# Back From The Dead... Selway Mountain Range in Idaho



## kershelbarfield (Aug 17, 2009)

You been missing the roosevelt snook action ;D


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## TomFL (Oct 2, 2007)

A few more pics and a story about wolves...

This was Jessie, who dragged me up, down, over and around every mountain in sight and had a good laugh a time or two when we were on top of mountains glassing, I'm shivering uncontrollably and he's got a base layer and a wool shirt on. I swear he's got antifreeze for blood:









This is a pic from the first morning when the 4 of us were above base camp and glassing. This is Ken, the outfitter who also never dressed warmer than you see in this pic except for the horseback ride out:









More misc landscape shots:



























The mule deer I had shot earlier in the trip we field dressed and left on the hillside as we were really elk hunting and wanted to continue up. When the mountain is your personal freezer I guess you can get away with that stuff. Anyways, we hunted for most of the day up high, then headed down to quarter and pack out the mulie. We snuck up as best we could to the spot where the gut pile and carcass was, hoping to spot a bear or possibly wolves on it. We could hear ravens from a distance and thought it was a good sign. From about 60 yards I took a peak through my binos and through the brush saw maybe 20 ravens on the gut pile and 2 large, unrecognizable brown things on the carcass. As we snuck closer the brown things weren't registering in my mind until we got to within about 30 yards and they opened their wings and took off. A pair of golden eagles! I've seen plenty of bald eagles in my life, but nothing prepared me for the sheer size of a golden eagle. Honestly at the time I was guessed them to be 4 feet tall. When I came home I looked them up and found they can weigh over 20 lbs and about 41" in height. They prey on young billie goats for God's sake! I'd say the two I saw were every bit of that, as my mind really didn't register that they were birds by the sheer size and height of them. I was told by a native American that seeing even one of them is a sign of good luck in your life, and that they are pretty rare. 

Not sure if seeing two at the same time is double good luck, but maybe I should buy a lottery ticket... 

Anyways, we decided to drag the carcass to the bottom of the mountain to make it easier to sit on (a lot less trips UPHILL!!) and hope for a bear/mountain lion/wolf to come by and fill another tag. What seemed like a good idea at the time turned out the be pretty dangerous, as at times we about impaled ourselves on the rack when we lost our footing and the carcass tumbled with us down the mountainside. 

Once at the bottom, we quartered the deer, took what we wanted and left the ribs and hide to hunt off of. We checked it each day, and I was surprised to find nothing hit it until the 3rd day, when it looked as though a bobcat had ate a bit and tried to bury it. We made the decision to sit on it that night in hopes for something bigger. 

About 4PM, we snuck up to it and made a comfy spot about 30 yards away. A little closer than I was comfortable with, but we had no choice given the thick timber. We sat for about an hour before we heard a shot far away and Jes turned his radio on to find out Mohammed, the other hunter, had just bagged himself a mulie buck. Ken needed some help packing it out, so Jes asked if I would mind if he headed out to help. I said no worries, that I would sit on the carcass until dark and make my way back to spike. 

I sat there for a bit, but then the realization set in of how close I was to the carcass, the fact that there are grizzlies in there and thoughts of a sow with cubs showing up and messing up my day were dancing in my head, and the wind was blowing making it tough to hear so pretty soon I packed my stuff up and made my way back to a horse trail that would lead me to camp, and it was starting to snow pretty good. 

The walk back was about a mile and a half, and most of the way I kept hearing stuff off to my left. Sticks breaking, and I was sure there was something there but couldn't see anything as hard as I tried. 

I got back to the clearing where the spike camp was and it's starting to get dark. The clearing is light, but the trees are covered in snow, branches hanging low, and there's not too much light in the timber. Tough to see into. 

Now as far as the clearing, to give you a little info on it I'd say it's about 25-30 yards across, with a small pair of trees in the center for a hitching post. 

Pics to help set the stage:

Here's a pic from the front of the spike:









Here's a shot from the front door:









Here's a shot from the front door looking left:









So here I am, in the clearing and at the front door of the tent. Tired and beat, I go to unload a round from the chamber and push it back down to the magazine, and it falls on the ground in the snow. I'm digging around for it when I hear a rumbling coming from the trail I just walked in on. I'm thinking "boy, that's odd, an airplane is pretty close". Then I hear distinct hoof prints, LOUD, and they're getting closer, FAST. About this time I start to realize DUH! it's not an airplane, it's an elk, and he's friggin running right at me! I look up, and I see a tall body heading down the semi-dark trail FAST! 

