Elk Camp Trickery

Several years back, back when it was always possible to hunt the second Oregon elk season if you didn't draw a first season tag, we were camped at our favorite meadow which we shared with a group from Ashland, Or. We set up camp on the North side of the meadow and for 3-4 years in a row the Ashland party set up on the South side.

Since it gets dark early, and we weren't exactly filling tags in a big hurry, we took to wandering back and forth across the meadow and sharing tales of the day's events. Of course, we were careful not to divulge too much information regarding the whats, wheres and hows of our day and I'm pretty certain that the tales we were hearing left out a tidbit or two as well.

It was an unseasonably warm second elk season, you see ussually the second week of November brings some snow and frost and a bit of the brisk breeze that lets you know that winter is not all that far off. Now the good thing about having some "weather" is that it tends to make the animals move around a bit and start looking for greener pastures at lower elevations. Well this particular season we spent most of our days wearing just our shirtsleeves or maybe a light jacket. The thermometer actually streched all the way up into the 60's, so when we made our trek accross the meadow to "share" with the Albany party, it was mostly to complain about the weather and not seeing anything remotely resembling an elk. The banter typically ended up with a "good luck tomorrow" or a "we'll find one first" or some such comment that by the third day, no-one was believing.

Well, along comes the fourth, or was it the fifth, day of way too warm weather. We tramped through the dry and crackling woods until we had just about had all we could stand of wishing there was a pool and a cool drink around. We had hiked out of camp that morning, so were on foot all day. As we entered the meadow about midway between the two camps we couldn't help but notice that something was different over on the Albany side of things. Could it be, yup it sure was, naw can't be, but yes it was, there was something hanging from their meat pole.

Now Randy and I had covered a whole lot of territory and we hadn't seen animals, we hadn't seen tracks, we hadn't even seen elk pellets that were remotely fresh. Just so you know, it is not customary to walk into someone else's camp if they aren't around. This is just an unwritten rule that gets followed pretty darn well by elk hunters everywhere, but we were pretty doggone curious.... We resisted temptation and headed to our camp to offload our gear and get a cool drink, still no pool to relax by. We're sittin there talkin about where on earth those fellas from Albany had come across an elk, and we just can't seem to figure it out. Now the more we talk, the more we get curious about what they've got hangin in the tree. You know, is it a 4-pt, a 5-pt, or a big bull, or ?? We can see that they musta left the head on the animal, cause we can make out some antler times hangin out the bottom of the game bag, but it's partially blocked and we just can't tell what it is. Dang it all anyway, those Albanians still aren't back to camp! Well the curiosity got the best of us and off we went to check out another elk camp..........

We get closer and we can tell that yep, fer sure, there is definately something hangin. When we get within about 20 yards we figure it out.......We'd Been Had!! Those Albanians had found a deer carcass and absconded with the antlers. Then they took an "Elk Sized" game bag and filled it full of sticks & twigs and pine needles and moss and whatever it took to "fill" it up. Finally, the tied the absconded antlers to the bottom of the bag. Crapola, they had gotten to know us too well, they knew we'd crumble and and come wandering across that meadow to see their "Elk".

Now we knew we would have to come clean on this, cause it was a pretty good prank, and they deserved their kudos. That evening when they made it back to camp we all shared a drink together and a whole lot of laughter. That was the last year the Albany party showed up in the meadow, we haven't heard from em since. They sure left us with a memory though. Dadgum Albanians anyway....................