Stories, questions, lies about the one that got away....
Moderator: Moderators
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BenBow
- Posts: 161
- Joined: Fri Feb 11, 2005 10:57 am
- Location: New Mexico, USA
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hunterguy1991
- Posts: 859
- Joined: Mon Jul 09, 2012 10:18 am
- Location: Woodford Queensland
#2
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by hunterguy1991 » Wed Jul 13, 2016 4:19 pm
Beaut photos mate! Dream of taking an Elk one day!
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Stu Ballz
- Posts: 100
- Joined: Sat Jan 24, 2015 7:37 am
#3
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by Stu Ballz » Wed Jul 13, 2016 5:18 pm
Awesome rack.
Not sure about trudging around where i am not the top predator.
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clinglish
- Posts: 975
- Joined: Sat Nov 27, 2004 9:40 pm
- Location: Perth
#4
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by clinglish » Thu Jul 21, 2016 1:39 pm
I Dream of hunting either or both,
Thanks for sharing
Bowhunting (Hunting for Bows)
Known Carrier of "Fox Bow Fever"
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perry
- Posts: 1925
- Joined: Tue Sep 05, 2006 9:59 pm
- Location: morayfield qld australia
#5
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by perry » Fri Jul 22, 2016 12:00 am
Very nice Photo's, I am curious what Bear taste's like ? and don't tell me Chicken
![chamallow Camping7](./images/smilies/Camping/chamallow.gif)
Rocky or not it would be a pleasure Shooting Arrows in Country like that. Would love to Hunt Elk myself. I understand escaped Elk are running about the Australian Scrub here and there. If so they'll breed with the resident Reds just like in New Zealand
regards Perry
"To my deep morticication my father once said to me, 'You care for nothing but shooting, dogs and rat catching, and you will be a disgrace to yourself and all your family.' "
- Charles Darwin
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Stu Ballz
- Posts: 100
- Joined: Sat Jan 24, 2015 7:37 am
#6
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by Stu Ballz » Fri Jul 22, 2016 6:01 am
Perry late one afternoon i was hunting along the fringes of the bega national park (on private property) and i swore i heard an elk but i didnt think we had any over here so i dismissed it as a call ive just not come across before.
It was close but couldnt see it, i glassed for ages.
After your post i am almost convinced it was now.
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perry
- Posts: 1925
- Joined: Tue Sep 05, 2006 9:59 pm
- Location: morayfield qld australia
#7
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by perry » Fri Jul 22, 2016 9:28 am
I was watching that Kiwi Show on NITV "Hunting Aotearoa" a few months back and good old Howie in a Hunting Australia special was Hunting Pigs and Goats in the Country South of Canberra and the Land Owner was saying there is the odd Elk in the District. Bega's not that far from Canberra so every likelihood it was an Elk
Stranger things have happened. There was some Asiatic Water Buffalo that "escaped" near Port McQuarrie nearly 35 Years ago. A fe years back the Authorities culled out a substantial Herd of Wild Born Asiatic Buffalo in a Swampy region near there
regards Jacko
"To my deep morticication my father once said to me, 'You care for nothing but shooting, dogs and rat catching, and you will be a disgrace to yourself and all your family.' "
- Charles Darwin
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BenBow
- Posts: 161
- Joined: Fri Feb 11, 2005 10:57 am
- Location: New Mexico, USA
#8
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by BenBow » Sat Jul 23, 2016 5:10 am
Yeah the call of an elk is unique for sure. Way different from a red stag.
Perry I've never had the chance to eat bear. Some people love it and some hate it. I imagine it has a lot to do with what they're eating and how well they are taken care of after the kill.
I'm away till August 3rd and I've left the camera out so I'm anxious to see what is on the camera when I get back. Bear season starts mid August where this spring is and it will be pretty hot and I'll be setting up in a pop up blind. I'll also be glassing the ridges where there are oak and pinions that will be dropping acorns and nuts.
Perry you don't know how much I'd love to come there and hunt your country.
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perry
- Posts: 1925
- Joined: Tue Sep 05, 2006 9:59 pm
- Location: morayfield qld australia
#9
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by perry » Sat Jul 23, 2016 10:15 am
You'd be most welcome and I dont reckon they would be any shortage of Hunting offers and Partners if you ever could make it over here
"To my deep morticication my father once said to me, 'You care for nothing but shooting, dogs and rat catching, and you will be a disgrace to yourself and all your family.' "
- Charles Darwin
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BenBow
- Posts: 161
- Joined: Fri Feb 11, 2005 10:57 am
- Location: New Mexico, USA
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BenBow
- Posts: 161
- Joined: Fri Feb 11, 2005 10:57 am
- Location: New Mexico, USA
#11
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by BenBow » Fri Aug 26, 2016 11:46 pm
I got out last week to hunt bear but our rainy season was going to make it harder. Plus when I got to the area there was a crew rebuilding the road into the area. I pulled the card from my game camera and as I feared the rain and road crew cut back the number of animals showing up at the spring. There were some pictures of deer and elk but the bear hadn't returned. I decided to hunt the top of the cliff edges so I could look down into the scrub oak on both sides of the canyon. The area I'm hunting is covered in lava rock which makes walking tough for an older man like me. I was disappointed in the acorn crop as it appeared they either had already fallen from the trees or it was a bad acorn year. The pinion trees had a poor crop as well so I kept hiking higher until I found some pinion trees that hadn't matured yet. The trees were full of pinion Jays who were eating the nuts so I'm heading back up Monday to hunt the area again before elk season starts and the hunters push the bear deeper into cover.
Here are a couple of pictures of one bull showing off his head gear right in front of my camera. There were over 20 pictures of him posing. Three days later either he or a different elk came by with all its velvet rubbed off.
