. . . To him who has once tasted the reckless independence, the haughty self-reliance, the sense of irresponsible freedom, which the forest life engenders, civilization thenceforth seems flat and stale. Its pleasures are insipid, its pursuits wearisome, its conventionalities, duties, and mutual dependence alike tedious and disgusting. The entrapped wanderer grows fierce and restless, and pants for breathing-room. His path, it is true, was choked with difficulties, but his body and soul were hardened to meet them; it was beset with dangers, but these were the very spice of his life, gladdening his heart with exulting self-confidence, and sending the blood through his veins with a livelier current. The wilderness, rough, harsh, and inexorable, has charms more potent in their seductive influence than all the lures of luxury and sloth. And often he on whom it has cast its magic finds no heart to dissolve the spell, and remains a wanderer and an Ishmaelite to the hour of his death.
Francis Parkman
Pics from Guiding Elk Hunters and setting up hunting camps.
The squirrels kept busy making noise and dropping pine cones on our heads while hunting.
My clients Joe and Bill by a huge cedar we found in a hidden grove off the beaten path.
Elk hunting was tough due to hot weather, full moon, and wolves that moved into the area and ran the elk out, but if nothing else I sure could find some scenic spots for a lunch break.
A grove of huge cedars in the smokey sunlight.
A herd of elk we found while going in to set up hunting camps. Bull in middle keeping an eye on his cows above.
Following the packstring on our way out after setting up a camp.
The squirrels kept busy making noise and dropping pine cones on our heads while hunting.
My clients Joe and Bill by a huge cedar we found in a hidden grove off the beaten path.
Elk hunting was tough due to hot weather, full moon, and wolves that moved into the area and ran the elk out, but if nothing else I sure could find some scenic spots for a lunch break.
A herd of elk we found while going in to set up hunting camps. Bull in middle keeping an eye on his cows above.
Following the packstring on our way out after setting up a camp.
3 comments:
We had similar issues with our elk hunt -- my buddy got a 5x5 bull on September 16, but we thought the 90degree heat and full moon definitely kept activity down as well. We jumped a cougar one evening, but were unable to get it to come back into bow range once I had an arrow nocked! A lot of the locals were talking about the negative effect of the wolves on the elk in the entire Shoshone Creek drainage. We saw one wolf print, and heard a pack of coyotes doing their thing one night. We took off on Monday, the 22nd, after hunting 10 hours in the rain that turned to snow up where we were at, and I'm guessing the colder weather behind that front probably got the bulls really fired up with the rut. Did you guys get that weather system? Did the bulls turn on after it passed?
The bulls did seem to turn on, but not in the area I guided in. They seemed to have moved out of that area entirely, but I was in some other areas setting up camps after the guiding and had bulls bugling, and even following the horses thinking they were cows. I am helping friends with a moose hunt this weekend and will do some more elk calling just for fun and photos if I get time.
Down here (Weiser River Zone), we got the bulls going by the last week of the season, but never did close the deal on one. Had some close encounters, though - and as always, had a wonderful time.
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