|
| Chad Ramsey
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Return to the Thorofare
By Chad Ramsey
My
father and I hunted with Wyoming Expeditions on the third rifle hunt in
2008 where we both got bulls and had a great time. After that
hunt in 2008, I was so impressed with the wilderness hunting experience
in the Thorofare, I called Jeff and booked the first rifle hunt in 2010
for myself and again for the first rifle hunt in 2011 for my father and
myself.
To say it was a long wait until 2010 rolled around is an
understatement. I lost track of how many times I called Jeff just to
chat about elk hunting and preparations for this season.
I live in
Florida and enjoy the drive to Cody. It gives me a chance to unwind,
enjoy some new scenery and really get into elk hunting mode. While my
father wasn't hunting this year , I did talk him into riding along with
me on the drive. We took it a little easier this year and broke the
drive up into three days with an entire day in Cody to acclimate before
riding into camp.
The morning before our departure day for camp we
met Jeff at the Irma for breakfast. We also met another repeat hunter,
Warren Winslow, who had also been with Wyoming Expeditions in 2008.
Warren and I both have the same mentality about preparation so I was
excited when Jeff informed me I would be paired with him during the
hunt. We had a good visit and were both very excited to get going. That
evening we met with the other six hunters and dropped off all our gear
so they could get it to the trailhead in advance.
The morning of
September 9th I dropped my father off at the Cody airport for his
flight back to Florida. While I was hunting he was going to stay with
my mother, wife and daughter. On the way back from the airport to the
Irma I had four mule deer cross the road in front of me right in the
middle of town. The same thing happened in the parking lot of the Irma
back in 2008. I'm not necessarily superstitious but I took that as a
good sign of positive things to come. After a good breakfast at the
Irma with Jeff and the rest of the group Warren and I were both
chomping at the bit to get going. As we had been to the trailhead
before, we took off a bit early to get there and get situated. I must
have driven awfully slow because it seemed like we only got there
a couple of minutes before Jeff rolled in. Everyone got fit to their
horse or mule and we were off. The ride in was pretty uneventful
until we got near Deer Creek Pass. You could see some weather heading
our way and sure enough it started to snow and blow pretty good.
We stopped for a minute before the final climb up and over the pass and
everyone threw on their rain gear. The weather ended up clearing
as we went over the top so it wasn't that bad. The rest of the ride to
camp was without incident. Once we got to camp, Warren and I grabbed
the same tent I had stayed in during our hunt in 2008. We had an
excellent spaghetti dinner, chatted with Terry, our guide, and headed
off for a restless night's sleep before opening morning.
Day 1
I
think Warren and I were both awake before the alarm went off at 3:30am.
We were up and eating breakfast at 4:15am. It had snowed off and on
during the night and was snowing pretty hard when we headed out at
5:15am. I wasn't sure how the snow would impact the hunting but it sure
wasn't what I expected for September 10th. We were headed to creek
drainage and Warren was up first. My father had gotten his bull in the
same drainage in 2008, so I was excited to head back to some familiar
country. As expected, we saw a couple good groups of elk and a real
good bull high up in some rock slides. We also ran into our first
grizzly and some local hunters who camped right in the middle of prime
country. Terry formulized a plan to get up high in the afternoon to get
a shot at one of the bulls we saw and we headed back to camp for lunch.
When we headed back, late in the afternoon, it was really snowing and
sleeting hard. We ran into our grizzly again who just sat there and
watched us ride by. Terry guided us to the slide he thought would give
Warren the best opportunity to get in the middle of the group of elk
. We then rode up as far as we could, tied off the stock and then
walked a little farther until we were just about at tree line.
