ihuntelk
Member
Elk season the past 3 years has been put on hold during volleyball season. This year was no different. Thankfully I was able to sneak away during archery season and poke an arrow through a bull. If I have to miss a couple games, it's easier early in the season.
A few more pics and story here if you're interested: http://onyourownadventures.com/hunttalk/showthread.php?t=265266
Every Saturday in Sept, Oct and early November has my hiney in the hard bleachers. My girls can't miss school or practice to go chase elk so we have applied them for hunts that we can get out after the season. Last year Kenz had an awesome late season tag in NW Wyoming and blew her ankle at State. We tried to give her tag to the Disabeld Vet program but the season had already started so the tag was wasted. I offered to sign 1K affadavits that we had never hunted the tag, but they wouldn't go for it so the tag went in the trash.
Paige had a late cow tag last year but the elk never moved into the public where we could hunt them. This year she drew an any elk tag in a unit I'd never hunted.
Volleyball ended the first weekend of November with a State Championship for my 2 high school daughters. First title in vball at our school since 1977. Great bunch of girls that were all pretty selfless and played for each other. Made me smile that there were atleast 4 other teams sitting in the stands cheering for our girls during the championship. Several of the parents told me that their girls didn't mind losing to our girls since they were so kind and gracious about it. Those comments definitely meant more to me as a dad than a title. We're raising young women and not olympic volleyball players!
My jr.
My Freshman had the final kill that solidified the championship. It was awesome that all 6 girls on the court touched the ball on the last volley. Paige just happened to be the last one to touch it and she put it away!
Fear the freshie! Yes, she can also touch a 10' rim on the basketball court!
We finally changed colors and traded in the volleyball uni's for camo. We had big plans to go chase elk on Veteran's day since I had work off but she got sick the day before. I took a friend and we went to have a look around. We didn't see an elk in the unit.
Saturday found Paige and I on top of a big knob glassing as much country as we could find. I spotted a herd of cows/calves a couple miles away on private. Finally, after a 2 mile hike around some country I pulled out the Vortex again and found 9 bulls - 6.24 miles away. We looked at the maps/aerials/GPS and determined that they just MIGHT be on public. We hiked back to the rig and drove as close as I could before loading up the packs and heading out. 1.5 miles later we were perched 384 yards from 5 - 6 points and 4 - 5 points. According to my maps they were 184 yards onto private!
We sat there for 3.5 hours until dark hoping they would feed our way. No such luck so we hiked out in the dark.
The next Saturday we were in a new location, on a hunch. First time I stopped the truck to glass, I saw 4 bulls working over a sage hill over a mile away. We drove as close as we could and loaded up the packs again. The first 2 hills we hiked held no elk. Finally we found them feeding away from our location. They had moved over a mile since I had first glassed them. 45 minutes later we were on a rock outcropping looking at 6 bulls - all 6 points. They were 301 yards away and Paige was sitting with the Weaver rifle over my pack. She said she was solid and ready on the biggest bull in the bunch. I pulled out the video camera only to realize the adapter on it was for my tripod that was in the truck. I tried to settle it on a rock but the wind was mach 30 so I just put it away and focused on killing elk! After doping the wind she was ready. 1 shot and he just crumpled in his bed. His buddies jumped up and stood there for 5 minutes looking at him. We finally stood up and they high tailed it over the ridge.
Paige gave me hugs and asked how big her first elk was. She never even looked at his antlers while we were setting up as she was so focused on making the shot. I told her we'd have to walk over and see.
Walking up on her first elk.
We hiked out to the truck and drove as close as we could. With him loaded in the back we headed for home. Saw a nice mulie buck on the way out and even had her home in time for the school dance. Sure sucks trying to balance all their activities. I hope she still smelled like elk so no boys would ask her to dance................:W:
Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving. I know we have much to be thankful for.
1 more cow tag for my 12 year old. With a pronghorn and mulie in the bag this year,
( http://onyourownadventures.com/hunttalk/showthread.php?t=265583 ) she's adament she gets the Wyoming tri-fecta. We shall see. Maybe the colors will change 4 times this year!
