110% Success-Dome Mountain Elk Hunting Report, November 8, 2011
Posted by JB on November 9, 2011 at 1:15 am | Last modified: November 9, 2011 1:15 am
- Being an elk hunting guide isn’t for everyone, especially on Dome Mountain. It takes some guts, grit and gumption!
- Many extreme sportsman’s groups in the western states blame rich landowners and anti-hunters for posting their property to hunting. Fact is, research shows it’s because of disrespectful slob hunters.
Action started a day early with some entertainment from some local road hunters who shot a bull and wounded a cow which the Dome Mountain boys helped load into the game warden’s truck. While tickets were issued, it’s often disheartening because of the lightness of the fines. Most of the cost of the tickets will go to processing the meat for the food bank and although hunting privileges will be revoked for a year, history has shown that they’ll be back at it again.
The biggest threat to hunting isn’t anti-hunters; it’s those who set a bad example. I think most true hunters and conservationists would agree that the fines for game violations deserve higher penalties. Instead of $125.00 how about $5,000.00? So, the next time you see a “NO HUNTING” sign, don’t blame the landowner, blame a slob hunter.
I feel sorry for most of these guys because they’ve probably never hunted without being in site of or earshot of vehicles or some other form of human interruption. I guess that’s good though, otherwise our backcountry wouldn’t be quite as beautiful, and the bears probably wouldn’t like how they taste.
It can happen at any time, and for this lucky hunter it happened pretty quick!
We had four new hunters this week, normally we have return clients every week. Opening day of week 2 started out with a bang as one of our hunters took his first bull elk just minutes into the hunt. Elk continue to move back and forth across the river and we were fortunate to catch them on our side on this morning.
With weather still on the mild side and an abundance of food many elk continue to stay up high and bask in the sunshine. This has made predicting them very difficult. In addition, the local wolf pack continues to terrorize the herds often displacing them several miles in one night. However, we were still into elk every day of the hunt. As weather patterns begin to change and we head into more winter-like days food supply will dwindle and more elk will move on to the mountain. Our second week actually ended up being more successful than opening week.
Once the morning’s excitement passed, the boys headed out for the evening plan to the high country and they weren’t to be disappointed. Later that day we harvested another nice Montana bull. While they say a photo tells a thousands words, then a hunting picture definitely has even more to say. Photos rarely do the whole story justice. There’s the adventure of riding horses through the mountains, often in total darkness, the hours of solitude free of wordly distractions and of course, the deliberations on making the right moves and when not to move at all. For many, it’s definitely more than a thousand words! As a matter of fact…see what this Elk had to say before becoming dinner.
Sneaking up on a herd of bedded elk is never easy. Many folks who don’t hunt think that the hunter has an advantage because he can shoot from 300 yards or more. This just isn’t the case. Elk in our country are on high alert all the time. The introduction of Canadian wolves has forced them to be ever-watchful. They have senses that are so much more suited to living in the wild than us two leggers. With large ears that can rotate and hear an unnatural sound miles away and noses that can whif a hunter from unbelieveable distances, it’s never an easy task. 
Rick and Tom crawled around in wet snow and unfriendly Prickly Pears for nearly 6 hours until an opportunity presented itself. With a good rest and shooting confidence another bull was on the ground. The guide and hunter field dressed the animal and prepared it for the long, cold night, returning to dinner quite late, tired but feeling very good!
The hunting part can be tough, the shooting part is usually pretty easy, whereas the packing out part can have a whole new set of challenges.
It’s one thing to drive an ATV through a field and hook a rope around an animal, it’s another to cape, quarter and then safely pack 400 pounds of slippery critter on another animal, another animal that sometimes doesn’t feel like carrying anything. After some skiijouring and Mule skinning, and on-site therapy from Kirty…
Seasoned Montana hunting guide "Dirty Kirty" demonstrates the usefulness of an Elk hide.
the boys had it figured out and brought home some tasty chow and the hunter’s quarry. Again, everyone was feeling the hurt that a good elk hunt can provide. Len’s cooking as always helped everyone fall asleep early!
At this point, it seemed like things couldn’t get any better. As the boys headed up the hill again to retrieve another elk a new problem presented itself.
