<\/a>As many of our readers know, after 16 years of applying, Stan finally drew the coveted Wenaha Archery Elk tag in Oregon.\u00a0 There have been nearly a dozen scouting trips over into this country leading up to his hunt, and the gas bill alone is staggering!\u00a0 It’s truly a once-in-a-lifetime hunt.<\/span><\/p>\n

Stan has been over in the Wenaha Wilderness of NE Oregon for the past week.\u00a0 Base camp is set up and he and our good friend Chris are getting dialed in some good bulls.\u00a0 We’re going to do our best to share the daily progress of Stan’s hunt here.\u00a0 Another good friend, Joe, is heading over tomorrow to join in on the fun, and finally, I’ll be heading over shortly as well.\u00a0 We are purposely staggering ourselves to keep Stan equipped with “fresh” help.\u00a0 This country is horrendously steep and deep with little water.\u00a0 Google it and you’ll see what I mean.<\/span><\/p>\n

I’ll be posting up trailcam photos, video clips, and updates to the hunt as frequently as possible to keep you all up on the action.\u00a0 I have posted up some photos to our Facebook Page<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/span> so you can always stop in, “LIKE<\/strong><\/span>” FreshTRAX Outdoors and keep current there too.<\/span><\/p>\n

Check back for updates – stay tuned!<\/span><\/p>\n

FreshTRAX Outdoors<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a09-2-11 UPDATE<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Stan and Chris were jolted out of a dead sleep as a bull came through their spike camp at 4AM bugling his head off.\u00a0 They later glassed up another nice 6×6 this morning and said they are seeing a LOT of nice 6\u2019s, but still looking for something special. So today they are glassing ridges and covering country trying to locate some bigger bulls.\u00a0 He said it\u2019s tough to be passing on 320 class bulls but it\u2019s early in the hunt.<\/span><\/p>\n

Later in the morning they called up this 6×6 who came in quickly before they could get the tripod set up…gotta love it when that happens!<\/span><\/p>\n

httpv:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=RYHZG34ESF4<\/p>\n

(Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel <\/a>as well be adding more video from the field as well as product reviews).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a09-3-11 UPDATE<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Chris wrapped up the first week and headed home today.\u00a0 Along the way, he likely crossed paths with Joe\u00a0who is bringing over more food and some new gear to test, including a Benchmade<\/strong> Bone Collector knife, Alpen<\/strong> 20-60X spotting scope, among other items.\u00a0 Formal Product Reviews are a big part of what we do at FreshTRAX Outdoors<\/strong>, and we always put gear to the test\u00a0under real-world conditions in order to provide our readers the most valuable information.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

The Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness is full of game despite the vast expanses of sheer rock faces and grassy slopes that seem to drop forever into the canyons.\u00a0 Big mule deer bucks, mountain goats and bighorn sheep have been spotted on numerous occassions thus far, not to mention a couple “booner” rattle snakes and this cougar who wandered by a trailcam in broad daylight.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Yesterday evening Stan and Chris worked a big 6×7 down in a hole but it got dark before they could put anything together on him, so they backed out.\u00a0 They are seeing many 6×6 and better bulls daily but with the 95 degree temps, the bulls are holed up in the bottoms.\u00a0 The rut is heating up but it seems a bit early yet so Stan is playing the game carefully to conserve energy over the long haul.\u00a0 Most of the bulls seem to be very vocal at night as the temps are dipping down to the 40 degree mark.\u00a0 That is a daily 50+ degree temperate swing!<\/span><\/p>\n

The strategy thus far has been to spike camp out from the wall tent camp\u00a0for 2-3 days at a time and spend a lot of time glassing in order to locate a shooter bull.\u00a0 Mountain House meals are pretty\u00a0tasty but when you’re living on them for days on end, energy conservation is key with the heat and steep terrain.\u00a0 Hiking into the bottoms doesn’t make much sense\u00a0unless you know you’ve got good reason due to the toll it would take on your body to make the trip down and back in the extreme heat.<\/span><\/p>\n

Chris will be back home soon and will\u00a0be sending\u00a0me over all the photos from the first week so I’ll get those up here as quickly as possible.\u00a0 Stay tuned!<\/span><\/p>\n

