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To: Maury Jones Subject: Hunt |
Maury,
I have been so busy back at work that I have failed to send you a note thanking you both for the hunt and the use of your rifle. I dried the outside of the rifle and wiped it with a silicon cloth but I did not have a brush or jag small enough to clean the bore. I do wish that I had the opportunity to use it.
I appreciated Grant’s efforts. I feel like he worked harder and was far more frustrated with the weather than I was. Even though I did not get anything close to a shot, I am still in awe of Wyoming’s fantastic scenery and it entertaining wildlife. This was a hunt that proves that it is not necessary to kill anything to have an enjoyable and successful hunt. Also, when you have the time, would you please send me mailing addresses for Grant and Brendon?
I’m not sure if John left any notes on our hunts but I know that I did not. So, here a condensation of the notes that I took:
Arrive at camp
Between the rain and the snow melt, the camp has mud about a foot deep every place. The poor horses are knee deep in the soupiest and stickiest goop that I have ever seen. My partner is from Hawaii and this is his very first hunt of any kind. There is a nice six-point rack at the camp and a group bags a four-point and a five-point in the afternoon. Things are looking interesting and very promising.
Day 1
First thing, we saw a nice bull right in the middle of the trail. However, he saw us first and he, along with a couple of cows are a long way off and headed out of the country. Still, it looks like this elk hunting may be a pretty easy thing. Around noon or so we spotted a small herd of cows and calves bedding and grazing around a small pond. They are well within rifle range and not too concerned about anything. Of course, no bull is around. Late in the afternoon, we spotted some cows and calves along with a small bull on a distant ridge. Its too late in the to consider stalking them but at least the second day is looking promising. When we returned to camp we found that we were the only group to see elk on the first day.
The day started out cold and there was knee-deep snow higher on the mountain but the day turned almost balmy. I wore almost everything that I had and by day’s end I was very hot in all of my clothes and resolved to wear less the next day. One other problem that I had was getting on the horse. I probably would not be very good at it anyway but after I had three or four layers topped with insulated coveralls, a parka, and packs I can hardly get on the horse without finding a rock, log, or bank. I did not catch Grant laughing at me but I am sure that I was hilarious to anyone who knew what they were doing. On the other hand, it is impressive where the horse can go with me hanging on. The trails are steep, narrow, snowy, and muddy. I would have doubted riding on them in the best of conditions but the horses continue to plod steadily along.
Day 2
Rain and sleet on the tents woke us before the wrangler on the second day. After breakfast it mixed with snow and was all snow soon after we started up the mountain. Jonesy was going with us so we would be able to hunt separately. After seeing all of the elk day 1, both my hopes and my confidence were very high. However, neither the elk nor the weather saw it that way. We had snow on and off all day with a blizzard in the afternoon. Jonesy and I sat it out in a spruce thicket but Grant and John were caught out in the open high on the mountain. Neither of us saw any elk on that day but the other groups did and, if fact, one of them killed a small bull. So, our hopes were still high.
Day 1 was so warm that I decided to dress down on day 2. This turned out to be a big mistake. By mid-afternoon, I was wet and cold to the bone but determined to tough out the rest of the day. Also, the horse back riding has stopped being fun.
Day 3
This day was cold and snowy. We went to a different spot and spent most of the day in timber on horseback or walking downhill through the timber hoping to spook something to each other or catch a bull resting. The snow changed back and forth from light to heavy and it was windy at times. We did not see a single animal all day.
I did manage to do one of the dumbest things that I have ever done and it can serve as a warning to any elk hunter or, in fact, to any hunter. As I was descending a steep slope I slipped on a stick beneath the snow and fell right on my rifle banging the scope and leaving a substantial dent in the butt stock. The barrel stay pretty well off of the ground and I just looked at the end of it to be sure there was no snow on it. I choose a little puddle with a high bank behind it for a target and fired. The bullet splashed into the puddle and I went on walking down an old logging road. A couple of hours later I happened to notice that the end of my barrel did not look “right.” On closer examination, I found that the right side of the muzzle was slightly swollen and the left side was split for about two inches! Fortunately, Jonesy let me borrow a rifle to continue my hunt but I should have protected the end of the barrel better when I jammed it into a scabbard several times a day.