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BenBow
- Posts: 161
- Joined: Fri Feb 11, 2005 10:57 am
- Location: New Mexico, USA
#12
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by BenBow » Sat Aug 27, 2016 12:13 am
I hiked to the top of bear mouth point which ends in a 500+ foot cliff where I will be heading back to next week to check for sign of bear feeding on the pinions. When a storm comes in from the southwest off of Mount Taylor the lightning can be dangerous when exposed on this high point.
The first picture is of Bears Mouth from a distance the 2nd of me on the edge and the 3rd is a panorama shot from the top. My phone doesn't take very good pictures but it wouldn't matter because a picture can't begin to reveal the coolness of this place.
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![Bear Mouth.jpg](./download/file.php?id=29854&sid=2d5544f8f4c66cc4799b183214c8bbf2)
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![On bear mouth.jpg](./download/file.php?id=29853&sid=2d5544f8f4c66cc4799b183214c8bbf2)
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![Pan.jpg](./download/file.php?id=29852&sid=2d5544f8f4c66cc4799b183214c8bbf2)
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bigbob
- Posts: 4098
- Joined: Sat Jul 10, 2010 8:55 pm
- Location: sunshine coast
#13
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by bigbob » Sat Aug 27, 2016 8:23 am
such a beautiful locality there Ben. Those elk sure do have some headgear too.Hope you're successful with your hunt and thanks for posting your photos.
nil illigitimo in desperandum carborundum
razorbows.com
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BenBow
- Posts: 161
- Joined: Fri Feb 11, 2005 10:57 am
- Location: New Mexico, USA
#14
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by BenBow » Sun Sep 04, 2016 3:38 am
I went out again last Monday and set up camp where I could setup and glass the base of the cliffs where there were oak and pinion trees. I also did some hiking to the south side of the mesa to look down into the trees below looking for feeding bears. The acorn and pinion crop hasn't been very good so I've had a hard time locating any evidence of the bears feeding. Unfortunately due to the cancer medication I'm on I've had an extreme pain in my right leg and it's made walking longer distances difficult. Also it's caused internal bleeding so by Tuesday afternoon my hemoglobin was too low and I started getting dizzy and faint. I pulled up camp and headed home before it became unsafe for me to drive. It looks like I won't be on this medication anymore so the effects should wear off before bear season ends. Then I'll be back out there chasing this bear down.
Here's a picture of the camp and more pictures of the area. Also the game cam showed the bear came back several times. He's probably the cleanest bear around because he kept getting into the tanks and taking baths.
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![bathing bear.jpg](./download/file.php?id=29891&sid=2d5544f8f4c66cc4799b183214c8bbf2)
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![Camp1.jpg](./download/file.php?id=29890&sid=2d5544f8f4c66cc4799b183214c8bbf2)
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BenBow
- Posts: 161
- Joined: Fri Feb 11, 2005 10:57 am
- Location: New Mexico, USA
#15
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by BenBow » Sun Sep 04, 2016 3:58 am
Here are a couple of pictures of the cliff on the south side of the mesa. Lots of good elk country. The cliff is a 100+ feet down so I tread lightly near the edge.
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![cliff2.jpg](./download/file.php?id=29893&sid=2d5544f8f4c66cc4799b183214c8bbf2)
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![cliff1.jpg](./download/file.php?id=29892&sid=2d5544f8f4c66cc4799b183214c8bbf2)
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perry
- Posts: 1925
- Joined: Tue Sep 05, 2006 9:59 pm
- Location: morayfield qld australia
#16
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by perry » Mon Sep 05, 2016 3:36 am
Very entertaining read BenBow, those Game Camera's can take some interesting Photo's - an excellent Tool for the Hunter. Rugged beautiful terrain. Not that different to some areas of the Northern New Ranges I have hunted over the years. No good with your health issue's, look after yourself so you can continue to enjoy the Outdoors.
regards Perry
"To my deep morticication my father once said to me, 'You care for nothing but shooting, dogs and rat catching, and you will be a disgrace to yourself and all your family.' "
- Charles Darwin
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BenBow
- Posts: 161
- Joined: Fri Feb 11, 2005 10:57 am
- Location: New Mexico, USA
#17
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by BenBow » Mon Sep 26, 2016 4:36 am
Looks like there are multiple bear in the area. I went out Saturday and tried calling with no luck but found quite a few bear on my game cam. Saw the first sow with 3 cubs. She's a good sized girl as the tank is 10' across. The tank in the second picture is 6'. 2 of the cubs have their heads down so they look like rocks.
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![sow in tank.jpeg](./download/file.php?id=29932&sid=2d5544f8f4c66cc4799b183214c8bbf2)
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![sow and cubs.jpeg](./download/file.php?id=29931&sid=2d5544f8f4c66cc4799b183214c8bbf2)
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jindydiver
- Posts: 1333
- Joined: Thu Jun 24, 2004 3:06 pm
- Location: ACT
#18
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by jindydiver » Mon Sep 26, 2016 6:16 am
Looking forward to seeing your pic with an elk
I hope you get lucky soon
Mick
Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power.
Abraham Lincoln
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perry
- Posts: 1925
- Joined: Tue Sep 05, 2006 9:59 pm
- Location: morayfield qld australia
#19
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by perry » Mon Sep 26, 2016 11:44 am
Enjoying the Report, your putting in the Work so you will be rewarded eventually. Keep us Posted
regards Perry
"To my deep morticication my father once said to me, 'You care for nothing but shooting, dogs and rat catching, and you will be a disgrace to yourself and all your family.' "
- Charles Darwin