On the way out elk hunting this morning I said to my partners, "it's Friday the 13th, maybe it'll be unlucky for a couple of elk". WRONG! it was unlucky for us. We've been seeing large herds every day for 4 or 5 days. Not an elk anywhere in sight or tracks in last nights fresh snow anywhere. I won't ever say something like that again! We're taking the weekend off, it's supposed to be minus temps and we want the elk to think we've hibernated for the Winter.

No rabbit's foot with you?

It's just another day, right? Go get em next week. I expect pics of one then.

Good luck sir.

How long is the elk season in WY?

It depends on where you hunt

Single digits this weekend? Jesus.

How long in area you're hunting? I'm going out tomorrow morning (Sat 12/14) to hunt deer in Iowa's 2nd gun season, temp is supposed to be -2/-4* F Sat night. Used to be shotgun slugs only in the two main firearm seasons for whitetail, but a few years back they legalized .357-.500 straight wall cartridges. Most guys around here used to use the same 28-30" barrel used for bird hunting before slug barrels came about. I use a Marlin 94 Cowboy model octagonal 44 Mag rifle. Sorry-no Savage 99, bottle neck cartridges not allowed. Such rounds as .444 Marlin and 45/70 are legal. You can use a handgun, but don't know many who do. My 44 Mag will drop them fast, never liked using slugs. I'm a bow hunter at heart, have taken my muzzleloader out a few times in the special season they are allowed. I have several whitetails in my area that have some nice wide antler spreads, saw one of them this morning out driving around, saw its brother about a week ago around 75 yds out in a combined corn field just south of my house. Teasing me. Most others I've seen are what we call 'Floyd County Bucks', named for the county I live in. They're just average size having 6-8 point racks of average size. That's both racks for you western point counters. Some people (non hunters) see them and proclaim them 'huge bucks', but not so. Push come to shove, I'll take a doe if things get touchy close to the end of the nine day season. Wish I could take my newly purchased pre war 99R 300 Savage out for them.

You could use a Savage 1899 in 38-55 or 99 in .375 winchester, both are straight walled cartridges.

What sorta vehicle do the whitetails drive there??

Elk season lasts from sometime in Sep (doesn't matter when it starts, there are no elk around then) till the end of Oct for bulls. Then to Nov 20 for the larger area and until Jan 31 for the small area which includes the ranch I hunt on for cows. Those days of hunting on the ranch are probably about over. I heard today that it's in escrow. The chances of the new owner letting us hunt there aren't very good. Most rich people from somewhere else (the only people who can afford to buy the ranches) don't want the locals on their property much less hunting on it.

John Deere's of course!

Ya, that's true. The .375 Win is allowed, the 38-55 would meet the bullet diameter requirement. There also is a minimum height OAL requirement of 1.285", the 38-55 should meet that. I'd have to go out and buy one of those rifles I guess. Maybe next year, ya never know.



Ford Edsel's, those Whitetails have some class!

Stick with it and you will find them again.