One other thing about this day is that the horseback riding is really getting old. The “saddle sore” for the butt and thighs is just minor but I had no idea how much the downhill riding would cause my knees to hurt. Elk hunting is not looking so easy anymore.
Day 4
Brian decided to go with us on this day and back up a higher and open mountain than the day before. We manage to spook some cows and a couple of calves right off. They just amble up the mountain well within rifle range but no matter how hard we look none of them sprout any horns and we do not spot any bulls.
Higher on the mountain and in deeper snow, we split up. John and Brian hunting a timbered ridge while Grant and I hike on up the mountain. The snow was nearly waist deep in spots with more coming down along with a steady and cold wind. We found a good spot out of the wind to glass the adjacent ridge and canyons. There were a couple of deer feeding to break the monotony but no elk. We ate our lunch beside a campfire which Grant built to break the chill. More glassing after lunch but still no elk. We rejoined John and Brian at the horses and decided to go out at different times. I told Grant that if it was all the same, I would prefer to walk instead of ride particularly on the steeper slopes. The hunting separately seemed like a good plan but still no elk.
Day 5
When we got up the last day we could see the snow piled under the door to the tent before we event got out of bed. If nothing else, maybe we could track elk.
We left on a trail out of camp instead of using the trailer. There were some deer almost in the corral but I suspect they knew how safe they were. Once again we rode to the top of a ridge and glassed the countryside without spotting hide or hair of an elk. Considering the weather, we decided that John and I would hunt separately down the mountain while Grant took the horses back to camp and came around in the truck to meet us on the road. I did not go very far down the ridge before I came onto some fresh tracks. I followed them along a sidling meadow (very tough walking) before descending to a small pond and then up a heavily timbered ridge. The ridge is covered with downed timber that is apparently no hindrance to the elk but rough on me. After snaking through this only a short difference I found a spot where they had bedded and apparently, I scared them up. Of course, the tracks led me straight up the ridge. The timber stopped at the top of the ridge and a meadow covered the side of the mountain. I followed the tracks up the mountain and through the snow just about as far as my legs would take me. I ate lunch on a comfortable rock and studied the countryside but never caught sight of the animals that left these tracks. However, my hopes were back up and my confidence was back up. I left these animals and headed back down the mountain almost certain that I would get a shot at a bull before I reached the bottom. Of course, it never happened. We arrived back at camp about mid-afternoon and everyone was trying to get things torn down so they could get out of there the next day. After considering everything we decided to hell with it. The weather and the elk had won this round BUT that means there will only be a few more next year and they will be bigger.
Final thoughts
I suppose that Jack O’Connor really caused me to want to hunt elk when I was just a boy. It is something that he planted in my mind and really, until the last few years, I thought that I may never have the opportunity to pursue the beasts. Since coming home, almost everyone assumes that I am terribly disappointed. However, they are all wrong. Even with no elk, this was an extremely successful and satisfying hunt for me. In fact, one of the things that I wrestled with before the hunt was if I would really pull the trigger if the opportunity presented itself. Although, I would have liked the opportunity to see if elk back strap is as good as deer.
A few days ago a received a flyer from an outfit in Missouri that has some “discounted” trophy elk hunts available. For less than I spent in Wyoming, they guarantee me a bull. In fact, no bull, no pay. It really surprises me that people are willing to do this. Hell, I could shoot a cow or a horse and call it an elk, I suppose.
Just give a few years to save up the money and I will try it again. I figure the odds should be on my side the next time. And, I resolve to walk more, ride a horse more, and take better care of my gun.
Thanks for a great hunt.
Sincerely,
Carl Absher