Don't let  your guard down! September 2004

By Nick Erway, Pennsylvania

This was my second time hunting for Elk in Idaho - both times with York Outfitters. I had previously hunted for a week in mid October of 2002, after the bugling hunt. I saw no elk the entire week due to the fact that we had sunny Bluebird days all week. The one and only day that there was any weather, was terrible with driving rain at times and blowing snow flurries, then the next day we were right back to un-seasonably warm temps during the day and frosty nights. This is the worst weather imaginable and I would be hard put to have found a whitetail back home in PA where they are abundant. I did not blame the outfitter as he cannot control the weather. I liked the facilities and the way I was treated.  Having heard of some horror stories about other camps and outfitters I felt another hunt with York Outfitters was the best chance for me to get my elk.

I found out real quickly the first hunt that the rugged, steep, beautiful mountains in the Selway Bitterroot region of Idaho are definitely a challenge indeed to hunt. You just can't do it without the proper gear and certainly the services of a good guide service is invaluable to be able to hunt and get around in this vast wilderness. The hunting is not easy and the need to be in good condition is definitely an advantage not to be overlooked. I wanted to get a nice bull on a fair chase hunt in the wild and I am just not ready to hunt on a large ranch that offers guaranteed success, not yet anyway.

Packer arrives with gear and Vickie

We had planned this hunt for more than a year. My wife Vickie planned to go along and vegetate while I climbed up and down the mountains, trying to keep up with my guide in my quest for a wild bull elk. 

Upon arrival at the main camp, we were advised that we would be packed out the following morning to an outpost camp, the farthest camp from the main camp. My guide and I would hunt our way up to the outpost camp, leaving early in the morning and Vickie would come up later with the packer and our gear and food provisions. There were other groups of hunters that packed out that same day to their outpost camps and a group of hunters that were hunting out of main camp.

Starting off early in the morning, we took our time riding up out of camp, cow calling and bugling from time to time as we hunted our way up to our camp. Stopping from time to time to bugle and listen and look out where there was an opening to view across to a mountain on the other side of a valley or drainage. There are very few of these areas to look out, most of the terrain is rugged and covered with trees. I really wondered how we were ever going to find anything in this rough territory. It was drizzling rain off and on and apparently the elk were not too interested in what we had to offer as we heard nothing in response to our bugling. According to my guide, he said if you want to know what the elk are doing - just watch the horses. Whenever we tied them up they were backing up as much as possible to get under the trees and out of the drizzle. Seems as the hunting is not going to be easy if the elk do not respond to our calls.

After arriving at our camp, that would be our home for the week, we took a look around and ate lunch. We did a little pick-up and started some fires in our sleeping tents and the kitchen tent to try to get some of the dampness out of the canvas and be a little more homey when Vickie arrived with the packer arrived sometime later. We went off on foot to do some scouting around the area. We walked out maybe an hour or so and then slowly worked our way back to camp. The packer with our gear and food arrived shortly after we returned and we helped unload the gear and food. Soon the packer was all set to return and tied the string of mules and our horses together and headed back to the main camp leaving us at our new home. From this point on, we were on our own and to hunt on foot.  We spent the rest of the afternoon and evening getting camp into shape and doing up dinner. We had a good chat and got to know each other a little bit and went to bed early after a tiring day up going up the mountains and settling in.

Up early, we had our breakfast and headed out into the ever drizzling rain. Cool and damp seemed to be the order of this day. Working our way up and out of camp we dropped off the western side of the mountain and hunted down through draws, canyons and little meadows that we found as we hunted down over the side of the mountian off the trail. It was terrific elk habitat according to my guide. He said this was really good looking stuff. We hunted all morning and went about 5 or 6 miles, maybe more. Checking the wind direction all the time and trying to always walk into the breeze as much as possible. Apparently because of the drizzly damp weather we  still had no response to the bugling and heard none as well from anywhere in the mountains. No fresh sign was found and I was really beginning to doubt whether there was any elk in the area. Although my guide had never hunted this area before, he was certain that elk were here, we just had to find them. I certainly tried to take comfort in his enthusiasm, but it was not easy.

