A Solo Elk Trip - Bugling Bulls and Runaway horses

[AdvntrSeekr]

For many years now, I have been venturing into the mountains each fall, with only my horses for company. This past season was no different, accept for a few unexpected issues along the way. Most importantly there were plenty to bugling bulls, and it was a great adventure in God's country! If you have some downtime and want to watch a good elk hunt, this one's for you.

(Disclaimer: My channel is not monetized and I share these for fun)


Hope you enjoy!

 

[khart_6882]

As long as you have zero desire to be a social media hunting influencer, I’ll check it out

 

[elkguide]

Fun. Congratulations.
Thanks for taking us along.

The bear spooked horses brought back memories of been there.... done that! No fun for sure.

 

[pbroski]

Backcountry solo hunting with horses is unbeatable. Well done!

 

[Beendare]

I thought it was honest and a good depiction of a hunt like that. BTW, Excellent shot.

I've had enough issues with horses that I would never do a solo trip with them- ever. Even walking a pack horse in I've had problems- twice actually.

Glad you came out unscathed...that could have been really bad....

 

[Indian Summer]

I love bonding with my horses. They make good company. After awhile there’s a mutual trust. You certainly let yours run free more than me. In the mountains I take no risks no matter how small. All it takes is one grouse to ruin your day. I enjoyed that.

Do you pack pellets for your horses? I’ve never packed in without first packing hay into my camping spot.

 

[AdvntrSeekr]

I love bonding with my horses. They make good company. After awhile there’s a mutual trust. You certainly let yours run free more than me. In the mountains I take no risks no matter how small. All it takes is one grouse to ruin your day. I enjoyed that.

Do you pack pellets for your horses? I’ve never packed in without first packing hay into my camping spot.

View attachment 1030629

LOL... they don't know how many feet a horse has, but they sure know that extra torso and head aint right! I typically do pack hay in ahead of time. Makes for a lot of work in the summer, but it's worth it for sure.

The grouse don't bother these guys a bit, neither do deer, and neither do bears for my gelding..... but the mare... not so much. She will tolerate pretty much anything except a close by bear. Meat, horns, imbalanced pack..... but no bueno on a bear! She is like a puppy and follows along everywhere, but in that particular instance I should have kept the status quo and made sure she was behind and not in front. (I also helps that they know pretty much every square inch of my hunting area, and could get back to camp blind folded) I probably wouldn't be so free with them in a new area.

 

[JJ1179]

Great video and hunt! Thanks for sharing.

 

[Indian Summer]

One thing about this video that’s worth noting is how you hunt. It’s archery season. Instead of running around calling you know your area. It’s easier to be in the right place at the right time when you know where the right places are. So you can ambush Hunt and let the elk come to you. You don’t disturb the area. You don’t put a lot of sun on the ground. And you don’t beat yourself up. It requires patience, but it’s definitely productive. But the bottom line is you have to know your area. You and your horses should be able to make it back to camp blindfolded. A few trips up and down the main trails and the horses will have it memorized.

So many guys draw a license and hunt an area they’ve never been before and write it off as a mediocre or poor hunting area. When in reality, if they had a few years of knowledge under their belts, it would be completely different. The biggest suggestion I can make to any elk hunter is that if you have never seen your area before go out in the summer and spend a week there.

I know, it takes a lot of time. It’s expensive. You don’t have the time off. But one week in an area is priceless compared to never having set foot there you expect to kill an elk in a week or two.

 

[well_known_rokslider]

Thanks for sharing!

 

[AdvntrSeekr]

One thing about this video that’s worth noting is how you hunt. It’s archery season. Instead of running around calling you know your area. It’s easier to be in the right place at the right time when you know where the right places are. So you can ambush Hunt and let the elk come to you. You don’t disturb the area. You don’t put a lot of sun on the ground. And you don’t beat yourself up. It requires patience, but it’s definitely productive. But the bottom line is you have to know your area. You and your horses should be able to make it back to camp blindfolded. A few trips up and down the main trails and the horses will have it memorized.

So many guys draw a license and hunt an area they’ve never been before and write it off as a mediocre or poor hunting area. When in reality, if they had a few years of knowledge under their belts, it would be completely different. The biggest suggestion I can make to any elk hunter is that if you have never seen your area before go out in the summer and spend a week there.

I know, it takes a lot of time. It’s expensive. You don’t have the time off. But one week in an area is priceless compared to never having set foot there you expect to kill an elk in a week or two.

1000% agree with everything you just said!