My Vacation to WY

[FL_Cracker]

This one picture says it all. I had a great vacation. Boy did the work start right after I took this picture...

It was worth all the trouble...

 

[HGM]

Nice, congratulations.... Did you have to pack it out? How far?

One of these days I plan on doing that myself.. I have a freind who lived in western Monatna and tells me stories of his hunts.. Man, I'm just not sure I'm in that kind of shape.. Something I'd definitly have to plan for and work up to I guess..

 

[EddieWalker]

Congratulations on a super animal. Come on, you can't just post a picture and leave it at that!!

Did you get him in the rut? Was he bugling? Rifle or Bow? Did you use an outfitter and where in Wyoming did you hunt? How many did you see? Did you go with others? How did they do?

I've only hunted whitetail deer in Wyoming in the very North Eastern corner of the state. So far, I have never drawn a tag for elk, sheep or moose in that state. One day it'll happen.

Eddie

 

[Thomas]

Congrats on the fine harvest.

 

[gsganzer]

Details!!!!

Our deer season opens on November 4th. Seeing pictures like this just makes it that much harder to wait. Was it guided or "do it yourself"?

 

[FL_Cracker]

EddieWalker & gsganzer,

Her are the details..

This was a ten day process... I started out scouting and hunting Sept. 23nd. after driving three days to Freedom, WY. This is a very small town (Population 100) in Star Valley about 1.5 hours south of Jackson Hole. I choose Star Valley to hunt because I purchased 52 acres there last fall. I was there visiting friends and found this piece for sales. I scouted it one night and saw 37 Elk, of which 17 were bulls. (The next day we jumped several Mule Deer and a Cow Moose with a calf.) That sealed the deal. I headed to the Real Estate office and put in my offer. It's a really nice canyon with "Deer Creek" running through the bottom. Back to the trip. After two days of scouting I got him started Bugling and drew him out into a very large field behind my place. (That meant he was in Idaho and I had a Wyoming permit) He was with 20 cows and 6 satellite bulls, all of which were quite a bit smaller. As bow season neared to an end I managed to call one of the Satellite bulls onto my place about 25 yards from me. I held tight in hopes of getting a chance at the big guy. The last day of bow I called him off my neighbor's place and he was only 75 yards away. Still too far for a good shot. Opening day of gun my neighbor and I were both in the woods but they gave us the slip. The little bulls crossed but the big guy was nowhere to be found. Monday and Tues. were very uneventful. He bugled but never showed his face in the daylight. Then the weather changed and Tuesday night the rain set in hard. Wednesday morning I was there early. 45 minutes before you could see your had in from of you face. He's started bugling early. The satellite bulls entered the field early and I could just make them out at 7am. At 7:10 am I spotted another satellite bull on my place just about the rocky knob I was using for a vantage point. Then he entered the picture right behind the one lone bull. I think they were trying to sneak around the other elk because of all the human activity brought on by opening day. I put one good shot on him at about 200 yards but he still ran more than eight hundred yards before dropping. His last act was an attempt to jump my neighbors fence to enter the BLM land where he laid up every day. The 7mm did the trick it just needed a little time to work. I was hunting by myself but after he was down my neighbors chipped in to help clean, load and haul him to the meat processor. He scored 257 B&C

I did take one day off the hunting of him to hire a outfitter to take me Mule Deer hunting. We hunted the Grays River area by horseback. It was a hard day of hunting and we saw several bucks but none bigger than 22" wide. That was just a awesome day. The terrain was amazing and I was lucky enough to walk up on a Bull Moose. At thirty yards, it was a great experience.

Hope I didn't through in too many details. I will also post a few more photos...

Thanks,
Charles

 

[FL_Cracker]

It's great to have good neighbors to hlp haul him in, a wife that supports your efforts, and last but not least a good OLD tractor to help with the task at hand.

 

[FL_Cracker]

Here's a few more pictures.

My Moose encounter, look close, he's right in the opening. My camera was not the best at that moment.

Top of the World shot from horse back trip.

Location shot of my place in Freedom....

 

[EddieWalker]

Hey FL_Cracker,

That's a great story and it sounds like you got yourself a really nice place there. I really love the look of the aspens in fall. Nothing says "out west" or "Rocky Mtns." like those aspens!!!!

Thanks for sharing.
Eddie

 

[kenmac]

I'am no hunter so, I'am going to ask a stupid question (may be 2) Can you eat moose ? Does it taste like deer or chicken ?