Just got off the mountain, had to come home early for a swim meet for the kids. We went to the mountain on the first of october and we had elk around and one bugling close but he would not come over the hill to show us what he was. The first elk we got on the ground we came back up to the mountain on Wednesday afternoon after work and got things thrown in the camper jumped in the side by side and headed up the mountain to see where all the pressure and snow was at. While heading in seen a cow standing up on a ridge so it was looking good the elk were up and moving. Drove to a glossing spot and was looking around and my dad said hey there are elk over there. Got the spotting scope over there and could not find them. So looked through my binos and seen I was way overlooking them. Found a cow and said if there is a bull we better get closer and walk in and see. Drove down closer and stopped and looked over and seen elk, so slide everyone out the drivers side and snuck over to the edge and started glossing. Seen a couple cows and calves. Seen something down a little lower and thought well maybe it is grass that I am staring at through the trees and then it moved and out stepped the bull, got the wife on the sticks and said he is 450 and aim here since the turret we ordered for the scope leupold sent the wrong one and have not been able to correct that yet. She leveled the gun and shot and we could not yell if it hit or not but the bull did not move far but trying to see his rack in the trees was being tricky. He moved again and I could tell that it was the bull and the wife shot again and you could hear the hit. He stepped over and I watched his hind in fall down. Then we drove over to the access to head in to drag him out. Found him just before dark. Took a few pictures and then quartered him up and started dragging. Got back to camp around 11 pm and decided to sleep in the next morning since I had been up since around 340 am and dad and the wife had not slept much the night before. Was a good afternoon hunt while we were just making plans for where we wanted to start the next morning.
The next day we drove around mid day looking around and ran into some elk but could not tell what one was as we had it standing broad side at 101 yards and could not see it head. The kids showed up later that afternoon and we jumped in the SxS and headed up the mountain. Looked around and did not see much so went down the road where we had shot off of the night before and driving down the wife said hold up a minute and I looked through the window that I had just cut and made and seen elk moving. Jumped out and cows and a calf running up so since youth can shoot any elk got the girls on the guns. Oldest daughter is asking the younger sister which one she is going for and youngest is just focused. I told her not to worry and pick one. Youngest shoots and whap seen the blood running down good hit. The oldest starts shooting and I hear another hit as I am trying to get the youngest back on hers as it falls down. I watch another one go down it looks like as well. We go and park and head in to find the downed elk. Find the first one and head up higher to see where the other one went down and nothing. Come to find out both girls shot the same elk. But since the youngest drew first blood and was a perfect hit I gave it to her, oldest was mad for a bit but got over it later. Quartered up and drug down the horse trail.
This was the first 2 night we were on the mountain.
Hunted a few more days in elk every day just nothing for good shots or close enough. Daughter had to head back Sunday night and we hunted more. Had several times could fill the youth tag but non around. Had several close encounters with bugling bulls but they would gather the cows and head away from us. But Thursday headed in early but was not able to hit the area I wanted bull bugle and we were not able to find him. Hit a spot the wife did not want to go any further as it was down hill and she did not want to climb back up it as we already did a bunch of climbing in the morning to get here. Circled down and around seeing what the elk were doing while the wife sat for a bit. As dad and I circled all the sudden seen elk moving. Spike was seen but the part of the season for spikes excluded had started. Then seen branched bull. Got settled and seen opening and boom could not tell if hit or not but seen elk moving around no other bulls seen. The one still standing there then moved so we could not see him. Snuck over to see if it was a hit and stepped around a tree and there he was laying there. Seen him breathing so hit him behind the ear. Dad's bull down.
Dad had to head out to get girlfriend to airport and take care of house for a minute so he headed out and the wife and I headed back in to quarter and drag out. 5 hours later hit the old road and then back to camp. Got pictures later that night with dad and his bull.
Driving around the next day seen a old buddy and his kid and his kid kept missing with his 257 so set him up with the 6.5x284 and set the turret and he shot and missed a few times but the buck came in closer and he hit him and we got him knocked down.
The daughter came back up Thursday night and we hunted hard for her elk. Friday night we drove to a spot and I walked down to see where the elk had moved through in the morning when we drove into them. I thought I heard a cow call so got my calls out and called heard one talk back and called again. Thinking I better head and get the daughter and gun. And out stepped a calf. Ran back grabbed kid and her gun. Walked back down got her set up and she started walking back in and I stopped her with a cow call and the daughter shot and heard the hit. Jumped her up once and could not see another shot opportunity, searched around and followed minimal blood spots and as I circled around and searched about and hour after I walked around and looked towards where I just walked see and elk butt. Look and it is still heads up amd laying there. It jumped and took off. Found some clotted blood and nothing after that. She hit her in the hump. While driving towards camp seen a pick up in the road and while getting around them my dad says he is flagging you down. Stopped and asked if they needed anything and he said no just waving but since you stopped have a bull down and if we wanted to help pack out. Well I k kw the area and we drove down hooked up and drug back so we could get pickup close and close to quarter him up and not worry about the bear getting on there or us.
Went and looked around a bit the next morning in another area and nothing much. Headed back to were the daughter hit the one to see if we could see anything of a dead elk and nothing she is doing good. Headed out to look at some other places we have seen elk and stopped at one I really wanted to check out started heading down and seen so.e movement and elk walking across. Ran back got daughter and guns amd went to see what was all there. Seen the one I seen to begin with and tried to set the daughter up but still not out if the trees enough. Snuck up and set her up and seen more on the other side so looked more cows and calves so nothing for me to shoot at. Daughter gets set, set turret and she shoots and hit. She runs a bit and falls down. Drive and grab her and get pictures and quarter her up and head to camp.
The 15th our last day is when my dad's additional tag opened so drove over to that side of the highway and looked around. Nothing but some deer and moose. The boss was with and wanted to fill his deer tag and we did not find any bucks just does and fawns. They were looking good this year. More to come for the last week on the mountain to come later.
