Lots elk but none to shoot

[72camaro]

Saw about 40 elk this year and not one I could shoot since we are spike only. I saw over 35 of those elk in 4 days and then the weather turned good and did not see anymore till 1/2 hour before the season ended but just a cow and calf. She was 300yds away and I was setting up my shooting sticks and they slipped and made a small clunk and she heard it and looked straight at me. Had to move real slow for a while as they look at you for a while to see if they can spot movement. I was hoping a spike was going to walk out behind her but only the calf was hanging around. My partners both shot spikes and we did the best at our camp with two down and I'm guessing by far we saw the most elk. I had a parade of a dozen go by me at 50yds, two big bulls and 10 cows and calves.

When the season was about done I started doing a little cow calling and thought I could get the animal to come out, kept staying just inside the trees where I could not see but would make a crashing noise on where it was at to come on in but way to crunchy on the floor to sneak in without being seen. I still continued for a couple hours and was moving around a bit to new locations, as I heard that is what you are supposed to do and not just call in the same spot for hours, and I noticed my gun had debris on the bolt and it would not pour out so I blew on it, I didn't think too loud, but the animal was still staying just inside the woods heard a non elk noise and I could hear it bolting away. Didn't think it was that loud but their hearing is pretty good.

So, when I got home a couple days later I had a back yard bunny that is now in the freezer and yesterday shot a couple mallard hens, only thing that landed in the pond as they are not really flying much in that area yet and the only other thing flying close was some teal and I screwed up my calling and on the 2nd pass around they took off. Live and learn. We do not have very much teal in our area and I did the wrong call, like a pintail call instead.

[broper]

Well, at least you got out and had some fun. I just bought a deer tag this year. Haven't had an elk tag for a few years. Can't really hunt them like I used to. Hard for me to get around and can't walk the hills to hunt them. Went out a couple days in a two point only area. Didn't see anything. I did get stopped by a game cop. He asked what I was hunting, talked quite a while. He said he had checked two hunters earlier that day that had deer. He said he had seen a good sized bunch of deer that had 2 two points and a three point. I told him I'd like to get one of those two points but he didn't offer to tell me where he's seen them. He talked for awhile, wished me luck and went on his way. Never did ask to see my license.

[72camaro]

I'm a bit surprised he didn't point you in the right direction.

[broper]

Nope, not a word.