We were almost skunked.
The guys saw eight cows, no tags. One had a calf, but there was no shot, as the cow stayed between the shooter and the calf.
He's my story on the calf in the photo:
Friday Afternoon, I dogged around the 'motorcycle trail' to try and get the calf one of the guys had seen calf to move to the hardwoods watch , no dice.
Went back to camp, dropped my pack, changed coats, and went to another block to sit.
On entering the trail, I saw a cow and calf track coming out, maybe the one I had been trying to dog out, from earlier in the day?
Then, further on, found a really fresh set, with apparent calf ####, going into my block. That track turned up the first gut towards the island trail. The leaves were very crunchy, and I figured there was no way I could get close. So, I went to the next bump on the ridge, and waked down it, to try and get in front of the pair.
I knew there was a bunch of hardwoods near the ponds where I had snuck up on a cow, a few years ago, and the moose like to browse and I aimed for there.
I sat down and waited. It started to rain lightly, and it started to get dark. About 5:30, I saw what appeared to be a wild turkey on the opposite ridge. Then I realized it was a cows head, just visible above the ridge. There was something shorter, and black behind her I could have shot, but was unsure at this point as to weather it was indeed a calf. 150 yards away, they went behind a big clump of trees, and I waited, but they did not appear. It was 6:00. I got my radio out, and whispered that I was stalking a cow and calf, they would likely run to the hardwoods when they saw me. (of course everyone was already in camp, but I didn't know that, and my message was not heard).
I stalked across the gut, three steps, pause, three steps pause. I saw the cow plainly now. I slowed to one step pause, and only when she looked away.
She finally made me. When she ran, the calf appeared behind her, but dropped out of sight in a hole, they were running for the spot we call the stone dam.
As they climbed the ridge, I got a quick shot on the calf, and it slid down the hill into a hole.
See flash pic in the post above.
I fired the shot at 6:30. They heard it at camp, and listened to the radio for me. (my radio SUCKS!) insert expletive here.
They did not hear my requests for aid, or the several more shots I fired to get them to come.
I did a very hasty gutting job, hung some tape, marked the calf on GPS, and made quickly for the trail out of the block. My flashlight was in my pack back at camp. I found the trail tape as light faded, it was quite dark when I got to the main trail.
I hiked back to camp, meeting a search party looking for me on the flats.
I sent them back to camp for chain saws, and lights, one was to bring a trailer to the muddy trail that is our main road.
We cut the trail wider for ATVs, by flashlight and watching the GPS, made a straight line trial through a big blow down to the calf.
Getting one atv in there required guys standing on the sides of the trail in places to keep the machine upright.
It had to be winched 50 feet up from the hole it had fallen in.
We were back at camp at 9:45pm
Hung the moose, finished gutting, and cleaned up.
Supper was good, beer was good, slept like a dead man.
but, I still got fresh air, scenery, and a few wildlife shots. Some even with the camera.
congrats on some great tender meat
