The day elk season opened, I felt like kid on Christmas (as cliche as that is). I was counting down the days, literally. In my excitement of getting out for opening day. I had spent week studying my maps and increasing my knowledge on elk through the Elk 101 Podcast.
My first day out started out rushed when I got out to the trailhead and realized I had forgotten my orange vest. While hunter orange is not required in Idaho, it is a choice I have made. I looked in my back seat to find this Halloween orange shirt and figured it would do the trick.
I hiked in a few miles to my game cam to pick it up for the season. It was pouring rain. Pouring. I found a few fresh signs but no elk. Nothing. I knew I needed a new plan. The pressure in the area had pushed the elk.
So I took what I knew which honestly, is not much and started studying. I studied my onX maps. I looked at drainages and low access areas and picked a new spot. Seeing as this was my view walking in. I was in love. It was a cold day.
I headed up a ridge and this was the first sign I saw which was followed by some elk tracks. I only had about an hour left of daylight.
This was my glassing spot. These views. They never get old to me. A few does jumped out of the trees as I glassed and listened. And then. My first cow call. I had never heard one in person. I never saw her through the trees and I ran out of light. I did spot this group though.
A nice looking buck. I was a little disappointed deer season ended two days prior. If you zoom in I think you can see him sticking his tongue out at me.
A few days later I headed in for a Friday night hunt with my youngest son. We hiked in went to a few spots and nothing. I was feeling defeated as we made our way through some thick brush. Then I heard it, a cow call. And it was close. So we moved in closer and could hear it moving through the brush. Then it went silent.
Then Kaden said, ”Mom, I think that’s a bull elk.” Sure enough while I looked one way for the cow he was glassing this hill. He then said, “There’s two bulls, Mom.” I pulled out my spotting scope and in amazement, saw his two plus one. Then he saw a fourth one come over the ridge, then a fifth. As I went to move in closer I saw a sixth.
We didn’t want to leave. It was his first encounter with an elk. We watched and heard cows calling in the distance. As we started to hike out we saw two of them sparring. If you listen close you can hear their antlers hitting each other and a cow call in the background.
I went out first thing the next morning and decided to hike in the ridge the bulls were on. I was pretty sure the cows were on the other side. Since my archery tag was not filled, it moved to a cow tag for rifle season. The cows were my focus. Once I reached the top, I spotted these two bulls feeding.
I moved in and they were gone by the time I got over there so I started glassing from the top of the ridge and found six bulls across the canyon feeding and bedded down. Before dark my sister came out and I saw a herd of deer with a gorgeous buck come over the ridge and another ridge with about six more elk, three of which were bulls.
I couldn’t get back out for a few days and it was only for an evening hunt. I had yet to see a cow. Then it happened. I spotted about six on a ridge a few over from me. Then over that ridge came twenty more. And more. And more. A heard of over fifty moved across the ridge. It was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. I tried to hike over as fast as I could but I couldn’t reach them in time. I sat and glassed and waited and found these two groups of bulls and cows too far to reach before dark.
I knew my last weekend of hunting was coming. I took the day and went out with a group. Just when we reached the top of the ridge one of the guys spotted this group. All bulls. Then we spotted another group. All bulls.
Such gorgeous animals. So we kept moving and went through some rough brush. I saw fresh sign. Rubs and droppings. As we came out we spooked two more bulls.
We got across the canyon and spotted too far away the cows. Up on top of the ridge.
Another day of incredible experiences but no shots were taken. The mountains have my heart. Every time I am out there is never enough. All the noise stops from life and I feel at peace. I feel closer to who I am and closer to God.
I took my son out my second to last trip out and we had the best time. He doesn’t like to hike he says but we had the best time. He spotted this moose which ended up being two.
We hiked a new ridge and in a little deeper in hopes to find some cows.
Again, he spotted some elk. His excitement was contagious. As he literally started to run towards them he’s asking me if I am ready to take the shot. Asking if I need something to prop my rifle on, do I feel comfortable with the yardage.
As we moved in we realized again, bulls. Three bulls bedded down. We spotted about 15 cows way too far in for just the two of us to hike into and they were teetering on private land.
This season has given me so many learnings not only about big game but about myself. I learned I am capable of more than I ever thought I could be. Being connected to the outdoors and those around you is truly what life was meant to be like. It’s never about the stuff but about our encounters. They are what shape all of us.
Comments