Most Mule deer taken on the ranch are down lower in the flats, however on this particular day one decided to show up in between the elk to be packed out and the hunters. It didn’t take long for them to decide how to save another trip up the mountain.
A true mountain Mule deer harvested on public lands near Dome Mountain Ranch.
Tom made a good shot and downed the deer less than a hundred yards from where his elk lie-talk about efficiency in the field.
Fortunately for the pack crew they’d decided to bring Joker the mule out for the day. Joker has probably seen more elk country than all of us put together. This is his retirement season, after this year he’ll probably be getting brushed and loved on by some sweet little kid and not have to work too hard at all. He’s as fine a mule as they come and has been rumored to fend off both a Mountain lion and Wolf from his pals. We’re going to miss the fun Joker has provided over the years…we might just have to keep him!
Joker the famous Mule with veteran guide "Ricki-Bobbi" and his client. Packing one of the big flat!
With nearly all our tags filled the fun was far from over. Mark’s father Chuck had the lucky ticket in his pocket after allowing Mark to take his elk on opening day, just like most good Dads! Although in his mid-70′s, Chuck wasn’t slowing down a bit. Kirty and the hunters located some elk coming from the north down low at first light. Choosing not to take an easy shot in site of the road, they doubled back and looped on the elk catching them just at the base of the mountain. Chuck made a great shot and filled his elk tag, thus completing the hunting adventure for the week.
The week went by fast and as usual, there’s much more to tell, but we’ll save those stories for next week’s time around the dinner table. Even though all the hunters had filled their tags, the hunting wasn’t done for the week. Dan and I had improved our blow gun skills to the point that we’d each harvested two trophy mice in the lodge.
Thanks again to all the clients, guides and my wife Lennae for creating another unforgettable week of elk hunting adventure at Dome Mountain Ranch. Of course we’re looking forward to next week already! It sounds like mild weather, but that’s okay. We are trying to forget the winter we had last season.
Book your 2012 Hunt Today-800-313-4868
See You on the Mountain!
Outfitter JB Klyap
Tags: domemountainoutfitters, elk hunter, elk hunting, fun hunts in montana, good hunters, great western hunts, hunting dome mountain, jb klyap, outfitter jim klyap, quality outfitters, the best outfit for hunting, trophy elk photos | Categories: Client Testimonials, elk hunting outfitter, Montana Elk Hunting, montana guided elk hunts, Uncategorized | Comments (0) | PermalinkMontana Elk Hunting Report November 2010
Posted by JB on November 18, 2010 at 11:43 pm | Last modified: November 18, 2010 11:53 pm
If there’s one thing that’s paramount to elk hunting it’s time, serious time. Every minute out there counts in favor of the hunter, while every minute anywhere but out there can be a deduction often bringing heavy mental penalties, depending on how one figures this into their own successes in hunting.
As elk hunters we can either define all these moments, or allow the moments to define us. Our actions afield are accounted for in one way or another, regardless of what we do when we think no one is watching. Over the last couple of weeks we’ve been pretty busy working on those defining moments.
Throughout the years of chasing wild things in wild places, these definitions continue to result in very simple theories; however, it doesn’t take long for an elk hunter to realize that the application of even the simplest plans are not always guarantees of the final product. But, sticking to the plan always seems to work better than other choices.
The extreme mental and physical demands required to be a successful Northern Rocky Mountains Elk Hunter is often skewed by Outdoor shows and the “Hollywood” version of the real truth. In my early years as an Outfitter I probably helped contribute to the misconceptions as well. Rest assured, if you’ve got any questions you’d like to pose to the real elk hunters, I’ve got a ton more references so far this season. With that said, before you go puffing out your chest because you shot some big bull out of a heated blind accessed with an OHV or fancy pickup, talk to any of the gentlemen (& ladies) who’ve left some shoe leather on these mountains and they’ll tell you what real fair chase elk hunting is all about.
There’s no shortage of testaments to just how much a hunter has to push oneself just to create an opportunity let alone go home with one of * North America’s Wildest Big Game Animals. You might also want to visit the latest “Hybrid Hunter” profile below to gain some insight into the possibilities awaiting today’s modern elk hunter.
