Elk hunting is a mystery, timeless and spiritual. It is a challenge of patience and determination.
It requires stamina, strength, mountaineering skills and foresight. And in this day and age, a lot of LUCK.
Especially in the Central Idaho Wilderness.
Why?
Ask any local. Most will frown, shake their heads and tell you the wolves are out of control. Deer and elk populations are down in these units, and the elk that are out there have changed their longtime lifestyle patterns to defend their numbers against these once endangered and fierce predators. Since their reintroduction into the wild several years ago, grey wolves have increased their numbers and packs beyond biologists' expectations and developed much more aggressive and successful hunting operations than anyone had dreamed could be possible. I believe they are truly a problem, and others agree.
Scientists point out that elk behaviors have changed to accommodate their defenses, and according to the local hunters who for much of their lives have harvested game in the Sawtooths and in the hills that drain into the East Fork of the Salmon River, hunting for winter meat has become increasingly more difficult, if not impossible, in these hardest hit areas.
Now, after much controversy, the wolves have finally been de-listed, but until hunters can put a dent in their numbers, elk hunting will not be easy.
I should know. I hold a wolf tag, although I was not so lucky as to take one down. Not yet, anyway. No worries. I still have time as the season is not over for a few more months.
But what of the elk?
My two girlfriends and I spent nearly two weeks in search of these graceful beasts, known by Native Americans as wapiti. Dr. Heather Mack and Sandy Sisiam had hunted and harvested many elk in past years in these areas close to their homes along the East Fork. They are expert trackers, comfortable in the terrain of the vast land shadowed by the majestic Sawtooth and White Cloud mountains and are more at home climbing up and down the steep drainages and traveling high into the alpine forest and deep backcountry than anyone I know.
And we were certainly equipped to find, take down and harvest our cow, for which we had drawn a coveted tag in 36a. We were outfitted to kill in women-specific gear, all of which can be found at Cabelas. She Outdoor Apparel, a new clothing company just for women, dressed us in the most comfortable and technical garments perfectly fit to a woman's body in camo patterns that blended us with the sage covered foothills and draws, Aspen stands and Douglas fir forests we hiked up and into each day. We were certainly invisible to any eyes out there.
Our rifles were fit for a lady as well, thanks to our friends at Remington -compact Model 700s with shorter stocks, pulls and barrels in 7mm-08, plenty of firepower with the Accutip rounds we chambered. And of course, we had the best scopes out there - the invincible VX-3 from Leupold, allowing us to see our targets in even the worst light and visibility conditions we could meet. And to accurately gage the distance between us and our targets, we were equipped with the TBR RX1000 Rangefinder. We even had horse packing gear and field dressing tools from Cabelas. We spent nights sleeping in Cabelas warm womens backpacker bags insulated with PrimaLoft in a yurt far from civilization.
We hunted hard for ten days, on horseback and foot, but saw few elk and after finally locating and sneaking up on a bedded down herd, missed our only opportunity due to a timing snafu. But I did manage to capture it all, and more, on camera.
Check it out on The Great Outdoors starting November 8.
