If you remember last year, Emily attempted to kill her first elk.The hunt was a success, if you base success on simply the enjoyment and adventure of the hunt ... buuut she didn't kill a bull. Her steadfast rule last year was if she couldn't kill a bull and get herself out of the woods before darkness, she wasn't going to pull the trigger. She isn't a fan of the grizzly bear nor the dark, and they're not a real great combo.
This year she got an elk tag in an area that I thought might be a little easier on her, physically, plus it's more open country (less thick timber) so that she wouldn't feel like a bear was hiding behind every tree. She was excited, and I was excited until our first scouting trip. We saw one cow elk and thirteen grizzly bears. I'm not even kidding. I hoped that wouldn't unravel our big hunting plans.
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| Laynee using her dad's head as a tripod during a summer scouting expedition |
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| The high country |
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| One of thirteen grizz spotted on our scouting trip |
I think it helped Emily to see so many bears and realize that not every grizz wants to rip your head off. A good friend had just won a crossbow and I had the idea of borrowing it and to get Emily set up to do an elk archery hunt the first weekend of September. I didn't think we'd actually kill anything but it would give us the chance to learn the country better and spend time together.
She shot the crossbow deadly out to 60 yards and we were off for a two day hunt. Of course, we spotted a grizzly bear first off but we also saw plenty of elk. We dropped into some big canyons in hope of some pre-rut action. It was steep, and it was a long hike but we had an enjoyable time getting on multiple bulls only to have the wind screw it up. Emily said this hike was the hardest she's ever had to pushed herself physically. I recall her saying that last year as well.
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| 5 miles in on the archery hunt. Some amazing country in the background |
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| Did you know Emily hates walking in steep country, and this pic doesn't do the steepness justice |
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| Finding a creek to filter water and relax |
We slept in the back of the pick-up on an air mattress that night, and we're back on the mtn bright and early. We found a large herd of elk as the sun lit up the landscape, and made an attempt on them, but after a several hour stalk right into their bedding area, the wind boogered us again as we tried to lure the bull out with some bugles at 90 yards. We were beat and a long ways from the vehicle.
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| This was part of the herd of elk on day two of our archery hunt |
Fortunately, some nice folks helped us get back to our machine, which was on top of the mountain, as we had dropped several thousand feet and a few miles to make the stalk. Our archery hunt was officially over. It was time to wait for the rifle hunt with an Oct.1st opener.
Well, life happens and some time at the end of September, Emily told me there was a large audit happening at work and she couldn't take off for the first couple days of her elk hunt. Inside my head, I wanted to throw myself on the floor and kick and scream. Not everyone understands how hard it is mentally to not go hunt on opening day where there is a tag in the pocket. But I held it together.
Anyway, I acted like it wasn't a big deal and told her to let me know when she can go hunt and I'd find time... Whatever... (I'm throwing a little tantrum now). She had a little time on the third day of the hunt. She came home from work around 3:00 and our good friend Tev and I were already patiently waiting in the truck. Tev is an amazing friend, that always finds time to help others on their hunts. I really appreciate his friendship. We rolled into the elk area and decided there really wasn't much time to get into any back-country where most of the elk had been pushed back to. We hoped to just luckily find a pocket of elk with a little easier access as it was already becoming evening time.
Have I ever mentioned Emily is one of the funnest people to hunt with? She is surprisingly tough and dedicated. I understand she probably wouldn't be out there on her own, but....she truly enjoys herself and the adventures when we hunt together. We headed to one canyon and spent an hour glassing the upper ridges with no more than some deer and a coyote sighting, so we changed gears and headed for a timber pocket I thought might pay off.
We'd spotted one smaller 6-point that had just went over a ridge 1,100 yards away. We were needing to close some serious distance. We dropped into the heavy timber sorting out the best routes through the downfall as quickly as we could knowing we were less than an hour before darkness. While in the thick timber, I knew grizzly bear was on the top of Emily's mind, but we didn't speak of them.
After a quarter-mile hike, we ascended a small treeless rise in the middle of the timbered-slope. From here I hoped we'd maybe get a shot, or at least find a good path towards where we last saw the 6-point disappear over the ridge. Emily was walking behind a bit, sweating from the fast-paced hike, but I'm sure a little bit from nervousness as well knowing she may be getting a shot at any moment.
The elk we had spotted had already went over a ridge out-of-sight, so I pointed out a more-gentle route to the ridge and get back on them. Emily and I began dropping off the hill and Tev said he'd catch-up with us after making a small loop glassing below our location which was hidden by timber and the contour of the hill we were on. Within seconds, I heard Tev snap his fingers, I snapped my head up towards him to see him waving us back up on the hill. This sort of fast-waving hand movement and bug-eyed look could only mean one thing!
We raced back up the hill to find a handful of cow elk on the ridge below us 450 yards away. The herd bull then stepped out from behind a limber pine. "What do you think Em?" I was 90% certain, this bull passed her standards. "Let's get the rifle ready" she replied. It was go time. In a quick hurry we had Molly, the .300 win mag, laid down on it's bipod. Through windows of sage brush and pine the bull would come in and out of view.
Big bulls are amazingly tough animals, and after some solid shots, including two in the shoulder, the massive-beamed bull rolled down the hill.The cows lined out to a safer canyon without their herd bull. It was an emotional moment for all of us, but especially for Emily. Those moments when you are rushing to kill an animal can cause some blood pressure-spikes and a rush of adrenaline, especially when the animal doesn't die instantly. Emily handled the situation like a true sportswoman. I am so proud of how she dealt with the emotions.
We were now racing light. We wanted to get to the bull before it got too dark. Of course this is when all three of us start thinking about grizzlies as the light fades away. The bull is truly a special specimen. A true ol' warrior that was 10+ years old. His incisors were nearly gone and his ivories were worn to the size of peas. He wasn't going to win any contest for longest antler points anymore, but his massive main beams and scars across his entire body told the story of many a past seasons when he was even a bigger-antlered fighter; the stories he could tell.
We took as many pictures as we could before darkness took over. We then began breaking the bull down into quarter-sized pieces. Emily was on grizz watch, holding a flashlight and a 12 gauge shotgun loaded with #4 buck shot. Tev and I had quarters and loins in meat bags within an hour. The best part of the hunt was that we were only 3/4 mile from the pick-up and we had the entire elk loaded in the pick-up by 10:15 that evening!
On each hunting adventure there are moments, sometimes just seconds long, that stand out as some of the most memorable of the trip. On this trip, one of my favorite moments was while we were all heavy, loaded down with elk parts on our backs. The temperatures had dropped drastically in the canyon as we popped out of the timber on a trail. It was pitch black and around 24 degrees; each exhale of heavy breath looked like a blast from a blackpowder rifle through the headlamp beam.
We were taking a rest and laying on our backs sweating in the skin-biting cold temperatures. The mountain air was so clean smelling of fall leaves. We turned our headlamps off and looked at the millions of bright pinholes in the black sky. Emily was in awe making some comments about how special that moment was for her. I felt swollen with pride, that she was there experiencing those beautiful raw moments I live for. Here we were, in the middle of a remote forest in Wyoming, but feeling such a natural connection with all of the elements and unafraid. It was a sacred moment that I got to share with Emily and Tev too special not to share.
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| Thanks for your life, your muscles, and your antlers old warrior |
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