Shrek's big adventure

[Shrek]

Bigeasygator , I'm not disappointed and only a little frustrated. I knew this was going to be a learning trip from the start. I was getting frustrated with how to find elk with basically nothing to go on but in the area I'm in now I can see how it could work out. If I was in much better shape and little more cash to burn my confidence in actually killing an elk would be high. Both of those problems can be worked on and I will be much more prepared. By May of this year I had all but given up on going as my business was not doing well. I stopped working out hard and kind of wrote it off. At one point I had my tags in an addressed envelope ready to be returned for a refund. At the last minute my work picked up and four weeks later I had enough cash to go. If I had kept up the workouts I did in November to May I would be much better prepared. If I could've would've. All my fault and I will not make the same mistake twice.

 

[Xtorminator]

I've really enjoyed following this tread. The learning curve and input is great. Keep at it and good luck.

 

[Shrek]

Another piece of painfully learned advice is that if you are coming from a warm climate the your bag needs to be rated way lower than the actual temps you will encounter. I will have a top quality down bag from Western Mountaineering in 0º or -10º. If you can't sleep comfortably in your tent you will not last or be able to think clearly while hunting.
Doing it alone is great but having a partner to share it with would be much better in every way. From splitting travel cost , camp work , covering twice the country scouting , keeping each other focused , and just sharing the memories. For instance , one of you could be setting up the tent while the other collects fire wood for the stove. One could go for water while the other makes dinner. There is plenty of work to get done while camping and the work time away from hunting can be cut in two with a partner.

 

[Ross]

A lot of good things being posted by shrek to help the learning curve for those looking to undertake this adventure. Solid sleep and a compadre to help keep a positive mental attitude when the going gets tough goes a longgggggg ways. This ain't no tv hunt when you are DIY.....stay positive shrek you can create your opportunity and sometimes when you least expect it, so stay ready

 

[DeepMauka]

Another piece of painfully learned advice is that if you are coming from a warm climate the your bag needs to be rated way lower than the actual temps you will encounter. I will have a top quality down bag from Western Mountaineering in 0º or -10º. If you can't sleep comfortably in your tent you will not last or be able to think clearly while hunting.
Doing it alone is great but having a partner to share it with would be much better in every way. From splitting travel cost , camp work , covering twice the country scouting , keeping each other focused , and just sharing the memories. For instance , one of you could be setting up the tent while the other collects fire wood for the stove. One could go for water while the other makes dinner. There is plenty of work to get done while camping and the work time away from hunting can be cut in two with a partner.

Yeah, the cold will probably be my biggest problem. Where I live it is rare for it to drop into the 50's at night. Keep up the posts, and keep hunting hard!!

 

[Shrek]

Ross , I can easily see hiking down a closed road and stepping off a little ways to see a small depression or ridge shielded from the road and finding a legal bull. Seeing a bunch of game will really lift your spirit . Cold is my biggest De motivation right now. What guys who live in this area think of as a cool crisp day great for hunting I find cripplingly cold.

 

[colonel00]

How long did you plan to be away for this whole adventure? Seems like you have been on this for two weeks now.

 

[Shrek]

I'm staying for another week but I'm burning through cash fast and will have to cut the last week off most likely. It's just too cold for me in a tent at this point so I'm in a motel and burning gas back and forth. If it wasn't for that I would stay for two more weeks. A week alone in a tent would be fine but more than that is just not fun . I'm not here to make myself miserable so coming back to town and eating a meal and being around people is what it takes to keep me hunting right now. When the temps dropped down into the mid twenties at night I just couldn't get comfortable with the bag I have and feeding the stove all night is a pia. If you are out to prove how hard core you are then knock yourself out but I'm here to learn about elk and enjoy myself and maybe even kill one.

 

[rhendrix]

It only takes one...after all the hell I went through this year this has become my new mantra and it has helped me tremendously hunting whitetail. My biggest regret was coming home 6 days early, I wanted to see my sons first day of kindergarten and missed my family like crazy. But I'll never get those six days back.

