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What a day!
I don�t even quite know where to start, except that a short time after I got home I noticed the current Newsweek, with the Desperate Housewives cover. I asked mine if she was a desperate housewife, which seems to not be the case. I�m thankful for that, at least, but the whole concept is so far removed from what we went through today that it boggles the imagination.
My son and I packed in on Friday� behind one of those ranches where they charge the big $ to hunt elk. Although, they let about 200 of the public in for free, the last four days, to thin the cow elk population, which can have the effect of pushing both sexes of elk back up onto the Forest. So, it can be bally good elk hunting indeed up there, or so I�ve heard.
Actually, I did this same trip two years ago, solo. By Sunday, there were elk everywhere you looked. Alas, not trophy bull elk, and back then you needed a special cow permit, which I was not in possession of and wouldn�t have shot if I had. That�s a whole story in itself�
So on Friday we embarked with three horses packed, and took turns riding the one that wasn�t. After about eight miles, the trail disappears into what we�re now calling Murkwood, and some time thereafter we crossed the tracks of a group of (presumably) cow elk, as well as a couple of individual elk which one could assume to be bulls. Saturday, we hunted our heinies off, and were into regular elk sign, although no tracks with elk still standing in them. Late in the day, in the most bodacious bull hidey hole I�ve come across, we jumped what I assume to be a truly astounding bull. At least his turds are of magnum size.
So, last evening in camp, we were just about besides ourselves with enthusiasm. I studied the topos, & had a plan to sneak into Mr. Big�s bedroom. Cody was going to head out horseback (we rarely hunt off the ponies), on the 3-Dot trail, which I assure you cannot be found on any maps. We fervently hoped for fresh tracking snow, and just before we hit the rack, a few flakes began to flutter!
Today, I beat the alarm clock up and switched on my headlamp to facilitate lighting the stove and getting some coffee brewing. Noticed the tent walls were sagging suspiciously. Gave the one closest to me a shake, and was rewarded with what sounded like a copious amount of snow sliding off. This is in a MT Canvas Alaknak tent, a single-pole teepee sort of affair with about 24� sidewalls. Shortly thereafter I felt the wall, & noticed the snow level appeared to be above the vertical portion of the wall, & in fact well above the level of my cot. Hmmm�.
This was information I preferred not to process until the coffee had brewed, so I went back to bed for a half hour. Upon arising, we unzipped the tent door, and were astounded. I said, �It�s well over a foot deep!� Cody replied �Bullshit, its way deeper than that!!� He was right. Corroborating photos are forthcoming�
After breakfast, we both headed out on our separate courses of action. He turned back after a bit, when it turned out that in some spots the snow was about mid-calf deep. On horseback! And Thistle is a pretty big horse. I kid you not. It was incredible.
About ten steps from the tent I realized my �foot-plus� estimate was way off. It was more like crotch deep. Fortunately, it was fluff that would have been just grand skiing, but left something to be desired as elk habitat. While making my way to Mr. Big�s former bedroom, I stepped into a couple of holes and went chest deep.
Needless to say, any critter with a lick of sense was long gone. And of course, it sounded like WWIII down on the ranch. It seems I have this incredible talent for hunting the right places at the wrong times�.
But all was not lost. I decided we should take an alternate route out, through some country I used to hunt a fair bit a few years back. This �trail� sees very little use, and is kind of hard to find even with no snow. We�d lost some elevation, so the snow was only about two feet deep, but the route still posed a challenge to find. I�m too tired to wonder about it too much, but there were a few times when I really believe there were larger forces at work. I assume some of you have read the Jean Auel series, Clan of the Cave Bear, etc.? The memories?
It�s been at least four years since I�ve been on that �trail�. It just flat disappears in places even when there�s no snow. A couple of my horses have been on it, too. There were times we disagreed, at critical junctures. Once I was right, and once Bo was. He has the memories, too.
Anyway, we made it out. There were no elk on the alternate route, and at this point I�m unsure if I should be thankful for that. I wouldn�t be in a warm house typing this if we had. I have mixed emotions about that.
Montana FWP has decided to extend the season for two weeks in SW MT, for antlerless elk. We thought that held promise, until a buddy called & informed me one needed to purchase an �extended antlerless permit�, and the deadline was today. Well, hey, I don�t mean to gripe, as we had our chances and had some incredible experiences in the process. All the same, I think I�ll e-mail some of my FWP contacts tomorrow, and tell them I think that�s bogus. I�ve submitted comments they�ve liked lately, so I can afford a gripe.
I wonder if I can get Newsweek to cover this?

I like that show...teri hatcher sure is lovely

Rimrock, your general elk license will be good in the districts in R3 that will be open for cows after the general season. Your buddy's right that the elk license needed to be purchased by 11/28 but there are no �extended antlerless permits.� You can read about it here: Link

Rimrock. Just the luck of the draw in elk hunting. Been there , done that when the snow was over the boot tops, on a horse. All the elk had moved down lower that night it snowed. They have memories too.

Not only do they have memories, they have better weather forecasting skills, too!
Whitetail; All Right!! Yet another case of bad intel on my part. Time to get on the horn and find a rancher with a surplus of elk. We're about over the whole hunting expedition thing (for now) and are ready to drive out in a hay meadow & shoot some elk.

I hunted Buffalo Horn last week, rode in from the trail head each day and only managed to see one small herd with a small 4 point that I passed . Nothing coming out of the park so things were really slow. Not enough snow early enough I guess.