Warren and I were standing on each side of a little lone pine tree as
the snow whips around us. We estimated we could see about 100 yards
when it let up and less than 60 when it was really blowing. It was
quite an experience! I think it was around 7pm that Terry had us
start sneaking up a little higher to look over into another area. It
was about this time that Warren saw a bull. Terry had me stay put and
he and Warren made a move. I am sure Warren will detail the remainder
of our adventure on opening day in much greater detail. I sat in my
spot for about 20 minutes or so watching the snow swirl down into the
valley below us. I think it was around 7:20 or so when Warren handled
his business and got his bull and what an incredible bull it was!! It
was an honor to share this hunt with Warren and Terry. It set the tone
for things to come. As it was quickly getting dark and the fact the
bull had gone down in a spot that would be difficult to approach
quickly, Terry decided recovery would be the following morning.
Day 2
Terry
and Warren left around 7:30 am to recover his bull. I decided to stay
in camp in hopes of saving my legs for the rest of the hunt. This was a
mistake I regret as an extra set of hands would have been nice to help
get the bull out and I was bored to death pacing around waiting for
them to get back to get an up close look at the bull. Around 3:45 pm,
Warren and Terry arrived back in camp. The bull was incredible! Wow is
all I can say.
Day 3
Terry
and I headed to a ridge in the morning. I had not been here before so
it was nice to see some new country. We ended up seeing four cows and
had a pretty decent 5X5 at around 400 yards. We let him go about his
business and enjoyed the scenery. On the way back to camp I was
enjoying the scenery a little too much and didn't realize my trusty
mule Hatch was ducking under a fallen tree that was way too low for me
to slide under. Lesson learned after resting on my back on the nice
soft ground. I am still not sure how Terry kept a straight face but he
did! I paid more attention from that point on! Hatch knew he owned me
at that point so he kept me on my toes and demonstrated how he could
also jump pretty high and far over crossings. For our afternoon
hunt we went a new spot for me which I really enjoyed. We rode just
about as high as we could. So high in fact that while we were sitting
and glassing some of the meadows on some distant ridges we heard
rocks falling as something was coming our way. We saw them about the
same time they saw us. It was group of bighorn sheep that wanted to
pass through the vicinity we were sitting in. This was something new
for me so we walked in the direction they ran off to see if we could
watch them a little longer. They can cover country real quick. We then
moved around to the other side of the ridge we were on and saw a couple
of cows and a decent bull on a tiny ledge. It looked like there was
some mineral there they liked as they were licking at the rocks. The
problem was the bull was farther away than what I felt comfortable
with, given our setup, and if he fell off the ledge it looked to be a
300 or so foot drop. We watched them work around a bend and started to
work our way down at which time we saw another group of sheep. I should
say Terry saw them and was nice enough to point them out to me. It is
crazy how they can climb. As we neared the bottom of the ridge heading
back to camp a grizzly cub ran across in front of us. Luckily we didn't
see the mother ,but moved quickly in the opposite direction.
Day 4
In
the morning we headed to a place called Hogback. That was a pretty
accurate name and was an interesting ride in the dark. Just as it was
starting to get light we saw a bull. He looked like he had some
potential so we started to get set. The plan was to glass him and see
if he was worth making a move on. As it grew lighter he was looking
pretty good. But as often happens in hunting he decided to abruptly
bolt into the thick timber. Feeling dejected, we headed back to
camp early. We left extra early for our afternoon hunt. Some local
hunters had unfortunately put one of their horses down after it had
fallen and broken a leg. For whatever reason they had done it right at
the trail to one of the areas hunted. With all the bears around, Terry
thought this afternoon hunt may be the only chance of the season to
make it back there. I am estimating that it was about a 3 hour ride but
so worth it. I am far from an expert on what would classify as pristine
elk country but I think this is probably as close as I will ever get to
seeing it. While we didn't see any elk we did see a couple of nice mule
deer. As usual, Terry spotted them and then had to draw me a map in the
dirt until I could pick them out. I was a bit nervous as we left
to ride out. The trailhead with the dead horse was very steep and
narrow and the probability of running into a bear was pretty high.
