I hunted with MTO the opening week of archery elk on his ranch in the crazy mountains. I researched pretty heavily last year and decided to go with Forrest and I am glad I did.
Day 1 - we had about 6 bulls bugling around us. None were too close until about 8:30 one bugled about 200 yards below us. We were on top of some rocks so were very exposed. We dive off to cover hoping he comes the right way…we ultimately hear him walking on the rocks above us but can’t see. He slips away unseen. That concludes day 1. That afternoon had no elk seen.
Day 2 - dead silent. We saw or heard no elk, but close to dusk we heard a bull bugling way off in the distance.
Day 3 - we try a different part of the ranch that morning we finally see some fresh sign that morning but no luck. We check a card they had over a wallow and decide to go there that afternoon. Riding out we just happen to throw the spotter on a bald spot on top of the mountain probably a mile a way and literally as soon as we do a big bull busts across running a cow. It’s about 8:30 in the morning at this point. We haul butt back to the cabin. Grab the four wheelers and weave around. By the time we got within say 500 yards roughly of his location he is still bugling but he went silent shortly after and went to bed. It was about 10:30 at that time. We were 30 minutes late. That afternoon sitting over the wallow my guide says he will walk out to the wood line to glass that hill side (about 1.5 miles across the valley) just to watch since it was where we saw that hill. As soon as he leaves it seemed he came running back saying get my crap together we gotta go. There were about 10 elk (1-2 bulls) on the property line. Half on ours half on the neighbor. Bedded up for a perfect ambush. Problem is it is 6:30 and we only have an hour and a half or so of light. It takes us 30 minutes to drive around there and when we get out bulls are screaming. We get a game plan and get in the draw and start to crawl up this bluff to peak over. As soon as we do a cow looks at us and go figure, the wind switches. They were at 48 yards and roughly a 340” 6x6 was at 80. Another thing was it was about 70 elk, not 10. There were eyes everywhere. There were roughly 1/2 dozen 6x6’s and some rag horns. It was a pure on rut fest. Bulls were running cows, fighting, you name it it was happening. At this point the were across the line on the neighbors so we sneak to 50 yards from the line hoping from a Hail Mary we can cow/calf call we can drag a cow or calf over and pull a bull. It doesn’t happen but this whole herd was within 200 yards. For 30 minutes we just watched what to me was the most epic elk rut action I could have ever imagined. The did nothing but bugle, fight, push cows. It is what you imagine if you YouTube elk rut fest. We ease out and have a bull bugle directly between us and the truck and at this time bulls are bugling all up the canyon trying to join this herd. We run down to a tree line to listen as we are dead in between him and the heard. We call and he bugles. I tell my guide I see him and he is at 189 yards coming on a string. All I see are big long beams and spaz out and say he’s giant LOL. I get by bow ready. He gets to 100-120 yards and yet again the freaking wind switched. As soon as he caught our wind he turned and made a big loop. He never ran but we clearly were catching him. Guide told me he was a low 300s 6x6. As this happens we have multiple bulls above us literally crashing through the trees and hearing rock slides trying to come to our calls/the herd. It was nothing shy of absolutely incredible. Even the guide said that was the most amazing thing he has ever witnessed elk hunting. I told him we never drew the bow back but that was incredible to just witness.
Day 1 - we had about 6 bulls bugling around us. None were too close until about 8:30 one bugled about 200 yards below us. We were on top of some rocks so were very exposed. We dive off to cover hoping he comes the right way…we ultimately hear him walking on the rocks above us but can’t see. He slips away unseen. That concludes day 1. That afternoon had no elk seen.
Day 2 - dead silent. We saw or heard no elk, but close to dusk we heard a bull bugling way off in the distance.
Day 3 - we try a different part of the ranch that morning we finally see some fresh sign that morning but no luck. We check a card they had over a wallow and decide to go there that afternoon. Riding out we just happen to throw the spotter on a bald spot on top of the mountain probably a mile a way and literally as soon as we do a big bull busts across running a cow. It’s about 8:30 in the morning at this point. We haul butt back to the cabin. Grab the four wheelers and weave around. By the time we got within say 500 yards roughly of his location he is still bugling but he went silent shortly after and went to bed. It was about 10:30 at that time. We were 30 minutes late. That afternoon sitting over the wallow my guide says he will walk out to the wood line to glass that hill side (about 1.5 miles across the valley) just to watch since it was where we saw that hill. As soon as he leaves it seemed he came running back saying get my crap together we gotta go. There were about 10 elk (1-2 bulls) on the property line. Half on ours half on the neighbor. Bedded up for a perfect ambush. Problem is it is 6:30 and we only have an hour and a half or so of light. It takes us 30 minutes to drive around there and when we get out bulls are screaming. We get a game plan and get in the draw and start to crawl up this bluff to peak over. As soon as we do a cow looks at us and go figure, the wind switches. They were at 48 yards and roughly a 340” 6x6 was at 80. Another thing was it was about 70 elk, not 10. There were eyes everywhere. There were roughly 1/2 dozen 6x6’s and some rag horns. It was a pure on rut fest. Bulls were running cows, fighting, you name it it was happening. At this point the were across the line on the neighbors so we sneak to 50 yards from the line hoping from a Hail Mary we can cow/calf call we can drag a cow or calf over and pull a bull. It doesn’t happen but this whole herd was within 200 yards. For 30 minutes we just watched what to me was the most epic elk rut action I could have ever imagined. The did nothing but bugle, fight, push cows. It is what you imagine if you YouTube elk rut fest. We ease out and have a bull bugle directly between us and the truck and at this time bulls are bugling all up the canyon trying to join this herd. We run down to a tree line to listen as we are dead in between him and the heard. We call and he bugles. I tell my guide I see him and he is at 189 yards coming on a string. All I see are big long beams and spaz out and say he’s giant LOL. I get by bow ready. He gets to 100-120 yards and yet again the freaking wind switched. As soon as he caught our wind he turned and made a big loop. He never ran but we clearly were catching him. Guide told me he was a low 300s 6x6. As this happens we have multiple bulls above us literally crashing through the trees and hearing rock slides trying to come to our calls/the herd. It was nothing shy of absolutely incredible. Even the guide said that was the most amazing thing he has ever witnessed elk hunting. I told him we never drew the bow back but that was incredible to just witness.
