Ozark Mountain Elk Hunt

Hunting in December is cold and can be a miserable experience.  I left Council Bluffs in a snow storm with reduced visibility and one lane open on the I-29 all the way to St. Joseph, Missouri.  Great news then took place.  The snow stopped and the left lane opened up.  The bad news was the moisture did not stop but became a light freezing mist.  At times it was like driving on a skating rink.  East of Kansas City the interstate was like a display of a demolition derby.  They drove fast on the ice and drove tight behind the person they were following.  Driving slowly and steadily, with a lot of concentration, I was able to drive out of most of it at Columbia, Missouri.  Then I turned south to St. James, Missouri.  The next day the hunt would be on at High Adventure Ranch.

I have been here before and shot a really nice Arkansas Razorback.  So the ranch would not be a new experience.  Hunting elk would be different as all of my previous trips had been in the mountains.  This time I would be hiking through the hills and valleys of the ranch.  The trip had been previously arranged, and the plan was to hunt and harvest a management bull.  This is a bull that has matured, but the rack is kind of skimpy.  That was okay with me as I wanted an affordable price and meat.

Looking out from the balcony of the lodge you can see the panorama of the area and observe the type of terrain you will be hunting .

The lodge is set up with two bedrooms and a common bath.  This is my bedroom, and as you can see, I dumped my bag and headed to the woods.

The lodge has all the amenities and is a great place to stay.  Plus, there is a kitchen area for whipping up some snacks.  However, you won't need to do that because the meals in the main dining room are outstanding.  The food is heavy and lots of it.  You never go away hungry.

The main dining room is ready for large and small groups.  There is also an area to sit back, watch some TV, and take it easy.  With the snow depth on the ground and walking the hills, a person would probably make use of this area between meals and hunting.

This is the kind of terrain that the guide and I walked in.  After about an hour, he walked and I struggled at times.  Wearing too much clothing was a mistake.  I should have recognized that the temperature and climate would be warmer when arriving.   We tried to stay on top of the ridges and look down into the sides of the hills and valleys.  We were after a 4 x 5 management bull that had been previously seen in the area.  My budget was set up for this type of bull, but we were going to have to work for him.

This is a typical view.  You would move to the top of the ridge and see if there was an animal in the timber.  Then back up and track his movements to a spot where you could get a decent shot.  Shooting wildly into the timber is a really bad idea and the shots will not be long.  Also, visibility is limited as  the timber becomes more dense and dark.

After several hours, it felt like my bottom needed roller skates to keep moving through the snow and timber.  We moved to the top of a ridge with a trail and small road on it.  The guide had seen the 4 x 5 on several occasions in this area.  However, he did not appear and we could not spot him.  As we moved slowly along the trail at a distance of about 50 yards, a giant bull stood up and looked straight at us.  We stopped.  Then slowly we stepped backward to a spot where we could get behind some cover.  Then another one came up from the valley below.  We stood still.  I could feel my heart pumping and I am still not sure if it was from all the walking up hill or the two bull elk that stared at us.  Each was a minimum of a 350 class bull or bigger.

To the left and to the right are the two big bulls that stood up and started heading across the trail in front of us.  The wind was right in our faces and they were not more that 50 yards out.  They were staring right at us.  Periodically they would lift their noses into the air trying to smell what was in front of them.  The tree I was behind hid my movements as I brought the camera up to take the picture.  This was truly amazing.

They moved across the trail in front of us.  We stood as still as possible.  Then a third one came up and moved out right in front of us.  He stood and stared.

 

He must have stood there for ten minutes staring at us and not moving.  Notice the low slung belly and the cape that is not as dark as the other two, which means he is younger.  But the exciting thing about him is the rack.  Notice how the right side is shaped.  The guide commented that this was unusual.  He said, "Take him if you want, but it is out of your budget."  At that moment, budget meant nothing and he had to be had.  The guide believed he was five years old, but he could be younger.  Young meat was preferred.   

He crossed the trail and started feeding on a pile of branches with some type of leaf on them and it was believed the shot was lost.  We could not move for fear of being seen and a shot through the branches was bad idea.  If he continued  down the hill there was a small opening in the trees where a shot could be made, provided he moved slowly.  All of a sudden he turned around and started to back track.  Stepping out from behind the pile of timber, he stopped and looked straight at us.  We stood extremely still.  The rifle was already mounted to my shoulder and his head was right in the scope.  The gun got heavy.  I pushed my hand holding the gun against a tree to steady the shot.  It helped, but the gun stayed heavy.  I said to myself, "Be patient."  Then he took two more steps forward and turned again to stare at us.  That was a fatal mistake for him.  The shot was made with a Winchester Model 70-300 Win Mag.  The bullet was a Nosler 180 grain.  It was over quickly.