Before we headed down the trail Terry threw a bunch of rocks down first
and we made as much noise as possible. No bears and we had an
uneventful ride back to camp under the stars.
Day 5
This
was the day. We packed a lunch and headed out of camp around 5:20 am.
The plan was to stay out all day as we hunted the meadows up to and
around a distant drainage. The first meadow we came to had a
younger bull and a cow. We made a move to get closer to them but they
moved into the thick timber. We mounted up again and headed to the next
meadow which was empty. Terry and I were both shaking our heads at the
lack of sightings and the sixth sense the bulls were exhibiting on
getting into the thick timber before we could get setup. As we
came to the next meadow, Terry peaked over the ridge and signaled me to
grab my rifle. There looked to be a good bull with 20 some cows. We
crawled up and took another quick look, then came back down the ridge
out of site of the elk and side hilled a couple hundred yards to get to
a rock out cropping that would hopefully put us in range. Terry of
course left me in the dust. Once I caught up to him and was trying to
catch my breath, he got me focused on getting in the zone and killing
this bull. As he told me," the elk are being elk" and had no idea we
were there. We snuck up and over the ridge and went down to a big rock
that was about like a shooting bench. The bull was working on keeping
his cows in line across the valley from us. Terry first ranged him at
490 yards and asked me how I felt about the shot. Even though I had a
rock solid rest, I wasn't real comfortable with that distance. Since
the bull was working the cows around and had no idea we were there, our
hope was he would move down within 450 yards or so. My major issue was
we were facing directly into the sun and I was struggling to see
through my scope without being blinded. Ever so slowly the bull would
chase the cows around. Terry called out yardage when he dropped down
below 450 yards. Around this time I got a good look at his rack and wow
he was nice and wide. He eventually worked his way lower and at 415
yards on a downhill quartering angle I took my first shot hitting his
left lung and quartering out the far side. He took a couple of
steps down hill as all the cows ran off leaving him standing
alone. I definitely wanted him on the ground as by the time we
could get over there he could probably run all the way to Jackson Hole.
I rushed the second shot sailing it high. Terry gave me some coaching
to calm down and that the bull was hit so take my time and put him
down. Now that he was standing nice and broadside I took my time and
put the 400 yard bar right on his shoulder. This shot put him down. He
was a tough old boy and with two shots through the boiler still tried
to get back to his feet. After putting a couple more shells in
the magazine we moved to get a little better angle and put an insurance
shot in his back. We watched him for about 20 minutes and then went
back up to get the stock to ride over to the other side of the valley.
Luckily they were still there which surprised me. I figured they would
be back at camp after all the shooting! As the crow flies it was
around 400 yards to my bull , but via mule it probably took us 20 to 30
minutes to get over there. There was no ground shrinkage at all.
I was and still am ecstatic with this bull. He was a great heavy massed
6X6 and my best bull to date. As I had left my game bags at camp we
took some pictures and field dressed him to cool down while we went
back to get some packs and my game bags. We got back to camp, had some
lunch and then headed back. Warren went along with us. It was great to
have him along and give him a play by play of the hunt the entire way
there and back.
Since
this is my second successful trip with Wyoming Expeditions and my
father and I are going back in 2011, I obviously think they are a
great operation. The staff is incredible. Ben and Ira did a great job
around camp. Ed's cooking is incredible. Coming from Florida, I
was pleasantly surprised while speaking with Ed that he lives not that
far north of me. A small world! I don't know where you would find
a group of guides with more years of elk hunting experience on average
than we had in camp this year. Terry, Flint, Bill, and Dean probably
have forgotten more about elk hunting than most guides you would hunt
with will ever know. The hunters in camp were also great. I had not
laughed that much in a long time and really enjoyed the company.
