I talked about going on a BC elk hunt for 10 years or more and finally made it happen this year.I flew to Calgary and rented a car,then drove on to Kimberly BC,where I met up with my outfitter and one of his guides,who shall be known as Ron.Then on to the camp,not unlike a lot of camps I've seen here in Ontario,except the hills are way bigger.
The first morning we drove as far as possible to the top of a cut,and spot a couple mule deer up near the treeline.We get set up and I've got the 4x4 buck in the crosshairs at 197yds,Ron says take him if I want,but he can get me a better one,so I pass on the shot.
We start up thru the cut to the treeline,and it's pretty obvious I'm not doing well with the climb,but I manage to get pretty well to the top of the mountain with a lot of stops to catch my wind.We rest here and grab a sandwich,the view is spectacular and we are level with the surrounding peaks.Ron does some bugling with no replies,so back down we go.My GPS says a difference of 900m,so I figure we went up 3000' or so.
We head to another spot and it's midday and hot.We find a bit of shade where the road ends and wait for things to cool off.Ron does some scouting and locates some fresh elk sign of multiple animals.He hadn't been to this spot before,so he wasn't really sure what it was like further in.It's heavily treed as we make our way in a fairly visible trail,but its cool and damp and we stalk in slowly,in case we catch up to any elk.There are many rubs as we go along.After an hour we break out into a basin/meadow,and this place is like something out of a calendar picture,it's almost circular with a waterfall on one slope that feeds a creek.There's a slide ahead of us and to the sides the slopes are treed.The meadow has long grass and a few big stones and some scattered bushes.Also there's a fresh elk wallow off to one side.We decide to wait until the sun goes over the slope,then bugle and see if anythings around.
Ron clears his throat to bugle,and I see this small tree up the slope a bit start to shake back and forth like crazy.I show Ron and we see some brown hair at the edge of the treeline,but can't really identify what it is,Ron thinks it could be grizzly cubs,with the sow doin the tree shakin.Then I see a head and there's at least 2 cow elk,and their looking right at us at about 90 yds.I'm good to go so Ron lets go a bugle
and almost immediately we get the answer as the tree stops thrashing.
We got one pissed off bull elk comin out and he sounds like a freight train.He finally breaks out of the trees and runs toward us,kind of quartering in.He stops behind a bush at 75 yards and Ron says go,he's a shooter.I don't like the shot,I can't see him well enough,but he moves ahead some more and offers a classic broadside shot,so I put a round right in the old boiler room and off he goes,and I fire 3 more shots and Ron lets go with a couple as he gets to the trees.He seems a bit wobbly as he disappears in the trees,so we wait 10 minutes or so and go for a look.We get a good blood trail,he's bleeding good out both sides and there he is just inside the treelike.Elk down!First day of rifle season.
We get some pics and then get to work on the meat.It's 6:30pm when we start and by 8:30 we are done,but its gonna be a walk out in the dark,so we
get out the headlamps and off we go.Ron has a way heavier load than me,but we get out in 20 minutes,and we're glad to see the truck.
Its back to camp for some much needed rest and then back in the morning for the rest of the meat,hoping no bears were around.No bears and nothing had touched the meat.Another heavy haul out and back to hang some meat.
So,thats my elk hunt,my Rocky Mountain adventure.I consider myself very fortunate.It couldn't have gone down any better,I'm a happy man,I'll tell you what.I'll be 61 this year,and I'm glad I didn't wait any longer,it can be a tough go hiking around those mountains.My guide was 25 and part mountain goat.
We cruised some cuts for muleys for a few days,and saw several more but no shooters.Also saw a beauty chocolate bear a couple times,very dark brown.I brought a large cooler of meat home,and left some for a friend in Calgary.Had some strip loin on the bbq last night,and elk is by far my favorite wild meat.
You guys in BC,you have the best playground in the world.
GJ
I was using a Win Mod 70 Classic Stainless 30-06 with 165 gr Hornady Interlock handloads.
Here's a better pic of the rack,
The first morning we drove as far as possible to the top of a cut,and spot a couple mule deer up near the treeline.We get set up and I've got the 4x4 buck in the crosshairs at 197yds,Ron says take him if I want,but he can get me a better one,so I pass on the shot.
We start up thru the cut to the treeline,and it's pretty obvious I'm not doing well with the climb,but I manage to get pretty well to the top of the mountain with a lot of stops to catch my wind.We rest here and grab a sandwich,the view is spectacular and we are level with the surrounding peaks.Ron does some bugling with no replies,so back down we go.My GPS says a difference of 900m,so I figure we went up 3000' or so.
We head to another spot and it's midday and hot.We find a bit of shade where the road ends and wait for things to cool off.Ron does some scouting and locates some fresh elk sign of multiple animals.He hadn't been to this spot before,so he wasn't really sure what it was like further in.It's heavily treed as we make our way in a fairly visible trail,but its cool and damp and we stalk in slowly,in case we catch up to any elk.There are many rubs as we go along.After an hour we break out into a basin/meadow,and this place is like something out of a calendar picture,it's almost circular with a waterfall on one slope that feeds a creek.There's a slide ahead of us and to the sides the slopes are treed.The meadow has long grass and a few big stones and some scattered bushes.Also there's a fresh elk wallow off to one side.We decide to wait until the sun goes over the slope,then bugle and see if anythings around.
Ron clears his throat to bugle,and I see this small tree up the slope a bit start to shake back and forth like crazy.I show Ron and we see some brown hair at the edge of the treeline,but can't really identify what it is,Ron thinks it could be grizzly cubs,with the sow doin the tree shakin.Then I see a head and there's at least 2 cow elk,and their looking right at us at about 90 yds.I'm good to go so Ron lets go a bugle
and almost immediately we get the answer as the tree stops thrashing.
We got one pissed off bull elk comin out and he sounds like a freight train.He finally breaks out of the trees and runs toward us,kind of quartering in.He stops behind a bush at 75 yards and Ron says go,he's a shooter.I don't like the shot,I can't see him well enough,but he moves ahead some more and offers a classic broadside shot,so I put a round right in the old boiler room and off he goes,and I fire 3 more shots and Ron lets go with a couple as he gets to the trees.He seems a bit wobbly as he disappears in the trees,so we wait 10 minutes or so and go for a look.We get a good blood trail,he's bleeding good out both sides and there he is just inside the treelike.Elk down!First day of rifle season.
We get some pics and then get to work on the meat.It's 6:30pm when we start and by 8:30 we are done,but its gonna be a walk out in the dark,so we
get out the headlamps and off we go.Ron has a way heavier load than me,but we get out in 20 minutes,and we're glad to see the truck.
Its back to camp for some much needed rest and then back in the morning for the rest of the meat,hoping no bears were around.No bears and nothing had touched the meat.Another heavy haul out and back to hang some meat.
So,thats my elk hunt,my Rocky Mountain adventure.I consider myself very fortunate.It couldn't have gone down any better,I'm a happy man,I'll tell you what.I'll be 61 this year,and I'm glad I didn't wait any longer,it can be a tough go hiking around those mountains.My guide was 25 and part mountain goat.
We cruised some cuts for muleys for a few days,and saw several more but no shooters.Also saw a beauty chocolate bear a couple times,very dark brown.I brought a large cooler of meat home,and left some for a friend in Calgary.Had some strip loin on the bbq last night,and elk is by far my favorite wild meat.
You guys in BC,you have the best playground in the world.
GJ
I was using a Win Mod 70 Classic Stainless 30-06 with 165 gr Hornady Interlock handloads.
Here's a better pic of the rack,
Last edited:
