As always great pictures ! I hope you get your elk.
Allan

Banks are so steep we needed a rope to climb it.





My son picked up a garter snake we found on the rivers edge.

It's been a while Still chasing elk. I harvested some deer meat which is always welcome. I did call in a herd bull and my son missed two shots. I've since asked him to change his last name back to his Mom's. Ha ha I told him all part of the hunt as long as you don't wound an animal. Five cows ran right into me as I estrous called to the bull. It's a deadly call as it made the bull come back for that second shot.

Still using the boat to hunt but the weather window is closing soon.

I hate using a scope for that very reason. Too easy for it to get bumped. I prefer open sights. Ive never shot at anything more than 100 yards though.

Hunting elk is like pulling teeth this year, except for the hurting part as I do enjoy the pursuit. Now I should make a qualification about hunting elk in Alberta. There are two kinds of elk, agriculture junkies and wild elk. The agricultural elk herds stage in close proximity to fields and raid crops from summer through the winter. They can add up to a big population. Wild elk are just that, deep in the bush. I don't hunt agricultural elk. I like the wild ones... but they are much more difficult to hunt in my opinion.

I used to hate hunting elk in October, but that's because I don't like sitting around. But over time I've forced myself to slow down this time of year and hunt smarter. When I get somewhere with fresh sign I'll sit and call for a while from a concealed position, and just wait and listen. When I say sit 30 minutes is about as long as I can handle unless there's some action.

Usually, like yesterday the elk doesn't call at all, or if it does it's subdued. I called this bull in twice yesterday in two different locations about 1/2 mile apart. First occasion I could hear it walking on the ridge line as I called. At about 75 yards I made it out but screened by spruce trees. I had the cross hairs on it as it stood facing me but no way to tell if legal. Had another chance as it turned and left but it looked to small and I don't shoot unless I know. My buddy and I followed tracks for 1/2 mile and set up again. Called for 10 minutes and poof all of a sudden spike bull standing at 50 yards broadside. It stood for 10 minutes as I made a few estrous calls and finally turned and walked away. Nice experience regardless.





Followed that up by finding truck with flat tire and skidding truck off road on slimy mud backroads. Survived it all!

So I'm still on the hunt for elk. We've had some real winter weather show up. Another heavy snow fall warning for tomorrow




I've come upon a couple nice mule deer bucks while pursuing elk. One was tending a herd of does.






I wasn't the only one out though...





as both a cougar and black bear were out in the snow. Heading back out in the morning.

Nice Mulelys Brian. Do you hunt those mountain lions. I hunted them down in Idaho one year for 45 days. What a good time and some of the best eating meat I've ever tasted. Watching those hounds work was something to behold. Pretty sure I'd be hunting them every year possible if they were in my area for predator control and table fare. Good luck and be safe out there this winter.

AK, Sure do agree with you on the quality of mountain lion meat. Lived in Idaho and hunted the Selway. Lion is top drawer in the pan.

AK. I have a cougar tag but without dogs it’s a long shot. Out local pulled a draw for a cougar hunt just last night but I didn’t win.

Those big mule deer keep tormenting me. Mule deer are on draw in most of Alberta but I have enough priority points to get drawn, looks like I should have pulled a tag.

Another big mule deer buck on the prowl.

My son and I did 50 miles on snowmobiles yesterday. Tracked some elk in the fresh snow and I got to put the crosshairs on a cow. But no bulls, just 4 cows. The deer were moving constantly and we'd see fresh tracks right over 15 minute old skidoo tracks. I spotted the rear end of a deer heading around the corner of the trail. When we came around the bend I saw it was a young whitetail buck moving through the willows. I grunted and he stood long enough for a shot. After which it bolted.

When we followed up there was only a small drop of blood where the buck stood. It took off with 12' leaps and was easy to follow in the snow. But no blood for over 150 yards until we came up on the buck piled up from a heart shot. Shows the importance of following up on every shot to the bitter end. This will be one tasty buck. i also shot a doe the night before so we have 3 deer in the freezer... but no elk yet!

I'm getting geared up to start trapping. We've had several weeks of -20 and lots of snow so the mountains should be ready. Lynx and wolf snaring opens Dec 1st also. I can't wait to get rolling.

Congratulations on the successful deer hunting trip, I agree that is what I'll shoot as my dad always called them camp meat deer, I wish you well on getting a elk we have a shoulder cow elk season in a few hunting district's .
Stay Safe out there !
Allan

Allan in Alberta we can start bow hunting Aug 25th to Sept 17th , rifle opener. Regular seasons run until Nov 30th but with special draw tags for elk until into January. There's not many places with as many species and seasons this long. We're lucky.


We shot the deer on a fellow trappers line. He's the third generation of his family to trap the same line. His grandpa used to ski and snowshoe about 75 miles to get there from the homestead. One of the original cabins

Wow is all I can say what a great looking area to trap and hunt in !
The grandfather reminds me of Fuller Laugerman who ran a trap line on snowshoes that many today wouldn't try with a long track snowmobile.
I still miss visiting with Fuller every convention that we both would attend he selling lure and me with snares. Sorry I'm not trying to hijack your post.
Allan

No problem Allan. This area is just about hunting for me. An associate traps here My line is not quite so easy to access. I will be able to show you some of it later this week as I’m heading out. I love talking with older folks who’ve spent their lives in the bush. But they’re disappearing while I’m heading to become one.

Those are some nice mulies ! I just came through your part of the world and couldn't believe the snow you guys have, more than twice as much as we have here at home. Beautiful country you live in. Good luck this winter Brian, one of these days were going to have to get together and have a visit.

What Dave you came through and didn't visit! Better stop next time!

Just had 6" more of snow but it seems to be over for now. Even better was the couple weeks of -20 to freeze the ground up.

I had a good day in the bush yesterday. I headed to some deep canyons and waded through deep snow to check out the ridges and terraces for elk.






I wasn't out very long before a very nice mule deer buck came out on a ridge. It was really checking me out but relaxed when I grunted a few times. I didn't have a camera but wasn't far from my gear so ran ( ok lurched quickly) back through deep snow and grabbed one. The buck had moved but I was still able to get a long camera shot of it that shows its potential.



I started working some poplar flats when I spotted a bull moose feeding. I grabbed my camera and slowly worked my way up on it. I grunted softly and bent over like I was feeding on willows. I got some decent video as I got up 30 yards on it. The bull checked me out several times but relaxed as I grunted my way up to it



I was just ambling along with the first bull when I notice it was walking right up onto a cow and another bull. The other moose were also cool with my presence but this much larger bull was never 100% comfortable and trotted off after 5 minutes, taking the other moose along. But it did let me get very close to it.




Later on in the day i spotted whitetail does, another small bull moose, and a very cool hawk owl, something I hardly ever see.




I'm down to 10 more days! *&^%$ ELK! haha