9-4-11 UPDATE<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe indeed arrived late in the afternoon yesterday.\u00a0 Stan met up with him\u00a0and due\u00a0the time, they opted to head out to a spot Stan had seen a couple good bulls instead of settling Joe into camp.\u00a0 They arrived to the\u00a0ridge where Stan has been keeping tabs on a couple bulls. Stan broke out the new\u00a0Alpen 20-60X spotting scope<\/a>\u00a0that he’s reviewing to get a better look, and after dialing in the scope, they figured one of the bulls with cows was a solid 350+ class bull!\u00a0 He was bulging a lot and putting on a show but it was too late to go after him.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The next morning came early and they were out of camp well before daylight.\u00a0 Stan bugled in the pre-dawn grayness and within minutes a bull started raking loudly not 200 yards away.\u00a0 Now, one thing about this unit – it is open for spike hunting with an over the counter tag, so Joe was packing his bow as well.\u00a0 The raking continued as Stan and Joe closed the gap.\u00a0 Moments later, not one but two raghorn bulls emerged like a couple of dumb teenagers.<\/span><\/p>\n

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They bailed and moved quickly to another area Stan and Chris had been monitoring previously.\u00a0 They\u00a0glassed\u00a0one \u00a0good bull with a handfull of cows and located a groaner of a bull that they couldn’t get a look at.\u00a0 He was down in a hole with timber so they noted the location as an option for\u00a0tomorrow morning.\u00a0 This evening they planned to check out another hole that looks really good.\u00a0 This will give them two options.\u00a0 The rut is definitely ramping up despite the fierce heat.\u00a0 Stan and Joe will leave in the morning with loaded packs for a 2-3 excursion from base camp so it may be a couple days for another solid update.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Chris returned and sent me a bunch of ph<\/span>otos.\u00a0 I will add these and a bunch more photos to our FreshTRAX Outdoors Facebook page<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

9-5-11 UPDATE<\/span><\/p>\n

So picking up where we left off on the evening of the 4th, Stan and Joe decided to drop into this new \u201chole\u201d Stan had his eye on.\u00a0 They worked side-hill around the upper slopes where it wasn\u2019t too steep for covering ground.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t long before they spotted a herd of a dozen or so cows with a nice bull.\u00a0 They had to\u00a0move\u00a0to a spot where they could set up and get a good look at his antlers. \u00a0They decided he would score around 315-320\u201d, which isn\u2019t quite what Stan is looking for.<\/span><\/p>\n

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They dropped down over the side and worked down toward some of the timbered creases in the landscape.\u00a0 Two 5×5 bulls were down in there with a pile of cows.\u00a0 Stan and Joe waited it out to see if there were any bigger bulls in the mix but never saw any before darkness fell.<\/span><\/p>\n

Stan was up for a surprise when they returned to the wall tent.\u00a0 His wife sent some Omaha Rib Eye steaks along with Joe, who cooked them up with some spuds for dinner.\u00a0 (Sounds like a real nice man date to me, boys!<\/em>)\u00a0 Stan told me he\u2019s been living on freeze-dried meals since he got over there, so it was good to load up on real protein.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The morning of the 5^{th<\/sup>, they decided to head back into a good area where Stan has seen a number of nice bulls thus far.\u00a0 At first light they glassed a smallish 6×6 with a pile of cows and another 350-class bull.\u00a0 A little further in, around 7:30 AM, they encountered another herd of nine cows under the thumb of a monster 7×7 that would push 370\u201d \u2013 a definite shooter.<\/span><\/p>\n}

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The bull was on the move to bed, pushing his cows as they dropped down into the canyon.\u00a0 Stan and Joe moved quickly and got\u00a0closer but there was no way to cut them off.\u00a0 The thermals are transitioning at that time of the morning which makes closing the gap even more difficult.\u00a0 So, the plan is to keep tabs on him and see if they can identify where he is bedding down.\u00a0 When these elk are up and moving in this steep country, it\u2019s nearly impossible to keep up on the side-hills.\u00a0 They simply move too fast and the country is not conducive to circling around in front of moving animals.<\/span><\/p>\n

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For the evening hunt they were possibly going to check another area but I have not heard back from Stan yet\u2026stay tuned!<\/span><\/p>\n

9-8-11 UPDATE<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

I was just heading to lunch yesterday when I got\u00a0this text message from Stan.\u00a0 It stopped me in my tracks!<\/span><\/p>\n

