My 2006 Idaho Elk Hunt....long story

[Kentuck]

Well, Monday Oct. 30th had arrived after much preparation and anticipation. It was with some nervousness that I loaded my hunting equipment into my friend Tim’s truck and started the drive to Boise, Idaho for our Elk hunt. Nervous I guess because I had never done an out-of-state elk hunt and I was nervous about camping in the cold weather. I would learn later that with the proper equipment you won’t be cold.
We arrived in Boise on Tuesday the day before opener and met another friend, Paul at his friend Larry’s house. It was about 4 pm so it was too late to go set up camp. We decided to stat at Larry’s and leave a little earlier the next morning for the hunt area and setup camp the next evening. We ended up going to Cabela’s to pick up a couple of things.
After that we broke out the maps to discuss where to hunt. Paul and Larry had been deer hunting the past 5 days in the Atlanta area and had not seen any elk and only about 10 deer. Paul was bummed as he had expected to be passing up small bucks to get a bigger one. Since they had not seen any elk in the areas they hunted we chose to start in an area Larry’s friend suggested and one that a guy on a western hunting website had also told me about. I was excited that two independent people had told us about the same area. We ended up with a Plan A and an Plan B.
Wed. Nov. 1 came early after the usual night-before-opener lack of sleep. We drove to the trailhead we had picked only to find about a dozen or so horse trailers parked and a couple of camps there. We figured the horse guys were way in so we started hiking. Climbing would be more like it. We hiked three hours and only went one and a quarter miles. It was some steep and rugged country. We had heard very few shots during the hike and they were far away. We reached the top and spread out. Other than a few deer, some chukar and grouse we didn’t see any elk. We left early so we could setup camp before dark. I thought the hike in was tough but it didn’t compare with the hike out. I was killed by the time we reached the bottom. We went to a nearby campground and setup camp. We then decided there was no way would hike in and out of the area we hunted that day any more. We decided to go to the top and see what was there.
Thursday started early again and after some oatmeal for breakfast and packing some lunches we headed up the mountain. We get on top and it’s 11 degrees with pockets of snow all over. We park, decide where we are each going and take off. I take the middle route that would lead me down the canyon, Paul went to the right side and Tim to the left. I didn’t go too far from the truck and cut some very fresh elk tracks. There appeared to be 4-5 animals and they were heading down the canyon. Cool, fresh sign and I know there are going to be elk in this canyon. I hiked on down looking for a good place to sit and watch. After realizing I would be in the very bottom of the canyon I decided to go ahead and track a set of really fresh elk tracks instead of just hiking down to find a spot to sit. I follow these tracks up the right side of the canyon. I found where the elk had taken a leak and from the looks of the yellow snow in relation the to tracks it was apparent it was a bull. I’m tracking along and I hear a whistle. It’s Paul. He said he had been there about an hour and swears he had heard a cow call down in the draw. I told him I didn’t want to cut in front of him and of the elk I had been tracking. He said he was going to sit there and I told him I would go higher up the mountain and then down to a spot where I could sit and watch. We parted and I hiked uphill and then cut across the hill. I went through some brush at the head of a draw and came up on a huge rock on the hill. It looked like a coyote had been using the rock as a hideout and that was cool. I then walked around the rock and into the head of what looked like about 10 foot wide open lane down the mountain for about 70 yards. To my shock there was an elk bedded quartering away from me and looking back over it’s back at me. About the time I realized it was an elk I saw antlers. BULL! In this unit it is bull elk with antlers longer than six inches to be legal. This bull was obviously legal so I throw my gun and start to look for a spot to shoot at. I realize I should get a rest and step back to the boulder I was next to. Well, that didn’t work because a bush in front of the rock kept me from seeing the elk. I step back to the side and the elk is still just looking at me over it’s back. I put the gun back up and flip the safety off. I pick a spot right at the base of it’s neck and pull the trigger. SNAP! Dang, a miss-fire. I knew I loaded a round earlier so open the bolt and there is a round there. I almost closed the bolt but decided, smartly, to eject that round and load a fresh one. I look down and the elk was still just looking at me. I place the crosshair on the base of the neck and shoot. I may have rushed it a little but the miss-fire had me rattled. I ended up missing that shot. The bull jumped and started running straight away from me. I find the back of the neck and shoot again. Dang! Another miss. I load another round and the bull went about two more bounds and stepped broadside down the hill and looked back up at me. I put the scope on it but there is a small pine covering the chest, parts of the neck and head from my view. I can only see the rump and it’s face clearly. I know this is the last opportunity I will have so I find a brown spot in a opening in the pine where the neck is and shoot. I think I see the elk drop at the shot but that is as far as I can see down the hill. I’m out of ammo so I start to reload. As I’m reloading I hear three shots ring out down the canyon. I think I missed and now someone else is shooting at the elk as it escapes. I work my way down to the elk bed. I see Paul across the hill and lifted his hands up asking what’s up. I jester back that I’m not sure if I hit it. I get to the bed and don’t see any hair or blood. I start down the trail it started running down and don’t see any blood there. I get to where I thought it was when I shot and don’t see anything. No disturbed dirt, hair or blood. I’m standing there thinking I had missed the bull when I notice some bushes down the slope moving. I start thinking what the heck was moving those bushes when I then see an elk leg kick up in the air. Hot dang, I did hit it! I circle around and see the bull is on his back with it’s head virtually under it. One antler is under it’s shoulder the other across the brisket. It slowly moves a leg so I put a round through it’s chest and finish it. I stand there in disbelief that I have actually accomplished a dream and have a bull down. Paul gets there and congratulates me and I have to sit down. I just said, “Oh my God.â€

[krpierce]

Congrats Ken. Getting an elk is a lot tougher than people think. Out of state hunts are the only way to go. My crew and I look forward to going to Colorado every year. Its a hunt/vacation for us. We didnt get any elk this year but we all killed good bucks and we also got three antelope. Elk is also great eating, so you should be set for the year...till next year

[krpierce]

Congrats Ken. Getting an elk is a lot tougher than people think. Out of state hunts are the only way to go. My crew and I look forward to going to Colorado every year. Its a hunt/vacation for us. We didnt get any elk this year but we all killed good bucks and we also got three antelope. Elk is also great eating, so you should be set for the year...till next year

[Dukslayer26]

Nice first elk. Went on my first elk hunt in Colorado in Sept duing the muzzleloader season. My buddy bugled in a 5x5 to 60 yards and I somehow missed. I was shaking like mad when that bull started bugling. Unfortunaltey that was the only shot I had during the trip. Maybe next year. Nothing is more hair raising than an 800 pound plus animal coming to a call bugleing and going crazy.
What a rush!!!