I
would like to give some special thanks to Terry. He put forth a lot of
effort to get me multiple shooting opportunities and not run me into
the ground in the process. As you get a little older you start to
appreciate smarter, not harder. I got to see a lot of great new
country this year and feel especially lucky to have made the trip on
the fourth afternoon. Getting my best bull to date topped off a great
trip.
|
| | GARY BOURNE |
The Great Wyoming Elk Hunt 2010
My
family and I arrived in Houston Texas from Singapore in September 2008
and I felt at peace upon arrival. Texas was going to be our home for
the next few years & I could hardly wait to start my new assignment
with the company that I have had the pleasure of working for in eight
different countries around the world over the last twenty-four years.
It
did not take long for me to settle in and catch up with old friends in
Houston and West Texas whom I had worked with on previous foreign
assignments. They loved to hunt Elk, something that I had been dreaming
of for many years. In fact, these friends had hunted with the same
Wyoming Elk outfitter for more than forty years. They insisted and I
was glad to accept the invitation to apply for a Wyoming 2009 Elk tag.
In February 2009, I was greeted by an email from these good friends
stating everyone in our group had drawn an Elk tag, and at the bottom
of the email there was a note ~ even Kiwi has drawn a tag. My lifelong
dream just been rekindled imaging the opportunity for a Kiwi (New
Zealander) to hunt Elk in the American wilderness. I was
‘rapped’ ( That’s Kiwi for thrilled !) and started
training to get this fifty-three year old body fit, plus getting
some much needed horseback riding under my belt. September 2009
could not come quick enough, finally the day came and we were soon
driving the road to Wyoming from Houston. What an experience, I had
never driven so far in one day in my life. We drove to Wyoming covering
two days and more than fifteen hundred miles, when we finally arrived I
was set for my first Elk hunt. The theme each day was Kill Elk!!! After
six days of hunting on horseback and on foot I had not seen a single
live Elk. Then the weather turned nasty with heavy snow and it
was decided it was time to pack up, hit the road, and ‘get the
hell out of Dodge‘. We drive two miles down the forest road in
the evening darkness and, Lord forbid, a young Bull Elk walks across
the snow covered road and causing us to stop to allow him to pass.
Great time, great drive, great scenery and great friends and great fun
even though I did not get to fire a shot I did get to see my first wild
Elk.
Arriving back in Houston, I had this continuous
desire to hunt and harvest a bull Elk. I scoured the internet
during the little spare time I had, learning everything there was to
know about Elk hunting. That was when I came across
WyomingExpeditions.com. After spending time viewing the main web
page four things immediately stood out in my mind ‘Free Elk
Magazine‘, photos of trophy Elk, excellent hunting statistics,
and the name Jeff Krueger. I ordered the magazine right then and in a
few days it turned up in the post, WOW real people, real stories and
photos of great Elk Racks I must have read that magazine until I
knew every story word for word and had every elk picture etched in my
mind. The weeks slowly passed until January 2010 and out of the blue I
received a phone call which began “Hello I’m Jeff Krueger
from Wyoming Expeditions, would you be interested in doing an Elk
Hunt?” I will never forget those words, Jeff’s smooth
Georgian accent and confident friendly demeanor gave me immediate
confidence in his personality and character. I explained to Jeff
that I would love to join Wyoming Expeditions for the 2010 Elk hunt,
subject to me drawing a tag. I asked Jeff to call me back the
first week of February and, if I had drawn a tag, I would have a
deposit check in the post the same day. I did draw my tag and
Jeff called to say that he had open slots available in the
third and forth hunts, I explained that was never going to work for me
and that I needed to be on the first hunt. Jeff said that was unlikely
as the first hunt was pre-booked and in some cases months or years in
advance. To Jeff’s credit, he did say ‘Let me see
what I can do‘. I confirmed that if I received his return
call I would have a check in the mail for the deposit the same
day. A week goes by and then I receive a call from Jeff and when
I checked my cell phone prior to answering it had Jeff Krueger’s
name on the caller screen. I yelled ‘BINGO!’, then
took the call.
