I hunted elk with Rick and Rita Houweling of Wild Kakwa Outfitters, headquartered in Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada. The elk were in rut and bugling, which is a strong plus for the September hunt.
The first morning our guide, Lowell, started out hunting in a newly harvested clear cut. We cow-called as we stalked through the other clear cuts that had been harvested in the previous years.
We started to get responses from two bulls, one definitely sounding like the larger bull. We stalked in the direction of the bugling and could tell that the bull was coming to our calling. We set up and waited for the bull to appear. It continued to answer our calls and then we could see it about 40 yards away. I let the bull get to within about 30 yards before shooting it. It turned out to be a very nice 6×6 bull.
I was one of the first guests in Rick and Rita’s new portable cabins which turned out to be very comfortable. Rita also kept us well fed with a number of different and tasty meals. All in all it was a great trip. With Wild Kakwa Outfitters doing all they can, first to get you an elk and secondly to providing a comfortable and fun camp.