PSA: this is kind of a long write up 
Joined my brother in Utah this past weekend for his muzzy cow elk hunt. Was fairly tough hunting due to the high number of hunters and other recreation going on in the unit. Also, these elk have been hunted for the last 2 months and were super wary. The snow helped a bunch.
Day 1, Friday. We met in town, had a coffee and looked at the map. He showed me where he wanted to go and some other areas to consider. Then we topped up with gas and headed up the mountain. We did a little look around then found a place to set up the wall tent. There was still some daylight so we grabbed the glass and headed up the hill to a saddle where we could glass. Beautiful country but we werenāt seeing elk. We did turn up a bear which was unexpected and cool.
Day 2, opening day. We drove back to the same place and watched the sun come up. Still no elk. Decided the best thing would be to just drive and glass from high spots until we turn something up. We covered a bunch of ground and saw nothing but hunters. So that afternoon we drove around to the east side of the unit where my brother had been in the past. We did the same, drive and glass, go for a little hike, glass. On the way back we stopped and I found the first elk, a group of 12 or so way out there, at least 2 miles as the crow flies and too far to go after them late in the day. We left them to their devices and worked back to camp.
Day 3, Sunday. Woke up to a couple inches of fresh snow. Went back up to the saddle to glass and couldnāt find hide nor hair. Decided to hike down a trail that took off from there and try to cut tracks in the trees. We went about a mile with nothing to show for it. Turned around and about halfway back, peeled off the trail to walk out a finger ridge to try and get a different look at the country. We went about half a mile to where the trees ended and glassed up some deer but no elk.
At this point we were feeling a bit sorry for ourselves. All this amazing habitat and not an elk to be had. We had just been discussing what to do and that our fortunes could change in an instant, when my brother says āelkā! Across the canyon and above us were 5 of them, in a very huntable spot. We made a quick plan, memorized some land marks and took off down through the trees, got to the bottom, had a quick drink and snack then up the other side. Just as we started climbing a BOOM echoed down the canyon, dang it, someone else was on those elk.
We decided to keep going up, see if they were successful and where the elk went, maybe we could catch up. When we got up to where they had been, we saw the other hunter and his buddy. He did indeed shoot but missed. He said he wasnāt going any deeper and if we wanted to go after them, go for it. We thanked him and then parted ways with a hearty good luck!
The elk had gone up and over a little saddle and then down the other side. The tracks were easy to follow in the snow and we thought we could catch up, ha ha, wishful thinking. About halfway down to the bottom, I looked across the canyon and there they were, locked onto us. Well, so much for that. They werenāt spooked just on alert so we backed out and left them, figuring they might stay in the area.
I was feeling a bit pooped and so we stopped for a snack and built a small fire to warm up. After a half hour or so, it was back up the hill to work our way back to the truck, a couple miles away. About halfway to there, weāre looking off the ridge and he says, āelk, bedded right there in the aspensā. Sure enough, 3 cows were bedded down in the sun. We made a plan and he went after them. I headed back to the truck to let his dog out as she had been in there for a while. Just before I got to the truck I hear a BOOM! Dang, no phone service. I get to the truck and head back to camp where thereās service and send a āDid you shoot?ā message to his InReach. A few minutes later the reply comes back āNoā. Dang it. I head back up to meet and get the story.
He got down into the zone and as he made the approach to where they were, they bolted. Not sure what happened but he thinks the swirling wind blew them out. The shot must have been the other hunters that we saw, unloading his gun.
By this time, I was completely gassed and not feeling well. Probably a combination of not enough calories and hydration, the elevation and lack of good sleep. We called it early and got back to camp in the daylight. Time for a big dinner, a roaring campfire and early to bed.
Day 4, Monday. Woke to a beautiful clear but cold morning. Sticking to the routine, on our way up to the saddle to glass, we cut tracks crossing the road above camp. They must have come the in the night sometime. Keeping them in mind, we glassed from saddle seeing no elk but did turn up a bull moose, a first for the both of us in the lower 48.
We decided to drive the ridge road and see if those elk would play nice. No luck. We did stop and help some other hunters whose SxS broke down. We towed their machine to the blacktop then gave them a ride to their camp. Super nice guys, they were very thankful for the assist.
