# First hunt of the year!!



## hoghunter011583 (Jul 21, 2008)

So, I decided to hunt the archery in the same area that I have a rifle cow tag so I can get a little familiar with it before my cow hunt.
I hired bowhunt3r4l1f3 to scout it out and his info on the area had me very excited!!
I headed out with a buddy at 2:30 Saturday morning and arrived at about 8:00, much later than I wanted to get there. I know the guy from work but have never hunted with him. He can hit the bulls eye from 80 yards with his bow so I assumed he was a pretty good hunter (mistake)
We hiked in to the spots that I had marked on the map and was really happy with the way the area looked and the fact that we had the entire area to ourselves!!
We saw a cow on the tree line as we got to the first little opening but she vanished into the dark timber. We found dozens of very fresh piles on the tree lines and knew the Elk were in the timber.
We walked the tree lines looking for the best sign and areas to focus on.
We saw 2 more cows at the edge but couldn't get close enough for a shot before they busted us and trotted into the timber.

At about noon the guy I was with said he was starved and wanted to head back to camp to eat ( he informed me he didn't get any sleep and forgot to bring any food!! WOW!!) They had a party at his house all night and he totally forgot stuff, even his boots!!
So, we headed back and got camp setup and ate some of my food, lol..
Then decided to go check out some areas marked on the map as bedding areas that were close by. 
As we got to the area in the pines marked as beds the guy I'm with (lets call him bob) says are you sure this is the spot, I said yeah I may have marked it a little bit off from his location but it is within 100 yards.
He says well, I've seen a lot of Elk beds and this is not what they bed in.
I said yeah I agree it needs to be thicker. I said we may be a little off lets look around for a thicket. He's like well they just don't bed in anything like this, it is to dry and crackly and deadfallish,, we aren't going to find any beds in this so lets just head to that clear cut up ahead!! I'm like what!! He says yeah Elk bed in tall lush grass, not dry pines with all this deadfall. I'm like yeah they bed in that grass during the night and get in this stuff during the day.
I think it is perfect other than a little to open so we just aren't on the X spot.
So, we walk up hill toward a little clear cut about 100 yards and I see some thick brush, bob (who at this point I realize has no clue) is walking towards the clear cut away from the thicket. I walk towards the thicket and hear some sticks break. A cow jumps and runs in front of bob.

We then head up to the clear cut and meet a nice group of cattle, they walk off and go to the bull in the herd who is now staring us down stands his ground. We walk around him and get to the next litte patch of pines and as we head to the second clear cut I see tracks in the needles and I knew we jumped a few.
Once we got to the clear cut bob starts heading off to the the left and I decide to not fallow the tracks but to just keep heading behind bob.
Well, the Elk we jumped end up cutting across and we see a massive 6x6 bull running with 4 cows about 80 yards in front of us.
Bob says lets get them, as he throws his pack on the ground and takes off after them.
I positioned myself just in case they circled back around but instead they went straight and into some pines.
Well, I walk over to where bob is and he says they went down into that clearing and I should go to the other side while he approaches at the opposite end. I'm like dude they know where we are it is only going to push them out of the area. Lets just forget about them and move on, maybe we'll be able to get them tomorrow. He says well they headed to that meadow anyway so it is already where we are going. I inform him that the meadow is in the opposite direction and he argued, till I show him on the gps.
He agreed and then I asked where is your pack and an hour later we found it!!
Unreal!!
Well, we hunted that evening and listened to some Elk walking in the trees but nothing came close.
The next morning we walked to a main trail that the Elk were using in the pines and I told bob that I was going to setup in a spot I liked and he decides to setup so that his wind is blowing right down to me!! 
Well, I just decided to head off and scout an area I wanted to take a closer look at. 
As I walked to the area I heard some sticks break. I stalked up within about 70 yards of a 6x6 bull but after about an hour I just couldn't get a shot, it was way to thick! I watched him graze off.

All in all it was a great hunt but I'll be much more selective of who I hunt with from now on and I will not be hunting with bob!!

Next hunt I'll be with my brother and should get one of those bulls on the ground!!


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## twinkielk15 (Jan 17, 2011)

Sounds like "Bob" had a good time ruining your hunt. I'm sorry to hear you had such a bad outing. Here's to the next one...


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## bowhunt3r4l1f3 (Jan 12, 2011)

I've had very similar experiences to that before. It's always a pain not knowing what someone else is like as a hunter. Especially if their a whack job who says elk don't bed in Timber!? What? :-? haha 

You'll get them next time! At least you got into the elk, a lot of guys can't even do that! I think if you do a little more scent control like I mentioned you'll find it's easier to get within range. Still keep track of the wind, but you'll have more leeway. Those cow elk wafers really do help!


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## Packout (Nov 20, 2007)

It is easier to find a spouse than it is to find a hunting partner.


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## sknabnoj (Nov 29, 2012)

Packout said:


> It is easier to find a spouse than it is to find a hunting partner.


Couldn't have said it better myself. :clap2:


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## JDub17 (Jun 25, 2013)

hoghunter011583 said:


> Bob says lets get them, as he throws his pack on the ground and takes off after them.


Maybe Bob should have been named RAMBO for this adventure!!! Reminds me of the stupid WOW youtube video of LEROY JENKINS!!! Was he going to chase them down and steer wrestle him to the ground?


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## torowy (Jun 19, 2008)

I am way more selective who I will hunt with than who I will date...


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## Springville Shooter (Oct 15, 2010)

Hunting with guys like Bob was actually option 2.5 in the quest for restoring the herds. Thanks for your participation in wildlife preservation. I myself have been a participant at times. I once watched a guy I was with attempt a 70 yard running shot(him and the deer) at a very frightened two point with a bow. I just had to laugh at myself for being in the woods with such a dolt. 

PS. He never even made an attempt to look for blood or retrieve his arrows. I saw the clean misses and didn't feel like having the conversation.-----SS


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