Lark Bunting
New member
- Sep 14, 2016
- 710
I got an elk on 9/2 at 5:20 PM. We walked 15+ miles packing that thing out, all night long until 6:30 AM the next morning. Beaten down, battered, exhausted, starving, dehydrated, blistered and more sore than I'd ever been, we rolled into where we parked the truck and slept for 3 hours. After the few hours of much needed rest we had to hike back in and pack out camp plus the bull's head/antlers. I hated every step of the 3.125 mile hike back in to retrieve the head. My son and buddy got to stop at the 2 mile mark and pack up camp and my slow pace back allowed them to sleep under a tree for a bit while waiting on me. Yes, it was worth it but I will admit it was the most challenging thing I've ever done physically (and I used to run a lot of obstacle races) and mentally (and I've been through some amazingly mentally exhausting crap in my life). I honestly hated releasing the arrow most of the night. But, a freezer full of elk and the experience of my life has me ready to get back in there to see if we can do it again with my son!
I was surprised to hear that he was hesitant to go this weekend. His response, "I'm afraid we will shoot one!".
It's been four years of us learning this hunting thing. We finally made it happen this year and now he's ruined, lol!
Why is he afraid? When I located my bull with a bugle that evening we had five other bulls around us. As one started the rest just kept firing each other up! While we were processing my bull where it fell we had a bull come within 15 yards of us, bugling. While my son and buddy were packing up camp the next day they sat on a log to rest and a bull came within 12 yards of my son, bow and release right next to him. My buddy asked if he'd like to shoot it and my son answered with a resounding, "NO!". He didn't want to pack out another one that day.
So, I had to make a game plan for this weekend that would put us in camp, 2 miles from the trail head and ONLY hunt our way back to the trail head. I had to promise that we would not go in any deeper and that if he didn't get one because of it he was okay with that. I will have to respect that decision. We joked that if I call one in to within 20 yards and he puts the arrow 30 feet over its back that I will leave him up there!
He has a HS project that can't be missed tomorrow and no school on Friday so we will be leaving dark and early. Should be at camp by 1:00 or 2:00 and hunting Friday evening-Sunday morning.
Here'sto us getting another one.....
...or not!
I was surprised to hear that he was hesitant to go this weekend. His response, "I'm afraid we will shoot one!".
It's been four years of us learning this hunting thing. We finally made it happen this year and now he's ruined, lol!
Why is he afraid? When I located my bull with a bugle that evening we had five other bulls around us. As one started the rest just kept firing each other up! While we were processing my bull where it fell we had a bull come within 15 yards of us, bugling. While my son and buddy were packing up camp the next day they sat on a log to rest and a bull came within 12 yards of my son, bow and release right next to him. My buddy asked if he'd like to shoot it and my son answered with a resounding, "NO!". He didn't want to pack out another one that day.
So, I had to make a game plan for this weekend that would put us in camp, 2 miles from the trail head and ONLY hunt our way back to the trail head. I had to promise that we would not go in any deeper and that if he didn't get one because of it he was okay with that. I will have to respect that decision. We joked that if I call one in to within 20 yards and he puts the arrow 30 feet over its back that I will leave him up there!
He has a HS project that can't be missed tomorrow and no school on Friday so we will be leaving dark and early. Should be at camp by 1:00 or 2:00 and hunting Friday evening-Sunday morning.
Here'sto us getting another one.....
...or not!
