Shrek's big adventure

[Olydog09]

Good luck Shrek and have fun.

 

[HellsCanyon]

Oh , and one complete fail. I have a 25º primaloft quilt from enlightened equipment. When my Marmot bag wasn't getting it done I went to the truck and got the quilt. Ten minutes later my feet were frozen ! Lasted thirty minutes before I gave up and got the marmot back.

Get in your quilt first then get inside the sleeping bag... or vice versa
Sounds like you're gettin broke in good! Have fun and good luck!

Mike

 

[Shrek]

Back in town for a minute. Sleeping bag was much better last night without the bivy compressing it. I don't think it would be comfortable below 30º but it was fine down to 37º in the tent last night. I didn't see or hear elk last night or this morning so I'm moving to a different area. I'm going to walk along a road between to cuts and see if I can locate some tonight. I'll do it again in the morning. Going to move camp to be closer to this new area. Five cuts separated by timber in the area on both sides of the Mountain. I've been assured that the elk are there in the drainage it's just a matter of finding where.
Weather has been gorgeous ! Mid thirties at night and 50's to low 60's for highs.

 

[Ironman8]

Shrek,

If your legs are getting cold in the bag, try pulling your hardshell (top) over the foot end of your bag (and try to seal up the hardshell as much as possible)...should help keep the heat in and hopefully not compress the bag.

Good Luck!

 

[hobbes]

Maybe your aware of it, but you're going to see a drastic change in weather starting Sunday...............Snow and Cold.

 

[Sam Millard]

Changes...they are a comin'!

 

[jjenness]

Be careful out there, Sunday and Monday look like they are shaping up to be pretty nasty.

 

[Highcountry_Hellrazor]

Good luck out there!! Put that quilt over your bag, and stayed committed!! You've got 365 days to think about everything so don't give up!

 

[MOcluck]

Good luck hunt hard and enjoy the adventure.

 

[Trumpkin The Dwarf]

Are you planning to shoot the first legal elk ya see? (I would in NW Montana...) It sounds like you went right through my town (Missoula). The logging roads are rather strange at first. I prefer long ridges and open basins, like you see north of yellowstone. Good luck and stay safe!

 

[Shrek]

Had a good day. Heard elk at dawn and put them to bed and tonight I heard them get up at dark right where I put the to bed. Big confidence boost. No bugles or grunts but there should be a bull around. I also spotted two moose this morning. Looked like a 38"to 40" 7×7 and the other was missing one antler . I only saw the one missing an antlers back end but the guy I talked to told me about his head gear.
There is no thought of quitting but the bag situation sucks. I have the quilt over the bag and that did it last nignt but it's supposed to get real cold Sunday and if the bags can't keep me warm I may dart into town and get a room for the worst of it. It would be great if I was heading to town to process an elk . Next year I will have a western mountaineering Kodiak and be done with it.
You know why you see guys posting pic after pic of the stove burning ? Because they are awesome ! I call it Kifaruvision , I stare at it and instead of flipping channels I flip another piece of wood on it . The marmot flathead bag I got from stp is a 45º comfort bad at best and I haven't tried the quilt along after ditching the bivy.

 

[Shrek]

Just as I finished my last post the wolves started to howl. It's why the elk talk so little around here . They sounded a bit south of me and not on the elk I plan to hunt but... If I had my way wolves would go the way of the dinosaur. I would shoot the last one on earth and be proud of it.

 

[HellsCanyon]

So is your season open yet???

Mike

 

[Darren Best]

Elk in western Montana opened today.

 

[Shrek]

I hunted this morning from before dawn until about 2pm and didn't see or hear an elk . Mostly my fault I believe . The GIF got the better of me and I blew my hunt from the get go. I had put elk to bed in this basin and then made a plan . This is where it went down hill. I had found a great camping spot on the top of the Mountain above it and decided I could just leave off the top by hiking down the ridge that runs to the next peak a little ways then drop down on the edge of the bench I had put them to bed on and heard them come off of. Wind was maginal at best for this when I went to bed but was all wrong when I awoke. Did it anyway. This is the start of a long armed hike not a hunt. If you are not hunting the wind then you aren't hunting. Second problem was that the drop from the ridge to the benches was more challenging than anticipated and end with me a rock slide to get down. 1 to 2 foot rocks . Not small enough for my boot to bridge but not large enough to be good footing. Made lots of noise. Finaly get to the bench and it has a brush understory. A previous great idea comes into play here. I had purchased non hunting performance hiking pants. They are really nice to hike in but are LOUD in the brush ! So are the OR gaiters I have. I pretty much stunk it up about every way I could. In spite of this I did jump a bull moose at about 25 yards. He ran about 20 vards then stopped and truned back towards me. We stared at each other for about a minute before he stomped off. Tired , cold , and feeling down I decided to glass this evening and then come to town and get a room . It's really discouraging to hike along a game trail and there's wolf trak on top of wolf trak on top oplatef bear traks. Saw a paw print the size of a dinner ļ

 

[tstowater]

Sounds like you are learning. Wind is kind of important. A rifle gives you some leeway, but not always enough. Watch the GIF, will get you everytime.

 

[ScottR_EHJ]

Don't let the predator tracks discourage you. Wolves cover a LOT of territory, and don't necessarily push elk out of an area on one stalk.

Give that area a break and go back in a few days, elk have patterns when not in the rut.

 

[Shrek]

I know better than to try and hunt down wind and that's what kills me about what I did. I should have gone around to the bottom and hunted up or side hilled in. I could have waited for the wind to switch later in the morning . It's like I took two stipid pills. Came into town to get some things and some solid rest. After 4 days and three nights in the tent I needed a break. It is supposed to rain today then get cold . Looking forward to the cold thinking it might get the elk moving around more. I've heard them and smelled them but I have not laid eyes on one yet.

 

[gelton]

Try throwing some hand warmers in the bag with you. My Marmot has a pouch at the bottom of the bag designed to hold a hand warmer. Makes a big difference. I was out during 1st season and got two feet of snow over three days and zero degree temperatures on one morning. My 15 degree didn't out-perform but I survived just fine.

 

[InDeep]

Good luck and keep at it !!