Code & Jon's excellent (unsuccessful) elk hunt

[Okanagan]

Code, you may add or start your own post.  Felt I should give some kind of update since I put something in the Shoutbox while you were chasing a bull yesterday morning.

As gramps I was official driver and camp follower for two teen boys to bow hunt elk on the Olympic Peninsula of WA, Wed. through Sunday afternoon.  Steep, heavily forested, virtually zero openings, few elk, lightly hunted-- and the wettest area in the lower 48, well over 120 inches of rain per year.

The elk were silent and it was so foggy from Thur through Sat noon that we did not see nor hear an elk.  We were tired and slept in the first morning under the delicious sound of rain on a dry tent.  Code calling into the fog one morning with 50 foot visibility.



One evening when driving to a different area we came on some ruffed grouse in the road.  Jon jumped out with his compound bow and drilled the first one just above dead center with an arrow at 20 yards (no breast meat damaged).  The others scattered into the woods and a few seconds later Code shot two more with his .22 rifle.  3 down.  Awhile later Code shot a huge old blue grouse to add to the pot.  All neck shots.  Boneless grouse breast cut across the grain into medalions and sauteed in butter for supper.  Primo (except for the toughest oldest blue grouse in America).

Code got bored and shot a chipmunk at 16 yards with his recurve-- hit it in the head.

Sat. noon we heard a bull bugle and Code went after it but it went silent and he didn't locate it.  Bull is in the canyon in the pic below as Code starts after it. 



Sun. before dawn it answered a bugle and Jonathan went after it.  Two bulls were talking a bit so Code went after the other one, which is when I posted in the Shoutbox.  Some other hunters bugling confused things and Code didn't get close to his bull. 

Jonathan got within 40 yards of his bull in old growth forest, a 5x5 feeding steeply down blow him with its head toward him.  Easy rifle shot into the back of its neck but very little vital to shoot at with a bow.  He slipped back and tried to call it without success, so he tried to sneak to one side and get a better shot angle but some cows he didn't know about busted him and the herd ran away.  Superb stalking and hunting, yet no shot.

[KySongDog]

Elk or no elk that sure sounds like a lot of fun to me.   Getting within 40 yards means Jonathan was doing everything right.   Great story, thanks.

[Dave]

That's what it's all about - to get to go after a bull!  How fun that must be for you and the boys to be able to be out there together in the mountains doing what you love! 
I'll be looking forward to seeing some posts and pics, Code.
Good luck with getting after them again, and be sure to haul that gramps of yours along!

[coyote101]

Sounds like a great adventure with the grandkids. 

Pat

[Hawks Feather]

Quite a hunt that many of us would like to go along on - if only it were dry and on flatlands.  You mentioned enjoying (almost all of) the grouse, but didn't mention how the chipmunk tasted.  With a head shot there was probably a lot of good meat left.      Being able to hit a target that small, even at 16 yards) takes some practice.

Jerry

[FinsnFur]

Sounds like a perfect way to spend the day, and by the looks of that scenery you done it from the top of the world.
Nice shooting by the way Code

[possumal]

Great pictures and story. Sharing that with your grandsons is about as good as it gets.

[Okanagan]

Yep, as good as it gets.

I'm waiting for the sequel "Successful elk hunt"  story on Jonathan's bull he got Friday.