Decided to give the "BIGGUN" one more try this morning since he was hanging close to the road and I don't have to ride a bike 3 or 4 miles. Going in, I hear some cow calls and bugles and decided to jump in and play with them. I could hear the bull rubbing some trees off and on as I was moving in. It was foggy so, since they were close to an old road I hit it. Got in and had a cow bust me and run, looked to my left and saw horns move. It was a 16 inch spike staring at me. He ended up barking at me 3 times so I hit him with a cow call hoping the herd wouldn't bust. He wondered off and I moved closer and spotted 4 cows on the go and jumped behind them breaking some limbs on the way so I sounded like an elk. Spotted them on the go again and right behind them about 50yds was the "BIGGUN", a monster 5x5! Played cat and mouse with them for about 3/4 of a mile. Saw the cows once more as well as got the spike about 40yds one more time and then I broke off. They were getting ahead of me too far. I tried a few more cow calls and some chuckles with no joy. Now that I pushed them pretty hard and the area gets hunted a lot, I 'm done with them. Gonna eat breakfast and take a nap, then It's back to my normal spots.

I hunted with my buddy Russ last night. He's my long time Coastie buddy of 24yrs. He retired here in Astoria. The area we hunt is 3pt bull or better OR cow. Lucky for one ole gal we weren't meat hunting. We were high in the timber at 5:15pm when she came strolling by at 12yds. Anyway, he and I are off to our shortcut trail this morning. We take a shortcut through some timber and come out at the 7 mile marker on a logging road. Always fun when you see another hunter there and know he rode his bike 7 miles and you rode one, haha. On a side note we're under attack from the heat, forecast 82 today and 85 tomorrow. If we kill one we'll have to bust ass to get it out before it spoils.

Russ had an infected toe so, I went to one of my honey holes... Walking in I figured I better get my bow off the pack, just in case. Sure enough, 2 turns later there's 2 dinky bulls in the road about 50yds away. I let them go into the timber and headed on down to here


As soon as I got here< I heard some limbs break and spotted a big spike at 115yds, followed by another spike. Stood there watching and heard a limb break to my right, it was a 4x3, not much to him so, instead of making a play on him, I shot him with the camera. I found out this cam don't focus well. His head is just above the arrows to the right of the big tree.


Out of the woods now, getting into the 80's today and didn't want to have to hustle to keep any meat from spoiling if I got lucky.

Man that is some beautiful country. Thanks for the updates. Hopefully you will get a shot. Keep the pics coming

Enjoyed reading it. Keep the stories coming. Good luck!

Last couple days I just hunted some easy to get to spots while the weekend warriors were out. Had a coastie buddy changing pants when 3 bears walked out on him. I've just been seeing deer. The Campbell Group sponsors a make a wish hunt every year and those guys ride around in trucks so, I think the elk are a little spooked. Hoping the kid kills a biggun soon and things get back to normal. Last years hunter was a girl from South Cakalacki and she killed a stud.

Things are SLOW... Everyone I've spoken with is in the same boat. Hopefully the rut kicks into full swing during the next week. Been dealing with misty rain and fog. Here's a pic I took today, they just clear-cut this place in the spring. I guess one of the guys got bored.

GOOD SHELTER FROM A DOWN POUR

Me and my buddy decided to bike in to one of our honey holes and hang out all day on Wednesday. We have a lil dim road we bike through the timber on and we pop out at the 7.5 mile marker on another road. As soon as we cleared the timber there were elk tracks everywhere. We snooped around and then headed in 4 or 5 more miles. We did some set-ups and calling with no joy. I traveled light as far as water goes knowing I could get water while back there in a few places if needed. Well, here's the filter installed on my camel-bak gravity feeding the bottle from my bike. It's nice knowing you can use this and prevent the miserable feeling giardia can give you.


At 6pm we headed back down to this spot with a view of saddle mountain to get out last ditch game plan together


While talking, we were glassing distant cuts hoping to at least find one elk for the day. I glassed the clear cut centered in the photo below and found a bull just inside the shadows.

We talked, jumped on the bikes and hauled butt. After getting there, we took the worst possible route to where we saw the bull due to darkness coming in an hour. We had to sneak up a hill which put us below the bulls and couldn't see anything. After a couple minutes, I noticed the very tips of a bulls horns poking up from behind a stump. Looked around a bit more and noticed the right side of a bulls rack poking out from behind another stump. Russ grabbed the decoy and set up below me about 35yds and began calling. It took about 20 minutes to get these bulls to just stand up from there beds. The one on the left, a 3x3, on the right, a descent 5x5. The %x5 decided to sneak around to the timber so, I hit him with some calls as well. He went around trying to wind us I think. The 3x3 on the other hand, decided to step towards us. He was a really young bull and pretty much a dink. He eventually covered a couple hundred yards and had an angle down the hill to see the decoy. He stood 30yds from me quartering towards. He stared the deek down long enough for my buddy to video him for 6 minutes. The lil dude then walked past me at 20yds and over to the timber. We never saw the 5x5 again. Got out of the woods to discover that the timber company had CLOSED ALL TIMBER LANDS TO PUBLIC ENTRY, smh... Anyway, gotta couple dinky private sections I can hunt, so, I hope one of them can pay off. I will be in meat hunting mode when I hunt again!