This is the biggest animal I have ever harvested.  Upon examination, the guide said he was a lot younger than he believed and probably was at least four but not over five years old.  His teeth were all intact, his cape was not real dark, and he probably had not participated in the rut.  He weighed in at 525 lbs. before we field dressed him.  This was the most beautiful animal I have seen. 

What an exciting day.

Good hunting, good fishing, and good luck.  Hank

 

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Plotting an Elk Hunt

Where to go?  That is the first question.  What kind of a hunt do I want to do?  That is the second question.  How much am I willing to spend?  That is the third question.  Those are all bad questions and if you are thinking along those lines, throw them all out.  What I focus on is where can I have the most fun.  Then I try to pick the time that will work for my schedule.  My wife and I like to travel in the fall and that is usually right around elk season in the mountains, so some of the places picked do not work for our schedule.  What I want are good accommodations, good food, a one to one guide, and results.  There are four outfitters that meet those requirements.

In the camp

Wind River Outfitters is a pure outdoor experience in the mountains.  While I did not harvest a bull, the experience was outstanding.  Mike and his wife provide excellent service, great food, excellent guides and the accommodations are very good for a totally outdoor experience.  Check out their website for prices and more information.  You will hunt in some of the most beautiful country I have ever seen.

Beautiful mountain experience

The meadows are truly stunning and you will hunt in some of the most beautiful country you have ever seen. 

Notice the steepness of the terrain.  This is scenic and rugged country.  Placed on the side of a mountain we waited for elk to appear in the valley below.  The shot would have been about 100 yards. 

Depending on what you are looking for, this will be an excellent outdoor adventure with all the trappings of a hunt on horseback in the Nez Perce National Forrest.

Bob Barlow, owner of Barlow Outfitting out of Alpine, Wyoming, operates great hunting and fishing trips.  I shot a black bear with Bob.  Since he is a native of the area, Bob knows the Tetons like the back of his hand.  Instead of camping, you stay at Teton Mountain View Lodge in Tetonia, Idaho.  You stay in Idaho, but hunt in Wyoming.   You can look up and see the back side of the Grand Tetons right next to Jackson, Wyoming.  In fact, on two trips to the area I could always look up to my right and there were the mountains poking up into the sky.  

The morning starts out with a breakfast in the eating area at the lodge, provided by Bob.  The horses are trailored to a trail head and off you go into the mountains.  If you want the mountain experience without the camping experience, this is a superb way to go.  You can hunt elk in the morning, and then hunt bear in the evening.  You have a heated private room with toilet and shower every morning and evening.  The best part of this trip is having the company of Bob Barlow.  You will have a great time with Bob. 

I did not draw a tag for Wyoming for 2013 and did not have the opportunity to hunt with Bob this year.

The beauty of the Tetons

Working through the valleys

On the mountain top

Black Bear hunt

The backside of the Grand Tetons

Bob Barlow

Last year I hunted Smith Rancho northeast of Craig Colorado.  A really nice 5 x 5 was harvested.  Smith Rancho is part of a program developed by Colorado called "Ranching for Wildlife." Ranching for Wildlife (RFW) is a wildlife management partnership between Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) and owners of large tracts of private land. A minimum of 12,000 acres of contiguous private deeded land is the minimum amount of land required for enrollment. Landowners improve habitat on their ranch for both game and non-game animals.

This is a first class hunt with bunk house accommodations and a plethora of elk that you can visually glass throughout the ranch.  Dining is pure gourmet at its finest and Mrs. Smith is an outstanding cook.  Their guides are all seasoned veterans at working for the customer in the outdoors.  They work extra hard to put you on an animal.  

I did not spend a full day on the ranch when my elk was harvested.  I stayed until dinner because roast leg of lamb was being served.  The elk was taken to Craig for processing at the Brothers processing facility.   I was more than pleased with the results.  Upon contacting Smith Rancho for this year, they were booked and wanted me to book for 2014, but I cannot plan that far ahead.  

This is an outstanding trip for the person that does not want the horseback experience, but wants good accommodations and gourmet cooking.  The Smiths will go out of their way to see that you have a great experience, but you must plan early.

Colorado Elk. 

The fourth trip is the one I just completed at High Adventure Ranch.  I shot an Arkansas Razorback hog last January.  To learn about the ranch and my experience, read next weeks blog.  This was way more than I expected.

