Started off when I verified elk into different fields I'm headed in now behind the place I don't have permission to hunt but I got permission to hunt all the way around it. Hiking off the highway the grass is over my waist and full of dew and now I'm soaked. The Big 5 was in the group so, just a matter how close I can get and can I pull them off that land and is he big enough

good luck!

Good luck!

Hope you get a shot.

Trying to pull elk off some private property, nothing yet. In a positive note, in my rush to get off the pavement , I left my dang rangefinder.

I can honestly say I do not want to kill one this morning. It's already 75 degrees! There's no way I can get one out by myself without the meat spoiling

That's nothing...I'll be at my desk tomorrow.

It is August.

Awesome. Good luck. We're all tuned in and living vicariously through you.

Yep. My bucket list has an elk sitting at the top

Notta peep... Didn't even smell them.




Some of the junk I bailed in to

Plan on putting my son on a trail leading into the chicory field. Gonna be tough for him to get a shot because that field went from 2 primary trails to 6... Here's a couple

With 60+ elk it'll be hard to fool them all. Greedy and across the river not an option right now due to the winds

Yep but, typically we in the upper 60s now, not 87 Like it is right now. Meat care is the big issue right now. That's why I bailed out today. No way I can get all the meat solo before it spoils.

Sat the big trails and nothing... The elk came in opposite end of field right at dark. Hunter and I will be there tomorrow night. In gonna do my log crossing into a spot in the morning unless I see the big 5 in the cemetery field. If so, ill try him again.

Keep us posted. I, and I imagine others are envious so please keep us up to date with pics and stories as we are doing this hunt with you vicariously.

Cemetery herd again. 2 bulls fighting in field at daylight, big bull just watching. Made it as close as I can legally. Waiting to see if I can hear them. Wind shaking leaves so, kinda hard.

I need to hear 1 elk sound so I can go play. Be lucky to get a shot, thick

Gonna be a bust I think. They vocal while in the fld but, nothing after they leave I guess. Just need a calf to make s sound

In his yard but he don't wanna play

are they bugling yet in oregon? or is it a week or so out

Thanks kodiak. You mind saying where this is close too? If not, I understand. Following with interest.

Clatsop county Oregon

I hear bugles in July, not a lot though. Those Bulls the other day coming into the field we're bugling with all the cows. I watch to fight in a field this morning and then the big bull just walked over and looked at them like they were stupid, I guess he knows he would take them out if he wanted to. They ramping up, probably anytime between now and the 10th or 15th. I was getting out of my truck at home at 2:13 and heard one bugle behind the house

I came home from hunting this morning grab the machete and some clippers and went and built a ground blind where the elk came into the field from last night. I'll put my son there tonight, and they'll probably come out where we sat last night, LOL

Waiting on my son to show up and so far the wind is hit me from every direction. Pretty sure it'll be a wash even if they do come by the ground blind, I don't see how he's going to fool that many noses With the Wind swirly

Brother that's beautiful country!
Stay diligent it will pay off!

Wind wrong for hunters ground blind. He sat other end of field and sure'nuf, they came out on the wrong end. I didn't hunt, plan was "if" they came from ground blind, is let them cross river to field and spook to him. Plan worked until wind shifted. They ran for pavement and I ran to keep them in field. After a few 100+ yard wind sprints keeping them in field, they finally crossed into another field. Pretty funny me chasing 60 something elk. They had no clue how to react. Get to work next 2 days so, maybe they back in a few days. Its the only chicory in the valley

Guess I should add that when I crossed the river bridge in truck, 3 cows and a 5x5 were 40ish from me. I didn't try to shoot him but, I did get out of truck and have him stand there about a minute.

Man I hope you tag out on the one your after.

Hopefully I can get one. I wish my son didn't work so many hours we could get him one probably for sure. Some of you may wonder why I ran those elk out, sometimes elk hunting you got to try to make things happen I just tried to make them run to an Escape Route but that already winded in, which is what I expected but he'll be back and we got more land down the street we can hunt so if anything they went down there

Man vs Elk. A great story ,,keep us in the loop!

I think this is what they call chicken of the woods. Got a msg sent to a shrommer

View right now. No fresh sign so jus throwing out a few cow calls

Cemetery herd was in field, 6 bulls in group now. Also caught the elk leaving the chicory field. Giving both herds a break

Not chicken of the woods. I googled it

I think COTW grows on logs. Could be wrong.

Cool pics. Keep em coming.

It does and that's the only way I've ever found it, so I sent that girl that photo and she said that so then I was like how come it's not growing on wood and then I got a big oops

I believe that is a chanterelle mushroom

Man I hope you get on them soon. I'll be up that way in a couple weeks with the smoke pole

Its not, I know those well. I pick them during deer season.

Limited land is cramping my elk hunting style. I'm being so picky, its prolly gonna bite me. Wife still hasn't told me if I have 12 months of meat left in freezer. We eat it a lot. Hopefully you get in them

so far the trail cams are getting elk almost daily and plenty of black bear too so maybe just maybe

That's cool. I'm trying to wait on a biggun but, I may stick a descent 5 if we don't get some rain soon.