The 2010 hunt was on! I committed to
dropping twenty plus pounds, started exercising on a regular schedule,
and even joined Weight Watchers to improve my weight loss and fitness
levels. My wife kept asking who are you are going with on this
hunt. To which I replied Jeff Krueger and about ten other hunters
and guides. She could not grasp that I was heading into the
wilderness for eight days with no one I knew and no
communication. “Must have been a flash back to watching the
movie ‘Deliverance‘”. Colleagues at work told me that
you will get to Cody, WY, and find no one you knew and my deposit money
nowhere to be found. All I could think was that I get to stay in the
Buffalo Bill Hotel (The Irma) and see the evening gunfight. The rest is
minor details! I finally got my weight to 204 lbs. from 228
lbs. On September 7, I headed to Salt Lake City, pumped with
excitement like a teenager on his first major hunting trip. I was
also playing down a little nervous energy about checking-in a rifle on
a domestic flight as a non-US Citizen, my rifle, & luggage were
checked in with no hassles. I was in Salt Lake City by
midnight. Next, I grabbed a rental car, plugged in the GPS,
and headed to Cody, WY with a “Yee hah! Pump that adrenalin you
o’l fart!” About 3:30am, I was beat, so I found a
motel room grabbed a little sleep and hit the road again, arriving in
Cody mid-afternoon. I checked in at the Irma Hotel, walked down stairs
to the bar and soaked in the atmosphere of a bye gone era. Life
couldn’t get any better and I was simply living the dream.
Jeff called to ask “Where are you?” I respond
“In the bar. I’m also the strange talking
one.” In no time at all he walks through the door.
Introductions all round (Looks like my deposit money and final check
payment were safe after all). Other members of the hunting party
start turning up and before long everyone is off in different
directions either eating, drinking, or purchasing bear spray and the
Wyoming conservation tag.
Next morning, September 9, everyone
was up early and we all ate breakfast at one long table. During
breakfast, Jeff lays out the expectations, do’s and don’ts
of the trip. After the briefing we all gather with our gear outside at
the back of the Hotel. Pickup trucks turn up, guides start
checking gear for weight, and loading equipment. Then Jeff then
says “Follow me.” We head out of town in a mini
convoy to the trail head about a forty-five minutes from Cody. Mules
and Horses are all saddled up. Lunch turns up with water
bottles. Next thing you hear, “You over here and you
over here. How heavy are you? Get on this horse or climb aboard
this mule. Honey is her name.” Before long we are
off: ten hunters, five guides and a wrangler by the name of Ira.
We commence the eight hour journey with me humming to myself that old
Johnny Cash song “The Ballad of Ira Hayes”. I
WONDER WHY ! The trip into the camp site is not for the
faint-hearted and in numerous places along the trail, if you were to
have a ‘bad hair day’ you could be seriously hurt and or
even worst if you or the animal you were riding fell. After all, this
adventure was sold as a wilderness hunt! Apart from a light snow
storm & crossing the saddle (ridge) at 10,250 feet in a brisk, cold
breeze & dropping into the Thorofare Valley, the ride was a great
opportunity to witness some of the finest scenery I have ever seen.
Arriving
in camp late in the afternoon of September 9, all the mules are
unloaded and personal gear laid out to be collected. Tents are
already set and it is just a matter of picking up your gear and heading
to the allocated tent. That’s when I met Dave Brown.
Dave hails from California and was to be my hunting partner and tent
mate for the next six days. An introduction to the rest of the camp
staff & guides followed by a hot meal and it was time to hit the
sack for opening morning of the 2010 Elk season. Dave arrives a little
later to bunk down & advises that Jeff Krueger himself was to be
our guide. Each Guide supports two hunters.
