Average Joe's 2018

[sn.outdoors]

Well, the weather finally turned for the worse.

I was poking through the new growth and trying to stay out of the strong winds when I bumped into a bedded spike...

Shoulda been quicker. Lol.

Hopefully tomorrow will be awesome. The weather is really not enjoyable right now. I'm thinking they're going to finally want to talk tomorrow.

 

[Lostinthewoods]

I got the green light to post this. Make sure you have the video quality up to see it!

 

[sn.outdoors]

This looks promising...

Now I just need to wait 30 minutes. It was tough getting an accurate range on her in this fog.

 

[sn.outdoors]

If nothing else, the last morning sure was beautiful.

 

[sn.outdoors]

Well... It's not looking great. I tracked good blood for 50 yards, then it basically stopped. I'm assuming it's a liver hit, so I'm waiting until this afternoon to go look for her. Not exactly an ideal situation.

 

[sn.outdoors]

 

[dirtclod Az.]

Looks like good blood,waiting sucks but will pay off for you...

 

[SPDSpappy]

What an amazing season so far, congrats!!!

 

[sn.outdoors]

Things did not pan out the way I'd hoped. Since it was very wet this morning there was no blood to be found on the ground. I tracked her through 400 yards of new growth by following her footprint and tiny spots of blood on an occasional branch.

Most of the blood was nearly chest high on me which didn't make me feel much better. After she cleared the new growth, I tracked her across 350yds of open meadow, then lost all sign of her about 50yds into the next set of new growth. According to my tracks on the GPS I pretty well covered the area I last found evidence of her. I hate to leave the story with her unended, but all I can do is hope she's ok. If not, I know she will not be wasted by mother nature.

The moon has risen and the elk are bugling.... I hate this place.... I might never come back.

I'll do a final wrap up of my thoughts tomorrow. Right now, I'm packing up camp and looking forward to breakfast with the wife and kiddos, I'm sure it'll taste better than the bitterness of defeat.

 

[SPDSpappy]

Sorry to hear that... Keep your head up though!!

 

[Crossbowguy]

Wounding animals happens even to the greatest hunters, you looked high and low for her, so all we can hope for is she heals quickly before the wolves get her. Keep your head up it happens to all of us.

 

[dirtclod Az.]

Sorry to hear it turned out the way it did.Either she's healing up or returning to mother earth,the cycle of life.Keep a it,the mountain is calling,You have to go... " Venor,Ergo,Sum"- "I Hunt Therefore I am"

 

[Lostinthewoods]

The elk is done!

This new grinder is amazing!

I even did a small batch with hatch green chili.

This new vacuum sealer is far beyond my capabilities as well.

 

[Lostinthewoods]

I also checked my cameras since I got back here in Florida and I’m excited...

Check out what this guy has turned into

Then this is what really got me amped up....

This will be my third season chasing this guy. It’s occurred to me that trail camera pictures are cool, finding his sheds are even better, but it’s not meaning anything until I get this guy down.


This is the year....

 

[SPDSpappy]

Looks like the new grinder and vacuum sealer are doing the trick! Good luck with that buck!!

 

[WildWill]

Man I haven't checked this thread in about 3 weeks due to being out of town on my own hunts wow y'all got a lot done. You guy's are elk killing machines congrats to both of you. Lostinthewoods that blind looks to be in a good spot best of luck on your opener. Don't you have a Kansas tag this year?

 

[Lostinthewoods]

Man I haven't checked this thread in about 3 weeks due to being out of town on my own hunts wow y'all got a lot done. You guy's are elk killing machines congrats to both of you. Lostinthewoods that blind looks to be in a good spot best of luck on your opener. Don't you have a Kansas tag this year?

Yes, sir I do! The difficult decision is when do I hunt what tag.
I’ve got so many good hunts lined up, but I’ve also got this giant public land Florida buck to chase.
So many decision, but it’s a great problem to have. I’m so looking forward to the Kansas hunt.

 

[sn.outdoors]

It's been a few days, but I promised I'd give my final thoughts on the whole Oregon hunt. So here they are.

Overall, I feel very disappointed. I'm not disappointed that I didn't kill a giant bull or even fill my tag. Yes, I'm upset that I wounded and elk, but I'm mostly disappointed in how I handled myself in the heat of the moment. I admit, my adrenaline was pumping in Oregon, and I think it's because I honestly didn't expect to have an opportunity to kill an elk. I didn't think it was going to happen at all. So when the elk ended up right in front of me, I got super excited and I just didn't handle it well. The biggest difference between the other elk tags I've filled and the Oregon hunt is how I handled the adrenaline and excitement when opportunity was in front of me.

I've been able capitalize on nearly every opportunity I've had in the past. The last and only other time I missed an elk was actually the first one I ever shot at with a bow. I have missed a lot of whitetails, and each miss can be chalked up to simply being complacent.

The saying is, "Measure twice, cut once" right? In the moment, I was overly confident in my ability to make those shots, and I skipped key parts of my process. I understand that I cannot control how the animal reacts, but I can control the trajectory of my arrow. I did not execute, but will I do everything I can to do it right the next time.

 

[vanish]

Been there sn! Some days I'm cool as a cucumber and others not so much. I haven't been able to identify any pattern to it.

Thanks for sharing your story.

 

[sn.outdoors]

Been there sn! Some days I'm cool as a cucumber and others not so much. I haven't been able to identify any pattern to it.

Thanks for sharing your story.

Yeah, I think I might be overly hard on myself sometimes. I can't let it spoil my whole season, or even the Oregon hunt. In retrospect, all things considered, it really was a good hunt. We went in there blind, got into elk every day, and I had 2 shot opportunities. Overall the hunt was a success, and a terrific learning experience. I definitely have some things I can look back on and improve on, which should help me perform better in the future.

Right now I need to figure out when, where, and how I'm going to fill my Idaho elk tag.... I'm thinking I'll rifle hunt, go in blind to an area I've never been to, and figure it out. My freezer is already full, so there's really no pressure there. I might even hold out for a nice one..... nah, probably not.