 

[Trumpkin The Dwarf]

Hang in there! Eat and stay hydrated. I would be willing to bet you aren't getting the fluids you actually need. The first thing I forget to do when cold is to stay hydrated. Also, another two days of gaining all that elevation, followed by a day of rest, and you will be ready to go as far as needed. It is tough for you fellas who have never seen the cold like this. I absolutely love the cold, and feel it keeps me on my game as a hunter. It can happen in a heartbeat, stick with it till the bitter end, whenever that is.

 

[colonel00]

My biggest regret was coming home 6 days early,

I can't agree more. Just over a year ago we were up doing our first Haul Rd hunt for caribou. We let the weather and conditions get the best of us and packed it in early. Not a day goes by that I don't kick myself for giving up. It's one thing to be unsuccessful but it is most definitely another to quit before you have given it your best shot.

 

[jcodyc40]

Hang in there Shrek I think your trip has been a succuss already. Hopefully you will be able to put some icing on the cake with a couple of animals in the truck. Rhendrix your son will remember that you were there for him the rest of his life don't regret it, you made the right choice.

 

[Birddog]

Keep after it Shrek! I've been following your thread and it has been very good. You're probably about all full of advice, but here's just a bit more. Staying hydrated and fed has a physiologic impact on your head. It's extremely difficult to maintain positive attitude when you're running on a negative energy balance, and your electrolytes are screwed up. When I start getting negative on a longer hunt, I get some Wilderness Athlete and make a replacement drink and get some high quality groceries in me. That with a little bit of rest makes a huge difference in keeping you positive. I'm glad you're in the mountains rather than home working like a bunch of the rest of us. Epic trip you're on, kill or no kill. Congratulations on it. A ton of folks would've gone home to momma already!

 

[littlebuf]

Ross , I can easily see hiking down a closed road and stepping off a little ways to see a small depression or ridge shielded from the road and finding a legal bull. Seeing a bunch of game will really lift your spirit . Cold is my biggest De motivation right now. What guys who live in this area think of as a cool crisp day great for hunting I find cripplingly cold.

You flat landers crack me up seriously though at least your trying. Keep at it and good luck.

 

[Shrek]

Had a good day and caught a new fever. I glassed up a bunch of mulies and three bucks chasing. I'm in a draw area for mule deer so I can't pull the trigger . It got me thinking and a phone call has me moving tomorrow to an area where I can pull the trigger on a deer. It's a draw elk area so I'm quitting elk and going for mule deer now. Hunting rutting mule deer sounds like more fun to me now. I didn't see any elk today but I lost count of the mule deer. One of the chasing bucks was pretty good. 4x4 about 160 to 170 and the other two were small 3x3's. On the way out tonight I saw a true monster mulie. Saw him in the edge of my lights and I would bet the house he would blow past 200" gross . Body size made me think it was an elk at first but as he got clearer it was a giant mule deer. Of course he was on private land but only a couple of hundred yards from National forest land.

 

[Xtorminator]

Now we have to get this thread moved to the mule deer forum lol. Good luck and keep after it.

 

[Jon Boy]

I used to do that all the time shrek, when the elk hunting got tough, Id go kill deer. Nothing wrong with it and I think ull find it a nice break. If you strike out with your deer tag and make your way back to billings on your way home, contact me and we'll get you a deer.

 

[crumy]

You know what is going to happen right? You are going to start seeing moose. Good Luck on your adventure.

 

[Shrek]

I think I'm heading for area 704 in eastern Montana. As I read the regs it's a brown is down area. Thats fine by me as Shrek only eats venison at home and there is only about 10lbs left from last year. Anyone know if there is a general tag elk area close to 704 ?

 

[Jon Boy]

I think I'm heading for area 704 in eastern Montana. As I read the regs it's a brown is down area. Thats fine by me as Shrek only eats venison at home and there is only about 10lbs left from last year. Anyone know if there is a general tag elk area close to 704 ?

The whole eastern half of the state Is mostly draw only for bulls that I know of. 520 is the closest area I can think of that that holds a good amount of elk close to 704 that isn't entirely draw only