Loggy's Late Season Elk Hunt (REPORT/PICS)
Jan 10, 2020 11:20:54 GMT -5
bake545, GlennD, and 8 more like this
Post by Loggy on Jan 10, 2020 11:20:54 GMT -5
Well, finally made it back home. A prelude to hunt....on January 2(day before leaving) I came down with a severe sore throat, congestion and fever. The Mrs wanted me to bag or delay elk hunt trip but no way. My symptoms lessened somewhat but continued throughout my hunt stay. The guys kidded me about all the hours I slept but I was definitely under the weather. Day after my Monday kill I actually went into St Marys Hospital campus and got cked by the Q-Care facility and they said no strep throat, no flu or pneumonia. I'm still not totally out of the woods as they said it could take 2 weeks to run it's course. Just thankful I could get the hunt under my belt.
Now the Hunt. ECO owner Jack Manack assigned guides base on their familiarity of Zones. Lonnie Rensel was assigned as my primary guide. Also, Lonnie's son Colin and brother Kim plus Wheat(Dave Strawbridge) were also initially assisting with locating in addition to guiding the other Zone 2 hunters. These guides knew Zone 2 like the the back of your hand to say the least. On Saturday(Day 1) we saw 50 elk at first light at the viewing area (SGL 311) but the immediate area is closed to hunting. I was really wound up since this was the first elk in the wild I had set eyes on!! Thought filling my Late Cow Tag would be a piece of cake. That quickly changed!! lol We then drove down below the viewing area hoping the herd would work their way down to some of the SGL 311 plotted areas/strip clears. Eventually some smaller groups were eventually feeding down over but were averaging 400 plus yards. I told Guide Lonnie that I'm comfortable taking a shot 200 yards but really haven't shot longer ranges so told Dan(other hunter) to take the first shot opportunity. The next 2 hours Guide Lonnie & son Colin strategically tried to work us into range but it wasn't easy considering the thick/steep terrain plus keeping within Zone boundaries. I could go on but finally we slowly stalked within 150-180 yards of several elk. Since hunter Dan had the go for first shot he was at the plate gun rested on shooting sticks. There was one big cow with a calf directly behind her for about 15 minutes so no shot could be taken. Then all of a sudden another group of elk emerged 50 yards to the right from treeline and Lonnie whispered to Dan(Big cow to right)... go for it!! Dan's 300 RUM immediately barked and elk went about 50 yards & dropped.
Day 2 we went back to SGL 311. Evening before there were elk sightings in this particular food plot area. We immediately sighted some elk but could only see their backs. After about an hour slowly working our way up to get better area view with Lonnie trying to position us for a clear shot....we finally set-up my shooting sticks. There were 2 small racked bulls & a 3rd elk that took Lonnie 10-15 minutes to glass & glass(&then some) to ensure no spikes were laying close to ears. There were quite a few spikes so this extra close viewing was critical. Finally, Lonnie said legal which is all I needed to hear. I centered my 6.5 Swedes crosshairs center of lungs & BANG!! NO REACTION AT ALL!! Lonnie whispered what *%$*&!! Shoot again & I did...same thing it just stood there totally motionless!! Not even a quiver. Started to doubt myself. Shot no 3 I went for the base of neck and elk dropped like a ton of bricks!! In over 50 years of hunting never experienced something like this. I dropped it in it's tracks... just took about 45 seconds! lol
We took elk up to PGC check station and they didn't have scales set-up for the Late Season weighing but per butcher I yielded 110 lbs meat which would equate to approx 275 lbs live weight being a young 1.5 -2 year old. A male with no bone extruding falling under cow harvest guidelines. With over a hundred lbs venison already in freezer a young tender elk yielding 110 lbs suited me just perfectly!! Jeremy Banfield, PGC Elk Biologist said I will get a full aging etc report back from the extracted teeth, blood/lung samples & brain stem pieces etc removed. One thing funny....when Jeremy asked me how many times I sho.... before I answered another PGC WCO standing there said "3 times.....I was watching him shoot". Heck, he was about 1,000 yards away at the viewing center. Man....they really monitor these elk hunts to say the least!!
I'm getting the hide tanned plus a skull mount(dipped/snow camo). Nick Osman of Brush Valley Taxidermy in Sunbury, PA is doing the work. Nick is an ECO guide that I met through my guide Lonnie Rensel. There was one of Nick's snow camo dipped skull mounts in Jack's ECO's camp and it was outstanding!! I know of at least one other successful hunter who is getting Nick to do theirs too.
I could write a book on this hunt but thats it in a nutshell. A style of deer hunting that I never did as I hunt in heavy thick cover with average visibility well under 100 yards. Between enjoying the comradery of ECO's top notch guides along with all the fine homestyle cooking that Carol & Suzzane provided... I really hated to leave Camp Nick this morning. Jack Manack runs one fine tuned operation for sure. My hat's off the Elk County Outfitters for their second to none guiding service enabling me to fully experience a hunt of a lifetime!!!