“Well you are going to call me crazy but we moved in on a bull that sounded huge down\u00a0in a nasty canyon.\u00a0 Worked in on him\u00a0as we usual do\u00a0–\u00a0Joe hung back and worked the cow calls and bugling while I stalked in on him the last 100 yards.\u00a0 I played it perfect and was at full draw at 10 yards from a 350 class 6x 7 with huge fronts.\u00a0 He was really big on his 6\u00a0pt. side but he wasn’t huge on his 7 point side.\u00a0 I passed because it is only a week and a half into the season and that other 7 point we saw was bigger.\u00a0 Biggest bull I have ever had a good shot at AND I PASSED!\u00a0 I can’t believe it!”<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Now, I’ve known Stan for over 20 years and I trust his instincts but holy cow.\u00a0 I know he and Joe are spike camped out, and I expect delays in getting updates but now it’s killing me because I’ve not heard a thing since!\u00a0 I know he was wanting to get back on the big 7×7, and I can only hope that’s what they’re doing.\u00a0 I’ll post another update as soon as I hear from them…<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a09-9-11 UPDATE<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Stan was able to call me today and fill me in on the past couple days.\u00a0 He also sent over a new batch of photos to share.\u00a0 <\/span>It\u2019s been insanely hot but the bulls are very active early and late.\u00a0 The mid-day hours are more quiet but they\u2019ve been into multiple in the timbered ridges almost daily.<\/span><\/p>\n

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After Stan let that 350-class bull walk on the 7th, they regrouped and headed into a new area Stan hasn’t spent much time scouting ahead of the season.\u00a0 Almost immediately they\u00a0located a gorgeous, perfectly symetrical 360+ 6×6 herd bull.\u00a0 They didn’t know how big he was at first, or that he had a small collection of cows.\u00a0 The situation was dicey with a large opening between them.\u00a0 There was no hesitation; Stan pushed the envelope and quickly closed the gap to about 40 yards as Joe hung back hoping to catch the remaining glory moments on film.<\/span><\/p>\n

At about 38 yards Stan was once again drawn on a monster bull and needed the him to take another step forward to clear his chest.\u00a0 Unbeknownst to both Joe and Stan this bull\u2019s cows were just below them \u2013 downwind.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t long before the house of cards crumbled with thundering hooves pounding the sun-baked earth.\u00a0 Any veteran elk hunter has lived through this scenario across the west, but that fact offers little relief.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u00a0More and more rubs are appearing as the rut heats up.<\/span><\/p>\n

With two 350+ shooter bulls inside bow range within a few hours, they were pumped\u2026and soaked with sweat under the mid-day sun.\u00a0 They backed out to give this bull a rest and moved up to one of the upper ridges they\u2019ve camped on.\u00a0 It was so hot and there wasn’t any bugling action at all. They used the time to rest and decided to set up camp for the night.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/span>Sunrise on Friday morning.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This morning they dropped into an adjacent area where they glassed some elk and heard at least three bulls bugling repeatedly.\u00a0 They headed back into this area tonight and will be spiked out for the next two days.\u00a0 They are pretty stoked about the game plan for the next two days.\u00a0 They have at least three bulls located in this deep canyon.\u00a0 Stan told me to expect a 2-day delay in any updates, assuming he doesn\u2019t kill a bull.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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They have found a lot of dry and wet wallows, and will be putting some time on one of the more active muddy wallows.\u00a0 When I head over on the 15th, I’ll be taking a variety of treestands so we can set up for long mid-day sits with the camera.\u00a0 Again, assuming Stan doesn’t tag out by then.<\/span><\/p>\n

As you can imagine with the extreme inclines and heat, scent control is always a concern.\u00a0 Keeping your body and clothing clean and as fresh as possible\u00a0is a priority.\u00a0 There is very little water around unless you drop into the very bottom of the canyons.\u00a0 When they do find water, they filter & fill their hydration bladders and get cleaned up.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Here Joe pretends to slurp from a funky spring.\u00a0 We never drink unfiltered water.\u00a0 Ever.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Stan\u00a0using the mid-day lull to catch up on laundry.<\/span><\/p>\n

9-14-11 UPDATE<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

On the morning of the 11^{th<\/sup>, Stan and Joe were working a herd bull in the timber.\u00a0 He was really carrying on and tearing up trees as they closed the gap.\u00a0 He obviously had cows so they used the thick cover to carefully close the distance but he was up on the steep slope above them across a small creek, if I\u2019m not mistaken.<\/span><\/p>\n}

They kept him excited and continued to make him feel the pressure of another bull encroaching on his harem.\u00a0 It worked and they could hear the bull coming down toward them.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe got the camera set up as Stan moved ahead to set up.\u00a0 Joe was set up perpendicular to the path the bull was on, so if you think about a \u201cT\u201d shape, the bull was coming left to right across the top of the \u201cT\u201d, Stan was on the right side of the \u201cT\u201d and Joe was on the bottom leg.<\/span><\/p>\n

