Hunting & Fishing 2010 Elk Hunt In the Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness

[hognuts]

Here are some Pics from my Montana Hunt this last year up in Montanta...It was a blast!

It was an awesome trip, we used Absaroka Beartooth Outfitters to do a drop camp, they took us in on horseback and dropped us off for 7 days. The day before opening day we hiked the fifty into a secondary camp overlooking a nice burn area. Hiked in in the dark on opening morning to "kill zone alpha...lmao"...nothing, we sat on that burn until about noon. Our position was at about 9000 feet elevation. We hiked up to the top of the highest ridge above us...approximately 10,000 feet elevation, once we got on top we spotted a bull at the back of a bowl. My buddy called him in and the bull came running towards us...stopping periodically to tear up pine trees with his antlers...he stopped one last time at about 300 yards. I dialed my 300 dope into the Nightforce on my 30/06 (No I didn't hump the fifty up to the top ) I aimed right behind the shoulder and held a little high as I thought he was "just beyond" the 300 yard mark. Point of aim point of impact, the round struck high behind the shoulder and hit a rib, it went down and punctured both lungs...he dropped immediately...last thing I saw in my sight picture was antlers falling! I was stoked. Nicest bull I have ever taken! Not the biggest bull in the forest, but I was very happy! One of the few places in Montana that you can hunt elk durring the rut. We had a great time and it was beautiful country. AWESOME HUNT!!!

 

[mdesign]

Re: 2010 Elk Hunt In the Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness

Nice bull and neat pictures! Looks like you got a full pack for the trip back out.

 

[aaronraby1]

Re: 2010 Elk Hunt In the Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness

good job! that head looks massive on your back!

 

[KClark]

Re: 2010 Elk Hunt In the Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness

Sounds like a blast, that is some beautiful country. I used to hunt there when I lived in MT, it was very cool to be out hunting in Sept. for the backcountry early season. I put on a few hundred miles in there trying to knock down a sheep in the unlimited hunt. Awesome place for elk. This came from there in '96, pic was taken at the trailhead of the Boulder River.

 

[XL Mammal]

Re: 2010 Elk Hunt In the Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness

<-- That's my jealous face.

 

[psinclair]

Re: 2010 Elk Hunt In the Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness

Sounds like you guys had a good hunt. Cameron is a good shit. We go back a ways...I've guided unlimited Bighorn Sheep for him since 2004. Those pics look like home to me..next time you see him tell him, Pat says hello.

 

[relentless]

Re: 2010 Elk Hunt In the Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness

You did well.

 

[hognuts]

Re: 2010 Elk Hunt In the Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: PGS</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Sounds like you guys had a good hunt. Cameron is a good shit. We go back a ways...I've guided unlimited Bighorn Sheep for him since 2004. Those pics look like home to me..next time you see him tell him, Pat says hello. </div></div>

I talked to Cameron on the phone several times, he was busy while I was there with the "full guided guys" over in the Hellroaring area. We had one of his guys take us in and drop us off. We were very fortunate! This was the only elk we saw on our entire trip, no cows...nothing. We happened to cross paths with this Sattelite bull all by himself waaaay up on top! The wolves have been putting a hurtn' on the elk numbers up there. We talked to alot of other hunters and did not run into anyone else who had harvested in that area...pretty tough hunting! I lost 15 lbs on that trip....and I am not that big a guy! I also bagged a small mulie while we were up there...not much of a rack but great venison for the freezer! I know alot of hunters subscibe to the theory of letting the small ones walk and letting them mature, but I have a limited time to spend hunting and I enjoy having some meat in the freezer! It was a great trip and very rewarding as we worked our asses off to get that bull. I am from Montana, but currently reside in Las Vegas Nevada, I always enjoy going home to enjoy hunting season for a week out of the year and get away from the rat race that is the big city! I am glad you enjoyed the pics. And like the man said Cameron is GTG!!! I would reccommend their guide service to anyone who is wanting to experience that country first hand and it was very affordable. We paid $500/ea for the drop camp service and that included game retrieval. I tipped the guy well as he saved alot of back breaking work. I packed the head and one front quarter back to camp before he showed up and it would have been a grueling task getting the rest down to camp if he had not showed up and saved the day with the pack train! Not to mention the ever present danger of running in to a hungry grizzly bear that wanted to feed on our kill!

 

[hognuts]

Re: 2010 Elk Hunt In the Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: KClark</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Sounds like a blast, that is some beautiful country. I used to hunt there when I lived in MT, it was very cool to be out hunting in Sept. for the backcountry early season. I put on a few hundred miles in there trying to knock down a sheep in the unlimited hunt. Awesome place for elk. This came from there in '96, pic was taken at the trailhead of the Boulder River.

</div></div>

That is a great bull!!! That is where we left from also was the Boulder River trail head. We had gone on a scouting trip up there near Blue Lake. We rode 4 wheelers in in August and fished at Blue Lake and set up camp just below there. Where we hunted was on the divide about 9 miles horse back ride on the trail towards the park. It was beautiful country and an amazing trip. I think I am going to go back for another summer trip to do some trout fishing in there a little further south of where we hunted. This year I put in for a tag on the Wyoming side, myself and a couple of my cousins are going to go in on horseback (provided I draw my tag) this time without a guide service and try it from the Wyoming side. Good luck to you gentlemen this year.