After taking a short break and having our lunch in a burned out area from a recent forest fire, we headed somewhat back towards camp. Every once in awhile we crossed over the trail back to camp and then went back over the side. It didn't take too long to figure out that my guide doesn't like to walk the trails. Now we were working on the eastern side of the mountain and finally encountered some fresh sign in an area that really looked nice. This was a good thing. There had been some elk here in the last week or so and I was a little relieved to know that there were, or had been, some animals in the area, although I had my doubts we were going to find one close enough for a shot. Deciding that the next day we would have to come back into this area we continued working our way back to camp. 

Back up on top we ran across some fresh tracks coming up out of the western side where we had spent the morning hunting. It looked like a couple elk had come up behind us and crossed up over a saddle in the mountain and headed down to the east side where we were now exploring. This was a real boost to my enthusiasm, and my guide said "This is a good thing".

We continued hunting our way back to camp. In taking a trail off to the side and circling around a high peak we found an area where we could look across to the side of another peak that was not too far away. Using a laser range finder we checked the distance to a large meadow on the other side - it was just over 400 yards from us. A long shot, but certainly in range and a good shot was possible if given an opportunity. I use a Winchester .270 and with the bullets I was using, Federal Premium 150 gr. partitions, my rifle drops about 28 inches at that distance. With a 36 inch chest height on an average mature elk my guide said if I put my crosshairs on his back it should connect in the right area. Keeping this area in mind to come back to for a good watch we worked our way back up to the trail and crossed the fresh tracks again, they crossed right through the meadow we were sitting in looking across to the other side. This was a good thing.

The  third day it seemed as the weather had broken some and it was trying to dry off. A real treat after two days of walking through wet brush and having soggy legs and boots all day. Heading back down over the east side of the mountain again we worked our way down through some thick stuff about like a jungle and climbed back up to the opening we found the afternoon before. It was a good time for a break and we sat down to rest a little. Then my guide saw an elk in the meadow on the other side. I looked and couldn't see it. He didn't know if it was a bull or cow. Then it appeared again and I got my scope on it and saw it had a nice set of antlers, then it disappeared again. I ran over to a little tree as a rest and saw the bull again but there was not enough time to get a shot. He never showed again and apparently ran up and over the top through a saddle. We could see both sides of the opening quite well and he never showed himself again. 

Apparently this bull may have lost a battle with another bull and had his butt kicked. Hearing us bugle he decided he had had enough and was not gonna fight again and left the area. So, off we went after the bull. This was about 8 AM. We had been stalking about 2 hours already but it was nice to see a bull and know there was one around. Apparently all we could do is go after him and try to get a chance for a shot. I really had my doubts. If he ran away at over 400 yards I had no idea how we were going to walk up on him. Working our way up and out of the meadow and around the mountain the bull ran over we picked up his tracks and started following him down into the thickest stuff imaginable. My guide heard two bugles as we started down and he surmised that the bull had run back into the herd bull and they bugled to each other. He said sometimes the herd bull will tolerate him for awhile or just chase him off again. He was quite certain the bugling was from two different bulls. This was a good thing.

We went down quite a ways over the side of the mountain and were tracking the bull although losing the tracks once in awhile we'd pick them back up again. Crossing over a small stream and having had a good drink, it was about 11 AM. I set my rifle up against a rock behind me and sat down on a small log.  My guide bugled with his tube and I handed him a chicken breast leftover from dinner the night before. Suddenly he dropped to the ground and came up low and close to me and whispered "There's a bull standing behind you!"  I looked slowly over my shoulder and seeing nothing I said "Yeah, sure there is".  He repeated it in a whisper "There's a bull standing behind you!"  I looked again and said "Yeah, sure there's a bull standing behind me". He slowly pointed and said "Right there!" I looked again, and there was this huge set of antlers sticking out on both sides of a little 5 foot fir tree. The tree was less than 3 feet from me. The bull was standing in a little depression only about 15 yards from us but directly behind the little tree. He ran in silently and was staring right at us trying to find us to kick our butts. I couldn't see him  clearly and he couldn't see us but he knew right where the bugling came from. He had ran in so fast that my guide had just caught a glimpse of him rounding some brush and stopping right there on top of us. I couldn't believe it! There he was, so close and here my rifle is behind me leaning up against a rock. 