 

Good hunting, good fishing, and good luck.  Hank.

 

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Nothing Better Than Limiting Out

Yesterday a really nice big hen was harvested.  After the flock was busted, trying to pick off another one as they came back together did not work out.  In these woods it seldom does, but it is always worth a try.  The weather was a typical fall day with light winds and cool temperatures.  With a bright sun, a little extra precaution in picking a place to hide was critical.

Returning to the haunt from yesterday did not produce any action.  Still it was tempting to go to other parts of the farm to look for signs, glass the areas and see if there was some movement.  Wasting about ninety minutes it was still worth a try.  You never know where they will be with the nice weather and plenty off feeding opportunities. 

Hunting the road did not produce

Back at the landowners home he asked, "where have you been?"  "Some toms with some hens had just moved down the driveway and headed into the timber," he said.  It was time to find a good place to sit and read a book in a well concealed hiding place.  I also found out they periodically they had come from the northern most hill and had walked down behind the house.  He suggested I find a good place to hide on the hill.

Working the ridges was not productive, but good exercise.

This was a bit of a  problem for me as the top of the hill was about 30 yards long and 5 yards wide.  Then it fell off quickly to the east and west into the dense timber.  A shot to the south would be in the direction of the landowners home, and I would be in gun range if I took a southerly shot.  Any shot would have to be made straight easterly, westerly or northerly.  

Up the hill north of the owners home.  I hid just beyond the two trees standing on the left side of the picture.

An old fence post surrounded by brush right at the top of the hill on the west side looked really good.  In addition, there were droppings everywhere and they definetely had spent some time in this location.  Hunkered down, I opened my Kindle and slowly drifted off into a slight slumber.  It was about 1 PM and the sun was just off to my right shoulder and the heat felt really good.  

This is a lousy picture but it gives you the idea of concealment.  You can see my knee off to the lower left of the picture.  I can shoot over the top of the foilage.

A rustle in the grass and some clucking sounds brought me back to full alert.  Right out in front of me not more that ten feet came the flock of turkey.  When they are scratching and pecking the ground they move quickly, and the gun had to be brought up to my shoulder.  Moving slowly, the flock would be gone as they would pick up on the slightest movement.  Moving too fast would cause the flock to bust scattering everywhere and a decent shot would be lost.  To my right was the landowners home, and a shot in that direction would be a success, but the house might get peppered. 

Back toward the end of the flock was a small hen slowly making her way along.  While not as big as the ones passing me by, I could get this one.  The gun was brought up quickly and the bird was harvested with one shot.  The rest of them were out of there quicker than you could say "Yankee Doodle"  While not a big bird, it would dress out nicely and make a great meal out of each of the breasts.

 
Benelli 12 Gauge Super Black Eagle II Semi Auto Shotgun

I shoot this shotgun with the ability to shoot 3.5 inch shells.  I use 3.5 inch shells for turkey and geese.  Check the price at Bass Pro if you are looking for a new shotgun for the next season. On turkeys I shoot Kent Ultimate in 3.5 inch.

That was it for the season as the limit was reached.

Good hunting, good fishing, and good luck.  Hank

 

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Nebraska Turkey Hunt



When the call came in, "The turkeys are walking up and down the driveway," I dropped what I was doing and headed to the hills.  The hills are the ones at the edge of the Missouri River bottoms north of Fort Calhoun. 

I had just scouted the area based on the landowners recommendations.  They are back.  This has been my favorite farm for several years.  However, the hunting was spoiled due to a commercial hunting area to the southeast corner of the farm.  I think they bait them, however I have no direct proof.  Still, when the landowner called, it was time to hit the bricks and get into the hills.

They will come in flocks up his gravel road from the west where corn fields lay and a creek separates the land.  Then past the house and over the hill they go.  Where they go, I have no idea as this is almost like a cliff and impossible to walk, especially carrying a gun. 

I changed positions up and down the road to the house.  I have seen many birds along the road as I drove up.  Right now, nothing appeared.

Starting early, I positioned myself along the road leading to the house and every 90 minutes changed location.  The road to the house S turns  through the hills, but it's general direction is west to east as you go up.  They could come from the southwest, west or northwest, and I wanted to be prepared.  A hill straight to the north of the house has a deer run that drops right behind the landowner's home.   I have seen turkey droppings along that path.  If I started too high up the road,  I could miss the stroll altogether.  Covering your bases is the right thing to do.  After all, it is hunting, not shooting. 

Pushed back in the brush, I waited for the birds to stroll up the road.

