Is Opening Weekend Worth It? (MT Rifle)

Heard there was a missing hunter last night around 8pm, I believe in zone 215, anyone know more?
 
I like to let the elk get completely paranoid and bumped to private land, go out on a Tuesday, watch them filter onto the ranches by the hundreds, and then go cry in my tent while I attempt to feel my toes again. Love a good tradition!
 
I got a bull about an hour after sunup yesterday but I was hunting deep away from the crowds. Madison Valley area. Then the snow came and still hadn’t stopped when I rode out early this afternoon. It freaking dumped.

Today would have been very poor for hunting. Horrible visibility. And I saw zero tracks on my way out.
 
Run into a gent at the top of the hill above my house. He had a 5pt bull down and a mile drag ahead of him in the sagebrush on a steep slope. I rode 5-6 miles out in a soggy sleet storm that turned to heavy snow. Before the snow there was elk sign but after just white slush. I used a battery and a half cutting my way in and out. Found a series of elk wallows I didn't know existed.

I made it back to the house soaking wet, unloaded my horse and started for the barn. Before I could clear the gate a friend showed up with an elk down that needed help. Four hours later we had her quartered, sheeted up and off to his place.

Today we rode 6 miles into another drainage in a blizzard that was laying down inches. On the way back our tracks were gone but replaced by elk tracks. Just another game of keep away. We sawed another two batteries to get into the main drainage.

On the way out almost slid the truck off the road pulling out of a side road on the ice.

About another opening weekend. Now we can settle down and get serious about elk hunting
 
I had a bunch of housework to do this weekend as I'm planning on heading out for a few days mid-week, but one of my buddies went out by himself and tagged a really nice MD buck out of the timber about 1 mile off the road on Saturday. He said he didn't see a boot track more than 100 yards off the road.

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