Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Should have brought the 30 govt.

So I gets up to me spot.

Another outfit

Man one of their ponies tracks are Huge…..

Figured they came up to pack out meat….

It was a freaking white out at home in the morning when I double checked the iron sights on the 356 ER.

Thought hard about packing the 1895 Winchester with a peep instead.

The ponies tracks heading right for where I wanted to hunt

So I tried plan B.

My saddle mule was extremely fresh….my pack mule needed drug…..I hate that deal….but I don’t like sawing on the bit. So off we went.

We crossed some older elk tracks…pondered tying them off…but the mule was real fresh….piss on it press on!

Jumped a cow right off the trail….I wanted to put the scope on the ER to follow it, the snow was quite…
I don’t like weaver mounts in a scabbard with scope ….they wiggle loose IMO

When I stood up from kneeling to open the scope mounts and get the carbine outta the scabbard

Another cow was 40 yards…..eyeballing the saddle mule!

A really good friend told me years ago the last thing to go on….and the first thing to go off is your firearm…

I think he was correct…

OOPS!

I decided tomorrow I am hanging a 44 special Blackhawk over the horn instead of the binoculars

And I ain’t pulling a pack mule.

Been told you can shoot off a mule….at least once!


I will get the mule broke to shoot off of hopefully ….but not by tomorrow.

Good luck out there! Keep us posted.

Will do.

It’s so fun to hunt in snow!

I sold two mules last year….then two of the older ones passed.

The only broke one then foundered…..finally come sound.

I really like hunting mounted. I think the cadence of their footfalls is unlike a human…the snow buffers the steel clank of the shoes…plus they cover ground way better than my old fat ass!

And they are one hunting buddy that won’t drink all yer beer!

Good Luck Angus

Sounds like fun!

Thanks, kaywoodie….get that cow yet?

Many happy memories with Brothers and Uncle riding in the snow after Elk. The riding is what we went for; the elk were secondary. All on Horses back then. My Brother is a sure'nuf 30 year mule man and I now have one of his very good ones. Problem is we are 750 mile apart. Maybe someday one more time. Thanks for the story Angus.

This post needs pictures!

I dunno how.

I can take some today. Habitat talk it’s easy.

This deal not so much

Good story, what area are you in ?

Always thought it would be cool to shoot an elk in the timber with my .30 Govt. carbine

Keep this story going.

Well went out with my mule today…..

His name is Dink…..believe me it fits….traded a bred black badly heifer for him when he was young.

Bucked 2 trainers off.

Anyhow he’s older…but the name sticks. He owns it. But he ain’t bad.

Rode a few miles tied off short of where I saw the cows…..cut their today tracks…..so up the mountain I went.

Didn’t really have all the clothes I should have took….thinking I would not be so lucky. Thought I would go back to Dink before I went hiking for real.. But my mistake I pushed on a foot.

Got to getting to snowing harder….I always laugh…a new meteor ologist that gets hired here must bum out. They usually are wrong.

Left the cow tracks …..the snow was getting harder and they were getting far from Dink …cut back to my garmin rhino mark of last weeks activity closer to my mules location…found some fresher lone bull tracks …..I knew it was a bull…he was torturing saplings as he traveled.

Storm got worse , snow got crunchy, I think crunchy snow indicates bedding areas…it melts…warm in the day….I was weak…I know better hunters wouldn’t have weakened….but I yam what I yam…

Just wasn’t mentally ready to press on. I didn’t have any spare clothes to leave at the kill ( if it happened)
I believe leaving human scent…..especially a smelly old man like me….prevents carnivore buffet on the carcass.

There also wasn’t much for meat hanging trees…..and I wasn’t that sure how well I had tied dink off. Without a second mule……if one gets loose…..there is nothing holding them. Any ways excuses….better men may have pushed on…..2 hours daylight left.

I bailed the track…..there is no pressure….I got my Idaho elk and deer already….the wife don’t like eating either one of them. So no pressure to harvest 4 me. I got lots 2 eat.

I would rather “ road hunt “ in daylight on me Dink!

So headed out back to me ride……thanks Garmin…..I was thinking exactly the opposite direction.
I will never not have spare batteries and full strength on my Garmin ….with a compass in this weather.
The snow hits…..you can’t even use the sun for reference. I was so relieved to see my mule following my rhino and a compass!

The only hiccup to the ride home is I am no Montgomery Clift….I mount very awkward especially with all the stuff I got on the donkey!…..another reason a pack mule helps….I like a shorter mule than Dink….I really can’t blame him…..he was shivering when I got too him. He wanted to head out before I was ready…It’s more my fault mine than his…..but I corrected him…and didn’t get bucked off!

Let’s hope he gets it and doesn’t become more anxious about it.

The wind shield wipers were frozen down to the windshield……should have started the 91 Ram when I got to the truck…….but $5.50 diesel??..

I was thankful to get home……but had a most wonderful day. Being all that snow makes put on the Christmas tunes from Sirius radio!

It was a day I will never forget.

I forgot to add….while riding we crossed some older mule deer tracks…..he acted as if he expected me to go chase them……I think he smelled them.

On the way back there was one fresh track……where dink had stopped…..could you imagine how fun it would be to hunt with Mr, ED?

Angus 1895... Thoroughly enjoyed your accounting of your day hunt. Happy you and Dink made it home safely... with memories of your hunt to reflect on. Thanks for sharing with us Angus. HH

This was fun, thanks Much!

Well I decided to take Dink out on Sunday.

When I come outta the garage after getting the wood stove going there was a neighbors heifer staring at me standing in the back yard. Turns out the heifer been lost 4 over two weeks. Anyways it was very high headed and charged me twice, My neighbor said he didn’t think I could run that fast!

I was wearing red plaid wool rich pants ( the style that look like pajamas) my neighbor said the red must have got her to charging me. Long story short….all the commotion made ol Dink very animated to get tacked up.

When we got to the trailhead there was about 6 inches new snow. Dink wanted to take off before I was in the saddle again…..so I corrected him again.

Pull on the reign….left right left right.get him to back……then stand. Get small in the saddle, calm. Stand.

It worked. Off we went. We cut tracks of a mule deer family grazing, and lots of rabbits, squirrels. Dink wasn’t nearly as charging around and was really getting responsive. It was fun. And I was toasty warm.

We got into more deer tracks….they were fresh, but I wanted to gain elevation to look for elk. The only tracks we cut going up were two human tracks. Further up I tied dink off and went to the top on foot.

Cut only a doe/ fawn track and a lone larger deer track. They converged they must have been a buck heat checking her out. The mule deer are sure rutting around at home!

I cross angeled losing elevation, the snow was deep….I think the big white cowboy has moved the elk herd down the mountain.

I turned on my GPS and Dink was the closest way point it was meant to be. I had added a rolled up saddle pannier to the gear tied to Dink so swing my leg over wearing two pairs of wool pants, I put another pair over the red pajamas. Was nearly impossible. But Dink was standing over a small log , helped me Waller up the horn.

Dink stood purrfect!!! YEAH!

We tried tracking some deer. But couldn’t catch up to them. I am gonna look for elk lower next hunt…

If I don’t find any I will dismount and try posting for deer near dark closer to where I park the truck.

Dink is really getting fun to ride. I am so glad he is staying sound.

What a great way to hunt!