Like a bumbling idiot, I work the bolt and push in another round, look up and here's this huge cow elk coming at me at full speed in the middle of the clearing, she sees me instantly as I draw up on her, not sure if there's more behind. She instantly reels off and crashes into the timber to my left, I hear her bust through some scrub and then nothing. Silence. No more elk. 

DAMNIT!!!

So now my adrenaline is pumping big time, I sneak a bit to the backside of the tent, looking for more elk in the timber. Nothing. So, I walk out in the clearing and look at her tracks, check them out and head back over to the tent. I'm about halfway across the clearing when I hear a wolf howl in the timber behind the tent. CLOSE!!! 

Man, that FREAKED me out. 

About the time I'm thinking "sh*t, I need to get some cover and try to get a shot at him", another wolf howls, CLOSE, to my right. And another, and another, and another. I'm COMPLETELY surrounded by wolves in this clearing, and there's certainly aware I'm here as I'm standing like an idiot in the middle of the clearing. 

Buddy, you wanna have every hair on your body stand up on end and have goosebumps run down your spine? A wolf howl, CLOSE, at dusk, alone, will do it. An entire pack, all around you, sends the pucker factor off the charts!

G-A-U-R-U-N-T-E-E-D! 

Half out of my wits, and honestly part (all?  ) of me is wondering how many rounds I've got in my rifle now in case the sh*t hits the fan; I high-tail it to the stump in front of the spike tent and kneel down. Gun up, safety off, and trying to pick out a wolf in the dark timber. 

They're there, maybe a dozen, carrying on, all within 15-30 yards, howling from all directions and I can tell there are clearly 3 of them in the timber 15 yards to my left. So close, but I can't see sh*t through the (*^@#$(&*^ snow-covered branches. 

After what seems like an eternity, one of them bolts from the left, flat out, across the clearing. At first I'm admiring how incredibly gorgeous he is, almond color low, fading to a light then dark grey on his flanks. Once I clear up, I'm on him instantly, get him in the scope, follow, follow, squeeze, BAM!....wolf is still running, but has changed direction and is now running dead away from me. Another round in, get him in the scope. Tail between his legs, I'm about to squeeze and he's gone. Behind a big tree, never to be seen again. 

The woods are silent now. 

I'm 80% sure I missed as at that range I should have knocked the tar out of him if I'd have connected. I wait a bit to make sure I'm not going to turn into wolf poo if I sneak out of my safety zone  and find no blood, but I did find where my bullet hit the dirt, richoched up and wound up in a tree. 

Too low, I think to myself. I shot under him. Chance of a lifetime and I'm bummed. 

About an hour goes by, it's now completely dark, and Jessie's not back. I start cooking dinner and figure he'll be back soon. Another hour goes by, nothing. So now I'm figuring he's stayed up at the other spike and I'll spend the night alone here, so I'm stoking the fire and zipping up the tent when I hear a wolf howl right outside the front door. 

For a split second I got a bit freaked, then quickly realized how different that howl was. The depth and volume of a real wolf howl is nothing that can be duplicated by a person, and this was quickly confirmed by a "DON'T SHOOT!!!" and a lot of laughing from outside the tent. 

Jessie, Mohammed and Ken had made their way back to camp in the dark. They had heard the wolves howling and then my shot and figured I'd dropped one since all week I'd been making comments like "if they run, they'll only die tired", and made a decent/lucky shot on that mulie buck. I had them fooled!

In the morning we looked, found no blood but we all scoured the woods for a dead wolf. Nothing. 

What we did find, and what I found incredible, was in the midst of all the wolf tracks in the woods. There was a large fallen tree, leaining over about shoulder height, with fresh snow on top. A running wolf track coming up to it, and easily could have gone underneath it without breaking stride. 

Nope. 

On top of the log, in the pristine snow, was one wolf track. Shoulder high. 

That wolf, for whatever reason, decided it was more fun to go over the log than under it. As pretty as you please, he/she made that high of a leap, never broke stride, and placed just one foot on top of the log as it went over. 

