I'm home for a few hours (literally) before heading back up to chase elk. Cole and I had an exciting four days, but no shots. He did discover that dad does a lot of walking in the fall and shivering while waiting for game. He also discovered that elk hunting is not for the faint of heart or those with weak legs.
We had fun. Our camp was comfortable and well stocked. We saw lots of elk, except for one day and we even had a great bear adventure. One afternoon Cole, Gale and I climbed to a high rocky outcropping barely wider than an ATV and with steep drop-offs on all sides. It was the perfect location to look for elk.
While up there we spotted a sow and cub black bear about 500 yards away. A few minutes later it showed up in a small opening 100 yards away. A few minutes later it had us cornered on the rocky outcropping at 18 steps and we had no where to go except jump. None of us had parachutes either.
I tried to grab a quick photo, but the curious sow and cub retreated with speed leaving us breathing a bit easier.
Here's the elk update from Wyoming. We still saw herds numbering from 40 to 70, but I think they started to break down yesterday. The calling was more spread out and the temperatures were at freezing with snow in the air. I'm hoping the pre-rut is about to explode this week since I'll be hunting solo. An over-achieving young bull would be perfect for me.
Cole's first day at archery elk school.