Idaho Elk Tag Filled!!

[tri2hunt]

I am so excited. Since I have had limited time to hunt and was not able to get my brother a shot while he was here, even though we were close a few times. I was able to fill my tag the morning of the 28th with a 5x5, that just happened by dumb luck, which I am definitely alright with. The wife is in Florida with our two older children and my Mom moved here two weeks ago to help us with CB, I had the opportunity to go out one last time before the end of Archery season.

 

[tri2hunt]

Although I rarely forget any gear for my outings, today was an exception. I had cleaned all the gear out of the truck from hunting a few days last week with my brothers (they helped my parents move up here). I had washed all my clothes and mostly reorganized, but did not load everything back into my pack. So gathering my gear and hitting the road to my spot at 4 AM allowed me to leave without my pack. Just after I hit Elk River about an hour drive, I realized I left my pack sitting in the garage. Normally it would not have been an issue, but my hunting license and tag were in the top pocket??

 

[muleman]

Congrats! Glad you were able to make it happen with everything you have going on.

 

[tri2hunt]

Frustrated and saying several words I will not put into writing, I headed back to the house. I almost decided not to go back hunting, but my Mom was watching the baby, it had rained in the area I hunt during the night, and it had gotten down to 40 degrees. So I headed back down the road hoping to get started hunting by 7:30. I hit Elk River again just around 7 and turned to go into the hills on the forest service roads.

 

[tri2hunt]

Rest of the Story!

About half way up the mountain to the area I planned on hunting, this elk was standing in the road I was driving on. I slow down and he casually walks off the road downhill. Man this area is steep with all kinds of deadfall. I slowly drive past him and he has only moved down about 20 yards when I go by and seemed too care less I was driving by. Knowing he is not the Big Bull I had at 80 yards opening weekend, I really didn’t care, because he looked great to me. I drove around a couple of corners, about a quarter mile and pulled over in a wide spot of the road. Grabbed my gear and humped it down the road to where he stepped off.
I snuck to the edge to see he had moved down in the woods about 110 yards. I moved back up the road 80 yards or so just past a short rise that would conceal me moving downhill parallel to him. I setup and gave a few cow calls since he was alone. He came in on a string looking for love, well at least sex, and presented a great quartering to me shot at around 42 yards.
He turned and ran back the same way he came pilling up within a few hundred yards. He of course managed to wedge in and under three deadfalls that made for one exhausting quartering job. I would say that him expiring within 200 yards of the road was great, except it was on at least a 70% slope with all kinds of deadfalls. It took me three and a half hours to quarter him up, with the first rear quarter taking me 45 minutes because of how he wedged himself under the dead trees. I got the meat, head and gear up to the road in five trips. Those 200 yards turned into at least double, since I had to side hill and avoid deadfalls to get up the slope. I see him as a 5x5, technically by the regulations he is a 6x6, he had a small body in my estimate of weighing about 450-500#’s. Overall he is an awesome Bull and a giant in my book!!

Pictures will be tomorrow when I am at my other computer. Sorry

 

[Shrek]

Congratulations ! Cool story ! Freaking road hunters ! Hahaha

 

[dangerousD]

Great story! Congrats and thanks for sharing!

 

[Randle]

Great job Micah, I am sure he is a trophy to you and your family.

 

[tri2hunt]

Congratulations ! Cool story ! Freaking road hunters ! Hahaha

HAHAHA I know right?? I almost didn't go after him for that reason. All the work I put in scouting and trying to hunt, just to become a road hunter?? Some people!!

 

[tri2hunt]

Great job Micah, I am sure he is a trophy to you and your family.

Thank you, he is a fine trophy, and will be real good to eat.

 

[tri2hunt]

Thanks Everyone.

 

[realunlucky]

Congratulations way to make the most when opportunity arises

 

[Zbowman1]

Congrats!!! Cant wait for the pics. I know that area well and have hunted there for years. Any time you can stick one in that jungle you are doing something right. Road hunting or not he is a trophy.

 

[tri2hunt]

Pictures!!

Pictures

 

[tri2hunt]

Few more

Few more

 

[7stw]

Very nice ! Congrats on the bull !

 

[Disco14]

Congrats on a awesome bull and story!

 

[adirondak5]

Congrats , great story !

 

[Ross]

Very nice bull! Congrats

 

[ridgefire]

nice bull. I bet I would be able to stretch that out to a 6x6