Morning hunting story
I?m cursed, the Wild Game Gods must be punishing me for my past deeds!
Did everything right this morning even though it was a nice cold steady rain with wind. Woke up early and walked the mile up to my favorite elk spot here beside the house, been watching them for two days so I had a good idea today would be good.
I get up there two hours before daylight, nice and quiet and settled into the corner of the state property. Trying to sit still and keep the wind to my back and the rain out of my face, nice fancy overalls, coat, headgear and gloves gradually getting soaked but I?m not giving up.
Finally, it?s getting light enough to see and I?m seeing shadows moving and hearing ?cow chatter?. Get my Vortex binocs out and try to cut through the twilight and look for horns, 5 cows. As it get?s lighter I see the herd, maybe about 800 yards off, can?t hit them with the rangefinder because the display is too bright to use in extreme low light. I sit there watching them and they are crossing the fence, oh boy it?s fixin to be game on, they?re crossing onto state land!!
Now for a decision, they are too far away, I need to close the gap before the entire herd get?s over, if they are all over they will bolt if I?m spotted. Grab my gear and start a fast walk along the fence trying to stay low. It worked, man am I close!! Get out my binocs, CRAP I CAN?T SEE A DAMN THING!!! Lenses are wet, it?s like swimming in dirty water trying to see! Get out the rangefinder, it?s 10X and should allow me to see horns, that dang thing is wet too! Flip out the bipods on the rifle and guess what, yep scope is wet even with lense covers!!!
I sit there trying to find something dry to clean lenses, got my coveralls and coat open pulling my t-shirt out to use it as a rag, get the rangefinder clean enough to use and lase them at 225 yards, man something is going to die, this .300 is dead nuts on at 200 and if I miss it will be bad!!
Looking for horns, nothing! I?m sitting 200 yards away from close to 50 elk and all that is there is cows and a couple spikes, must have brow tines to be legal. Trying to use my 12X binocs, useless, gun scope won?t stay dry and the rangefinder isn?t working well for horn hunting. Finally after about 30 minutes I quit as they have finally got tired of me moving around and start hopping the fence back on private land. I?m trying my ass off to find horns but there just isn?t any.
I get a good look at the last 10 or so, gave myself a headache trying to focus through wet glass, all cows. Pack up and start the mile walk back to the house, now that the excitement of the elk wore off I?m beginning to realize just how wet I am, and cold, damn I?m gettin cold!
To add insult to injury, as I?m going under my fence into the pasture I jam the barrel of the rifle into the mud, great now I gotta clean the gun too.
Yep, the Gods have jynxed me and are having a good laugh. Ya know, for a brief moment I had the crosshairs planted on the shoulder of a broadside cow and the safety off, I have a cow tag just now for here, Montana has some goofy ass rules and either sex areas and B tag areas, my cow tag is good for rhe next zone to the north, the zone to my west and south are either sex. Man, 20 years ago I know what would have happened, now I?m too chicken.
Did everything right this morning even though it was a nice cold steady rain with wind. Woke up early and walked the mile up to my favorite elk spot here beside the house, been watching them for two days so I had a good idea today would be good.
I get up there two hours before daylight, nice and quiet and settled into the corner of the state property. Trying to sit still and keep the wind to my back and the rain out of my face, nice fancy overalls, coat, headgear and gloves gradually getting soaked but I?m not giving up.
Finally, it?s getting light enough to see and I?m seeing shadows moving and hearing ?cow chatter?. Get my Vortex binocs out and try to cut through the twilight and look for horns, 5 cows. As it get?s lighter I see the herd, maybe about 800 yards off, can?t hit them with the rangefinder because the display is too bright to use in extreme low light. I sit there watching them and they are crossing the fence, oh boy it?s fixin to be game on, they?re crossing onto state land!!
Now for a decision, they are too far away, I need to close the gap before the entire herd get?s over, if they are all over they will bolt if I?m spotted. Grab my gear and start a fast walk along the fence trying to stay low. It worked, man am I close!! Get out my binocs, CRAP I CAN?T SEE A DAMN THING!!! Lenses are wet, it?s like swimming in dirty water trying to see! Get out the rangefinder, it?s 10X and should allow me to see horns, that dang thing is wet too! Flip out the bipods on the rifle and guess what, yep scope is wet even with lense covers!!!
I sit there trying to find something dry to clean lenses, got my coveralls and coat open pulling my t-shirt out to use it as a rag, get the rangefinder clean enough to use and lase them at 225 yards, man something is going to die, this .300 is dead nuts on at 200 and if I miss it will be bad!!
Looking for horns, nothing! I?m sitting 200 yards away from close to 50 elk and all that is there is cows and a couple spikes, must have brow tines to be legal. Trying to use my 12X binocs, useless, gun scope won?t stay dry and the rangefinder isn?t working well for horn hunting. Finally after about 30 minutes I quit as they have finally got tired of me moving around and start hopping the fence back on private land. I?m trying my ass off to find horns but there just isn?t any.
I get a good look at the last 10 or so, gave myself a headache trying to focus through wet glass, all cows. Pack up and start the mile walk back to the house, now that the excitement of the elk wore off I?m beginning to realize just how wet I am, and cold, damn I?m gettin cold!
To add insult to injury, as I?m going under my fence into the pasture I jam the barrel of the rifle into the mud, great now I gotta clean the gun too.
Yep, the Gods have jynxed me and are having a good laugh. Ya know, for a brief moment I had the crosshairs planted on the shoulder of a broadside cow and the safety off, I have a cow tag just now for here, Montana has some goofy ass rules and either sex areas and B tag areas, my cow tag is good for rhe next zone to the north, the zone to my west and south are either sex. Man, 20 years ago I know what would have happened, now I?m too chicken.
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sorry you didn't get an elk
just remember this old Arkansas boy would just love to live and hunt out west
count your blessings
hunting will get better0 -
The only missing element to make your morning complete would have been the appearance of a MONSTER Bull right after filling the end of your rifle barrel with mud!!!!!! [:0] 0 -
Great story. I?m glad you didn?t poach a cow. Sounds like they need to issue more cow tags in that quad tho 0 -
To add insult to injury, as I?m going under my fence into the pasture I jam the barrel of the rifle into the mud, great now I gotta clean the gun too.
what you don't but black tape over the end of your barrel ?0 -
Are you too chicken now, or have you just got more intelligent????
I'd say more intelligent. Any dumby can poach0
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