The BaitShop Homepage
Forum Home Forum Home > Head for the Hills! > Camping, Hiking and Backpacking
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - any good camp stories?
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

This site is completely supported by donations; there are no corporate sponsors. We would be honoured if you would consider a small donation, to be used exclusively for forum expenses.



Thank you, from the BaitShop Boyz!

Topic Closedany good camp stories?

 Post Reply Post Reply
Author
Message
TasunkaWitko View Drop Down
Administrator
Administrator
Avatar
aka The Gipper

Joined: 10 June 2003
Location: Chinook Montana
Status: Offline
Points: 14749
Direct Link To This Post Topic: any good camp stories?
    Posted: 08 December 2003 at 14:00

funny? scary? tragic? any stories which bring out some good, old memories?

never been to a hunting camp myself, so i am afraid that i don't have a story, but it might be itneresting to see what's out there. something about the smell of rotting leaves, a cool breeze, a warm fire and the sound of horses nickering in the background under a starlit sky really seems to be what hunting is all about, know what i mean???

TasunkaWitko - Chinook, Montana

Helfen, Wehren, Heilen
Die Wahrheit wird euch frei machen
Back to Top
saddlesore View Drop Down
.416 Rigby
.416 Rigby


Joined: 16 June 2003
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 1345
Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 December 2003 at 04:19

In 2002, we figured we would go on later season elk hunt. As this one area offered three tags, we bought two for the 3rd season and one for the 4th season here in CO.

We went up the Wed before the season opened, pulling two 20 ft goosnecks loaded with mules, gear and supplies.

After climbing to the top of the pass , we started down over the back side of a mountain that we wre going to camp at. The snow was already 18" deep ,and we found that after starting down, we couldn't turn back. I was plowing snow with my front bumper,  putting rooster tails of snow up 10 ft in back and  the trailer was more sledding that rollling. This was too late in the yr to do a pack in, so we camped at the truckes.

This was on the north slope and the snow was a might deeper. We got to the bottom, and had to back the trailers to plow enough snow to get off the road. After getting them in, we settled into to shoveling snow to get the tent set up. By 5PM we had camp set up, and it began to snow in earnest. We woke up the next morning to about 20" more snow. It was up up 4 ft  near the side walls of the tent.

Figuring a lot would melt, we cleaned up around camp and saddled up for a look see back in the wilderness area we were going to hunt. It was hard going for the mules, busting trail , and up higher we saw no elk sign.

Friday, we  lounged around camp, if keeping warm and dry can be considered lounging. Friday dawned cold as hell as bright. We saddled up and left camp about day break and rode down the river trial. About 2 miles down we  caught up with a herd of about 40 elk . Sliding of the mules into deep snow, we got a good rest and I shot a 5 pt bull, and a cow,and my partner dropped a cow.

It started to snow, and we got the three elk gutted and quartered and piled on to some high rocks. We had taken two pack animals with us and loaded up the bull and antlers. We headed back to camp and unloaded about 4 pm.

The next two days ,we spent packing meat. The weather was clear and cold, but we were in high spirts ,as we still had two elk tags to fill, on the coming 4th season which opened Saturday.

The snow was not melting, and by Thursday, we were having serious doubts about being able to get out . We chained up all 4s on the two trucks and clawed our way to the top of the mountain. We could get the trucks out , but were worried about the trailers. While we were out, a big diesel tanker had come down the  mountain to deliver winter fuel to a ranch up the canyon. It hadn't got 100 yds up the first switch back was was stuck. We coudn't get around and back to camp. So we spent a coupla hours digging it out to bare ground, but it still couldn't move. The ranch owner lived down in town and by radio, they was able to reach him. He showed up in a Hummer with the front chained and a little chevy Pick up. They had skid loader up at the ranch , with  bolt-on track that they brought down and cleared snow up the road a little bit. They then hooked the Hummer and the Chevy to the front of the tanker, and pulled that sucker up the mountain.

Looking at that, we figured if they could do it, so could we, so we got back to camp andd hooked up a trailer and chained two pickups together and pulled her out. It took 6 hrs to move two horse trailers 4 miles.

Since we had the trailers out and all the gear in our tent stacked to the ceiling, we wre once again in higher spirts . We  stoked the stove and settled into another cold night, figuring we  would look around Friday for the elk.

Friday morning, we turned the radio on and  they were forcasting feet of snow instead of inches. We broke camp fast and tied all the stock  to the back of the pick ups and ponied them out to the trailers.  By this time it was really coming down, about 6 inches per hour. Loaded up, we headed for town and  just got over Vail pass before it closed. They had 9 ft of snow that weekend on Vail mountain. 

Back at home, we groused more about not getting to hunt the last season than the snow. But all winter, I  contemplated how lucky we were to get out. This past yr, I went in there in muzzle season, and the 1st rifle season. With every flake of snow, I got some worried. The foreman at the ranch up the canyon had stayed all winter the yr before and kept track of all the snow fall. In all they had 27 ft of snow.

This elk hunting is grand, but sometimes you comtemplate if it's worth all the work

 

Saddlesore
If God wanted you to walk and carry things on your back, He would not have invented stirrups and pack saddles
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply
  Share Topic   

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Forum Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 11.10
Copyright ©2001-2017 Web Wiz Ltd.

This page was generated in 0.063 seconds.