Tod osier
WKR
I would like to share the elk hunt I did this fall, which was my first time hunting elk.
I’ve been researching and building points for the past couple years and trying to figure out the game. This year I had a big chunk of time to do a trip with my family so I rolled my dice and tried for some modest tags and ended up with nothing, so I was looking for an OTC tag. I decided on Idaho because I haven’t spent any time there and with their mentored hunting program my son could hunt small game. With an Idaho Middlefork Elk tag in my pocket I got planning (I’d like to offer up a big thanks to a certain Rokslider for his advice during the planning stage). I decided to fly into the Frank Church for the hunt, which is a rut hunt with any weapon. OTC and DIY in the wilderness with the wife, kid and dog – perfect!
We, my wife, 9 year old son, dog and I, flew in a few days before the opener. We planned to spend 16 days in the backcountry, which was most of the season save a couple days. My primary goal was to shoot an elk, but I also had a deer tag, bear and wolf tag.
Since this was part of a 4 month long trip, we had to spend a couple days exploding the truck and camper to find gear to load our packs for the backcountry. We had portioned out and vacuum sealed all our meals back in July, so it was just a matter of finding the gear and putting it in our packs (but that still took 2 days).
Gear for 2+ weeks ready to go into the plane. We cached the barrel at the strip and that worked really well so we didn’t have to carry everything for 16 days and have a place for spare stuff in the backcountry.
First Camp. We flew in a couple days before the opener to scout to try to get on a bull for the opener.
Gus on the Swaro.
Eating in the rain.
On the opener I hiked a couple miles and a thousand feet up to a high knob to glass. I glassed up two bear at daybreak at 1600 yards and around noon I spotted a herd of elk about 3.5 miles off. The elk were out in a burn standing around. I didn’t have the spotting scope, but I could tell they were uncomfortable from their movements, I could see a herd bull, but couldn’t see how big. I wondered if wolves were harassing them or if it was another bull trying to take the herd, obviously they were not being hunted being out in the open at noon on the opener.
The next morning everyone got up a couple hours before daybreak to get to the glassing spot. We ate breakfast and glassed.
Had coffee and hot chocolate - the important stuff.
Gus glassing.
I’ve been researching and building points for the past couple years and trying to figure out the game. This year I had a big chunk of time to do a trip with my family so I rolled my dice and tried for some modest tags and ended up with nothing, so I was looking for an OTC tag. I decided on Idaho because I haven’t spent any time there and with their mentored hunting program my son could hunt small game. With an Idaho Middlefork Elk tag in my pocket I got planning (I’d like to offer up a big thanks to a certain Rokslider for his advice during the planning stage). I decided to fly into the Frank Church for the hunt, which is a rut hunt with any weapon. OTC and DIY in the wilderness with the wife, kid and dog – perfect!
We, my wife, 9 year old son, dog and I, flew in a few days before the opener. We planned to spend 16 days in the backcountry, which was most of the season save a couple days. My primary goal was to shoot an elk, but I also had a deer tag, bear and wolf tag.
Since this was part of a 4 month long trip, we had to spend a couple days exploding the truck and camper to find gear to load our packs for the backcountry. We had portioned out and vacuum sealed all our meals back in July, so it was just a matter of finding the gear and putting it in our packs (but that still took 2 days).
Gear for 2+ weeks ready to go into the plane. We cached the barrel at the strip and that worked really well so we didn’t have to carry everything for 16 days and have a place for spare stuff in the backcountry.
First Camp. We flew in a couple days before the opener to scout to try to get on a bull for the opener.
Gus on the Swaro.
Eating in the rain.
On the opener I hiked a couple miles and a thousand feet up to a high knob to glass. I glassed up two bear at daybreak at 1600 yards and around noon I spotted a herd of elk about 3.5 miles off. The elk were out in a burn standing around. I didn’t have the spotting scope, but I could tell they were uncomfortable from their movements, I could see a herd bull, but couldn’t see how big. I wondered if wolves were harassing them or if it was another bull trying to take the herd, obviously they were not being hunted being out in the open at noon on the opener.
The next morning everyone got up a couple hours before daybreak to get to the glassing spot. We ate breakfast and glassed.
Had coffee and hot chocolate - the important stuff.
Gus glassing.