-Cade
A few more pics and story here if you're interested: http://onyourownadventures.com/hunttalk/showthread.php?t=265266
Every Saturday in Sept, Oct and early November has my hiney in the hard bleachers. My girls can't miss school or practice to go chase elk so we have applied them for hunts that we can get out after the season. Last year Kenz had an awesome late season tag in NW Wyoming and blew her ankle at State. We tried to give her tag to the Disabeld Vet program but the season had already started so the tag was wasted. I offered to sign 1K affadavits that we had never hunted the tag, but they wouldn't go for it so the tag went in the trash.
Paige had a late cow tag last year but the elk never moved into the public where we could hunt them. This year she drew an any elk tag in a unit I'd never hunted.
Volleyball ended the first weekend of November with a State Championship for my 2 high school daughters. First title in vball at our school since 1977. Great bunch of girls that were all pretty selfless and played for each other. Made me smile that there were atleast 4 other teams sitting in the stands cheering for our girls during the championship. Several of the parents told me that their girls didn't mind losing to our girls since they were so kind and gracious about it. Those comments definitely meant more to me as a dad than a title. We're raising young women and not olympic volleyball players!
My jr.
My Freshman had the final kill that solidified the championship. It was awesome that all 6 girls on the court touched the ball on the last volley. Paige just happened to be the last one to touch it and she put it away!
Fear the freshie! Yes, she can also touch a 10' rim on the basketball court!
We finally changed colors and traded in the volleyball uni's for camo. We had big plans to go chase elk on Veteran's day since I had work off but she got sick the day before. I took a friend and we went to have a look around. We didn't see an elk in the unit.
Saturday found Paige and I on top of a big knob glassing as much country as we could find. I spotted a herd of cows/calves a couple miles away on private. Finally, after a 2 mile hike around some country I pulled out the Vortex again and found 9 bulls - 6.24 miles away. We looked at the maps/aerials/GPS and determined that they just MIGHT be on public. We hiked back to the rig and drove as close as I could before loading up the packs and heading out. 1.5 miles later we were perched 384 yards from 5 - 6 points and 4 - 5 points. According to my maps they were 184 yards onto private!
We sat there for 3.5 hours until dark hoping they would feed our way. No such luck so we hiked out in the dark.
The next Saturday we were in a new location, on a hunch. First time I stopped the truck to glass, I saw 4 bulls working over a sage hill over a mile away. We drove as close as we could and loaded up the packs again. The first 2 hills we hiked held no elk. Finally we found them feeding away from our location. They had moved over a mile since I had first glassed them. 45 minutes later we were on a rock outcropping looking at 6 bulls - all 6 points. They were 301 yards away and Paige was sitting with the Weaver rifle over my pack. She said she was solid and ready on the biggest bull in the bunch. I pulled out the video camera only to realize the adapter on it was for my tripod that was in the truck. I tried to settle it on a rock but the wind was mach 30 so I just put it away and focused on killing elk! After doping the wind she was ready. 1 shot and he just crumpled in his bed. His buddies jumped up and stood there for 5 minutes looking at him. We finally stood up and they high tailed it over the ridge.
Paige gave me hugs and asked how big her first elk was. She never even looked at his antlers while we were setting up as she was so focused on making the shot. I told her we'd have to walk over and see.
Walking up on her first elk.
We hiked out to the truck and drove as close as we could. With him loaded in the back we headed for home. Saw a nice mulie buck on the way out and even had her home in time for the school dance. Sure sucks trying to balance all their activities. I hope she still smelled like elk so no boys would ask her to dance................:W:
Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving. I know we have much to be thankful for.
1 more cow tag for my 12 year old. With a pronghorn and mulie in the bag this year,
( http://onyourownadventures.com/hunttalk/showthread.php?t=265583 ) she's adament she gets the Wyoming tri-fecta. We shall see. Maybe the colors will change 4 times this year!
-Cade