Time to get back to hunting. We drove to another trailhead and hiked back into where the group of 5 had been. It was an easy hike and we came across some bear tracks in the snow, a sow and cub, cool! A quick snack and some strategizing, then on up the hill to where we thought the elk might be.
Just before topping the ridge, we stopped to discuss what to do, seeing no sigh whatsoever. Just like that, our fortunes turned. A cow steps out of the trees straight across from us, maybe 150 yards away. Then several more. 5 cows and spike bull! They are feeding parallel to us but too far to shoot. So we slowly back out, get out of sight and boogie up through the trees to try any cut them off.
We cover 150 yards or so and my brother drops his pack to make the final stalk, I stay back to reduce movement and noise. A few minutes later a BOOM rolls down through the trees! 30 seconds later another BOOM and a hearty āye haw!ā follows it! I grab his gear and walk up there and heās coming back to me with a huge grin.
āDone deal?ā
āYep, done deal.ā
He had made his way up to a big dead tree and the elk came feeding from his left and across in front of him at 50 yards. This cow was out front and the others behind her a bit, so when she cleared some trees and brush, he shot. Bullet hit a bit high and forward on the shoulder and she dropped in her tracks. The second shot was a coup de grace. Was 3:30 in the afternoon.
We took a few pictures then got to work. Hung the hinds to pack out the next day and took the rest out that night. Pack out was about 2.5 miles, not super hard but not easy either, it was 9 pm when we got to camp, a bit cold and hungry but very happy to have beaten the odds!
Day 5, Was a later start to the day, but we got up and at em to get the rest of the meat packed out. The weather had taken a turn and it snowed pretty much the whole time. By the time we got back to camp it snowing for real so it was time to get out of there. A quick tear down and out off the mountain we came. There was about 6ā of snow on the road and visibility sucked but we made back to town with issues.
Both of us needed to get home so we stopped for a pizza, a large combo which we demolished, then hit the road, him back to Nevada and me back to Washington.
Was a great trip and Iām glad I could come help out the best hunting partner a guy could ask for!
Joined my brother in Utah this past weekend for his muzzy cow elk hunt. Was fairly tough hunting due to the high number of hunters and other recreation going on in the unit. Also, these elk have been hunted for the last 2 months and were super wary. The snow helped a bunch.
Day 1, Friday. We met in town, had a coffee and looked at the map. He showed me where he wanted to go and some other areas to consider. Then we topped up with gas and headed up the mountain. We did a little look around then found a place to set up the wall tent. There was still some daylight so we grabbed the glass and headed up the hill to a saddle where we could glass. Beautiful country but we werenāt seeing elk. We did turn up a bear which was unexpected and cool.
Day 2, opening day. We drove back to the same place and watched the sun come up. Still no elk. Decided the best thing would be to just drive and glass from high spots until we turn something up. We covered a bunch of ground and saw nothing but hunters. So that afternoon we drove around to the east side of the unit where my brother had been in the past. We did the same, drive and glass, go for a little hike, glass. On the way back we stopped and I found the first elk, a group of 12 or so way out there, at least 2 miles as the crow flies and too far to go after them late in the day. We left them to their devices and worked back to camp.
Day 3, Sunday. Woke up to a couple inches of fresh snow. Went back up to the saddle to glass and couldnāt find hide nor hair. Decided to hike down a trail that took off from there and try to cut tracks in the trees. We went about a mile with nothing to show for it. Turned around and about halfway back, peeled off the trail to walk out a finger ridge to try and get a different look at the country. We went about half a mile to where the trees ended and glassed up some deer but no elk.
At this point we were feeling a bit sorry for ourselves. All this amazing habitat and not an elk to be had. We had just been discussing what to do and that our fortunes could change in an instant, when my brother says āelkā! Across the canyon and above us were 5 of them, in a very huntable spot. We made a quick plan, memorized some land marks and took off down through the trees, got to the bottom, had a quick drink and snack then up the other side. Just as we started climbing a BOOM echoed down the canyon, dang it, someone else was on those elk.