Incredible. 

Ken, the outfitter, kindly informed me I had saved that cow elk's life. The wolves had singled it out from a herd and were funneling it toward that clearing, where others were lying to try to make it turn and head to the only creek crossing just outside that clearing. More wolves were there, and I think it would have been lights out for the cow had I not jacked that round in and she saw me. 

Basically I blew the plan, and the wolves howling was not a sign of aggression but rather a calling for each of the wolves to regroup. 

Something that could have been brought to my attention earlier and might have saved me from changing my shorts...  ;D

So... that's my wolf story. As a hunter I clearly could take the liberty to embellish and fluff the story to make it more interesting but buddy if you were there with me, hunkered down with your you-know-what puckered up, surrounded by howling wolves in the middle of nowhere, you'd understand no embellishment is necessary! 

-T


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## topnative2 (Feb 22, 2009)

I am pretty sure that is an elk you have there---no mulie could be that big [smiley=1-thumbsup3.gif]

great pics and great mulie--tremendous adventure


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## jimbarn1961 (Aug 2, 2009)

Awsome read, you have a way with words! You have been on an adventure many of us only dream of and few ever get to do. The pics and stories are a privelage to read.

THANKS


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## mark_gardner (Mar 18, 2009)

wow tom sounds like you were roughing it for sure  those are some nice pics and thanks for sharing  looks like you had a great time


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## TomFL (Oct 2, 2007)

When you're bored and alone tonight, turn off all the lights, imagine you are alone in the middle of the wilderness, 40 miles from the nearest building, night is coming and it's snowing. 

And you're standing in the middle of a small clearing in the woods. 

Then turn up the volume on the computer and click this link: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/wolves/confront.html

Here's more pics from the trip, this time of some blue grouse. Absolutely the dumbest birds I've met in my life. We saw TONS of ruffed and blue grouse, but the blue's would just sit in the tree while you walk right up to them. Not scared at all, I think they just didn't recognize humans as danger. 

If I ever do this again, I'm bringing a little browning buckmark .22lr pistol with me to plink them in the head and eat some fine breast meat. A shotgun wouldn't be sporting because you can't get them to flush!

Hen:









And the Rooster, doing his thing on a log with me not more than 6' away:









-T


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

About them grouse...

http://funditor.110mb.com/Blowgun.html

works fine on squirrels too...silent and deadly...


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## TomFL (Oct 2, 2007)

> About them grouse...
> 
> http://funditor.110mb.com/Blowgun.html
> 
> works fine on squirrels too...silent and deadly...


Brett, that train done left the station a looonnng time ago!

Solved my ratbert at the bird feeder problem:










I'd still take the buckmark in a holster over carrying a 6' blowgun through the mountains any day!!


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## tom_in_orl (Dec 9, 2006)

*[movedhere] Off Topic [move by] tom_in_orl.*


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## FSUfisher (Jul 16, 2007)

Awesome story! Can't wait for more pictures. Just having been hunting at night by myself knowing stuff was walking around me, I can only imagine the fear of not only having an elk crash in on me but also being surrounded by a pack of hungry wolves.


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## TomFL (Oct 2, 2007)

More misc pics from the trip:

Lunch of champions: PB&J on leftover pancakes from breakfast. This was the first day of hunting, working our way from base camp to the spike. How do I know? Because we never had any more "fancy" breakfast meals once we left base camp!










Last day of hunting, where we met up with Ken, the other guide, and Mohammad on a ridge and worked our way back to camp. Here's Mohammad, Jessie and myself. Notice Jess isn't wearing any heavy winter clothes...as usual.. 










Same spot, just showing Ken in place of Jess:









Last morning, preparing to ride out from base camp. Here I'm trying to sweet-talk Mack, my horse, into not killing me on the 8-hour ride back to the pickup point. I should have brought some carrots or something...Actually he did real good, and Mohammad's horse took a big slip near a rock switchback ledge and almost went over. So I think Mack did me right that day!










I think this shot was when we were approaching the halfway camp on the way out. Colder than it looks, we were along a stream bottom and it seemed to be holding the cold, although there wasn't much snow that made it though the canopy:









More as I weed through them..

-T


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