Pretty woods

Enjoying the hung. Good luck. Hope you ventilate a bigun.

Couldn't stand it, back to my style of hunting. No intentions of shooting one this far in solo. Checking it out for an over nighter with my buddy next week. So hot I'm not sure ill see anything before I hump it back to truck. If no water in the bottoms this spot prolly a bust.

8

This junks tough!

Just glasses a cow about 1000 yds. Not sure if she was bedded on edge of timber or came outta there. Hoping to see a good bull

Beautiful country ,,,that's some young man hunting there!

Stretching her legs I guess, back down

I scouted this area in June. I knew of a couple slash piles at a landing that had lots of elk sign then. I hiked the corner to that and noticed lots if sign. I dropped off the hill and was within 30yds of elk. Only saw cows and spike. I bailed with an hour of daylight left. Heard a bugle as well.

Yep, I'm 52 and I feel the pain sometimes.

Found the chicken of the woods. I'm guessing it would have more color if we got some rain

There was 6 bunches on this log

Here's a good pick of the vitals. I aim center mass and you can see why

That some good stuff right there.
I take it you didn't get on them yesterday.
Keep going after them and don't give up.
You may have to bust them up and do some calling
to bring one in which I'm sure you've already had that thought

I was right in the middle of them... Couple elk pics on previous pg. Nothing today but a couple deer. I can glass 6 cuts from here and notta so far

Flanked a bull in the timber as he was bulging. Undergrowth over my head so I bailed when he stopped talking. Had a 5x5 cross in front of truck coming out, not big but, cool to see.

At home now watching football. Waiting on 5pm. ROLL TIDE

Interesting country out there. Almost like hunting elk in north Bama timber land.

Enjoying the pics and play by play. Keep after 'em!

Trust me brother that country out there aint nothing like whats here in Alabama

Hey Kodiak how's the weather holding for your hunt?
Got your game plan set?

Weather sux, too hot for here this time of year. Game plan is keep hunting lil chunks of land and hit it hard next week for 6 days

Good luck

Maybe it will cool down ! Good luck keep us in the hunting loop!

My hunting buddy made it to town. Yesterday, we tried to make a shortcut we ended up with like a 1,400 foot drop straight down into a creek bottom and straight back up the other side. Took about an hour and a half. Once on top he received a phone call that he's got to go back to work Friday. We glassed and found a spike bull, then we heard a bugle. We made our way around and heard the bull rubbing a tree. Told my buddy to take off his boots and I took mine off. We started sneaking up the gravel road got in position and waited. As soon as my friend squatted down he looked down and the bull stepped out in front of him while he wasn't looking. 38 yd and it instantly turned his rear end to us so he didn't get a shot off. Nice Five Point

That shortcut Zapped our legs. We hunted some more in the afternoon never saw another elk. 6 or 7 mile total hike. Today we went in, and before we got to The Landing we wanted to get on the elk cross the road in front of us. Then we heard some bugles tried to make a play on that bull and every time we get close he would back further down the creek bottom. So that was a bust. I did watch a bobcat sit on the stump from about 600 yards away while they hunted. He said on that stump like 30 minutes. After that we bailed and my friends elk season is over after a day and a half. I'm home from Motrin and some food going to meet my son and go hunt The Chicory field

Skid marks where we slid down some soft dirt. The place was steep

Finally seeing the bottom on our descent

Guess I should add that the air is full of light smoke from wild fires inland. Sux for glassing.

We did a camo comparison today. Kuiu vias vs some sitka gear. By eye and camera, the kuiu broke up the human outline better. There were 3 of us there and all agreed.

Great pics! I guess I would not survive that hike!

Took my son to The Chicory Field tonight. There's a river that borders the backside, and we ran out elk off the other bank. As we walk the fense, I saw that my boss left a small boat on the River Bank. I set my son on a trail and I walked farther up the fence line about 80 yards. A little time went by and I looked through my binoculars and saw a five-by-five enter the field. It was feeding toward my son I texted him he ranged it at 62 yd. The bull got even with the boat looked at it, being not used to it he hauled butt back to the corner. So hopefully they'll get used to that boat the next few nights since my son can't work and then he can bust one

We would have been dead had we had to hike back that same route. We hiked a loooonnnngggg way out of our way to get back to truck

Great hunt! Success is on the way
with your diligence and perseverance
You know where there at it's matter
Of timing and a Great Shot!
That a lot easier said than done right!

I may get one, I could have shot one already or shot at him anyway. Trying to get other people elk slows my roll. I MAY start meat hunting next week. Can't decide. If I catch one with an easy pack out, ill shoot a sink.

With it being such a large animal to pack out
How do you overcome the rush when a chance
To shoot comes along and control that urge ?
I could see myself not overcoming that urge and
have a long long pack out!
Getting in there looks very tough ,,packing a
animal out looks overwhelming.

