The adventure of a Lifetime!!! Totch on the trail of a Grizzly...
- Thread starter Totch94
- Start date
rainshadow1
Custom Call Maker
Dang, thought I waited long enough to get the next installment!
Way to go on another beautiful hide, Totch!
Way to go on another beautiful hide, Totch!
specializedcc
New member
Cmon Totch, your posting jokes and talking politics while where all waiting for the ending to this great story. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-006.gif
Helipilotm
New member
To the moderators: I vote totch not be counted as hunter of the month becuase he wont finish the story. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif My Fiance is getting extremly mad at me becuase I keep getting on the puter to check the "stupid hunting websites" /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif to see if totch has killed a griz.
Last edited:
OldTurtle
Moderator - Deceased
Great Adventure Totch,,, Wonderful narrative and pics.... Congratulations.. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif...
Now,,Let's finish it up...
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
I want to see the Rugs or whatever you are going to do with them... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
Bill
Now,,Let's finish it up...
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
I want to see the Rugs or whatever you are going to do with them... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
Bill
Totch94
New member
Only 4 days left to go! We decide to take a long ride up Elk Creek Drainage. Jordan told me that he had two camps up the drain and that we could pack everything on the horses that we might need for an impromptu overnight. We left Dale at the main lodge to nurse his aching knee from the previous several days of chasing black bears. We told him not to expect us early and don't be alarmed if we don't make it in tonight. My body was really starting to bark at me from all of the early mornings, late nights, long hikes and never ending sessions in the saddle. If you are taking a similar trip, be sure to pack Advil, Gold Bond Powder, plenty of good socks, the best boots you can afford and a good flask of scotch!
We loaded the horses, trailered them to the head of the trail leading into the drainage and loaded our gear. I had plenty of food and ammo, a small bed roll, a lot of good optics equipment and a large order of desire.
As we started up the lower end we came through some beautiful grassy roads and meadows that were full of ground squirles. I was looking closely to make sure Old Turtle or Hidalgo weren't set up with a shooting bench anywhere. I would have loved to have my AR or even my .17 for an afternoon in these little beauties.
As we neared the halfway point up the drain we had been in the saddle for about 5 hours. We had seen a lot of beautiful country and I was starting to feel closer with my horse than I ever had with my ex-wife, but we were awfully short on bear sign. The lower end of the valley looked as if it had never seen a bear. I was starting to have pretty low expectations for the day when we came to a very large snow slide that crossed the trail we were following. Jordan and I both thought it was time to stretch and have a little lunch. As we dismounted, Jordan took my pic as i climbed up on top of about a 20 ft tall snow pack. This was a pretty big deal for a kid from Mississippi that might not see snow every 3 or 4 years.
After lunch I leaned back to rest my eyes and Jordan told me that he was going to ease up the trail a little further and do a little glassing. We decided that after resting and glassing for a couple of hours we would make our way on up the valley. I situated my backpack in perfect pillow position and got all of the sticks and thorns out from under me just in time to close my eyes for about 30 seconds and hear Jordan running back toward me as if he was going to a fire. He said that he rounded the bend and there were a big set of Griz tracks in the middle of the trail that looked almost fresh enough to make soup out of. The nap would have to wait.
We readied our gear and led the horses slowly until we realized that the tracks remained on the trail for quite some distance and it even looked as if the old boy had picked up a girlfriend for the stroll. We tied the horses and followed the tracks for several hundred yards. The boar was kind enough to walk right in the middle of the trail and leave a track that Ray Charles could follow. Eventually the tracks started up over the rise to the near right in the photo below. We set up our spotting scopes and the grass just below the snow line on the far ridge was full of fresh digging. Our hopes were high that the old boy and his lady were relaxing in the valley below and having a romantic dinner of roots and ground squirles.
We got the horses and rode up the near right ridge almost to the top where we could glass down into the bottom of the slide and still keep the wind in our faces.