Stan watched the 330-class bull for about 10 minutes as he entered the opening and began to rake a tree a mere 30 yards away.\u00a0 Joe couldn\u2019t see any of this from his location.\u00a0 Then the bull just marched right in, leaving his cows up on the side-hill to lay down the law with the intruder.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you watch closely, you\u2019ll see Stan\u2019s head is located toward the right side of the frame about \u00bd way up.\u00a0 It\u2019s a blob that looks out of place amongst the vegetation.\u00a0 The bull was inside 15 yards but Stan felt there were better bulls in the area just as ready to pose for him, so he let him walk.<\/span><\/p>\n

httpv:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=l03ND4fB8PI<\/p>\n

Joe left on Sunday for\u00a0home so Stan has been doing it alone since then.\u00a0 As of last night he had four bulls going nuts around his bivy spike camp.\u00a0 He’s been in nearly every bottom, hiked every ridge, and otherwise covered the wilderness area in search of a special bull.\u00a0 There are about four bulls that he’s after.\u00a0 I will be driving all night to join Stan for next week of excitement.\u00a0 I fully expect we\u2019ll be closing out this hunt with the heavy weight of a great wilderness bull on our backs.\u00a0 We will do our best to provide updates from the field but it will likely be a few more days to see any update.\u00a0 In fact, we may have more luck providing Facebook updates, so be sure to \u201cLike\u201d FreshTRAX Outdoors<\/strong> to see and hear about the final act in this epic DIY bowhunting adventure!<\/span><\/p>\n

Just got a text from Stan so here’s a real-time update: “Got into two bulls this morning neither of which panned out.\u00a0 Saw five other bulls on the opposing ridge one of which is a clear shooter!\u00a0 We will get it done I am very sure.\u00a0 See you soon!”<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a09-27-11 UPDATE<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Sorry for the long delay in posting an update.\u00a0 I met up with Stan last Thursday morning (15^{th<\/sup>) after driving all night.\u00a0 We organized our gear and got ready for a 2-3 day pack in.\u00a0 It was raining and cool, which was a major change in the weather up to this point in the hunt.<\/span><\/p>\n}

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We hiked in about 7 miles into one of the major drainages in the Wilderness area, then hooked upstream into one of the feeder canyons where Stan and Joe hunted several days prior.\u00a0 Stan was eager to show me the series of fresh wallows that littered the canyon bottom, and it wasn\u2019t long before the amount of fresh sign increased dramatically.<\/span><\/p>\n

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We set up our bivy camp (dumped the packs and laid out our bags) and headed up canyon for the evening hunt.\u00a0 We located a bull on the crest of a smaller ridge and decided to pop over the top and work him.\u00a0 He was a talker but not all that interested in closing the distance.\u00a0 In this country you\u2019ve got to work on bulls who want to come in and play otherwise you can expend too much energy chasing \u201crecreationally vocal\u201d bulls.\u00a0 So we pushed up the bottom and hoped it would open up.\u00a0 But it didn\u2019t.\u00a0 It got tighter and tighter so as the sun began to sink, we elected to lock in the hubs and climb up and out.\u00a0 As it got darker, we traversed across the ridge until we crested its back, following it back down to our meager camp.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

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I was pretty well dead to the world after a full day of hiking on the backside of no sleep the night before so I don\u2019t remember much after climbing into my bag.\u00a0 I was jolted from my coma as Stan flopped across the ground in his bag, trying to kick me into consciousness.\u00a0 Turns out we had a bull bugling from about 10 yards away! \u00a0He bugled twice and just walked on by.<\/span><\/p>\n

After the next morning\u2019s hunt and deciding to move our bivy camp upstream a mile or so, Stan and I worked on several \u201cmeaty\u201d sounding bulls over the next two days.\u00a0 But as vocal as they were, they were not willing to commit to closing the gap, even when we got inside 50-75 yards.\u00a0 Frustrating to say the least.<\/span><\/p>\n

We hiked out and headed back to the main wall tent camp where we met up with my good friend Matthews Cook.\u00a0 He came down from Pullman, Washington for a couple days of glassing and scouting, and it was good to spend some time with him.\u00a0 He killed a really nice bobcat in Washington the day before we met up with him and we discussed bobby backstraps for dinner (as Stan was sorting through his stash of Mountain House meals).<\/span><\/p>\n

