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Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 315
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Campfire Member
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 315 |
The best training for PNW Coastal Elk hunting is to put a tread mill in the back of your truck, put on your rain gear, put it on the steepest incline and have some one drive you through a car wash for 2 hours straight while you jog..
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 56,301 Likes: 9
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 56,301 Likes: 9 |
_______________________________________________________ An 8 dollar driveway boy living in a T-111 shack
LOL
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Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,680
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,680 |
Great write up and story, congrats. The body on that bull looks quite large. The pacific NW is a place I want to get to some day, beautiful looking area
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Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 1,581
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 1,581 |
Congratulations! Roosie's don't get the attention they deserve (maybe that's a good thing for us in the PNW ), great to see a thread about a successful hunt. Rifle choice for them is like any other elk hunt, use what you're most comfortable and accurate with. My last Roosie hunt I carried a 9.3x62.
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 210
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Campfire Member
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 210 |
Great story, congratulations on a successful hunt.
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Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 671
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 671 |
Congrats on what sounds like a great hunt. Hunting on the west side is a whole other game than the east side of the state or so it would seem.
"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take"- Michael Scott
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 5,611
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 5,611 |
Great post, extremely well written and informative. I hadn't seen this thread until I noticed the one today saying you got your elk antlers back. Tickled for you!
Your pics are classic, especially the one of the wet rifle!
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Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 69,390 Likes: 4
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 69,390 Likes: 4 |
To give you an idea of what some of that country's like, some years ago, 2 hunters went down in a canyon there somewhere and shot a bull. While dressing it out, one of them died of a heart attack. It took rescuers 3 days to pack his body out of there. I have no idea how 2 men planned to pack out an elk. Granted, the elk would probably have been in smaller pieces, but there were only 2 of them.
“In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” ― George Orwell
It's not over when you lose. It's over when you quit.
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 48,090 Likes: 6
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 48,090 Likes: 6 |
John John John! That was a fantastic write-up of classic Pacific NW rain forest hunting! You get it my friend! Great preparation, hunt, and followup. Outstanding.
I really appreciated your description of the conditions. People that hunt in desert country for elk can never understand the level of difficulty the weather combined with soaking wet reprod introduces into a hunt in the PNW. Add in steep terrain, warm temperatures (which make raingear HOT to hike in) and short seasons and you have one challenging hunt. it's hard on mind, body, and rifle isn't it?!
I salute you sir! Very well done. Thanks for the kind words. The Pacific Northwest is definitely a weird little part of the world with its own species and conditions, but you don’t hear much about it unless you live here. I grew up hunting whitetails and I thought I could hunt blacktails the same way when I got here. It took me about five years of getting skunked to realize how wrong I was. 99% of the information available on elk and deer hunting is about Rocky Mountain elk and whitetail deer because that’s what most people hunt. Same if you go to big-box stores like Cabelas and Bass Pro—they have tons of gear for those species, but you just get blank stares when you ask about Roosevelt elk and blacktails. The PNW is a little tougher than most places, but it’s great if you don’t like being up to your ass in snow during hunting season. Okie John Excellent job on the write-up and congrats on your beautiful bull. By the way, it was wet and miserable in the PNW here too last season's elk hunt, but we can get "snow up to our azz" during our elk hunts too. Maybe not in your neck of PNW, but in mine it happens...
I try to stick with the basics, they do so well. Nothing fancy mind you, just plain jane will get it done with style. You want to see an animal drop right now? Shoot him in the ear hole. BSA MAGA
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Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 15,305
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 15,305 |
Great write up.
The 338 and 225 Partitions seem like they are tailor made for them big buggers!
Congrats on the bull. I have never taken a Roosevelt but it is on my list.
Semper Fi
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 4,925
Campfire Tracker
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OP
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 4,925 |
Great write up.
The 338 and 225 Partitions seem like they are tailor made for them big buggers!
Congrats on the bull. I have never taken a Roosevelt but it is on my list. Thanks. The guys I hunted with are great if you decide to make it happen. I've already reserved my spot with them for 2018. Okie John
If Montana had a standing army, a 270 Win with Federal Blue Box 130's would be the standard issue.
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Joined: Jan 2010
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Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
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Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 954
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 954 |
Great write up and pictures, as a NW hunter I have been there and done that. My first Rosey was near Coos Bay in 62, a 3 year old bull. I am hoping for another one in the next couple of years. I have lots of points in Washington.
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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 1,951
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 1,951 |
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read in various publications, from “experienced” scribes how lever actions and ‘Brush busters” are perfect for this kind of hunting. They’ve obviously not looked out over Western Washington clear cuts. In truth, a 500 hundred yard shot isn’t out of the question. I completely agree with your comments about rifle choices. Stainless steel, composite stock, and a flat shooting rifle that can deliver energy at long range is much more appropriate than a Brush Buster! For this kind of Elk hunting, this is 300 magnum country.
Great story, thanks.
Last edited by JBabcock; 07/12/20.
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Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 789
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 789 |
My dad shot his first Rosey in 58 mine came in 61 and another one shortly after. After my service we migrated to the dry side of Oregon and I became familiar with the mountains of NE Oregon, where I have hunted ever sense. My heart is in the mountains, looking across vast expanses of real estate. The deep dark, wet side full of wind-throw, sal-al berries, alder, more alder I do not miss. Good luck for those of you hunting there,
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