Back around 1991 my brother had just came home form the army and brought home his new wife a german girl he had married. He was anxious to go hunting and he wanted to take his new wife along.I took my wife and we headed up on a hillside that was one of our favorite spots.We split up and each flanked around to each side agreeing to meet up at a small spring about center of the hillside where the elk frequently water in the early morning twilight. The terrian I was covering was easier going than my brothers chosen path which took him through some very heavy alder brush with visibilty down to 20 or thirty feet for the most part. It would end into small patches of heavy timber where visibility was fifty yards or so.Then back into the heavy brush. Why he chose to take his new city girl wife through such rough terrain I do not know. Although if your willing to hunt the brush your chances of scoring a elk are way higher. Any way I made it to my destination before him and found about six elk watering late. I assed around for a while trying to get more than a glimps of them milling around the spring so I could get a shot. I was about 50 yards from them and in the timber where they could see me if I moved much.
I finaly decided to try and stalk closer and a little lower so I could get a shot. I moved once and did ok but still could not see more than glimpses of them through the brush patch they were on the other side of. So I decided to move lower and hoped to be able to see enough of one to get a shot off before they seen smelled or heard me. My next move as I came around the lower edge of the brush and could see them. I was looking eye to eye with a big bull who in a split second bolted off into the brush with the rest.
Disapointed like often happens elk hunting I sat down and waited for the boom from my brothers 30-06 who I figured was probably around 3 or 4 hundred yards off in the direction the elk were running.When elk are spooked and running through heavy brush the whole moutain side is full of noise as they bust sticks and branches and there hooves thud the ground like horses.I sat for a about ten minutes and the loud boom of my brothers 30.06 never happened.So i got up and started hiking off in the direction he told me he would be comming just a little below the path the elk took.
I walked for maybe twenty minutes picking my way through the alders until I heard my sister in laws voice.She was angry and chewing on my brother and I though what the hell is going on.I didnt know her very well and thought my brother had hooked up with a dandy of a woman who had just cost him a elk. I headed toward her voice and as I got closer I could make out her heavy accent telling my brother how she didnt care about hunting we were all crazy etc.I found them sitting in a tiny clearing just at the edge of the alders. My brother was sitting down cleaning his rifle ands she was stranding over him. I ask what was up and and this is what I was told By my brother with his new wife adding in and shaking her head in disbelief etc.
My brother had heard the elk come busting through the brush his way. He said they were up about 30 yards above him sidehilling.He had stopped in the clearing and was looking up into the brush ready to knock one down as they approached.He said suddenly the brush started popping directly above him and he lowered his rifle and got ready. He said no sooner than he lowered his rifle his scope turned black and he was flying through the air.His rifle went twirling through the air and he went ass over tea kettle down the hill side about ten feet.
I started laughing and ask him what the hell happened. He said you wont believe it.A bear ran over me I started laughing even harder and my sister in law was mad as hell at me now to.She was going on how he was almost killed and we were crazy etc.I can only imagine what this 19 year old city girl from germany was thinking and found her just as comical as my brothers story.
I guess the old bear was farting around in the brush just above my brother sleeping or what ever.In any case he had heard the elk come crashing right at him and decided to get the hell out of dodge and away from this most terrible sound and did as bear will do some times and headed straight down hill just as fast as he could go. Bear are like mini bulldozers in brush and can haul ass. I would guess he must have been doing about thrity miles an hour when he popped out of the brush and filled my brothers scope.From what I gathered he never even slowed down after running right over my brother.
My brother was skinned up a little and had had his breath knocked out, but for the most part unhurt.His rifle a model 700 had a big gouge in the butt that had been scratched real deep by a rock it landed on and his scope was scratched.
My sister in law refused to hunt with him after that and had to be talked into going fishing or berry picking and was always watching out for bears that she was sure were going to pop out at any time.hehehehe I hope this was a interesting story and not to long.
I finaly decided to try and stalk closer and a little lower so I could get a shot. I moved once and did ok but still could not see more than glimpses of them through the brush patch they were on the other side of. So I decided to move lower and hoped to be able to see enough of one to get a shot off before they seen smelled or heard me. My next move as I came around the lower edge of the brush and could see them. I was looking eye to eye with a big bull who in a split second bolted off into the brush with the rest.
Disapointed like often happens elk hunting I sat down and waited for the boom from my brothers 30-06 who I figured was probably around 3 or 4 hundred yards off in the direction the elk were running.When elk are spooked and running through heavy brush the whole moutain side is full of noise as they bust sticks and branches and there hooves thud the ground like horses.I sat for a about ten minutes and the loud boom of my brothers 30.06 never happened.So i got up and started hiking off in the direction he told me he would be comming just a little below the path the elk took.
I walked for maybe twenty minutes picking my way through the alders until I heard my sister in laws voice.She was angry and chewing on my brother and I though what the hell is going on.I didnt know her very well and thought my brother had hooked up with a dandy of a woman who had just cost him a elk. I headed toward her voice and as I got closer I could make out her heavy accent telling my brother how she didnt care about hunting we were all crazy etc.I found them sitting in a tiny clearing just at the edge of the alders. My brother was sitting down cleaning his rifle ands she was stranding over him. I ask what was up and and this is what I was told By my brother with his new wife adding in and shaking her head in disbelief etc.
My brother had heard the elk come busting through the brush his way. He said they were up about 30 yards above him sidehilling.He had stopped in the clearing and was looking up into the brush ready to knock one down as they approached.He said suddenly the brush started popping directly above him and he lowered his rifle and got ready. He said no sooner than he lowered his rifle his scope turned black and he was flying through the air.His rifle went twirling through the air and he went ass over tea kettle down the hill side about ten feet.
I started laughing and ask him what the hell happened. He said you wont believe it.A bear ran over me I started laughing even harder and my sister in law was mad as hell at me now to.She was going on how he was almost killed and we were crazy etc.I can only imagine what this 19 year old city girl from germany was thinking and found her just as comical as my brothers story.
I guess the old bear was farting around in the brush just above my brother sleeping or what ever.In any case he had heard the elk come crashing right at him and decided to get the hell out of dodge and away from this most terrible sound and did as bear will do some times and headed straight down hill just as fast as he could go. Bear are like mini bulldozers in brush and can haul ass. I would guess he must have been doing about thrity miles an hour when he popped out of the brush and filled my brothers scope.From what I gathered he never even slowed down after running right over my brother.
My brother was skinned up a little and had had his breath knocked out, but for the most part unhurt.His rifle a model 700 had a big gouge in the butt that had been scratched real deep by a rock it landed on and his scope was scratched.
My sister in law refused to hunt with him after that and had to be talked into going fishing or berry picking and was always watching out for bears that she was sure were going to pop out at any time.hehehehe I hope this was a interesting story and not to long.
