Aug 30, 2007: Hitting the highway

Drove 11 hours to East Kootenay, stopping only for gas & lunch. We wanted to be in position for evening spotting at 5pm. 3 hours of glassing later, I counted 22 elk including 8 bulls- 4 of which were branch antlered & 4 spike/fork- the rest were cows and calves. Sometimes I think this is the best part of elk hunting , watching undisturbed animals in their summer routine.

I reflected on how important timing can be, I was sitting in this exact spot last year but about 11 days later than today and the area was alive with rut activity. There was a large bull controlling the majority of the cows, his bugles echoeing across the valley every few minutes, several smaller bulls lined the perimeter not wanting to challenge their senior counterpart. A young 5 point with a single cow and calf stood at the other side of the meadow, he wasn’t coming any closer to the 6 point and risk losing his small harem. For the next few weeks the bulls would run themselves ragged. I hadn’t wanted to leave but the dimness of the spotting scope told me my my fun was over and as I walked away last year I could hear bugles into the night. What a difference a few days can make.

Watching the band tonight, everything was right as rain between the bulls as they fed together and bedded together. That would all change very soon as friends turn to combatants. I felt a little sorry for the small spike bulls amongst the cows, their introduction to the rut would be the most difficult for sure.

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