Back To Reality

Today is my first day back to reality, i.e. work. I spent the last 4 days beating down brush trying to kill my 1st elk. I had no luck. :( Opening morning I spotted 4 head over a ridge and down the hill and after hiking through the hills I finally got to the general area where I had seen them. It was apparent they had been through there not long before I got there. There were fresh tracks and droppings EVERYWHERE. I followed the tracks until they disappeared into the marsh and up the other side of the unit. It was getting close to noon so I decided to hike out and come back in the evening time to try and catch them heading back out of the brush. That didn't pan out either, no sign of the elk coming back so I hung around in the brush for a while and headed back to the junction where they had come down that morning to see if I could catch them there. Didn't find em there but I sure as hell got the surprise of my life, right where I had been in the brush 30 minutes prior there were fresh bear prints and big ol pile of crap. I decided I wasn't hanging out in the bottom of that unit anymore so I high tailed it out of there and back up to the top where I can see what in the world is around me. Now I know I shouldn't have been scared I mean for fucks sake I'm packing a 30-06, I could shoot the damned thing but I was. I'd much rather be able to see him coming from up top then straight out of the brush behind me. I definitely will be coming back for that SOB come spring bear season and I will be prepared to meet it face to face. It started getting late so it was time to head out and head home. Opening day was pretty good, spotted the herd, quiet a few deer, and evidence of a bear. I figured Sunday it would be GAME OVER.

Sunday morning I hiked back out to where I had spotted em the morning before and nothing, not even a single fresh track to even indicate that they had come back through. This was extremely disappointing. I stayed in the general area hiking up and down and all around for a few hours but decided to move on and see if I could track down another heard some where else. I spent all of Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday covering miles upon miles of back country trying to find a herd and couldn't find a damn thing. I never even saw another animal those 3 days I was out. It was crazy! I was in prime elk country and nothing. Oh well that's how it goes sometimes. There's always next year. But next year screw this general season crap I'm putting in for a controlled hunt. I will say though even though I didn't get my bull I found some prime deer locations for next fall! I also got paid time off to go hunting! Nothing better than getting paid to do something you love!

I also can't say enough about my new gloves I got the night before opener. I ran down to Walmart in the next town down because I just LOVE their hunting department! I was in dire need of some new gloves because I knew it was going to be cold. I got a few pair and of course a ton of other stuff because I cant seem to say NO to things camo! I haven't tried out the fleece pair yet but I'm sure they will be great! The Real Tree Light Weight Womans Glove was what I used all weekend long. They were light weight, comfortable, kept my hands warm and dry (ran into rain a few times), and the embossed no slip grip on the palms was AMAZING! I didnt have to worry about loosing my grip on my binos or my rifle! If you ever run across these gloves I highly recommend them, especially for the price too, I paid something like $8.00 for each pair.

And since I didn't end up with my elk I've got no pictures for you of it but I do have some of the killer views I had all weekend!!

I love living in Oregon, its gorgeous even on a cloudy day!

I will say I am SUPER glad I didn't find anything here because that hike down to the bottom and back out would have been HELL.



Here's to a bear skinned rug next year!