Luckily the bull couldn't see us through the little tree just the same as I couldn't shoot through the tree. I was able to slowly slide down, retrieve my rifle, get it up to my shoulder. The bull turned and stepped back a little bit into an opening and I pulled the trigger. Nothing happened because I never got the safety off. I looked down and flipped off safety.  My guide cow called and the bull stopped broadside at 25 yards, when I looked in the scope, all I saw was brown. I picked up his front elbow and took aim right behind his front leg - BOOM!  I got off the shot. The bull stumbled a couple times then took off. My guide in hot pursuit with a chicken breast in his left hand and his pistol in his right hand. He was trying to keep up with him so he wouldn't get out of sight he told me as he disappeared off the rocks we were sitting on. My shot was good though and he only went about 80 yards and dropped. We ran up and got right behind him when the bull picked up his head and looked right at us for a moment. Then the huge head went back down for the last time. Believe me, when you are about 2 feet from the back end of a large bull and the head comes up to look at you it is a thrill of a lifetime and you start backing up real quick. 

A wonderful trophy 6 X 6  Click the picture for a larger look

Luckily he was done,  he had enough left to look at us with the last of his energy and scare the sh**t out of us. We just stood there and stared, it was huge. Counting the points was a thrill. 6 points on each side and almost perfectly symmetrical. He looked like a railroad car lying there and was more than I could have dreamed of. Approximate live weight about 900 pounds. It all happened so fast I couldn't believe it was over. Congratulations to each other was in order. This really was a good thing!

We went back down to the rock and finished lunch. I was still not sure this had happened. I couldn't believe it. This thing was amazing. We kidded over and over saying "Sure there's a bull standing there!" It took awhile to sink it. After hunting hard for several days and not seeing anything, not even much sign, it was over. I had a bull that was probably the best elk I will ever kill. Now he was down for good and it had really happened although I still found it hard to believe. Don't let your guard down!!! He'll sneak up behind you!!!

It just don't get any better than this! September 17

Going back to our elk, the cleaning task began. Picture taking first of course. It took about 4 hours to carefully get the quarters ready and hung. I am sure it could have been done much quicker, but there was no hurry, we were happily done with our hunt. After the initial gutting job, the cape was removed and the quartering was done. By cutting a meat pole it was tied it up into the trees the quarters were hung. The cape was draped over the front quarters to help keep them clean as the rear quarters were left with the hide on them and the head was place over the top of the pole - we hoped that it would be safe overnight until we could return to bring this magnificent trophy out the next day.

Marking our trail back up to the main horse trail, we were a three hour hike from camp. Several tries calling out on the radio we were able to reach John Law and request the packer be sent up with the mules. We had an elk and needed to get it out. John was happy of course and sent the packer up the next day with the mules.  It was about a 6 to 7 hour trip with the mules, being as we were yet a 2 hour ride from our spike camp. 

Once the elk was back into main camp, the quarters were hung overnight and then taken into Grangeville to a butcher shop. Several other bulls and a nice whitetail buck that was harvested by other hunters in camp were taken into town that day. 

  Vickie and I spent the last two days hanging out in camp and keeping dry. It rained the rest of the week and I was glad I didn't have to go back out in the rain to hunt. There was a couple of inches of snow down the day we were packed back down to main camp. But it was a nice trip just the same. As we descended back down the snow gradually disappeared. 

A terrific trip and a terrific hunt. York Outfitters did a great job and the food was very good as well. We ate good and had plenty.