I have been busy this season getting ready to finally leave this state so I was only able to get out a couple times.I only hunted Deer one day and saw nothing. I did see a nice forky in my neighbors yard.
This summer I did some work up in Oregon at a hunting ranch called Clover Creek Ranch. My Brother traded some remodeling work for Taxidermy rights on the ranch. Mountain Dreams Taxidermy in Sherwood Oregon.The main bath room needed remodeling so I made a trade for a hunt as well. During the trips up there I got the bug to Hunt Elk. Since I didn't get drawn for anything I decided on an over the counter general cascades hunt. On each trip I would do a little scouting. I decided on an area NW of Crater Lake.Three lakes snow park. The season ran from Sat-Fri. We arrived on Thursday and found a nice camp area with wood left over from Deer season.
We had to tent it until Sunday when my brother would bring his pop up camper. Life was good!It didn't take long to realize that I would not need to worry about long range shots.Suddenly the Sendero in 300 Weatherby topped with Hawke Optics was not a good choice. 10 lbsThis would be all still hunting. Not spot and stalk.
Saturday evening we were moving thru some very thick brush when I came face to face with a very large branch antler bull. Less then fifteen yards! I brought up the Sendero and Why can't I see anything! Scope cover was closed. By the time I flipped it open the Monster was making a hasty retreat. The whole ordeal only lasted a second or two. It turned out that was the only elk we saw. The moment is burned into my memory. There is something very special about hunting Elk.I know now that I will try to hunt Elk every year for the rest of my life.We saw lots of sign and had a great time. We hunted hard hiking up and down the Mountains.In the middle of that pile of trees is an elk bed. The pic of the bed itself didn't turn out.
Back to Clover Creek Ranch, I had originally planned on taking a meat Bison. After talking with the guide and finding out that all the Bison were four years or older I decided on one of the new Asian Water Buffalo they just got in. Keep in mind this was a harvest. We went out in the cold morning and one of the guides had already located the herd. We eased within fifty yards of them being very careful not to spook them. If they get spooked the hunt is over until the next day. As I eased out of the truck the guide pointed out a female that fit the bill. She cleared the herd and was facing me when I let the 300 weatherby firing a 180 accubond, go.Her feet went up and she went down. Bang flop. Perfect harvest. The accubond retained 52 percent of its weight after smashing through the forehead splitting her skull, one horn was literally hanging, and then destroying the first three vertebrae in the neck. Blowing out her jugular and throat thus allowing her to bleed out without me slicing her throat. The bullet was lodged in the fourth Vertebrae that was in several pieces.
Dropped it off at Wagon Wheel in Oroville. 488 lbs. They did an excellent job of butchering at a reasonable price. The meat tastes a lot like Bison, a little better even. Mmmm mmmI got in a little hunting and harvested a nice AWB for the freezer. Not a bad year but I sure missed out on a lot of hunting this fall. I still have a Mountain lion hunt later this month in Oregon. I will post on that after it happens!Merry Christmas Everyone!Karl
