to a quartered away position.  He turns to look to Jason's call and I come to draw.  The arrow is away and half way there it's perfect.  Then he spins and the arrow screams by taking hair from the outside of the shoulder.

Off he goes.  We called him back three times but couldn't get a shot before he left up and over the ridge.

We found my arrow and moved 150 yds across the hill.  Here we could see up an avalanche shoot and there on top about 300 yds away was a bull.  Another 6x6.  I called to him and here he comes at a gallop.  We can hear heavy foot steps and antlers hitting branches as he comes hard down the steep slope.  Then to our right, the tending grunt.  The other bull is on his way back too.

Well either will do but will they get here before the fading light is gone.  Minutes pass like seconds as the light begins to fade and we can here the now walking bull coming hard on a line.

Then the light was gone.  Not wanting to spook the bull we high tailed it downhill and downwing to the bottom and walked towards camp.  In the moonlight we jumped a few cows half way home.  I'm sure it wasn't our footfalls as we were just floating along.

What a day!!

Mike
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Offline adkmountainken

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Re: Bulls, Bucks and chickens .. .a Wingnut, Trashwood and Jason adventure
« Reply #76 on: October 03, 2007, 09:30:00 PM »
this is by far one of the best hunting stories i have ever read!! my nerves are shot just reading it! thank you so much for sharing as hunts like this are not possible for me yet and i LOVE reading about them!
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Offline Littlefeather

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Re: Bulls, Bucks and chickens .. .a Wingnut, Trashwood and Jason adventure
« Reply #77 on: October 03, 2007, 09:30:00 PM »
Wheweeeee! I like it when things get really close and exciting! Carry on! CK

Offline trashwood

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Re: Bulls, Bucks and chickens .. .a Wingnut, Trashwood and Jason adventure
« Reply #78 on: October 03, 2007, 09:59:00 PM »
Mike is the distributor for Helle knives as you may know.  He and Jason gave me a new model field dressing knife that I unfortunatly did not get to try out the is going to make a dandy.  He has got another new knife that I ask him to order me.  It has a cork handle is actually a 6" (as I recall) fillet knife that has a fair backbone to it.  It is going to make the best boning knife I have carried.  since Mike doesen't hunt the road that means ya gonna hump the elk out.  He bones the elk on the spot.  If you use a knife that is thick enough to make a good field dressing knife. it is too thick to cut thru hams and behind and under loins well.  this fillet knife has more width than a usual fillet knife, perfect for boning knife.  

I, getting to geezer age, usually bone out the pigs I shoot in the boggy bottoms.  The new Helle fillet knife is gonna make short work of them.  this way I can shoot one in the 100# class and carry less weight out than my usual 80#ers.

rusty

Offline knife river

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Re: Bulls, Bucks and chickens .. .a Wingnut, Trashwood and Jason adventure
« Reply #79 on: October 03, 2007, 10:35:00 PM »
You guys might have lost your last spot to the fires, but you sure found a new honey hole!  This is first rate stuff!    :thumbsup:
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