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ElkStalker

40 Cal
Joined
Nov 22, 2021
Messages
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I went out for an evening hunt tonight. It was about 3:00 when I left my vehicle at the gate. I had about a 1.5 mile walk to where I’ve been seeing a lot of elk and deer sign. Walking down the old logging road which was covered in about 3” of crunchy snow, there were Wolf tracks everywhere. I was feeling a bit deflated as what I’ve seen in the past is, when a pack moves in like this, they pretty much run every living thing out of the area. But I pressed on. I had given up on trying to be quiet. The snow was just too crunchy, so my focus was on getting into my spot. I knew that if I got there and hiked up the mountain, the sun had melted the snow enough that the grass would allow me to sneak up there in silence. About a 1 1/4 miles in, the logging road makes a sharp dogleg with a small pine on the inside edge (1st photo). This tree was blocking my view from anything around the corner. I took one more step to peer around the tree and was face to face to a bull elk, who also saw me at the same time. Mind you, I wasn’t trying to be stealth at this point, but it sure wouldn’t have hurt, darn it. As I was raising my rifle, he was whirling around, and by the time I had the hammer back, he was out of sight. He ran straight down the hillside in the thick, overgrown timber. Sounded like he curled up in a ball and rolled down the mountain. . I sat and waited for any sound of his footsteps and didn’t hear anything. Tried to find a way to get down the mountain after him, but it was way to wet for how steep it was. I went back and paced off the distance from where he was to where I was when we spotted each other. 20 paces. Closest I’ve ever been to a bull elk with a muzzleloader in my hand. That was exciting and a great reminder of why I go out there in first place. That encounter made the last 5 days of hiking worth it. It was also a good lesson as the reason this didn’t work out was that I was ultra focused on getting to the “perfect” spot and not expecting what I should always be expecting- Elk, right around the corner.
I got up to my spot and sat for about an hour. I saw a good flock of wild turkeys, elk and deer sign, an old wooden cross and one heck of a view. I walked out in the twilight and almost got back to the gate before dark.
 

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Ouch, I hate when that happens. I had it happen a few years ago, hunted all day leaving long before dawn and I was beat and hungry and it was getting dusky. I was insight of camp, so I put my head down and powered through the last little climb and not 20 yards from camp a HERD of elk exploded around me.

I would have been better off sitting in camp all day.
 
Beautiful pics. Looks like a nice area to hunt. The cross is interesting, any idea why it’s way out there?
This is timber lands that are way up behind a friends private land. I was surprised to see it. I talked to him the other day and mentioned the cross. Turns out, he put it up there and placed a solar light on it. It’s an old cross from the church that he obtained years ago. It really is a beautiful place to hunt and just sit and enjoy the scenery.
 
looks like you were in my back yard there Elkstalker! the wolves have thinned the herd this year. had tracks by the shop thursday . guess i need to get another dog.
I’m a bit south of ya, based on a post from you that I saw last night. I’d love to get up your way one of these days.
I think that this year, after elk and deer season close, I’m going to get out and try to hunt these wolves.
 
i always have a tag or two just for those coincidental sightings.
everybody is a bit south of me it seems!:D
I have a tag, but never see them when I’m hunting. Go figure! One of these days I’ll figure out what I’m doing. I’d really like to get in to a trappers course and get serious about trapping them. Would be a lot of fun, another excuse to be in the woods, and might earn a little money in the process. I think I’m pretty close to ya. I’m in the silver valley, east of Couer D’Alene.
 
A really good read. The same has happened to me so often I now try to remember the Following: Hunt all the way to the stand/blind/spot you hunt from.

I've been there...it kinda hurts.
Thank you! Yep, it’s was a good reminder/lesson to put in the tool box.
 
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