At 3:30 am the next
morning, Ben, the camp jack, starts our day by lighting the fire box in
our tent to take the chill of the early morning air. Dave & I
shared a bit of early morning humor. Then it’s get dressed
and head to the mess tent where breakfast is eaten. Back to the
tent to grab our rifles and day bags, then we are off. Dave
had previously harvested an Elk or two and he agreed that I get to take
the first shot of the season. We ride out for approximately one and a
half hrs. heading along a ridge top to a light falling of snow in the
early morning darkness. Jeff asks us to dismount and we tie off
the Horses and Mules, then walk along the ridge top in the breaking
dawn. Dave is positioned on one side of a spur with Jeff
and I am positioned on the other side. The snow was swirling over
the ridge and making it difficult to see any distance. Jeff let out a
loud bugle and we wait. A few more bugles are made, then
Jeff points to the left. There at approximately two hundred yards, a
young bull is standing front on. I look to my right and I
make out through the continuing falling snow a second bull.
After a few frantic taps on Jeff’s leg, I get his
attention. Jeff says he can make out either a nice, but not
large, 5X6 or 6X6 @ just over two hundred yards. He says
“Your choice.” BANG!! Choice made
and the Elk drops. I make the comment, “Is that all
you have to do?” Lord forbid this comment was going to
haunt me later. The elk gets back on its feet, then quickly
moves behind the tree line. Dave comes rushing up and asks what’s
going on? I respond, “Did you see that rabbit run
across in front of your position? I just shot it!”
Dave gives us both a long blank look like what the hell is going on
here. Jeff says we wait a while. After what seemed an eternity,
we sidle down and across to where my bull was standing. NO
BULL. About twenty yards away was a big patch of grass
inside the tree line with no snow. Obviously this was where
the Bull had laid down and left some blood spots. We see
where the bull heads down the ridge & we begin to track him in the
snow as he sidles and heads downwards. After a couple of
hours, the snow stops falling & we reach the valley floor. No
more tracks & no Elk.
It is far from a good feeling only
wounding a wild animal. I was gutted with the end
result. The mood back in camp that evening towards allowing
a wounded animal to get away was also obvious. I did not rest
well that evening. On day three, I did finally get to shoot and kill a
young bull late in the evening in the Thorofare Valley.
That resulted in a long walk back to camp in darkness with the meat and
antlers on our rides. It would not have been a wise
decision to leave the dressed Elk carcass overnight due to the number
of bears in that area. The friendly atmosphere between hunters, guides,
& support crew improved around camp on a daily basis as everyone
got to know and understand each other better. Many a friendship
was made. Two exceptional world class bulls were shot by hunters
in our group, which has ultimately motivated me to schedule a return to
the Thorofare in 2012 in search of one of these large bulls for
myself. I did get to see in excess of fifty Elk during the
hunt which was a reward in itself compared to my 2009 hunt. The last
day of the hunt came too quickly. We gave our farewells to the
crew remaining in camp for the next group of hunters and then the long
trek back to the trailhead started. The rest is just a memory which
still brings a smile to my face every time I think of the www.WyomingExpeditions.com experience.
From the “KIWI ELKOHOLIC” - GARY BOURNE
| 
| Tom Youngs
|
I
am 59 yrs. old. I have hunted Wyoming's "Thorofare" area 5
times over the last 30 years, and have been lucky enough to have
taken an elk each trip. The last time was 15 years ago. This trip
started on Oct 6 and would finish Oct 13. On the ride in to
camp from the trailhead: I remembered how magnificent this
country is. And to see it and hunt it on horse makes it even more
spectacular. When you arrive in camp you might be tired and
hungry, but what a great meal is waiting for you; and the cots
are so comfortable. As you place your "stuff" into the tent, Jeff and
the guides are planning the next morning's hunt. There were 7
hunter's on this hunt. We were paired 2 hunters/1 guide. We met
for breakfast to see where we would go and who would be the
guide. The guides knew the area well, and since we were the 4th hunt
they also knew where the elk were.