I changed locations several times, but saw and heard nothing.  The one thing I was accomplishing was catching up on my reading.  Carrying my Kindle with me, I read as I sat there.  One book I was reading was written by my good friend, Ron Ross in Colorado.  Ron is the publisher and owner of Tidbits, a popular paper distributed along the front range.  He is a prolific writer, has a radio program on AM 1310 KFKA www.1310KFKA.com and was responsible for helping me write the blogs and open up the website.


Excellent information and I highly recommend Ron's book. Click on the link "Buy from Amazon.com" or the link below.
www.RecordYourFamilyHistory.com.





By the time I got to where the road turns north to the bottom of the hill, discouragement was starting to set in.  Positioning my self near a fallen tree, I waited.  Then from the creek below, up came a couple of small birds.  I said to my self, "Be patient, the opportunity is coming."  They were late.  It was 3 PM and they should have been walking up the road between 11 AM and 1 PM.  The order of the day is not to make one, not one move.  The turkey has vision like no other, will pick up the slightest movement, and will be gone before I can get the shooting stick to my shoulder. 


I can lay the gun on the downed tree, but look how tight the shots will be.  There is no room to swing and to make the shot, I will have to hold in an opening and let the bird walk into the target area.  This will not be easy.

They moved up the hill to the road.  When there was a small break, I began the very slow and gradual movement of mounting the gun to my shoulder.  The tree would block some of the movements.  The fear now was that the flock would be spread and some of the birds would come up from the creek behind me.  Finally, with gun up and laying across the log that was in front of me, I waited.  Then there came some more.  Right at the back of the pack were several great big hens.  No toms or jakes were visible, but shooting hens in Nebraska in the fall is legal.  There are lots and lots of hens.  Moving slowly,  the barrel was swung into range of the biggest one and in an instant she became dinner. 

There is nothing better than fresh turkey.

Off went the flock scattering to the winds.  This was a really nice big bird and will make excellent dining fare.  Friends that help my wife and I devour the game and fish harvested, find turkey one of their favorite dishes.




Good hunting, good fishing, and good luck.  Hank

 
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Scouting the Ground for Turkeys

When the phone rang I was totally surprised at the voice on the other end of the line.  Turkey hunting had not been good on this farm since a commercial hunting operation had opened nearby a couple of years ago.  The landowner said they are back and we are seeing some nice size toms plus some really big hens.  

Fall colors in Nebraska

Hunting this ground had been a ritual twice a year for several years, with outstanding success.  A nice big tom in the spring and a couple of either sex in the fall.  Nebraska's fall turkey season lasts a long time so you do not have to be in a big hurry.  I had all but given up on this farm due to the commercial operation nearby.  The landowner indicated that a large number of the flocks had young birds hanging around, so this was a good sign.  If they are not being bothered, the hunting gets really good.  You could say it is almost like hunting on a game reserve, but it's not.  

One of my favorite locations

It was time to scout things out.  The north end of the land remained exactly as it always has been for probably several hundred years.  Big oak tress dot the landscape and the deer and turkey will feast on the acorns.  The one major change was a road had been cut along a ridge line to the valley below.  This had been my favorite spot on the farm to hunt and many birds had been harvested at the foot of a couple of the big oaks.  Still, it is not my land, and I am merely a guest so nothing was said.  After a little time passes, the wildlife will accommodate to the change, and so will I.

Along the ridge top

My next favorite spot was a big valley that ran east and west.  The birds would transition this area. Much to my surprise, there were some droppings right where I wanted them to be.  This was great because the pattern was still there and so was the hiding place.  The one thing that I noticed was the absence of deer.  There was just not the numbers or the sizes seen in the past.  This was probably due to the disease of two years ago during the drought that took out large numbers of deer.  When mother nature thins the game, she is not kind.

Since I do not hunt deer on this farm, I don't care.  Anyway, an old turkey hunter told me the deer warn the turkey when we are in the woods.  Conversely, the turkey warn the deer of the same thing.  That just can't be true, but when walking and stalking through a stand of timber, it is better not to see the deer running off with their flags up in the air.

Hiding right behind this tree on a side of a hill has always been productive.

To the south end of the farm is terraced open pasture and to the west side are corn fields.  Nothing had changed here.  After hiking this area, no signs were found.  When the commercial operation opened up, this area was the first to lose the population of turkeys.  Now there is not one sign.  Could it be the birds are being baited?

I have a good feeling of the ground and where to set up and where not to set up.  Now just to get the timing of when they are passing in flocks and be in the right location.

Good hunting, good fishing, and good luck.  Hank

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