Some 2012 Montana Elk Hunt Pics

After spending the last several years competing with the canines in Idaho, my elk hunting partner, Craig, and I decided to give Montana a go.  After a fair bit of research, we settled on a spot.  This year was also going to be a bit different as my cousin Pete was making the trek out from Wisconsin to hunt with us.

Two scouting trips, multiple calls to the bio, rec tech, forest service employees and others, we felt confident heading in.  But after two hard days of hunting the only bugle we heard was just behind our tent - at midnight.  

We collectively decided to move to "Plan B."  

Almost immediately into Plan B we were into elk, spotting them high on the open hillsides, and talking with them in the timber.  For several more days we worked the area drainage's and brought bulls in close each day.  I found myself at full draw on a mature 6, but didn't have a clear enough path to release my arrow and eventually let down, buggering the bull.  

Pete got the opportunity to draw three times on a young 5, but his peep wouldn't center and he too decided to hold off.  Good thing - we discovered he had a major issue with his string that needed repair and re-sighting.

In the end we left Montana with its' elk, but brought home many new memories.  The vistas were at times nothing short of stunning.  The pictures just don't do it justice. 
 
In five and a half days of hunting we laid down 74 miles of boot tracks.  I know there are a lot of guys that won't blink at that, but it plum wore me out!  And I can't wait to do it all over again...

Here are some pics from the trip:

Headed in

The lake near camp.   Drove Pete nuts that we didn't get a chance to fish the plentiful trout it held.

Craig and I went in early to set camp and made the five mile hike back in with Pete once he arrived.   A short break to relax with a coffee (have to say I love the Starbuck's Via's for this!) and we were off.

The view was worth the hump to the top.

But we needed a break on the way down..

Making our plans for the last few hours of light.

No elk heard or seen, but we counted the day as a success nonetheless.  Dinner time.

What?  I didn't shave all that pack weight for nothing.. ; )

The vistas are always enjoyable in elk country, but sometimes the little things up close have some unique interest of their own.

The smoke in the sky made for dull daytime skies, but really amplified the sunrises and sunsets.

After another quiet morning hunt we loaded up and headed back out to the trucks to strike out for Plan B.

A thunderstorm was rolling through Plan B, bringing some much needed rain to the area.

Pete's interpretation: "Do Not Enter"

Low point - only 2,000 vertical feet to go.

Storm break.

A ridge with a view.

My folks drag this silly thing around with them on their travels and work it into photos here and there.  Figured little "Sapphire" needed to visit Montana, so I kidnapped it.   You can imagine the grief I got from Craig and Pete as I packed it up..

I'd be lying if said I wasn't disappointed not punching my tag on an elusive Montana bull, but despite the lack of the traditional "trophy shot," it was still a trophy hunt!

Here are a few more random shots.  Hope you've enjoyed!

 

 

Cheers,

-c2

2011 Blacktail Season - A Brief Photo Journal

2011 Blacktail season is now over for another year – at least for those of us with a general season rifle tag.  I wound up spending a number of days in “my” Blacktail woods this year, starting in early September hunting archery for Roosevelt Elk.  During that time I managed to hang a half-dozen trail cameras in hopes getting an image of a big buck somewhere in the neighborhood.  In the end we only captured images of a few small and medium bucks, a number of does and cows, and a few other random critters including a mouse, rabbit, weasel, skunk, bears, bobcats and other hunters.

Early in the season we spent a few weekends out in the tents and endured a few heavy rain showers before setting up our little tent trailer for the last week.  As an added bonus, we were able to set up a small 3gal keg of our homebrew in camp.  Sure beats hiding under the tent vestibule on a wet November night!

Deer sightings were slow the first few days, but there was plenty of other wildlife to enjoy, though was only able to catch a few on camera.

I set up and rattled one evening, but didn’t spend as much time as I should have waiting afterward.  Moving forward I wound up busting a buck out of some thick brush.  He bounded off around a draw that had been thinned a few years earlier and stopped to look back at what had just spooked him.  With time to take a knee before the shot, he fell in his tracks.