Dan
and I had Jeff K. for our guide. Dan got a nice 5X5 on our first
morning hunt. After lunch, we went back to get his meat and let me
start hunting. Dan had never been to the Thorofare before and
rode with us to help (he was a great help) and see the
countryside. We hunted 3 more days and saw plenty of elk; had bulls
bugling back at us, and made a couple of plays to shoot one; but never
shot. On Sunday, just Jeff and I went up on a ridge; which is a long
ridge with large meadows (parks). We tied up the horses and
started walking along the ridge. We could see cows coming up a
ridge next to us; headed into this large meadow. We had very
little cover on our ridge and had to slip from tree to tree to
get closer to the elk. We settled in behind some rocks that had a few
small pines around it. That' when the fun began!
Straight
in front of us about 300-400 yards the ridge had a step-down slope that
kept us from seeing the elk. There was another ridge on our left
where the elk were coming out from the timber; climbing up to our
ridge and grazing in the area we could not see well. A nice 5X5
came out from behind the step-down ridge in front of us. We must
of had 20 cows feeding beyond the step-down and in the meadow on
our right. I told Jeff, "I think I'll shoot the 5X5 cause
he's a nice bull." Jeff suggested I wait since this bull was out
in front of us feeding and I could take him anytime: and we might see
more if we waited. Soon after that the bull went behind the step-down
and we couldn't see him. I looked to where the ridge on the left met
ours, and caught a glimpse of a bigger bull! He had come out of
nowhere and was going in behind the step-down ridge where the 5X5
had gone. We knew we had to get a better position to get a shot.
We tried to slip along the left side of our ridge to get closer and
see around the step-down. We had to be careful because cows were
still coming up the ridge to our left and could see us. What we
saw were the 2 bulls sparring with each other and one was BIG! The
problem was they kept going behind the step-down and we couldn't see
them. There was a lone pine tree in the meadow to our right about 40
yards. Jeff and I started to crawl on our bellies toward this tree. He
got there ahead of me because he didn't have a gun and could roll.
Finally, I ran to the tree crouched as low as I could. The cows started
to leave. The cows in the meadow saw us and were nervous.
Not running, but walking off the meadow. The big bull started following
them and I was not in position to shoot yet. Jeff did a cow call
to stop him; and it did for minute. This gave me a chance put my gun in
the crotch of a limb on the tree trunk. The big bull was farther
away by now. Jeff did a bugle and the big boy not only stopped but
turned around and headed toward us. He was going to teach that 5X5 one
final lesson. At 270 yards I fired and he fell like a sack of bricks.
He was an older, heavy 6X6 bull. By then it was an hour before it would
be dark. We dressed him out and decided to come get him the next
day. What a GREAT day it was!
Over all for 7 hunters we
had 5 elk and 1 nice mule deer and lots of opportunity's. The food Ed
cooked was fantastic; the guides did a great job, and I met some
hunters who were good people that will always give me some great
memories. Wyoming Expeditions has good horses, good equipment,
fantastic personnel, and especially, a "Great" area to hunt in.
I'm getting older so I want to go as often as I can now. I'm
already talking to my buddies to put together our next hunt here.
Tom
Youngs
Mt. Dora, FL
| 
| | Warren
Winslow |
Warren
Winslow
2010
1st
Rifle Hunt
September
9 – 16, 2010
Thursday, Sept. 9th
Met at the Irma for breakfast at 6:00am. A total of 10 hunters on
the 1st Rifle Hunt. I was paired with Chad, who is also a repeat
hunter with Wyoming Expeditions. He hunted the 3rd Rifle hunt of
2008 while I hunted the 5th of 2008. The ride in was absolutely
spectacular as it was in 2008. The scenery is almost
unbelievable. I rode a mule named Ike and he was great the entire
trip. We left the trailhead at approximately 9:10am and arrived
at camp at 5:00pm. It started snowing about 3 hrs. into the trip
and snowed most of the way in. We had spaghetti for dinner and
were in bed by 9:30pm.
