I don't know what I'm going to make of the 2019 elk season when I look back on it in a few years but for right now it's more like a bad dream that won't go away instead of a memory. After nervously applying as a party with a hunting buddy from Louisiana we drew our first choice first season archery in the heart of the Gila. I was as optimistic for 2019 as I had been in several years. My wife and I planned a vacation/scouting trip for late July. We would haul the camper out, investigate a few areas, put out a couple of cameras, and decide if Loye and I would hunt out of the camper or a tent.
On the 9th of July while doing a wall run during a workout I felt a pop in the back of my left calf, I didn't think much of it, I actually looked around to make sure a snake hadn't crawled up and bit me. It was tight so I stretched it some and kept going through the workout. I worked out as normal a couple of more times that week and did several miles of cardio as well. The following Sunday after doing several miles of backpack cardio when I took my sock off I noticed bruising on my lower foot and swelling in my calf. It wasn't painful but I made a plan to visit my doctor the following day. When I went in I think he was calling to set up an MRI before I even had my sock all the way off.
The mri result of torn calf with no tendon damage meant I could continue to work out but no running, no explosive movements, and no backpack cardio for at least a month. Dr Bailey being a hunter and knowing the tag I had made the suggestion of a taller stiffer boot and an active recovery method instead of the standard let it rest 3 months method, along with finding the flattest part of the unit I could to hunt in. I was stretching, flossing, icing it everyday. Things were looking up but the week wasn't over yet....
During the summer I try to shoot my bow every morning before work, July 17 wasn't any different. Usually in the mornings I'll walk out and shoot 3 or 4 arrows at 60 and head in to work. My second shot that morning hit the ground about 15 yards in front of the target. My initial thought was I was a moron and forgot to engage my rest, AAE Prophecy, but as I started to put a little pressure in drawing it the 3rd time I heard a pop at the bottom of the limb and saw the break.
Long story short my local shop sells bows, they don't do much work on them. I do most of my tuning myself but I dropped the bow off that morning and the next day Prime was shipping a new set of limbs my way. I'm still not positive what happened but the serving on the cable that attaches to the bottom limb was separated. Good thing I still have my old Mathews as a backup.
As we headed to New Mexico that weekend I still wasn't supposed to be walking a whole lot but we know that's not possible when elk scouting. I focused my scouting on some lower elevation areas and would leave the campground 3-4 in the morning and be back around lunch to rest a bit and spend the afternoon with June doing "vacation" things. I did manage to find some sign and put a few cameras out before I left. I also found a good camping spot close and decided tent camping on the road was going to be our best bet.
On the 9th of July while doing a wall run during a workout I felt a pop in the back of my left calf, I didn't think much of it, I actually looked around to make sure a snake hadn't crawled up and bit me. It was tight so I stretched it some and kept going through the workout. I worked out as normal a couple of more times that week and did several miles of cardio as well. The following Sunday after doing several miles of backpack cardio when I took my sock off I noticed bruising on my lower foot and swelling in my calf. It wasn't painful but I made a plan to visit my doctor the following day. When I went in I think he was calling to set up an MRI before I even had my sock all the way off.
The mri result of torn calf with no tendon damage meant I could continue to work out but no running, no explosive movements, and no backpack cardio for at least a month. Dr Bailey being a hunter and knowing the tag I had made the suggestion of a taller stiffer boot and an active recovery method instead of the standard let it rest 3 months method, along with finding the flattest part of the unit I could to hunt in. I was stretching, flossing, icing it everyday. Things were looking up but the week wasn't over yet....
During the summer I try to shoot my bow every morning before work, July 17 wasn't any different. Usually in the mornings I'll walk out and shoot 3 or 4 arrows at 60 and head in to work. My second shot that morning hit the ground about 15 yards in front of the target. My initial thought was I was a moron and forgot to engage my rest, AAE Prophecy, but as I started to put a little pressure in drawing it the 3rd time I heard a pop at the bottom of the limb and saw the break.
Long story short my local shop sells bows, they don't do much work on them. I do most of my tuning myself but I dropped the bow off that morning and the next day Prime was shipping a new set of limbs my way. I'm still not positive what happened but the serving on the cable that attaches to the bottom limb was separated. Good thing I still have my old Mathews as a backup.
As we headed to New Mexico that weekend I still wasn't supposed to be walking a whole lot but we know that's not possible when elk scouting. I focused my scouting on some lower elevation areas and would leave the campground 3-4 in the morning and be back around lunch to rest a bit and spend the afternoon with June doing "vacation" things. I did manage to find some sign and put a few cameras out before I left. I also found a good camping spot close and decided tent camping on the road was going to be our best bet.