There's a lot of logging roads, if you know the area well, you can at least get to one of them while packing out. I've passed on a few over the last couple years. In sure it'll bite me but, I have a lot in the freezer this year. What's weird is I have never gotten that nervous, buck fever feeling while elk hunting. Just as weird, my son's never killed an animal with a bow and he's only killed a few deer and he was so calm when we met up after the encounter last nite.

What's gonna suck the rest of the year is im unsure if ill have anyone to help pack. The kicker is I'm not as fit as I'd like to be.

Got a lil rain y'day but not enough to open timber co land. Woke up at 0330 unintentionally so I'm hiking in early. Gonna try to get a look at the bull we heard bugle last to trips in. They hit the timber both times before we got there. Hoping if I shoot him he don't go far, terrain sux

Would you post a pic of the test?

I don't have a photo, my bud took the shots. I knew the kuiu would do better just cause sitka p patterns so tight. Same results from 35ish in Sun and shade. His son's camo pant in some timber pattern was the worse.

Sitting here on state land. Watched 3 bucks spar for like a half hour. After that, glassed 2 dummies way off on closed land walking roads and bulging. Pisses me off so, I Called them in to 150 yds, broke some limbs and left, haha

Pretty cool spot I did some cold calling in

Was in the edge of a clear cut and noticed a yellow jacket nest had been dug into by a bear and I jumped back a few feet. Bad part, I landed next to this nest of bald faced hornets that had been dug as well. Needless to say I ran over the yellow jackets to get away from the hornets. Got hit by a couple a few years ago and its worse than the yellow jackets for sure. My lab agrees

I grew a set and snuck back for a photo

Tonight I went to the chicory field I've been hoping my son could get one in since he's working so much. I set up where the elk would enter about 69 yds away. After getting set up, I decided to bail, I want him to have a good chance at one. I backed out to the north end of the field and at 7:50, watched a bull and what appeared to be another bull enter the field. I guess it was their lucky day. I would have killed or missed but, I'm happy I made my decision.

State land today for a half day hunt. Didn't hear or see a single elk. Wasn't expection much since they been pressured so much.
Took this hill up to jump over a larger hill to try and find one.
Loud walking but the elk trails help

Cool view from here. Was hoping to get into one in the thick stuff below

Man that's a view there!!
Keep on your gonna get you Bull!

That's sone beautiful country.

Took my bosses son this morning, he's never hunted. Got to the landing and sat down and instantly heard a limb break down below. Cool huh? Not, its so foggy I can only see 30yds. After a few minutes a bull lights up, the kids pretty excited and I cow call. Yep, he bugles again. Finally had a gap in the fog and saw a rear end a couple hundred yards away. I said leave your pack and hustle over. As I approach the timberline to try to get near bull in clear cut, I look back and the 13y/o is playing with a fern 20yds back. I said quit dicking around and hustle. We sounded like a dozen elk busting through the dead falls and finally got the bull in view about 125 yds. I cow called and he looked. Soft called some more and I knew he wasn't gonna play. He bugle, I cow call. Well he decided to head out and I ripped off a bugle. He instantly turned and headed our way. He wore out a couple bushes but, wouldn't come in the timber. As he was messing around, 2 spikes came over the hill to check the commotion out. After the bull left, we jumped into clear cut and headed back to our perch. Ended up seeing another spike and what looked like a 3x3 about 500yds bulging. They eventually left as well. We sucked down some water and food and headed home. The original bull was a descent 5x5 with weak tops. The kid seemed to have a blast being his first ever big game hunt.

Bulls in clear cut when we got here to first see him

Face paint was a rush job. He thought it was cool and messed with it for the next 5hrs.

Spike a couple hundred out



More chicken of the woods. Hard to find and I have now found it in 3 places

Told the boy to bring enough food/water for at least 6 hours. Here's his food and water

I shared, lol

Sounds like a fun and frustrating morning

Nah, I had a good time. I actually had fun messing with his dad and grandmother about his food thru texting.

Kodiak have you got your next hunt planned?
Hope you get your son on a good one!

Me and a kid that graduated with my son made a drive out to some state land we're unfamiliar with. I spotted an elk about 0800 and we put a stalk on. Ended up 10 or 11 cows, no bull. We messed around until noon and headed home. I decided we would bounce to a private spot and check it out. Set up and called, waited, notta... Walked 50yds and a dang cow jumped up. We ended up seeing a few cows and split the herd. I was bulging trying to pull a bull but, no reply. Had some calves chirping on the hill and I called them down. Thought we were gonna get ran over. Two calves came running in to about 5 yds before turning.

Ended up feeling bad when we quit hunting. Took some Tylenol and since I decided not to hunt the chicory field I'd go check it. Elk were out at 6:15. A new 5x5 came out with moss hanging off his g2 covering his ear. Watching him try to shake it off was funny. He was nosing the cows around. Guess he ran the other 5x out. Too bad I didn't feel good. Timberland opens Saturday and I gotta work. Ill chase starting Sunday but, 100% rain Sunday/Monday.

New 5pt

I knew they would come in yesterday. The small river borders the back of the field. Mom left this lil guy hidden on the edge of the field so, I knew they were close

Field wasn't hunted yesterday due to wind direction