We got to the top of the ridge and tied the horses before cresting the spine to look down below. We quietly slipped along an old skid road with willows and alders on the sides. I was on full alert when the bushes started to shake and move up ahead. I caught a flash of brown hair and it started to move through the bushes towards us. I quickly shouldered the .338, tossed off the safety and was ready for action. I couldn't get a clear picture of what was in there, but it was closing the distance fast. I was beginning to have very little concern as to what it was and was about to cease its progress when Jordan began to emphaticly say "DON'T SHOOT"...."IT'S A MOOSE". A bull moose broke free of the cover and ended up in the skid road about 15 yards in front of us. He was as surprised to see us as we were to see him. After it was all over I asked Jordan what we would have done. "We'd have had moose steaks instead of MRE's tonight I Guess" He said.
The excitement over for the moment, we crested the spine of the ridge and set about to glass he slide area and hopefully find the bear we were after. It was evident right away that the bears had spent a good deal of time in the slide and not long ago. They had dug a lot of roots and grubs and made a general mess of the area, but they were gone. There was a matching pair of tracks leaving the slide and going over the top of the ridge into the alpine country above. While everything was fresh enough to see that they were close, they had left us behind when they entered an area with about 3 feet of snow remaining.
We would have to settle for a view of this nice billy goat on the next ridge. His general lack of concern told us that the pair was not still in the imediate vacinity.
We discussed staying in the upper camp that night, but we wanted ot move to another area the next morning. We started the long ride out knowing that it would be late when we got back to camp. With shooting light lasting until about 10:30 pm and resuming at 4:45 am, you have to sleep fast in these parts to keep up. A nap in the middle of the day doesn't hurt either. We got back to base camp at 2:00 AM. I learned that it is possible to catch a quick nap in the saddle if your careful.
We only had 3 days left and the sun was setting on my hunt quickly. As much as I didn't want to go home without a Grizz, I just didn't want this experience to end.
*****************Continued very soon*********************
We loaded the horses, trailered them to the head of the trail leading into the drainage and loaded our gear. I had plenty of food and ammo, a small bed roll, a lot of good optics equipment and a large order of desire.
As we started up the lower end we came through some beautiful grassy roads and meadows that were full of ground squirles. I was looking closely to make sure Old Turtle or Hidalgo weren't set up with a shooting bench anywhere. I would have loved to have my AR or even my .17 for an afternoon in these little beauties.
As we neared the halfway point up the drain we had been in the saddle for about 5 hours. We had seen a lot of beautiful country and I was starting to feel closer with my horse than I ever had with my ex-wife, but we were awfully short on bear sign. The lower end of the valley looked as if it had never seen a bear. I was starting to have pretty low expectations for the day when we came to a very large snow slide that crossed the trail we were following. Jordan and I both thought it was time to stretch and have a little lunch. As we dismounted, Jordan took my pic as i climbed up on top of about a 20 ft tall snow pack. This was a pretty big deal for a kid from Mississippi that might not see snow every 3 or 4 years.
After lunch I leaned back to rest my eyes and Jordan told me that he was going to ease up the trail a little further and do a little glassing. We decided that after resting and glassing for a couple of hours we would make our way on up the valley. I situated my backpack in perfect pillow position and got all of the sticks and thorns out from under me just in time to close my eyes for about 30 seconds and hear Jordan running back toward me as if he was going to a fire. He said that he rounded the bend and there were a big set of Griz tracks in the middle of the trail that looked almost fresh enough to make soup out of. The nap would have to wait.
We readied our gear and led the horses slowly until we realized that the tracks remained on the trail for quite some distance and it even looked as if the old boy had picked up a girlfriend for the stroll. We tied the horses and followed the tracks for several hundred yards. The boar was kind enough to walk right in the middle of the trail and leave a track that Ray Charles could follow. Eventually the tracks started up over the rise to the near right in the photo below. We set up our spotting scopes and the grass just below the snow line on the far ridge was full of fresh digging. Our hopes were high that the old boy and his lady were relaxing in the valley below and having a romantic dinner of roots and ground squirles.