Friday, Sept. 10th
Ate breakfast at 4:15am and left camp at 5:10am. I rode Bubbles,
another good mule. Terry was guiding Chad and I. Went to
Dell Creek, ran into a small grizzly while riding in. It hissed
at us and walked away. We were spotting elk by 7:00am and heard a
few good bugles. No shot opportunities as they were out of
shooting range. We continued glassing elk up high on the slide
but too far to get now. Decided to return to camp and come back
to that area for the afternoon hunt.
Left camp at 3:00pm to return
to the area we saw elk in this morning. During the ride out, we did
encounter a grizzly, which we believe was a boar. He was about 70
yds. to our left in a meadow and just watched us. He eventually
just walked off opposite of the direction we were riding. That's
what you want them to do as they are intimidating animals. Terry said
this time we would go up high. Once we set up, it was about
5:45pm and then the snow started moving in. Visibility was
reduced to less than 200 yds. and the wind was really
strong. We stayed down until about 6:30pm and Terry decided to
hike higher. Within 15 minutes, I spotted a single bull at 426
yds. over on the next ridge. I knew it was a nice bull when I saw
that he was “palmated” on both sides above the G4's.
The Stalk Was On.! I told Terry I wanted to go higher and close
the distance. Terry told Chad to stay there while he and I
climbed. We settled on a spot, but lost the bull. The cows
were moving now. It was approximately 7:20pm and Terry spotted
the bull. I quickly found a spot and laid down, positioned on my
backpack. I told Terry I was ready and he said shoot. The
first shot, 506 yds., immediately staggered him. I took a 2nd and
3rd shot and Terry saw the bull collapse. Since we were quickly
losing daylight, we hustled back to get Chad and get down to the
horses. Terry looked to see if we could get over to the bull, but
the terrain was very rough and we were losing light quickly. We
had no choice but to return to camp and come back in the morning.
(One note: 5-10 minutes before I shot, the wind and blowing snow
were so strong, I had to hold on to my hat as it would have easily
blown right off my head. The weather was very challenging up
there, but that is what you get when you get up that high. Terry
said we were getting near ram hunting heights.) We returned to
camp at approximately 9:00pm, ate dinner, and went to bed.
Saturday, Sept. 11, 2010
Terry and i left camp at 7:00am with 2 pack mules while Chad stayed in
camp. I rode “Molly Hatchet” mule. It had taken
approximately 1.5 hrs. to get to the area I shot the bull, but Terry
got us right to him. We tied up and Terry went to the bull where
he was piled up in a tight group of trees. Terry immediately said
“WOW! This is an 8x8.” We admired the rack for a few
minutes and then the real work started. The combination of the
angle of the slide and the rocky terrain made it extremely difficult to
pack out. We worked for approximately 4 hours before loading the
mules. We finally made it back to camp by 3:00pm. I will
give Terry all of the credit for this entire adventure, especially
packing out considering the terrain. Terry is a consummate pro.
Since
I was tagged out by the second day, I spent the remainder of the trip
enjoying the fantastic scenery and helping with miscellaneous chores
around camp. Myself and other hunters who had tagged out, help
cut down trees and chop the logs for firewood. This is great
exercise and certainly helps pass the time. We would also help
hang the meat on the meat pole as other hunters would tag out.
Overall,
this is an absolutely tremendous adventure if you are looking for the
true outdoor experience with unparalleled panoramic scenery. The
entire staff with Wyoming Expeditions is undoubtedly top notch, no
question about it, this includes the approximately 42 head of
stock. This was my second trip with Wyoming Expeditions and I
have already scheduled a third trip. This trip allows oneself to
be completely disconnected from the outside world and to enjoy a sense
of freedom which only Mother Nature can provide.
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you have read this far into our web site, and you have any questions,
please give me a call. I am Jeff and my telephone number is 678-953-2026.
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