Bow season was fun, but I’m not done yet.

[11boo]

2nd rifle cow tag, I’m getting pumped.

45/70 is my favorite, and it never fails to deliver on the hunt or range. I should shoot it more, but I spent all summer shooting the bow.



I can make some pussycat handloads with 405 gr JSP running 1300 fps. Accurate and fun.

This is with the same bullet, 1750 fps. Still accurate, less fun. Original Marlin GG with that nasty porting, 2x fixed. 7 shots at 50 yards.



At 100, dead on. Beyond that much you better know your drop. I have yet to drop an elk with it beyond 125. It just works.

I am very grateful to have this stuff so close and have my health to be able to enjoy it. Enjoy a few more pics.

I will miss the wall tent, but I will be on a cot.



I’ll be in the tipi 2nd season.

 

[trophyhill]

Right on Boo! Go get em!

 

[Hnthrdr]

Love the lever guns! Good luck

 

[11boo]

I’m already lucky, getting two hunts. It’ll be a hoot, and something like this minus the antlers will be found.



Got my nephew in on a fun cow hunt a few years back, he had a ball and so did I.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

Can't wait to see dead girl Elk. that's all I go after anymore. My trophy days are behind me.

 

[11boo]

Update, It was a great, miserable time. Didn’t get in as early as I wanted, wife got really sick. No problem, got her in shape to leave on monday .

I knew there was going to be snow, didn’t think it would be this much.
That thing about always take chains is true.
Stuck on one hill, chained up there. Got stuck on another hill chained up.


Ended up having to unload The SxS, disco the trailer and pull the trailer with the SxS, axles locked. And I’m solo. Fortunately I know the area well, and had a camp spot 400 yards away. With about 2 hours of daylight I had to stop and make camp. Couldn’t have gone any further anyway.

Camp spot. Dug it out.




The wind was not bad when I took this pic, it got much worse.



By midnight the stove pipe had been blown loose twice, and it was relentless.
Put on some leather gloves and hauled the hot stove out and dumped it in the snow. Pipe too. reset some tent stakes, and crawled back in the bag. Never went to sleep, just laid there thinking this tent is going airborne any minute.
Then there’s a huge gust, and half the stakes on the Lee side let go.

I’m in my cot holding half the tent down. It’s about 0100. I Get up, pull the center pole and throw some stuff on the tent to hold it down. Ran to the truck with my sleeping bag and spent the rest of the night there. Even the damn truck was rocking in the gusts. Hardly slept, weatherman said big storm coming and he was right. Loaded up at first light and hauled it out.

I did see a lot of tracks, all headed down. one other camp nearby, it was the most deserted rifle season I have ever seen. All the elk were gone just a couple days before I got there, judging by the tracks.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

A great miserable time. I read your recap a few times and missed the great part.

 

[5MilesBack]

Every now and then I get a hankering to relive my past by heading up for a rifle season with all that snow.......putting chains on all 4 for the season......but then I remember waking up every morning with a sheet of ice covering my sleeping bag, and seeing my breath form into ice crystals before my eyes......even with the stove going all night. Man, I love September in the high country........never going back to rifle season.

 

[11boo]

Cow tags used to be ez.
There is a quartered one in there too. CPW guy helped us drive right to the kills by opening the gate, then helped load the whole one.

 

[11boo]

Every now and then I get a hankering to relive my past by heading up for a rifle season with all that snow.......putting chains on all 4 for the season......but then I remember waking up every morning with a sheet of ice covering my sleeping bag, and seeing my breath form into ice crystals before my eyes......even with the stove going all night. Man, I love September in the high country........never going back to rifle season.

I’m hooked on September too, but like a crack addict I just can’t get enough.

Checking weather and maps now for a Hail Mary day trip into lower elevations where all those crazy elk went. I never hunt those places. Lots of private.

 

[svivian]

Cow tags used to be ez.
There is a quartered one in there too. CPW guy helped us drive right to the kills by opening the gate, then helped load the whole one.

View attachment 470901

Yes, it used to be a lot easier for sure up and around there. This year in particular has been especially rough but I enjoy a learning curve every now and then.

 

[Howdy Partner]

Your hunt screams.........................................WALL TENT!

 

[11boo]

Your hunt screams.........................................WALL TENT!

I know, but solo this tipi usually works, is much easier to pitch.

 

[5MilesBack]

I know, but solo this tipi usually works, is much easier to pitch.

I understand that. I've done one night trips with the wall tent, but I generally only use it for extended days. If I bring the wall tent, then I have to bring the table, the cots, and all that foam for the cots too. If I lived closer to some late season spots, I'd do some day trips.

 

[Gerbdog]

Topper on the back of the truck is my favorite camping location when hunting. Plowed many roads, chained up, and the extra weight in the back helps the truck keep trucking in the snow. Gone up a few mountain pass roads where i was making the only tracks in the snow. Stays warm enough, keeps the snow out, slept through a few blizzards in it at the top of mountains. Like others though... im hunting September these days. Truck gets it done but it sure isnt the best feeling knowing your about to be under another foot of snow when you wake up.

 

[jmenz2424]

Nice

 

[11boo]

If my wall tent wasn’t such a bear to set up solo it would have gone. Considering a davis go tent at the moment.

 

[5MilesBack]

If my wall tent wasn’t such a bear to set up solo it would have gone.

I have heard from others how easy it is to set up a wall tent with the internal frame solo. So two years ago I bought another Davis 14x16 with the angles and cut all the poles for it. Then I tried to set it up at home solo. What a pain in the butt. My other Davis 14x16 with the traditional pole setup is 10 times easier to get it set up while solo.

 

[11boo]

Truck is loaded for a final push. Day trip with another WKR.
Boots still drying.

 

[11boo]

I’m going to make a set of traditional poles too 5milesback. I can’t imagine what your steel pole setup weighs, but I know it’s heavy.
I have looked for aluminum pipe with the same O.D. As my 1” EMT poles, $$$.
I want to say it was 700 bucks.

And we got home from the day trip tonight. Lots of elk…..on the elk ranch behind the high fence.


We cut a fair bit of fresh tracks, but never saw any animals. Deer were thick on private valley bottoms. Did a lot of time behind glass, zilch. And we stayed till sunset. Figure they were bedded all day.

Found some great new spots for next year, had a great day with a friend and we didn’t have to chain up.