Diy bm iafb wtfwit? ---- day 1

[mtnwrunner]

Do it yourself, by myself, in a f***** blizzard, what the f*** was I thinkin?

So, it had been absolutely bitter cold here in Idaho. So what does a guy do? He goes elk hunting when you have a tag to fill. Can't wait on the weather, right?
Thursday afternoon found me in the Pashermori valley looking for elk. It was cold, snowing and visibility was limited to about a half mile. Well, what the hell, never know what you might see and it sure beats working. I was just cruising around on a small road and about an hour before dark, I saw about 10 head of elk way up on a ridge about 1000 yards away. Cool. I planned my stalk and off I went headed up to the top of a knoll where I figured I would have about a 400 to 500 yard shot and I could get there without them seeing me. Already had one of them in the frying pan sizzling. It was snowing sideways and the temperature was about 10 but I was excited because I knew a couple of them were bulls. I make way up to the knoll, I get there, get set up, peer over the top and they're gone. How can that be? He was in the frying pan already. I figured that went over the top so off I go to look on the other side. Damn---nowhere to be seen. Well, it's getting dark so off I go back to Scooby doo, which is what my dogs call my 1995 suburban. I'm staying in a nearby cabin about an hour from this spot so off I go and I'll figure out something in the morning.

Randy

Days 2 and 3 coming up........................

 

[Bar]

Hell, you can freeze your beard better than that. Get back out there.

 

[mtnwrunner]

Day 2---------

So I figure the elk will still be somewhere in the general area that I had seen them. It is cold, about 0, and I head up to the ridge top. Visibility is about 500 yards and it is snowing and windy out. Perfect weather for finding an elk. I get to the top and start hiking along the crest, peeking over the knobs on both sides and I start seeing elk tracks although they are filling in with snow. I hunt this way for an hour or so and low and behold, I spy a cow bedded across a canyon and she is on top of the ridge below some mahogany's. I plan my route and head to the lee side of the ridge and work my way around the mountain where I figure I should come out somewhere above her and just see what's there.
After about 45 minutes, I pop over the ridge and I see a couple of other cows bedded below me just at the edge of the mountain mahogany's. I start looking and there are elk bedded throughout the mahogany and I see horns although no big bulls. I quickly range the group and they are at 355 but it's getting hard to see them due to the increasing snowfall. Now I'm just below the ridgeline and I am thinking to myself that there has got to be a road down below in the bottom of the canyon as I'm thinking about what is going to happen if a shoot a bull. I am somewhat familiar with the terrain but have never been in this particular drainage but in this part of Idaho, there are 4 wheeler roads everywhere. So surely there is a road below. Riiiggghhhhttt......................
Well, I make up my mind that I am going to shoot the first bull that presents itself. It's about 1130 and I'm about 2.5 miles from Scooby doo so I figure it's doable for me to get an elk out by myself.
All I see are spikes and small raghorns so I pick out the bull that is standing broadside and it's a spike. 355 yards with the 6.5 saum and 140 bergers. Down he goes and I'm thinking hmmmmmmmmmm.................what did I just do.
I make my way across the draw to my bull. Cool, more meat for the year. I'm on about a 35 degree slope, it's snowing with about 6 inches fresh and I'm about 800 yards up the hill from the "road." I grab the bull by the horns and I drag it all the way to the bottom where I process it. I'm all done by about 1430 hours and I'm about 100 yards up from the bottom of the canyon so time to go. I walk down and no f***** road. Crap. It's along way to Scooby doo and it's all uphill. Long ways with an elk. I figure I'll just walk up the drainage and do a bit of recon. It's actually a fairly good trail but it's not a road and no way to get a vehicle in there. I hike for about 3/4 of a mile and low and behold, things are looking up as I come across somewhat of a road but it's all uphill and if I bring my rig in, I'm not sure I can get back up in the snow. I hike up and over the ridge and down to where I had parked in the morning. It's about 1630 and I keep telling myself that the smart thing to do is go back to the cabin and come back the next day and see if I can get the rig down to where I'm about 3/4 of a mile from the elk. Not worried about meat spoilage as it's 0.

Randy

The finale coming up...................

 

[bowtech3dhunter]

That's hardcore dude, Congrats on meat in the freezer!!!

 

[mtnwrunner]

Day 3 dawns------------- -10 degrees

All through the night, the wind was howling and all I could think about was snow drifts and wondering if I was going to be able to get back up the mountain. I was planning for the worse as I could go back down valley, get into phone range and call my buddies for a snowmobile or 4 wheeler although I would never live that down as I'm not an ATV fan.
When I get to the access road from the main road, I chain up and off I go. I find a steep hill about what I have to go down and back up and I do a test run. No problem, with chains I was fine. It had drifted during the night but I was all doable. I get to the ridge top where it is now "the point of no return" and down I go to where I had walked out and can't take Scooby doo any farther.
Now, when I was planning this trip, I made the best investment I have ever made. $12.00. And that was for a cheap ass kiddie sled. I had no idea if it would work but what the hell, it was worth a try. So, I grabbed my pack frame, the sled and down the drainage I went. I got to the elk, it was undisturbed and I loaded the 4 game bags into the sled. I hooked up my pack frame with a break away nylon web strap and figure if the sled gets away from me the strap will break at the buckle. I cannot tell you all how wonderfully this sled worked. It was all up hill and it was absolutely no problem to pull it. I got the elk out in one trip and smiled the entire way out. It only took 10 more minutes to get out then it did to hike down. Now, the test to see if I could get back out. Put Scooby doo in low range and never spun a tire. Sighed a bit of relief, made a coffee and home I went.

Randy

 

[ElkNut1]

Very cool Randy! Thanks for taking us along on the ride, I enjoyed the tagalong as if I were there! Well done!

ElkNut1

 

[Muledeernv]

Very nice randy thanks for the story and the pictures

 

[Browtinemt]

Congrats! Took my nephews out Thurs, -13 in morning here...but no elk. Good idea with the sled.

 

[mtnwrunner]

Congrats! Took my nephews out Thurs, -13 in morning here...but no elk. Good idea with the sled.

Well, this particular sled is a "one time" deal. I wore some holes in the bottom by going over rocks and such, but man, it worked great. I've already started looking at beefier sleds.

Randy

 

[Mike7]

Great job Randy! That looks more like weather I've seen with January chukar hunting. Those sleds are great... you may have to make yourself a pulk. The orange sleds at Target are pretty durable and carry quite a bit.

 

[ScottH]

Good job with the sled.

 

[Manosteel]

Congrats and cool story.

 

[Craig Van Arsdale]

Nice work Randy! Congrats

 

[Huntr]

Very cool! Thanks for sharing.

 

[Shrek]

Congratulations ! You locals are way more acclimated to the cold than this floridian. I'm riding across Kansas right now but wish I had another week with this warming weather.

 

[justinspicher]

Congrats. Get a jet sled from cabelas. $60 and work wonderfully.

 

[Elkfitness]

Awesome! Nice work with the 6.5. I pack my kids sled as well but never have been in the right place to use it.

 

[7stw]

Thanks for the story and congrats on the spike !

 

[Jason Snyder]

Well, this particular sled is a "one time" deal. I wore some holes in the bottom by going over rocks and such, but man, it worked great. I've already started looking at beefier sleds.

Randy

The Otter sleds are very durable. I've had one for years that I mostly use for dragging duck decoys around on, but I've also sledded elk, deer, and kids in it too.

 

[Tony Trietch]

Sled to drag the dead.