Shrek's armed camping trip 2015 ;)

[Shrek]

It was hot and Ryan and Kelly hadn't seen anything and my legs were flat. I stayed in camp to rest as Randle was going up top of the burns that Ryan and Kelly were watching. I was tired and had no compelling place to go. Randle never made it up but ended up chasing a bugle up another drain. Ryan and Kelly again saw the tank but couldn't get a shot. If Randle had done as planned he'd have been on top of the toad.

 

[Shrek]

Tuesday breaks and I'm still pretty flat legged. Kelly is sick of sitting so he goes way high and I go with Ryan to the pad. It's not too bad a climb and only about 3/4 mile and 800' up. The last climb is pretty stiff though. As light comes up the tank is screaming his head off and cruising around the burn with his cows. Again the sun and smoke makes it impossible to get a range on the bull. We watch for a couple of hours before he disappeared into the timber. We are watching another seven bulls but Ryan realizes there is a problem with the rifle he brought so he hikes back and gets the LRKM while I watch. I forgot to mention that Randle went up to where he had planned the day before. It sounded like war had broke out and I thought I heard a hit but it wasn't the big boy because we could see him. We now had a sickly acting bull in the burn and Ryan decides to try and put him down. We're down to two bulls left in the burn and we're waiting for a shot. Finally what we think is the sickly bull gets up and finally makes it to a shootable spot. Ryan has been in shooting position for a while now and his neck is killing him. He has been putting his head down while I keep track of the bulls. It happens fast compared to the rest of the day. I tell him to get ready and when the bull get open he asked ready and I said on it. KABOOM ! One thousand one one thousand two. Wham ! 1583 yards and he never even kicked a leg ! I talk Ryan into stashing the LRKM and we set off. I hike at the pace of glacial creep so Ryan leaves me behind. Kelly and Randle get there first and Randle has a bull down about forty yards below Ryan's. Kelly gets one the radio and says we have two bulls down. Ryan asks "you're kidding " . No joke ! We now have two big bodied bulls down on a hellacious steep slope. We go to cutting as it gets dark fast. Ryan admits he's not big on cleaning elk and let's me have at it. I would have loved to have had some daylight and time to learn but lamp light and the pressure to get it done is what I had. We get it cut up and everything we're not taking hung and set out. It's stupid steep for the first half mile or so and my ankles are killing me. I take a modest load knowing my legs are already shot but Ryan loads it up. It's miserable ! First it's steep and then steep and bushy with down timber to throw me to the ground now and then because I can't see where I'm going in the brush. It gets stupid steep again and I snap my trekking pole and fall hard on my knee and stain the outside of my left ankle. At the end I get to take my boots off my barking dogs and wade barefoot across a rocky stream. Perfect painful end to an ass whipping for a flatlander . We roll into camp about 1am. I know I'm done for the next day so I plan to retrieve the rifle and other gear while the Calvary and the rest head up for the rest of the meat and horns.

 

[Ross]

North Idaho at its finest, steep, nasty, brushy..........sounds like you had a good experience

 

[Shrek]

Wednesday breaks and the crew heads up around 7am for meat and I head for the rifle. My legs are lead but I slowly make my way across the stream barefoot with my lone trekking pole and up to the rifle. I had been staring all day the day before through some 12x50 EL's and the ATX spotter and the full impact of the distance shot had been dulled. Standing at the pad the next morning it was stunning how far 1583 yards is ! I had to get my binoculars out to even see the crew making their way across the burn. I eased back down and across and beat them back by a couple hours. We got the meat loaded and we were on our way for a hot shower and some rest. Kelly went back Friday to hunt and I went back Saturday but didn't hunt because my ankle was still hurting. Life intervened and Ryan got busy and Randles help went to jail so he had to cover work. Kelly was beat by Sunday and needed to get ready to head south with Ryan so it was going to be just me in BFE. I was still hurting and didn't think I could get an elk out over a ridge back alone so I called it a hunt and just helped break down the camp Sunday evening and Monday morning. I've been killing time in Montana since Monday night.