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The next couple days Stan and I worked a bunch of canyons and located quite a few bulls.\u00a0 I cow-called in a really nice 350-class bull that came on the run from one side of an open\u00a0canyon clear across to our side (.8 mile as the crow flies on the GPS!) only to have him hang up inside 50 yards just below Stan’s set up, bugling his head off.\u00a0 We set up in the thick stuff to force him to come into Stan\u2019s shooting lanes but our set up also prevented us from seeing him as well.\u00a0 So we couldn’t move.\u00a0 We threw the book at him trying to force him to commit but he stood firm and eventually moved back down slope.\u00a0 We pushed hard on his back-trail but he wasn’t coming back up.<\/span><\/p>\n

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I worked several good bulls that behaved similarly – they’d come in hard, barely giving us time to set up.\u00a0 We’d set up and get the camera rolling, and they’d just stand there screaming at us.\u00a0 I captured some killer audio on a few of these set ups.\u00a0 We decoyed them, I backed away cow calling, we raked (and they raked), and it just started to get old after a while.\u00a0 Lots of talk, no action.\u00a0 Naturally, we had to watch the wind carefully, especially when our set-ups wore on.\u00a0 Heck, I worked two solo bulls for nearly two full hours, keeping them vocal so Stan could try to sneak in for a shot.\u00a0 He got to the bulls and at 50 yards let out a couple soft cow calls.\u00a0 They just bugled more but showed no interest in investigating.<\/span><\/p>\n

On 9\/20 we dropped down the spine of a long ridge to locate bulls in a deep perpendicular canyon.\u00a0\u00a0A couple miles in, we got out to the crumbly rocky outcropping overlooking the big canyon.\u00a0 I let out a few cow calls and the place erupted with bugling.\u00a0 It was a nasty, loose, and very steep drop-off into the canyon – the GPS indicated it was ~1,800 vertical feet in just a quarter mile.\u00a0 With five bulls sounding off and a known herd in the bottom, the decision was easy.\u00a0 The hard part was making progress without sending loose rock crashing downhill, which would only spoil our efforts.<\/span><\/p>\n

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We closed the gap on the nearest bull and within minutes found ourselves in the midst of a herd that was being pressured by another bull in the bottom.\u00a0 As the cows filtered up through the steep ravine, we got ready.\u00a0 A 4×4 bull was staring holes through us at 30 yards so I popped out the Montana decoy and held it between us to calm him.\u00a0 It worked, and we were able to walk past him in the wide open without any issues.<\/span><\/p>\n

The herd bull screamed from below as a satellite bull raked a tree up to our right.\u00a0 I could see the tree swaying violently as the bull stripped it of its limbs.\u00a0 Stan moved forward hoping to get between them as I cow-called frantically.\u00a0 I wanted the herd bull to become enraged and charge up the draw toward Stan but instead he\u00a0moved his cows up and over a ridgeline out of bow range.\u00a0 Bulls screamed all around us and while it would seem almost easy to slip an arrow into a bull in this circumstance, it wasn\u2019t.\u00a0 They moved so much and the wind was swirling all over.\u00a0 It was hectic to say the least.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Once we got the chance to move ahead, we quickly dropped into the very bottom where we hoped the wind would stabilize, and it did somewhat.\u00a0 Moments later we had a nice chocolate sow at 25 yards looking at us.\u00a0 Her cubs were just over to the right a bit so we weren\u2019t too concerned about her becoming aggressive.\u00a0 A neat encounter and I\u2019d have loved to have filmed them, but we kept moving to keep tabs on the herd.<\/span><\/p>\n

I cow-called hard and sharp to get a reaction from one of the satellite bulls.\u00a0 Just above us, the \u201ccanyon crossing\u201d 350-bull from the previous day roared back.\u00a0 His bugle was very distinct and today he was hot!\u00a0 We found a place to move up the steep dirt bank that lined the creek.\u00a0 As we scrambled up to the small bench 20 yards above us, we could hear him moving through the brush.\u00a0 He was coming so we quickly got set up. \u00a0But unfortunately we believe he winded us shortly thereafter because he went silent on us in the following minutes, followed by his bellows of frustration from further down the creek.<\/span><\/p>\n

As we assessed the situation, we decided we needed to start heading back up and out of the canyon.\u00a0 It took us several hours to get back to the truck but at least we were able to complete the steep climb out without headlamps.\u00a0 It was slow going with some tricky steep spots that would have been dicey at night.<\/span><\/p>\n