We decided to keep going up, see if they were successful and where the elk went, maybe we could catch up. When we got up to where they had been, we saw the other hunter and his buddy. He did indeed shoot but missed. He said he wasnāt going any deeper and if we wanted to go after them, go for it. We thanked him and then parted ways with a hearty good luck!
The elk had gone up and over a little saddle and then down the other side. The tracks were easy to follow in the snow and we thought we could catch up, ha ha, wishful thinking. About halfway down to the bottom, I looked across the canyon and there they were, locked onto us. Well, so much for that. They werenāt spooked just on alert so we backed out and left them, figuring they might stay in the area.
I was feeling a bit pooped and so we stopped for a snack and built a small fire to warm up. After a half hour or so, it was back up the hill to work our way back to the truck, a couple miles away. About halfway to there, weāre looking off the ridge and he says, āelk, bedded right there in the aspensā. Sure enough, 3 cows were bedded down in the sun. We made a plan and he went after them. I headed back to the truck to let his dog out as she had been in there for a while. Just before I got to the truck I hear a BOOM! Dang, no phone service. I get to the truck and head back to camp where thereās service and send a āDid you shoot?ā message to his InReach. A few minutes later the reply comes back āNoā. Dang it. I head back up to meet and get the story.
He got down into the zone and as he made the approach to where they were, they bolted. Not sure what happened but he thinks the swirling wind blew them out. The shot must have been the other hunters that we saw, unloading his gun.
By this time, I was completely gassed and not feeling well. Probably a combination of not enough calories and hydration, the elevation and lack of good sleep. We called it early and got back to camp in the daylight. Time for a big dinner, a roaring campfire and early to bed.
Day 4, Monday. Woke to a beautiful clear but cold morning. Sticking to the routine, on our way up to the saddle to glass, we cut tracks crossing the road above camp. They must have come the in the night sometime. Keeping them in mind, we glassed from saddle seeing no elk but did turn up a bull moose, a first for the both of us in the lower 48.
We decided to drive the ridge road and see if those elk would play nice. No luck. We did stop and help some other hunters whose SxS broke down. We towed their machine to the blacktop then gave them a ride to their camp. Super nice guys, they were very thankful for the assist.
Time to get back to hunting. We drove to another trailhead and hiked back into where the group of 5 had been. It was an easy hike and we came across some bear tracks in the snow, a sow and cub, cool! A quick snack and some strategizing, then on up the hill to where we thought the elk might be.
Just before topping the ridge, we stopped to discuss what to do, seeing no sigh whatsoever. Just like that, our fortunes turned. A cow steps out of the trees straight across from us, maybe 150 yards away. Then several more. 5 cows and spike bull! They are feeding parallel to us but too far to shoot. So we slowly back out, get out of sight and boogie up through the trees to try any cut them off.
We cover 150 yards or so and my brother drops his pack to make the final stalk, I stay back to reduce movement and noise. A few minutes later a BOOM rolls down through the trees! 30 seconds later another BOOM and a hearty āye haw!ā follows it! I grab his gear and walk up there and heās coming back to me with a huge grin.
āDone deal?ā
āYep, done deal.ā
He had made his way up to a big dead tree and the elk came feeding from his left and across in front of him at 50 yards. This cow was out front and the others behind her a bit, so when she cleared some trees and brush, he shot. Bullet hit a bit high and forward on the shoulder and she dropped in her tracks. The second shot was a coup de grace. Was 3:30 in the afternoon.
We took a few pictures then got to work. Hung the hinds to pack out the next day and took the rest out that night. Pack out was about 2.5 miles, not super hard but not easy either, it was 9 pm when we got to camp, a bit cold and hungry but very happy to have beaten the odds!
Day 5, Was a later start to the day, but we got up and at em to get the rest of the meat packed out. The weather had taken a turn and it snowed pretty much the whole time. By the time we got back to camp it snowing for real so it was time to get out of there. A quick tear down and out off the mountain we came. There was about 6ā of snow on the road and visibility sucked but we made back to town with issues.
Both of us needed to get home so we stopped for a pizza, a large combo which we demolished, then hit the road, him back to Nevada and me back to Washington.
Was a great trip and Iām glad I could come help out the best hunting partner a guy could ask for!
