Just got back from a Winter Migration Elk hunt. The hunt was quite different than what I was use to for being a "Car" hunt.
The first day we got up early in the hotel and the guide picked us up in his Chevy 4-door 250 truck. It was about 16 degrees outside, so we headed north to about 20 miles from the Wyoming boarder. There was snow on the ground, and ice over the roads. We turned off the main road and onto snow covered trails heading towards the "Ranch" that the guide was licensed to hunt. When we arrived there, you could see hundreds of elk on their ranch walking thru heading south. We then drove to the high point of their property and began glassing to find any legal bulls in the many packs of migrating elk. At this point another truck showed up with more hunters, that were accompanying the "Guide" and his son. That whole day we drove up and down the roads, looking for bulls. Once we raced at 45 mph + back and forth one road over a dozen times to try to scare elk onto the ranch. At this speed the truck was always going more sideways than headed straight. I got tired trying to stabilize myself between the door and the center-console while the truck drifted on the right side then flipped around and then left side taking out many a sage bush along the way. I would think the tea-cups at Disneyland would be more of a straight drive than what this guide was doing. That day we drove so much, that we had to fill up at lunch and then before we went back home so we could make it.
The next day my partner did not go with us since he got car sick the day before. That morning as we drove out there were several "Good" herds on the ranch. They were just inside the fence and when we got to them the herd began running from the direction we cam. The guide did a doughnut, and started chasing the elk just inside the fence. We were on the road outside the fence and he was determined not to let them jump out of "His Ranch." As the truck got up to 35 mph we were staying even with the running elk, so he floored it. Several minutes later we were ahead of the elk, and he slammed on the brakes, shouted for me to get out of the truck and jump the barbed wire fence and take a shot at the running bulls in the middle of the herd. Well once I was set-up, and got one of the two bulls in my scope, I pulled the trigger. Just as I did this the bull turned to the right and jumped over the fence and my shot was now behind him. We watched this bull for about an hour to make sure I did not hit him.
As we stopped watching the bull, we spotted more elk on public property, so the guides began racing back and forth to herd them onto their ranch so we could shoot them. Eventually, we got part of the herd to jump the fence onto the ranch, so we headed down the hill and thru a gate to intercept the herd. The guide stopped way back of the hill the herd would be coming out from behind, so we ran over 500 yards to see the heads of the elk as they emerged from behind the hill. He shouted, there's the bull and all I say was the head and rack, so we ran forward to try to see the body. Well the bull was now facing us so we stopped and he said, just aim below the neck. I shot and the elk turned to run back behind the hill. I loaded another an shot, just as the elk ran away and disappeared behind the hill. So the guide and I ran another 500 yards to the fence where the herd would emerge. Here came the bull, so this time I was leading him by about 6-inches since he was running. I shot just as he reached the fence, but he stopped and my bullet went just in front of him. He hopped the fence and broke away from the herd. As we drove back thru the gate in the fence and back up the hill, the guide was saying, "Just wait for him to die." So we drove out to where we last saw him, then got out of the truck to go find him. As, I left the truck, my shoe string on my sorrel boots got caught and I realized that I never did tie them in the morning. Well this is the elk, and he died on the hill in exactly this position which made the rest of the process easy.
What an experience from stand and still hunting. The guide told me that if I came later in the season they use snow-mobiles and most people get really car sick on them.
The first day we got up early in the hotel and the guide picked us up in his Chevy 4-door 250 truck. It was about 16 degrees outside, so we headed north to about 20 miles from the Wyoming boarder. There was snow on the ground, and ice over the roads. We turned off the main road and onto snow covered trails heading towards the "Ranch" that the guide was licensed to hunt. When we arrived there, you could see hundreds of elk on their ranch walking thru heading south. We then drove to the high point of their property and began glassing to find any legal bulls in the many packs of migrating elk. At this point another truck showed up with more hunters, that were accompanying the "Guide" and his son. That whole day we drove up and down the roads, looking for bulls. Once we raced at 45 mph + back and forth one road over a dozen times to try to scare elk onto the ranch. At this speed the truck was always going more sideways than headed straight. I got tired trying to stabilize myself between the door and the center-console while the truck drifted on the right side then flipped around and then left side taking out many a sage bush along the way. I would think the tea-cups at Disneyland would be more of a straight drive than what this guide was doing. That day we drove so much, that we had to fill up at lunch and then before we went back home so we could make it.
The next day my partner did not go with us since he got car sick the day before. That morning as we drove out there were several "Good" herds on the ranch. They were just inside the fence and when we got to them the herd began running from the direction we cam. The guide did a doughnut, and started chasing the elk just inside the fence. We were on the road outside the fence and he was determined not to let them jump out of "His Ranch." As the truck got up to 35 mph we were staying even with the running elk, so he floored it. Several minutes later we were ahead of the elk, and he slammed on the brakes, shouted for me to get out of the truck and jump the barbed wire fence and take a shot at the running bulls in the middle of the herd. Well once I was set-up, and got one of the two bulls in my scope, I pulled the trigger. Just as I did this the bull turned to the right and jumped over the fence and my shot was now behind him. We watched this bull for about an hour to make sure I did not hit him.
As we stopped watching the bull, we spotted more elk on public property, so the guides began racing back and forth to herd them onto their ranch so we could shoot them. Eventually, we got part of the herd to jump the fence onto the ranch, so we headed down the hill and thru a gate to intercept the herd. The guide stopped way back of the hill the herd would be coming out from behind, so we ran over 500 yards to see the heads of the elk as they emerged from behind the hill. He shouted, there's the bull and all I say was the head and rack, so we ran forward to try to see the body. Well the bull was now facing us so we stopped and he said, just aim below the neck. I shot and the elk turned to run back behind the hill. I loaded another an shot, just as the elk ran away and disappeared behind the hill. So the guide and I ran another 500 yards to the fence where the herd would emerge. Here came the bull, so this time I was leading him by about 6-inches since he was running. I shot just as he reached the fence, but he stopped and my bullet went just in front of him. He hopped the fence and broke away from the herd. As we drove back thru the gate in the fence and back up the hill, the guide was saying, "Just wait for him to die." So we drove out to where we last saw him, then got out of the truck to go find him. As, I left the truck, my shoe string on my sorrel boots got caught and I realized that I never did tie them in the morning. Well this is the elk, and he died on the hill in exactly this position which made the rest of the process easy.
What an experience from stand and still hunting. The guide told me that if I came later in the season they use snow-mobiles and most people get really car sick on them.
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