Please don’t let these challenges scare you away until you understand the rules of the game. Remember, if elk hunting were easy, everyone would do it. Fact is, regardless of your definition of success it is POSSIBLE as last week’s hunters have so humbly proven. If you’re still one of those guys looking for the decor of big rack to hang on your wall, I can pass on some numbers from local taxidermists, even some numbers of a few fellas that run hig- fence hunts or maybe you’d prefer a big, private ranch that might charge you around $20,000.00? Whatever the case, there is no substitute for doing it with honor and integrity, the adventure just can’t be bought. In order to get the full effect, you’ll actually have to go on a hunt, get out there, get dirty, get cold, get wet and maybe even get bloody. (I do offer “custom elk hunting stories” for a fee if you choose the easy option). It is true…”If you ain’t bleeding, sweating or puking, you ain’t hunting elk”!
*”North America’s Wildest Big Game Animals”: The elk of southwest Montana that we pursue have been at the epicenter of Gray Wolf introductions since 1994. These elk have since survived many generations of these tenacious over-populated unnatural predators. As a result, elk in these areas has forced the creation of a new category and definition for “fair chase hunting”. Elk unaffected by these predators in other parts of the US are confirmed to be less vigilante and healthy, which means less challenging hunting. Over the last 5 years many fair chase hunters are recognizing that “record books” will perhaps need revised and additional categories as we further define “fair chase” hunting in areas with increasing predator populations and the challenges of western big game hunting in modern society.”
THE REAL MONTANA ELK HUNTING REPORT
By the second week of the season the mild weather had some of us imagining Giraffes coming through the sagebrush instead of Wapiti! If you’ve ever dreamed of an African Safari, you need not leave the states! Eventually we got on track, although the Grizzly was spotted one more time resting on a ridge, it could have been a rock. I’m still watching for movement and that bear is still sleeping. This sighting did however allow for a more efficient pac-outs. “Bear rocks” have that effect on all of us. Opportunities were presented almost daily, while seeing brown elk against brown grass proved that “glassing” and “roosting elk” were key. If patience is a virtue, then hanging out on a windswept high mountain ridge staring at the same dirt looking for elk should be a political office.
"The New Hybrid Hunter"-Studies have shown that with repeated use of the "Quads God Gave You" the modern hunter will still find more success than with even the most sophisticated technology.
Some welcome snow blanketed the mountain towards the end of week two renewed some spirits, but also tested some gear.(cotton kills). Suddenly, the elk that “weren’t there” the day before magically showed up. Most everyone agrees that they were always there, just not visible-how’s that for “faith”? The mountain was still steep and unforgiving, but when a group of positive individuals work together good things happen. ( Len also changed the schedule for “Steak and Shrimp Night”, outstanding meals in hunting camp can be a distraction-Thanks Honey!) The time change also helped dinner not seem so far off.
Wisdom is always gained through experience. The mountain gives a man peace but also confidence in rebuilding that self-reliance that he or she doesn’t need anything but their own mind and body.(the hybrid hunter actually uses no synthetic fuels). All of my clients remind me that trophy books and that “trophy mentality” are only for those who feel a need to compensate for other shortfalls. In a world where everyone seems to want it easier, faster and more conveniently, I’m proud to say there’s plenty of successful elk hunters that do it for the right reasons, these are the good ones, the real ones. True Sportsmen understand that hunting isn’t a competition sport, but a test of one’s own will against the unpredictability’s that only nature can provide. We all hope that the rules never change. When a clients comment “don’t change a thing”…we listen! The good news is, elk aren’t going to change. Elk hunting won’t get easier, but as hunters we will continue to get better. This won’t happen through expensive gear and gadgets, it happens with heart, big hearts and even bigger lung capacity!
Rex and "Q-tip" pose by a hard-earned trophy Montana bull taken on Dome Mountain.
“Keeping the faith” was vital to most hunters’ successes. Those who gained this gift realized that leaving the mountain too soon would cause this faith to falter asking the question,” if a hunter wasn’t there to see the elk, were they really there?” When this occurs, we sometimes view ourselves as cursed, this just isn’t the case, and never happens when you live by the “NO WHINERS” creed. All pursuits and challenges against nature has a way of testing everyone’s faith. I’m certain that each individual who sought the comforts of “lodgin’ it” as my wife commonly states freely to some of our clients, is revealed when weary hunters return late in the evening with a certain look of that faith alive and strong, fed by perceptions gained simply from being there and agreeing that the elk are there. How strong that faith is will often be revealed in reflection of either your definition of success or the realities of the end result of the hunt. You’ll get out of it just what you put into it, sometimes more, but rarely will you be disappointed.