 

[Shrek]

North Idaho at its finest, steep, nasty, brushy..........sounds like you had a good experience

Ross , you're an animal ! I was told you can do the mountain I hiked two thirds of the way up in 45 minutes ! I'm impressed ! If I had kept at it I might be able to do it in four hours...maybe !

 

[Ross]

At 50 I could, but now at 52 it is closer to 46 minutes Glad you had fun and got to experience the full experience, with the exception of the rain and fog we normally see.....good luck in Montana!

 

[Shrek]

For guys working on a stair master thinking it will get you ready think again. It will build the big muscle groups but it doesn't build all the little muscles in your ankles for all the odd angles you will work your feet and ankles at on the mountain. It's only bothered me a little other mountains I've hunted but the mountains of north Idaho are brutal on ankles !

 

[Shrek]

Oh , I just remembered more suck from Tuesday's ordeal. Just about 50 yards short of the Bulls I got hit by two bald faced hornets ! One just below my bottom lip and one on the shoulder. It wasn't like I could get out of there fast either so I'm fortunate to only get hit twice. Damn do they hurt !

 

[7mag.]

Keep at it buddy, and good luck in Montana.

 

[William Hanson (live2hunt)]

Sounds you've already had a good trip and anything else is just a bonus

 

[William Hanson (live2hunt)]

oh got it, so you wanted me to go thru hell with you Ha ha

Aren't we all a bit masochistic on here? And misery loves company.

 

[tstowater]

Sounds like Montana should be a cake walk compared to Idaho. Seems that I can recall some nasty stuff in Montana though.

 

[Randle]

Aren't we all a bit masochistic on here? And misery loves company.

Yep I suppose, he knows I would been there if he shot that bull and needed help packing
Keep at it Dave

 

[Shrek]

Sounds like Montana should be a cake walk compared to Idaho. Seems that I can recall some nasty stuff in Montana though.

Where I'm at there is some nasty places but the whole place isn't nasty tough. I'll be able to see ! The Idaho jungle is claustrophobic at times.

 

[Shrek]

Just how much do I suck ? I'll tell you how much. I friked around getting out the door , stopped and talked to a friend and realize way too late I've killed 4 hours and still need to stop at the store. Get back to the trailhead and start loading all the little bs I hadn't loaded because it'd just take a moment and the next thing I know I don't have enough time to get back and get set up before dark. Not a big deal but the only reason to go in today was to get all set up and glass the evening. I have the alarm set for 4am and I'll be hiking in in the morning. Kind of aggravated at myself. I'm far from perfect for sure .

 

[Randle]

Oh the bald faced hornets aren't they wonderful little buggers. Not only do they annoy the whatever out of you flying in your face they hurt like no other.

 

[Roy68]

Shake it off and refocus. Good luck to you Shrek.

 

[Jason Snyder]

Oh the bald faced hornets aren't they wonderful little buggers. Not only do they annoy the whatever out of you flying in your face they hurt like no other.

Yep, they sure suck!

 

[Jason Snyder]

For guys working on a stair master thinking it will get you ready think again. It will build the big muscle groups but it doesn't build all the little muscles in your ankles for all the odd angles you will work your feet and ankles at on the mountain. It's only bothered me a little other mountains I've hunted but the mountains of north Idaho are brutal on ankles !

That's wisdom right there. Isn't it funny how many little tiny stabilizer muscles there are that can make you so darned sore?

 

[Shrek]

Shake it off and refocus. Good luck to you Shrek.

I'm fine. I subconsciously must not of wanted to hike in tonight or I would have made it happen. I have plenty of time and if I push myself when I'm not into it I'll just burn out and never want to do it again. I did that fishing and it ruined it forever. I rezeroed my rifle today after having it out of the stock to put it into my new stock which didn't fit. That's another story that needs to turn around before I loose my religion.