He’s no giant, but after several years without filling a tag, I was happy with him.  These are the best pics I could muster with a point-and-shoot and tiny tripod on a coastal hillside..

I made it about half way through quartering him before I needed to head out and pick up Pop.  We returned with Bro, finished the job and packed him out, arriving back in camp around 10:00pm.  The next day I returned to the carcass to hang a trail cam and found it already covered with debris.  Some other critter had now claimed this kill as their own!  The trail cam videos soon revealed it was bobcat.  The video of the cats (there was a tom, queen and a kitten) was interesting to watch as they went about their business without regard for the camera.  This is what the carcass looked like the next day. Note the hillside scrapped bare to cover the cache.  

The next several days were spent exploring some new areas, revisiting some old ones and just generally enjoying my time in the woods. 

When good loggers go bad?

We heard while we were down that the first confirmed report of wolves West of the Cascades had come in.  Can’t say I’m looking forward to the day when this shot shows a paw print the same size as my hand..

One of the more engineered fire pits I've run across.  It even had a hearth!

The intensity with which some of these slash piles burn is amazing.

The sunsets through the low clouds were lovely as always. Wish I could have done them justice though.

I was in camp enjoying lunch with Pop after a long morning exploring an area I had been trying to get to for a few years, when the radio crackled.  It was Bro down in his favorite honey hole looking for some strong backs and extra packs!  Pop and I were loaded and on our way in minutes.  I haven’t stopped to bother to consider all the reasons why yet, but packing meat has turned into one of my favorite parts of the hunt, and I got to do it again!  
When we reached Bro he looked at us with a knowing nod of his head and flatly stated, “It’s a management buck. Couldn’t have him polluting the gene pool down here.”  It was meant as a joke (I think..), but he is an odd looking fella.  We took to calling him Goofy.  Afraid I don’t have a proper field shot, so this will have to suffice.

Bro already had him bagged and ready, so all we had to do was lift and go.  With three of us it was pretty easy hike, despite the steep vertical climb.

In the end we celebrated another enjoyable week of Blacktail hunting with a dark IPA we had brewed and titled, “Cascadia Blacktail Ale.”  Seemed a fitting prost to a noble quarry and good times with a couple of guys whose company I enjoy most.

  

Cheers, 
-c2

More Whitetail!

After my first ever Whitetail hunt in Idaho, I returned to Stumptown and set to work butchering the deer with Bro.  We made short work of him and were soon feasting on fresh backstrap.

Craig still had season left on his Washington tag and shifted his attention to his home state stands.  The warming trend had continued, but it was still a chilly sit in the stand.

Craig had been keeping me posted on how things were going via text from his stand.  In most of the woods we hunt cell phone coverage is spotty at best, and generally it isn't available at all.  All things being equal, we prefer to drop off the grid entirely and focus on the nature around us.  I have to admit though, having reception in the Idaho stands did help pass the time on occasion.

The other benefit of cell coverage is the opportunity to participate vicariously in your buddy's hunt.  I had just returned from picking up some new trail cams from the local outdoor store when my phone buzzed.

"Buck down!" read the text.  

Craig and I traded texts for another 30min or so while he waited to track the animal.  The phone went quiet for a while, and then this pic came through.

Talk about laying out the red carpet!  It was the kind of blood trail that archery hunters dream about.  Garmin couldn't have provided better directions to this Washington Whitetail's final resting place!

By now I was up and pacing, staring at my phone waiting for the next text message alert.  Lucky for me and the carpet under my feet, I didn't need to wait long.

bzzz...

Woohoo!!  I opened a beer and poured it into two glasses - one for me, and one for Craig.  Craig got to work taking care the animal, and I got to work celebrating for him.  I suppose that's another benefit of hunting vicariously through text messages...  ; )

Cheers,
-c2