WrongHanded
Member
- Joined
- Jul 6, 2017
- Messages
- 4,771
I got everything for the weekend done on Saturday, so that I could head up to RMNP on Sunday and get in before sunrise. I didn't quite make it.
But I was close!
There was a little nip to the air but nothing unpleasant. I spent some time watching Elk on the far side of that first meadow. A bull had a group of cows with him out on the edge of the treeline, warming up in the sun. But from the bugling, he had some competition off to the left.
It was a beautiful day.
I took my time rolling through and stopped at a few spots.
It seemed like everywhere I would stop I'd see and hear Elk. Unfortunately, the camera on my phone is not nearly as good as my 10x42 Monarch 7s, so I didn't get many good pictures of them. Just some good views.
I did figure out how to take shots through one side of my binoculars, but it's not easy. This big fella here is one I saw later on, farther to the right below that ridge.
He was making some good noise, as were a couple other bulls off to the right, and one to the left who was desperately trying to get it on with one cow who'd strayed a little too far from the herd. He did everything but play Barry White for her, and she was having none of it!
There were some Mule bucks hanging out a little farther down the road, though they weren't up to much and the pics aren't that good.
I tried to drive around to Moraine Park, but apparently a reservation is needed to access that area of the park. Which I did not have. So I headed back around to that herd and went up a potholed little road to a picnic area.
I'd head across the meadow from here, hit that tree covered ridge and quietly walk it back to the left/East and the herd.
It was 10am somewhere East of here. So off I went. Crossing a stream in the meadow and getting into the trees, I found a trail. Checked the map (for the first time), and crossed that too up the ridge. I promptly found some Black Bear tracks, but they were fairly old, faint, and disappeared pretty quickly amid all the Elk tracks.
I bumped a couple cows early on so I slowed way down and started Still hunting my way up and along the ridge. I saw a number of Elk whilst I was up there looking down through the trees and blow down, but the photos really aren't that great. There was one lone bull that hung out for quite a while making noise before he finally decided to move West following that group from earlier (who based on the bugling we're heading into the forest to laze around through the midday "heat").
I took two guns. My G33 was in my pack, mostly because I didn't want to leave it in the vehicle. But in a Safepacker on the pack belt was my SBH Bisley conversion .44 mag, with 300gr WFN hardcast.
Probably enough for anything wandering around out there. Not much Moose in that area of the park, which is why I had wanted to hit Moraine instead.
As I could hear all the bugles were moving West below me as I was moving East, and running out of ridgeline, I started dropping down toward the meadow. Where I found a straggling bull, who bugled occasionally, but largely seemed to have accepted that this was not his year. He was pretty busy browsing along, so I sat and watch him. He was steadily moving in my direction at a slow pace. When he got within about 20 yards and it became apparent he either didn't know I was there, or simply didn't care, I stood up and started moving off, at which point he change course but appeared fairly uninterested.
I hit the trail I had crossed earlier and walked up it. When I saw one of those giant grey squirrels with the tufted ears I tried to get a pic through my binoculars, but it just would not sit still. It didn't seem to care about my presence in the slightest, but was not going to pose.
I relocated the group with the large bull. They were all relaxing in the shade.
And also located another lone bull a little ways on, which would have made a decent shot except I couldn't get the focus right (the tree branches between me and him were in sharp focus however). He was certainly more alert than the others had been, but was also the closest to the trail.
And I made one last attempt to get some scenery through the binoculars.
I may just have to buy a real camera at some point.
Anyway, lots of Elk and a good chance to practice Still hunting (even if those animals don't really care about people being around). I heard atleast 6 bulls bugling today, and based on location and calls, believe I got eyes on atleast 4 (possibly 5) of them.
But I was close!
There was a little nip to the air but nothing unpleasant. I spent some time watching Elk on the far side of that first meadow. A bull had a group of cows with him out on the edge of the treeline, warming up in the sun. But from the bugling, he had some competition off to the left.
It was a beautiful day.
I took my time rolling through and stopped at a few spots.
It seemed like everywhere I would stop I'd see and hear Elk. Unfortunately, the camera on my phone is not nearly as good as my 10x42 Monarch 7s, so I didn't get many good pictures of them. Just some good views.
I did figure out how to take shots through one side of my binoculars, but it's not easy. This big fella here is one I saw later on, farther to the right below that ridge.
He was making some good noise, as were a couple other bulls off to the right, and one to the left who was desperately trying to get it on with one cow who'd strayed a little too far from the herd. He did everything but play Barry White for her, and she was having none of it!
There were some Mule bucks hanging out a little farther down the road, though they weren't up to much and the pics aren't that good.
I tried to drive around to Moraine Park, but apparently a reservation is needed to access that area of the park. Which I did not have. So I headed back around to that herd and went up a potholed little road to a picnic area.
I'd head across the meadow from here, hit that tree covered ridge and quietly walk it back to the left/East and the herd.
It was 10am somewhere East of here. So off I went. Crossing a stream in the meadow and getting into the trees, I found a trail. Checked the map (for the first time), and crossed that too up the ridge. I promptly found some Black Bear tracks, but they were fairly old, faint, and disappeared pretty quickly amid all the Elk tracks.
I bumped a couple cows early on so I slowed way down and started Still hunting my way up and along the ridge. I saw a number of Elk whilst I was up there looking down through the trees and blow down, but the photos really aren't that great. There was one lone bull that hung out for quite a while making noise before he finally decided to move West following that group from earlier (who based on the bugling we're heading into the forest to laze around through the midday "heat").
I took two guns. My G33 was in my pack, mostly because I didn't want to leave it in the vehicle. But in a Safepacker on the pack belt was my SBH Bisley conversion .44 mag, with 300gr WFN hardcast.
Probably enough for anything wandering around out there. Not much Moose in that area of the park, which is why I had wanted to hit Moraine instead.
As I could hear all the bugles were moving West below me as I was moving East, and running out of ridgeline, I started dropping down toward the meadow. Where I found a straggling bull, who bugled occasionally, but largely seemed to have accepted that this was not his year. He was pretty busy browsing along, so I sat and watch him. He was steadily moving in my direction at a slow pace. When he got within about 20 yards and it became apparent he either didn't know I was there, or simply didn't care, I stood up and started moving off, at which point he change course but appeared fairly uninterested.
I hit the trail I had crossed earlier and walked up it. When I saw one of those giant grey squirrels with the tufted ears I tried to get a pic through my binoculars, but it just would not sit still. It didn't seem to care about my presence in the slightest, but was not going to pose.
I relocated the group with the large bull. They were all relaxing in the shade.
And also located another lone bull a little ways on, which would have made a decent shot except I couldn't get the focus right (the tree branches between me and him were in sharp focus however). He was certainly more alert than the others had been, but was also the closest to the trail.
And I made one last attempt to get some scenery through the binoculars.
I may just have to buy a real camera at some point.
Anyway, lots of Elk and a good chance to practice Still hunting (even if those animals don't really care about people being around). I heard atleast 6 bulls bugling today, and based on location and calls, believe I got eyes on atleast 4 (possibly 5) of them.
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