Well we made our yearly trip East again this year to chase some spikes in the Snake River Unit. Three guy's, my dad, my uncle jim, myself and three horses and two mules. Stooped in Cascade Locks for breakfast and enjoyed the view.
After breakfast we continued along I-84 and enjoyed seeing a couple big horn sheep along 84. Noticed a few more of these up this year....
About 5:00 pm we get to Imnaha and as we take a left I see hundreds of quail crossing the street.
Last year we saw 120+ deer on the drive from Imnaha and on Dug Bar Rd. But this year although it was a beautiful drive and view we only saw 32 deer. Hard winter i suspect.
The drive in a big F-350 along dug bar can sometimes be nerve racking and titious, especially pulling five horses in a horse trailer along that bumpy old road.
Finally about 9 P.M. we arrive as far as the trailer will go and set up temporary camp with a bail of straw in the horse trailer,get the horses a drink, tie up , feed and grain them.
Have a quick breakfast the next morning. A very very long day ahead of us, packing and hiking up to the top along Rhodes creek trail.
After breakfast we begin saddling the horses and mules and getting the gear ready to load on pack saddles.
Max the mule loaded up.
A few short hours later we start up the trail.
Six miles and 2.5 hours later we're at the top.
Drop off the gear and start setting up camp.
Good to be back at "Boy's Camp" for the 13th time for me, and 30+ for my dad.
About 7 p.m. camp is set up and we start cooking up dinner.
Scouting Morning looking across cow creek.
Tried to snap a few pictures through my spotting scope of this big guy but they didn't turn out really well. Next year we have enough preference points that we should be able to chase him...so "dibs".
Jumped a few other elk on top.
Beautilful Sunset.
Opening morning found the elk we spotted the night before and try to align ourselves to take all three spikes that were there but it didn't work out as planned. However I took one. one shot dropped him in his tracks. 270 yard shot with my 30-06. 8:10 a.m.
While i'm gutting the spike, dad hikes back to camp and saddles horses and mules, rides one and leads four to my kill to get it hanging in a tree. it was a burning 65 degrees opening day.
Enjoy a quick victory shot...
Next day we spot more of the orignial herd a few ridges over. ANd I set up on one saide of the canyon and guide my dad and uncle into the herd.
Unlce knocks one down and we begin the cycle all over again. After all the hard work we enjoy another beautiful NEO sunset.
Now here is the real strange part of the story. The bull my uncle knocks down was a unicorn spike. He had only one spike in absolutely full velvet, not even a bump on the opposite side like it broke off or started to form or anything. My uncle kind of shrugs and then flips his bull over and get's out his knife and then looks and pauses puzzled for a few minutes....
Wait a minute/ This bull is missing some plumbing. Bulls don't have those. And where's his you know what!?!?!? Sure enough I get down to him and my uncle says to me "I shot a cow" I thought to myself "Oh my god!! you Idiot!!" but then he shows me the horned head he had hidden behind a tree. We all shared a good laugh. I couldn't believe it. Imean i have read about it before but never thought I would live to see a trans-gendered spike elk. As far as I could tell it was all legal, so we packed her/him back to camp. Heres a phot after we got back home.
After my unlce got his my dad decided the him and I didn't need two elk this year se he pretty much stopped hunting and passed on a couple opportunites where he had ones bedded. All in all a great trip, everyone stayed healthy, didn't get hurt, no incidents with the horses or mules, everything packined in and out. Until Next year!! Thanks for takin the time to read! -BH
Snake River 1st Season Success Long (PICS)
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