We got the horses and rode up the near right ridge almost to the top where we could glass down into the bottom of the slide and still keep the wind in our faces.
We got to the top of the ridge and tied the horses before cresting the spine to look down below. We quietly slipped along an old skid road with willows and alders on the sides. I was on full alert when the bushes started to shake and move up ahead. I caught a flash of brown hair and it started to move through the bushes towards us. I quickly shouldered the .338, tossed off the safety and was ready for action. I couldn't get a clear picture of what was in there, but it was closing the distance fast. I was beginning to have very little concern as to what it was and was about to cease its progress when Jordan began to emphaticly say "DON'T SHOOT"...."IT'S A MOOSE". A bull moose broke free of the cover and ended up in the skid road about 15 yards in front of us. He was as surprised to see us as we were to see him. After it was all over I asked Jordan what we would have done. "We'd have had moose steaks instead of MRE's tonight I Guess" He said.
The excitement over for the moment, we crested the spine of the ridge and set about to glass he slide area and hopefully find the bear we were after. It was evident right away that the bears had spent a good deal of time in the slide and not long ago. They had dug a lot of roots and grubs and made a general mess of the area, but they were gone. There was a matching pair of tracks leaving the slide and going over the top of the ridge into the alpine country above. While everything was fresh enough to see that they were close, they had left us behind when they entered an area with about 3 feet of snow remaining.
We would have to settle for a view of this nice billy goat on the next ridge. His general lack of concern told us that the pair was not still in the imediate vacinity.
We discussed staying in the upper camp that night, but we wanted ot move to another area the next morning. We started the long ride out knowing that it would be late when we got back to camp. With shooting light lasting until about 10:30 pm and resuming at 4:45 am, you have to sleep fast in these parts to keep up. A nap in the middle of the day doesn't hurt either. We got back to base camp at 2:00 AM. I learned that it is possible to catch a quick nap in the saddle if your careful.
We only had 3 days left and the sun was setting on my hunt quickly. As much as I didn't want to go home without a Grizz, I just didn't want this experience to end.
*****************Continued very soon*********************
cbosshog79
Active member
Great narrative! Can't wait for some more...
rainshadow1
Custom Call Maker
Points are starting to stack against you with all this cliffhanger business, you know.....
BAh! I'm gonna go post a knife!
(Great pics! Enjoying it, Totch!)
BAh! I'm gonna go post a knife!
(Great pics! Enjoying it, Totch!)
Quote:
I almost don't want this story to end...
Same here. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
We may have to wait a bit longer than expected anyway. Totch is up to his....uh.......he's got his hands full.
http://www.predatormastersforums.com/ubb...page=0#52858982
I almost don't want this story to end...
Same here. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
We may have to wait a bit longer than expected anyway. Totch is up to his....uh.......he's got his hands full.
http://www.predatormastersforums.com/ubb...page=0#52858982
Rocksteady
New member
Quote:
Quote:
We may have to wait a bit longer than expected anyway. Totch is up to his....uh.......he's got his hands full.
http://www.predatormastersforums.com/ubb...page=0#52858982
Maybe the broken water main is just a little fib to keep us on the edge of our seats /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Quote:
We may have to wait a bit longer than expected anyway. Totch is up to his....uh.......he's got his hands full.
http://www.predatormastersforums.com/ubb...page=0#52858982
Maybe the broken water main is just a little fib to keep us on the edge of our seats /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
June HOM ?????????? Great recap and the PIX are Awwwwwwwwsom. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif
cjg_beef
New member
Quote:
June HOM ?????????? Great recap and the PIX are Awwwwwwwwsom. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif
Yeah, right... By the time we get the whole story he'll be up for December's HOM... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
June HOM ?????????? Great recap and the PIX are Awwwwwwwwsom. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif
Yeah, right... By the time we get the whole story he'll be up for December's HOM... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif