My dad let me take a day off from school since our usual 5 day hunting trip didn't produce anything. We went up to a spot he's killed quite a few elk before (including a 5 point bull) and decided to wait on daylight. Well it's a bald hillside that overlooks a few scattered meadows on the opposite side of this valley. We waited on daylight and it didn't produce anything so my dad decided he was going to head down into the steep part of the valley, go up the other side, and hopefully push stuff through one of the meadows i would be watching.
Well the cool breeze was in my face and I was starting to doze off when i looked at the "main" meadow and saw a cow standing right at the treeline looking very nervous. She didn't even give me enough time to get my scope covers off before she thundered into the trees. I went into panick mode and was trying to find pen and paper to write stuff down, when I remembered my dad brought some paperwork from work that he was going to work on and it was inside a folder. Well I used one of my bullets to write him a note. "Elk in main meadow, be back soon." AND I WAS OFF! I walked down the valley (not steep where i was) and started up the other side when 3 moose were staring at me from the same meadow the elk was just in. Well I didn't want to spook them as they make quite a raquet when they take off, so I waited for a couple of minutes and then said, "ok, enough is enough." and I just started walking straight at them. Well about the time the moose get into the trees to my right, a truck comes up the road (there's a road that goes right through that same meadow), and passes me. I kind of thought my chances were blown but I continued up into the trees anyway. I got into the trees about 30 yards when another truck came up the same road, which is now behind me.
I could still here the droan of the engine when I heard 2 shots and i think,"all right that's gotta be dad, he's got one." So, I walk a little further up into the trees, and this is about the time where shadows are starting to form. Well the sun shine that is shining on me starts to get broken up, something is moving through the trees! Sure enough here they come. One cow busts me and falls over the other side of the hill but the others stay right on the ridge line. I missed the main group and just prayed, "one more, please just one more" sure enoughthere was one more! I said, "ok...clear that tree and your DEAD!." Well I didn't even wait that long. The head and neck cleared the tree and BOOOOM! WHACK! DROPPED in her tracks! Boy you should've heard me yell! The biggest YES this world has ever heard. Was only about a 70 yard shot in the trees, but man it made me feel good!
I make my way up to her and she's still moving around, so I take all my stuff off, say a little prayer and she's still not dead, so i ended the suffering. Well I start to gut it out and here comes a cow and 2 calves. I was looking for blood on the side of her to see if it was the one my dad hit, but I didn't see anything, so I kept focused at the job at hand. It's not fun wrestling a 4/500 pound animal by yourself, I'm just lucky it was a young cow. Well I get that done, get back to the truck, and my note is still sitting on the seat. So now I'm really pumped,"Man he's got to have one." I walk down to where he began his jaunt and try to spot him. I finally see him close the road on the other side (where the others passed me) and deicided I'd pick him up. Well I get to him, show him my bloody hands, and the congratulations begin. He says he hit a cow, and thought it was a good hit but was barely bleeding.
So we went up to see my elk and sure enough there is a blood trail right where the cow and calf walked (not 15 yards away). I couldn't believe it, but that's how elk hunting is. We start tracking it, and after about 2 miles my dad says,"look, I hate to let this elk go too, but we have to take care of your elk, get back to town, and get you to school tomorrow." I said, "well we've come this far...we might as well go just a little further." Well about a mile later he says, "Ok let's go." and reluctantly I just moved off the trail, brushed the snow off a log and sat down. Well I looked to my left, once I sat down, and saw what I thought was an elk. I pull up the binoculars and i still can't tell. I have THE ONLY angle we would be able to see this elk. I tell my dad to come here and he literally nestles himself between my knees and this tree. BBBOOOOOOOMMMMMM! 3 miles later the elk is finally recovered! So, 2 elk down, 1 is 3 miles into the backcountry and the other is gonna be easier, but it's still an elk.
We got it taken care of, and it was a long, fun day! I still remember the date and probably will never forget it. October 23rd 2006, MY SECOND ELK! My first elk was killed October 15th 2003, HAHA.
It was an awesome day I will never forget!