Once the snow had settled in we were able to finally see what we thought we’d been missing which also helped everyone to hang in there. Elk started moving to feeding areas sooner which widened the gap of opportunities giving anyone who sat tight the advantage. Even with increased elk movement, few opportunities presented themselves until those magic moments. Unfortunately, sometimes these magic moments can show up right when other bodily functions question our patience (I’m talking about hunger). This proved to be just the right amount of incentive. Once this started happening, faith was imbedded like a sickness, and no one frowned when I set 4:00 AM breakfast times, matter of fact, it was hard to sleep in between.
The rewards of any fair chase elk hunt are often the result of a combination of patience and persistance against difficult factors. As a S.W.A.T. member, Dan should have some good strories to tell.
By day three we were loading the last bull up to the processor and having hot lunches. These are the kinds of weeks we sure appreciate, but never take for granted when it comes to elk hunting. There’s never any guarantees and it usually takes a whole lot of good things to come together to make things like this happen. We call it hunting and not shooting for a reason.
Since there weren’t many reasons to take 3 hour trail rides in the dark some of the gang enjoyed time at the “Boiling River”
I’ve decided not to post any of those photos, but I’ll leave that story up to the boys who have taken ownership of said photos. The elk country near Yellowstone Park offers more than just wildlife for sure. Applying “better to be lucky than good” still doesn’t make for good closure when it comes to elk hunting. On the other hand, luck was there, but it was created by the passions, preparations and persistance of those afield-attitude is everything.
As we head into the final week of Montana’s Big Game season we’re even more stoked to get back out there. It will be a crazy time in Paradise Valley. During our last week we’ll welcome some long time return clients who are in my opinion, the poster children for keeping the faith. These folks have always had what it takes to make it happen. Along with help from the mountain and some great “pack outs” we’ve successfully helped one of them quit smoking. Also joining us will be some great friends from the RMEF and PBR. World Champion Bull Riders shouldn’t have any problems with the morning rides; I just hope they can stay on longer than 8 seconds. We’ll welcome the new film crew from “Elk Chronicles” and my friend Steve Decker from the RMEF. If you are a follower of the toughest sport on dirt- check out “Cowboys for Conservation”. If you’ve always wanted to ride a bucking bull, try spending a day or two walking the slopes of Dome Mountain, it’s good training and lasts longer than most bull rides.
WHAT IS “YOUR” SUCCESS RATE?”
Success is when preparation and opportunity meet-or when a hunter is committed to putting in the time.
One question I hear a lot is “what’s your success rate”? Over the years I’ve done my best to make sure I know exactly what the question is asking. With that, I’ll digress a bit here hoping to help further define the question before diving into the answer. Several years ago I put a test together which ESPN has picked up and started passing around.
"When your guide says, "it's all downhill from here"-be sure to seek further clarity.
If you’re interested, you can take the test yourself. Send in your results with comments and questions right back to this blog, and perhaps together as Sportsmen we can further increase our success rate together. Even with all this,” fair-chase elk hunting” is still very simple. Find them-get there-wait-seize the moment.
BOOK YOUR MONTANA ELK HUNT TODAY WITH DOME MOUNTAIN RANCH-800-313-HUNT.
As our season winds to a close, we’ve officially opened up some dates for our 2011 elk hunts. Reservations will be accepted on a “first-come, first-serve basis”. We require ½ the cost of the hunt to reserve your dates. Please call 800-313-HUNT and I’d be happy to share some nearly live adventures with you and help you answer the question-”Are you up for the challenge?”
Many thanks to all of our clients, guides, my wife Lennae and her faithful assistant Jessica. The 2010 season could not have been nearly as successful without the great teamwork, personal care and passions you all have. Keep the faith and stay tuned for future adventures!
*The latest winner of the “NO WHINERS” t-shirt contest goes to 77 year old Skip Soule-If you’d like to enter our contest, please share your roughest-toughest fair chase hunting experience. If your story and photos are selected, we’ll send you “Beyond Fair Chase” and one of our famous “NO WHINERS” hunting shirts!
