Last year after Jerry and Barry went on an elk hunt they decided they wanted to go again. This time I was able to tag along. We practiced shooting our bows for several months and some of us even worked out a bit to prepare for the endless hiking.
On September 17th we headed out. As usual, our start was on the late side.
We had to go pick up a freezer to put on the flat bad of the truck. It was for the "just in case" one of us killed an elk.
On day two of our travels the truck started to act a little funny. The first to go out was the speedometer, next was the air conditioner.
We had to ride with the windows partially down causing a wind storm in the back seat. As you can see here Jerry was not too happy about this as he was in the back seat. We were hot up front and he was cool and windblown in the back. At one point he did have a plastic sack over his head, didn't our mom's tell us to never put stuff like that over our faces?
Of course we had to stop in Sydney NE at Cabelas and pick up a few last minute things.
Before the last 1-hr into Dubois, WY we decided to stop in Lander and get something to eat at McDonalds. In the parking lot this pug sat tied to a "no barking" sign.
Why the photo of a motel in Lander, WY you ask? After eating we jumped in the truck and bad noises, smoke and then a pop. A major belt broke. This is where we stayed. Fortunately there was a Ford dealership right up the road.
So here we sat in Lander...
Barry was able to drive the truck into the dealership and they were able to "squeeze us in".
Our lovely room. It was clean and not too expensive so no complaints.
Waiting....
Barry went back to the dealership to wait some more and Jerry and I went back to McDonalds and meet up with the Pug again. His name was Sam. His owner was a semi-retired man who went to McDonald's often to drink coffee and use their WiFi. He told us once Sam was stolen right out of the back of his truck. He was the car pulling away and noticed Sam was gone. He put up reward posters. When he got a call that someone had found his dog and wanted to collect the reward he and his brother, who happened to be a police officer went to the house were the owner recognized the car, it was the one that was driving away when Sam disappeared. They told the people they could just give them the dog back and they wouldn't press charges. No reward had to be paid.
Some crazy sticker R.V. that pulled up at McDonalds.
Finally the truck was repaired (most of the way) that day and we headed to Dubois, WY. We were able to get in our motel there and head out that afternoon for a little hunting.
We checked out bows to make sure they were still shooting well after the ride in the U-Haul trailer. Jerry's was not so he decided to stay back and work on his.
That evening Barry and I hiked up in the woods just a bit where Barry bugled and we got a response right away. A little more hiking and a little more calling we had a bull elk almost come all the way in but he decided to head back up the hill and now show himself. It was exciting...I thought I might get a shot the first 5 hrs we were there.
The next day Jerry dropped us off at the top of a mountain/trail head and he went down below and hunted where we did the evening before.
Barry and I hunted the meadows on the way down the mountain for several miles... which means many hours. It was a lot of fun.
Again we had an encounter with some elk but the set up was not quite right to seal the deal.
Jerry got tired of hiking and decided to set up his tree stand. We found an awesome spot with fresh rubs and a wallow that had been used a lot. We are waiting for him to come out of the woods....
While we waited Jerry was having the time of his life. He shot at a raggedy 2x3 bull elk at 60 yards. The elk ran back up the hill he came from and bugled. Jerry was unsure if he hit him or not so decided he better find his arrow and check... he thought if the bull bugled he probably was not hit but just in case he was going to do the right thing. He put his bow in it's case and lowered it to the ground. He came down the tree and was not out of his tree sand when a cow elk came running over a small hill with a nice 5x5 chasing her. The cow elk went right and the bull elk just stood there and then bugled, he had no idea Jerry was there at the bottom of the tree getting ready to get out of his tree stand. The bull then went left and stood broadside at 25 yards for about 3 minutes. It was frustrating and quite a thrill. I am sure Jerry thought, if I just would not have shot at that young bull.... and if my bow was not in it's case...
Later we found his arrow deep in the dirt and clean... he shot under the young bull.
These guys were EVERYWHERE! Throwing pine cones down and making all kind of noise. They are not very afraid of humans and a couple of times when sitting still they almost would run over the top of me.
Barry and I decided to go back to the top and hike down again but make an entire day of it.
Continental divide trail
We hunted this meadow that morning (where we had elk come in two days earlier) but nothing...
We decided to stop and eat lunch...
Old bear track.
This is what elk to to trees when they are in the rut.
We found a place to sit and rest during the middle of the day when elk are not moving... we read books and ate snacks. I even got stung by a dumb yellow jacket.
Once it started to become late afternoon we headed down to the meadows where we had heard elk before. As we sat and decided exactly which way to go we heard some bugling and decided that was a good way. We set up and had two bulls bugling back and forth on each side of the meadow. Finally we saw a couple of cows and one BIG bull with a bunch of brush in the way. The other bull finally came out and was quite small but at this point I didn't care. He was too far for me to shoot so we waited for something to come into range. We watched, my legs and feet went numb from sitting on them and then the wind changed. The cow elk caught wind of us and off they went crashing through the trees.
We decided to head in the direction of the truck which was still three miles away of thick timber and dead fall. As we did we spooked some elk out of a meadow and decided we really would just head back. As we started down the hill we heard elk back in the meadow we just were in... we jogged back and I got set up. A nice 5x5 was coming right in but I was too far back in the tree and Barry thought I could see him so he kept stopping him with a cow call. I had too many pine limbs in my way. To make a long story short, it just never worked out. A really nice 6x6 came in a few minutes later but was at about 85 yards. Barry did all he could in the calling department but he wasn't having any of it and stayed with his cows.
After they left the meadow we decided to really head back to the truck this time. It was an epic hike going down steep hills, dead fall and through bogs in the dark. Not to mention the thought of a grizzly could be anywhere.
The next morning my hand was swollen from the yellow jacket sting.
Jerry taking a break.
We met up with Rocky O'Neil a friend of ours, and hunting with him for a morning.
We followed a bull for quite a ways but never saw him.
I thought this was a funny sign in town: Watch for Children and Horses.
This evening we decided to hike UP to the meadows on an actual trail that we finally found. Shortly after we started we saw fresh grizzly bear tracks. This did not make us happy.
Barry is looking at a tree the grizzly uses as a scratching post on a regular basis.
See the bear hair?
That is how high up there was hair - Barry is 6'2"
We stopped by the Triangle C to look around. The Garnick family who owned the Heart 6 where we met now owns the Triangle C Ranch.
I want one of those on my wall that I shot with my bow.
This is a view from their porch on the lodge.
Once someone asked me since I was from Utah if I saw antelope all over the place. I explained that they did not live everywhere out west. Now if I lived here in Dubois I would have to say, "Yes, they come right up to my house."
Our last morning we heard one bugle far, far away so we decided to call it a trip.
The fall colors really hit peak just before we left.
Last minute photos before we headed back to good old Arkansas.
So was it a good time? Depends on who you ask. Barry and Jerry had a blast, I on the other had, had a great time and was not happy all at the same time. I practiced my bow, I watched DVD's, I mentally envisioned staying calm...etc and then I came home elkless. Would I do it again... heck yes!
So the elk won this time. We shall see how they do next year.