Good hunt, that old bull sounds like a smart one! Good luck and keep the posts coming!

Well, with the timber lands shut down to fire danger, hunting is sucking. Traveled over to some state land y'day to scout a little and do an evening hunt. First area I get to there's a camp set up right where you would not want to camp. Right on top of where the elk would be. I decided to sneak a dead end road in a clear cut the last hour of daylight. The plan was get to the timber by 7pm, jump in and call. I eased up the road (all uphill) and get to the timber line, another camp, smdh! Oh well, gotta get another plan. The forecasted rain has diminished and without that, the land will stay closed. Next week shows some rain so, hoping for the last weekend to open up. If so, I'll be sleeping in there even though it's a no-no. I'm about to go meat hunting mode instead of bull mode, need the freezer full and if a cow gets too close, I may put it on her.

Only a couple quick hitter hunts this week since the land I prefer is still shut down. Me and by buddy hiked up to the 1500ft mark and instantly had a young bull and 5 cows on us. Played around with them and made him bugle one time. Went to head out and I spotted a lone cow in a clear cut. We watched her feed up the hill into the reprod without seeing another elk. Gonna get in there tomorrow and give it a go. Rains coming in Tuesday so, hopefully the land opens up Wednesday afternoon and I can pound it until Sunday (the last day)
Here’s a rub that’s not on a huge tree but, goes up to at least the 8 ½ ft mark off the ground


Found a bear's little spot, guess he don't like trees

cool, hope your area opens up and you kill a biggun

I don't think I have posted in your thread yet, but I have enjoyed reading it all and look forward to your updates.

Same here, I enjoy reading and seeing your hunts.

Well, we humped into some steep stuff y'day. Busted through the top of the timber and hit some blocked off logging roads to glass. Great views. Right off the bat we spotted a cow. Too thick to see any other elk and it was early so, I left Russ and crept around the corner to see an elk butt. Ended up 2 cows and a spike. We piddled around up top all day not wanting to drop off to where we saw the cow until late. Here's some of the views






At 2pm Russ spotted the bull where we had seen the 1st cow. He was a raghorn 5pt and the wind was swirling pretty bad. Goin after him would pull us off the tops and pretty much end our hunt up high so, we decided to stay put since we had found this


an we knew he didn't do it. We were hoping the guy that tore this tree up would slip up and bugle one time but, he stayed quiet. A little later we spotted a cow down there with the 5x5. She's in the clearing here kinda in the middle


We decided that the wind was killer and that the tree line they were on was our way to the bottom so, we would hit them on the way out. Well, after the elk had stayed there ALL day, we were starting to gather our stuff and head that way and noticed them leaving in the WRONG direction. We eventually hit the timber and did some calling but, we didn't want to push them out so, we crept on down the hill to the truck and called it a day. My bad knee is feeling it today lol but, I'll push until it's over. Pretty fun day with my long time friend though.

WHOO-HOO, rained this morning and more coming. The timber land opens back up tomorrow. I'll have 5 days in familiar territory to try to make it happen. No biggie if I don't get one as long as I'm seeing a few and getting to chase them.

Took a physical beating y'day. I saw 17 elk on a far hill and made my way across to watch them leave a cut for the timber. I went on and hunted my normal spots and saw nothing. After that I went to the very top of the hill above where the elk had entered the timber. The winds went from probably 10mph to about 40mph once on top. I started thinking the elk would prolly leave the timber and enter the old growth clear cut below. Sure enough, at 2pm I spotted them, I knew a big 5x5 was in the group but also found a satellite bull off to the side, a small 4x4. While thinking of how to make the play, I spotted another bull, a descent 5x4. The winds were wrong to make a play from the top so I make a 4 mile loop on the bike to get below them. Once I made my way uphill to where the elk were I spotted the 5x5 out in front of me about 45-50yds with no shot. He bugled a few times and walked right, I came to the clearing and saw nothing. I cow called, the herd busted and I called some more. The bull was now down and right with a cow from the sounds but, I never saw him again. I ended the day with right at 17 miles on my legs between hiking/biking so, today I'm sore and just did a quick hitter today with nothing seen. Poppin the motrin, napping and getting ready for next time. Only 3 days left.

Stay after 'em! Hope you can put it all together.