Up and Adam Adventures

As I rode back to my parents' house with my dad after another unsuccessful elk hunt a few weeks ago, we began to wax philosophical about the wapiti and the pursuit thereof.  "It gets in your blood," he said about hearing your first bugle. I don't think there's any phrase that so perfectly and succinctly describes what happens the first time you hear that throaty, growling, then ascending squeal echoing from a distant ridge or meadow at daybreak. The only other moment that can come close is the first time you hear a turkey gobble on a cool morning before he flies down off the roost.  When I first heard an elk bugle, I wasn't serious about hunting. I hunted, but it was more about spending time with my dad than the actual hunting part. "If I had my 'druthers'" as he would say, I would have chosen fishing over hunting. In fact, the last couple of years I lived in Wyoming, I barely hunted because my bass boat kept calling me to t...

As I write this, I'm preparing to head to elk camp in the Bridger National Forest in Wyoming with my dad. I was here about 2 weeks ago doing some scouting as this would be the first time I've hunted this area. My hopes are high because Wyoming elk have kicked my butt the last few years and I'm ready to turn the tables on them! While scouting I did find some sign, but my main goal was to break down some general areas that I could really work over  once I was back here to hunt. This is the first weekend of the season so I'm expecting some company on the trails, but hopefully the somewhat difficult access and lack of roads will keep the crowds away, or at least concentrate them on the roads. I'm not what I would consider a lucky hunter, so I've become accustomed to covering ground and working hard. Usually to no avail, but not for lack of effort. Hopefully I'll be posting a success story in a week or less and have something to show for all ...