Thanks for reading!
”See You on the Mountain”.
Jim “JB” Klyap, Outfitter #7843
The Mountain’s Got It’s Own Ways-Opening Week of Montana’s Elk Season 2010
Posted by admin on October 31, 2010 at 10:02 pm | Last modified: October 31, 2010 10:02 pm
Another great week of Montana elk hunting passed quickly, as all good things do. Our hunting clients enjoyed some hard-core fair-chase elk hunting. Each elk hunting client had outstanding opportunities nearly every day. When it comes to elk hunting, location is everything. Timing often plays a big role, but most of all, successful elk hunters have “heart”. This wasn’t a problem for the Dome Mountain team.
Opening day is always an interesting event. We had a good plan the night before-”wait, watch and react”. We decided that “Perfect minutes lead to perfect hours, perfect hours to perfect days, and perfect days to perfect seasons.” So far, we’re right on track. While it’s easy to be successful, it’s much harder to never fail. Elk hunting requires a certain amount of grit that a hunter either has or they don’t. Often, this sort of passion is just what I’m talking about when I say “keep the faith”. 
Our low-impact style of hunting was obvious throughout the week as we allowed elk to remain safe in bedding areas and had plenty of early morning breakfasts to get in tight to our proven stands under the cover of darkness. This became a little spookier after a large grizzly showed up right smack in the middle of our hunting area. While no aggressiveness was noted, it sure made the darkness seem all the more darker.
“Perfect minutes…perfect hours…perfect days…perfect seasons…-JB Klyap
After day three everyone agreed why we call our elk, “the wildest elk in North America”. As a Rocky Mountain ungulate, dealing with two-legged predators is one thing, but imagine how savvy these elk become when they’re constantly hunted by wolves, bears and coyotes. The elk of the Northern Yellowstone herd have had a few generations to adapt. They’re strong, healthy and extremely challenging. I’ll wage a bet with anyone who hunts elk anywhere else, just having the close opportunity with these incredible creatures offers far more memories than easier elk hunting in places where predators aren’t so high in numbers.
By the close of day two, someone mentioned how awesome it would be “if we had some snow”. Later that evening the big Montana sky darkened and painted the mountain in a chilling fog and granted these wishes.
It didn’t take long for everyone to accept that the long summer had just transformed into elk hunting season overnight. Even though we were dealing with a bright full moon for those long rides back to camp it seemed to get dark a lot sooner.
There’s always something to be learned when it comes to elk hunting. Our elk country just happens to have the main highway to Yellowstone National Park running right through the middle of it. Elk have a way of stopping traffic. Some of our opportunities contained painful waits while we used great discretion to remain out of site during these “elk jams”. Elk rarely get used to anything, but they do appreciate consistency, even if it means human activity. They get used to cars passing on this busy highway.
However, any change in this consistency signals to them that something isn’t right. 15 years ago when our elk herds were near 20,000 there were plenty of opportunities for the less ambitious who chose the comforts of a modern four wheel drive over the saddle and a sure-footed mountain pony. Now that elk have acclimated to new predators, they definitely react even more so to brakelights and diesel engines. As with most seasons, many elk were pushed into our hunting areas for this reason.
As the coming weeks approach we’re all excited to get back up on the mountain. Cooler weather has been sticking and elk are moving each day. If you’re planning on joining us next season, it’s never “too early” to book a hunt. Remember, we take a limited amount of hunting clients each season and have a very high return client rate. 
If your looking for a tradition fair chase Montana elk hunt with high opportunity, great guides, outstanding food and the home of many “hunts of a lifetime”, we’ll look forward to sharing the mountain. Please be sure to visit our Montana Elk Hunting Photo Gallery. Here you’ll find hundreds of photos of happy clients.
A special thanks to all our clients, and personally a big thank-you to all the guides and staff that worked so hard to make the opening week of Montana’s 2010 season perfect. Keep the faith!
See You on the Mountain!
Jim “JB” Klyap, Outfitter #7843
Tags: elk hunting, elk hunting outfitter, guided elk hunts, montana elk hunting, western elk hunt, western elk hunting | Categories: elk hunting outfitter, Hunter Ethics, Montana Elk Hunting | Comments (1) | Permalink