lostinOregon
Very Active Member
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- 2,186
I’m a mule deer hunter at heart, but chase other critters when there is time in the fall. I was like a bunch of you. I started the points game in WY from the beginning for deer, elk and antelope. I had my eyes on a few areas and called my friend ICMDEER here on MM. Jim owns triple creek hunts. Jim confirmed my thoughts and i applied for the tag. I had several other tags for the year and Jim had clients so I waited to go hunting until the season had been under way for awhile. I went out for two days by myself and found about 10 bulls a day, but not the bull that I was looking for. The bulls were bunched up and on the winter range. Some were solo and some were in groups, but it was all bulls and no cows. It was quite a sight to see so many bulls. Jim had a couple free days and came to help out. His knowledge of the area put my hunt over the top. My first day with Jim we spotted 69 bulls. Nothing that we thought was worth a second look, but it was sure fun looking at each and every bull. On the next day we spotted several more single bulls and a group of 6 that had a shooter in the bunch. We took off up the mountain to try to catch them. After a few hours we spotted one of the smaller bulls bedded at about 75 yards. The wind started swirling and with no direct route to the elk, they must have winded us and we never saw them again. It’s amazing how such large animals can just disappear.
On the way down the mountain I spotted a bull across the valley on another mountain. A quick look showed 5 bulls in total, one was a shooter. They were up and moving, but headed in the right direction for us to keep the wind right. So down the mountain and up the other side we went. Jim was waiting for me at the top. The guy is a mountain goat and the elevation was kicking my butt. Once on the top we started slowly picking our way across the top of the ridge. We hadn’t gone about 1/4 mile when Jim spotted a bedded elk. We crawled to a rock outcropping and Jim told me where the shooter was laying. The elk were laying in a bowl on top of the mountain right in the wind. A 277 yard shot and my hunt was over.
We took photos and quartered the bull and Jim took the cape/horns and we headed down the mountain. Jim had previous commitments and had to leave that evening. I spent the next two days getting the rest of the bull off the mountain by myself. Packing the bull out by myself kicked my butt, but it made the hunt last a little longer with a lot of alone time reflecting. As I was packing the bull out I thought that this might be my first and last elk hunt in WY with the current point structure. It was sure worth the wait and I have all of it etched in my memory bank forever. That’s worth more to me than I can clearly communicate in a post.
I have met some of the greatest people in the world on this website and have several life long friends because of it. I’m sure they know who they are. If you ever need a WY outfitter for elk, Jim should be your guy. Good luck in the draws
Rich
On the way down the mountain I spotted a bull across the valley on another mountain. A quick look showed 5 bulls in total, one was a shooter. They were up and moving, but headed in the right direction for us to keep the wind right. So down the mountain and up the other side we went. Jim was waiting for me at the top. The guy is a mountain goat and the elevation was kicking my butt. Once on the top we started slowly picking our way across the top of the ridge. We hadn’t gone about 1/4 mile when Jim spotted a bedded elk. We crawled to a rock outcropping and Jim told me where the shooter was laying. The elk were laying in a bowl on top of the mountain right in the wind. A 277 yard shot and my hunt was over.
We took photos and quartered the bull and Jim took the cape/horns and we headed down the mountain. Jim had previous commitments and had to leave that evening. I spent the next two days getting the rest of the bull off the mountain by myself. Packing the bull out by myself kicked my butt, but it made the hunt last a little longer with a lot of alone time reflecting. As I was packing the bull out I thought that this might be my first and last elk hunt in WY with the current point structure. It was sure worth the wait and I have all of it etched in my memory bank forever. That’s worth more to me than I can clearly communicate in a post.
I have met some of the greatest people in the world on this website and have several life long friends because of it. I’m sure they know who they are. If you ever need a WY outfitter for elk, Jim should be your guy. Good luck in the draws
Rich
Typically LostinOregon move there. Rich, you are a class act!!!