Thanks for reading plus all your good luck wishes recd through email, PMs etc.
A fews pics.
Camp Nick
Me & Guide Lonnie Rensel
Guides Lonnie & Kim Rensel Field Dressing
Guide Lonnie Rensel Loading Elk
Hanging at Country Butchers
Now the Hunt. ECO owner Jack Manack assigned guides base on their familiarity of Zones. Lonnie Rensel was assigned as my primary guide. Also, Lonnie's son Colin and brother Kim plus Wheat(Dave Strawbridge) were also initially assisting with locating in addition to guiding the other Zone 2 hunters. These guides knew Zone 2 like the the back of your hand to say the least. On Saturday(Day 1) we saw 50 elk at first light at the viewing area (SGL 311) but the immediate area is closed to hunting. I was really wound up since this was the first elk in the wild I had set eyes on!! Thought filling my Late Cow Tag would be a piece of cake. That quickly changed!! lol We then drove down below the viewing area hoping the herd would work their way down to some of the SGL 311 plotted areas/strip clears. Eventually some smaller groups were eventually feeding down over but were averaging 400 plus yards. I told Guide Lonnie that I'm comfortable taking a shot 200 yards but really haven't shot longer ranges so told Dan(other hunter) to take the first shot opportunity. The next 2 hours Guide Lonnie & son Colin strategically tried to work us into range but it wasn't easy considering the thick/steep terrain plus keeping within Zone boundaries. I could go on but finally we slowly stalked within 150-180 yards of several elk. Since hunter Dan had the go for first shot he was at the plate gun rested on shooting sticks. There was one big cow with a calf directly behind her for about 15 minutes so no shot could be taken. Then all of a sudden another group of elk emerged 50 yards to the right from treeline and Lonnie whispered to Dan(Big cow to right)... go for it!! Dan's 300 RUM immediately barked and elk went about 50 yards & dropped.
Day 2 we went back to SGL 311. Evening before there were elk sightings in this particular food plot area. We immediately sighted some elk but could only see their backs. After about an hour slowly working our way up to get better area view with Lonnie trying to position us for a clear shot....we finally set-up my shooting sticks. There were 2 small racked bulls & a 3rd elk that took Lonnie 10-15 minutes to glass & glass(&then some) to ensure no spikes were laying close to ears. There were quite a few spikes so this extra close viewing was critical. Finally, Lonnie said legal which is all I needed to hear. I centered my 6.5 Swedes crosshairs center of lungs & BANG!! NO REACTION AT ALL!! Lonnie whispered what *%$*&!! Shoot again & I did...same thing it just stood there totally motionless!! Not even a quiver. Started to doubt myself. Shot no 3 I went for the base of neck and elk dropped like a ton of bricks!! In over 50 years of hunting never experienced something like this. I dropped it in it's tracks... just took about 45 seconds! lol
We took elk up to PGC check station and they didn't have scales set-up for the Late Season weighing but per butcher I yielded 110 lbs meat which would equate to approx 275 lbs live weight being a young 1.5 -2 year old. A male with no bone extruding falling under cow harvest guidelines. With over a hundred lbs venison already in freezer a young tender elk yielding 110 lbs suited me just perfectly!! Jeremy Banfield, PGC Elk Biologist said I will get a full aging etc report back from the extracted teeth, blood/lung samples & brain stem pieces etc removed. One thing funny....when Jeremy asked me how many times I sho.... before I answered another PGC WCO standing there said "3 times.....I was watching him shoot". Heck, he was about 1,000 yards away at the viewing center. Man....they really monitor these elk hunts to say the least!!
I'm getting the hide tanned plus a skull mount(dipped/snow camo). Nick Osman of Brush Valley Taxidermy in Sunbury, PA is doing the work. Nick is an ECO guide that I met through my guide Lonnie Rensel. There was one of Nick's snow camo dipped skull mounts in Jack's ECO's camp and it was outstanding!! I know of at least one other successful hunter who is getting Nick to do theirs too.
I could write a book on this hunt but thats it in a nutshell. A style of deer hunting that I never did as I hunt in heavy thick cover with average visibility well under 100 yards. Between enjoying the comradery of ECO's top notch guides along with all the fine homestyle cooking that Carol & Suzzane provided... I really hated to leave Camp Nick this morning. Jack Manack runs one fine tuned operation for sure. My hat's off the Elk County Outfitters for their second to none guiding service enabling me to fully experience a hunt of a lifetime!!!
Thanks for reading plus all your good luck wishes recd through email, PMs etc.
A fews pics.
Camp Nick
Me & Guide Lonnie Rensel
Guides Lonnie & Kim Rensel Field Dressing
Guide Lonnie Rensel Loading Elk
Hanging at Country Butchers