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This\u00a0hunt was coming to a close and it was not looking good for Stan in terms of tagging a mature bull.\u00a0 The bulls were hot but I had to head back, and Stan had to start thinking about his Montana tag.\u00a0 We spent the next morning (21^{st<\/sup>) taking down the wall tent camp, discussing solo strategies, etc., and then I was on the road home by 1:30.<\/span><\/p>\n}

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The rut was in full gear and Stan was on his own now.\u00a0 The rain subsided after I left and the hot late summer heat returned.\u00a0 He hiked into another area with a full pack and located a bull down in the canyon but\u00a0the bull\u00a0kept distance between them so\u00a0Stan hiked out to try another area.\u00a0 He saw a 300-class 6×6 near the crest of the ridge but had no shot opportunity in the fading light.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The next day\u00a0Stan returned to an area where earlier we\u2019d\u00a0located a gnarly sounding bull a few days prior.\u00a0 We never got an eye on him but he sounded and behaved like a mature bull. \u00a0Stan got him talking but it dark on him before he could put anything together.\u00a0 He slept on the opposite side of the canyon and worked him\u00a0at daylight the next morning.\u00a0 Just as it was getting light Stan had him at 50 yards, and a\u00a04×4 came out of the periphery of the herd to his calling.\u00a0 The young bull\u00a0came inside 20 yards but Stan passed on him.\u00a0 The\u00a0bull was confused and started barking causing the big bull to move off.\u00a0 Stan continued to call to the big bull to keep tabs on him when\u00a0a 5×5 came in through the trees.\u00a0 He coaxed the bull into 15 yards and given the season was all but over, he decided to take him with a well-placed arrow.\u00a0 Stan packed him out in the heat down through a huge ravine.\u00a0 The ground distance was over 2 1\/2 miles each way.\u00a0 I wish I was there to have helped him.<\/span><\/p>\n

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I wasn’t able to get a photo of Stan’s bull before he left for Montana so I will\u00a0add it once I\u00a0get it.\u00a0 In the meantime, I want to say \u201cthanks\u201d for following along on this adventure.<\/span><\/p>\n

In closing, I have to say that DIY elk hunting with a bow in the Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness of NE Oregon is quite difficult.\u00a0 It’s a fallacy to assert that a premium tag is a slam dunk on the bull of your dreams.\u00a0 If you choose to forgo the road systems of the National Forest land and dive headlong into the wilderness, you\u2019re doing it the hard way, and the reasons for doing so run deep.\u00a0 The steep, unforgiving terrain would bring many otherwise \u201cfit\u201d bowhunters to their knees after day 1.\u00a0 No amount of exercise can prepare your muscles for miles of steep incline hiking with a pack.\u00a0 Unless you train in these\u00a0conditions, you simply can’t\u00a0fully emulate\u00a0it with a workout.\u00a0 Stan has hiked over 300 miles of this country since the summer \u2013 much of those miles in 90+ degree temperatures\u00a0with a full pack –\u00a0and though he was holding out for a big non-typical bull, it just wasn\u2019t in the cards.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Yes, he passed on some great bulls, and that is a personal decision every\u00a0hunter must make\u00a0at the moment of truth.\u00a0 It is often a difficult moment because we all know the risks.\u00a0 But hunting is and should\u00a0remain\u00a0pure and personal for each individual. \u00a0Stan got to experience one of the west\u2019s most incredible places with good friends, a bow, and an elk tag.\u00a0 He came to this place a stranger and left with a deep connection to all of it – the ups, downs, and shared memories. \u00a0Personally, knowing Stan the way I do, I found it quite fitting that in the final hours of the season, he once again found himself alone; deep in a canyon, doing what he loves most \u2013 bowhunting elk one on one, and getting it done.\u00a0 Some measure success by antler size, and that is fine.\u00a0 To each his own.\u00a0 I measure success by the\u00a0intrinsic value one derives from the entire hunt experience, and in this case Stan enjoyed wild success!<\/span><\/p>\n

FreshTRAX Outdoors<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As many of our readers know, after 16 years of applying, Stan finally drew the coveted Wenaha Archery Elk tag in Oregon.\u00a0 There have been nearly a dozen scouting trips over into this country leading up to his hunt, and the gas bill alone is staggering!\u00a0 It’s truly a once-in-a-lifetime hunt. Stan has been over […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[68,15],"tags":[276,99,220,225],"class_list":["post-4335","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-elk","category-hunting","tag-elk","tag-oregon","tag-wenaha","tag-wilderness"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\n