Cushman meets a Creedmoor

[Addicting]

As many of you know by now, I had the opportunity to hunt elk this past week with Mr John Cushman. Thru a wired sets of events we were fortunate enough to be invited to participate in a deprivation tag on a private ranch in area 7 in Wyoming. To the HT purists, save your comments, this was not about public lands... You should quit reading and read somewhere else.

This started with me trying to fill a freezer before a pending deployment. I contacted the area 7 Biologist about doing a quick hunt with my family. He talked me into this area and myself and a family friend (Derek) put in for the early rifle cow elk tags. Then the wierd events started transforming our hunting plans and life.

 

[Addicting]

The deployment got cancelled, my wife and I decided the kids were still too small to enjoy a trip requiring two 16 hour drives, and a conversation with Cushman led to a impromptu invite to camp. Well I needed to reconnect with the Biologist and let him know our change of plans, upon hearing John’s story, Martin went above and beyond to help. After that our mission became to see John succeed in filling a elk tag. After a long summer of texts and conversations with fellow HT folks, the local Wardens, Biologists, and eventually the Rancher we made it to camp last week.

 

[Addicting]

If your wondering about the Creedmoor, I shoot one and received crap as soon as John got out of his Durango. It was almost relentless jabs at each other over the next few days as veterans and old friends seem to always do. It was all in good fun and thru that we were able to get into some really good conversations about our past experiences and how we cope with some of them today. By the end of the trip we had a good bond and new sense of self. I’m sure Cushman will add more but here are a few pics of our adventure.

 

[Addicting]

This is a view of the valley were the Rancher gets his hay for his cows. He had over 300 head of elk eating daily here all summer. He has been working with Wyoming G&F to help control it, but it hasn’t been working. He now has to winter his cattle 70 miles away because he doesn’t have enough feed to get them thru the winter. Even though this hunt took place where there were lots of elk we absolutely had to work for it. Nothing came easy on this trip.

 

[JohnCushman]

This trip was truly life changing! Physically, mentally, emotionally....wow! I'll get some pics up and a story or two in a while.

 

[Addicting]

This terrain is where the elk were living during daylight hours. It proved to be quite the challenge to navigate with the boulders and weird thermals.

 

[Addicting]

Most of the Elk lives 3/4 of the way up that range in the background on the State land section. Which for us created a issue as our tags were private land only.

 

[Colorado kid]

This trip was truly life changing! Physically, mentally, emotionally....wow! I'll get some pics up and a story or two in a while.

The pressing question is did you come home with a man bun?

 

[JohnCushman]

Finally met in person after a year of texting...

 

[JohnCushman]

The pressing question is did you come home with a man bun?

No. I finally cut my hair before the trip. I came home with a sunburned head and peeling nose.

 

[Addicting]

We had to do some glassing and find small pockets of elk on the private and plan stalks up the hill. This was a issue getting John up the hill and I may have lied a little about how far away the elk actually were.

 

[Addicting]

With a little coaxing about finding a better spot and a very impressive bull bulging his cows location away, we were able to find this rock.

 

[VAspeedgoat]

I'm not sure if I love or hate these drawn out stories! Dang it I need more!

 

[Sytes]

Pretty awesome, guys! Looking forward to reading further.

 

[JohnCushman]

The rancher let us camp on his place. We were set up pretty nicely.

 

[Addicting]

We even had a way to hang up clothes to dry out after a hard day up in the draws.

 

[PA deer hunter]

Great read so far, can’t wait to see what got those pants all bloody....

 

[Addicting]

Day one was travel, meet and greet, and set up camp so we didn’t get out that evening until almost dark. So for day two I decided to walk to the top and check each drainage out to get familiarity with the property. I made it to the first park and got pinned down by 2 bulls about 20 cows on the State land. I didn’t want to blow them out so I just sat back and watched the show. Later I headed down the ridge and ran into a a calf in the Aspens across a draw. I just sat down and watched as a beautiful 6x7 stepped out onto a rock bluff and put on a show for the whole valley. Very much like a scene in the Lion King. My camera lense was sweaty and I couldn’t clean it to get a good pic. It was pretty neat as John and Derek were watching it unfold from across the valley. At that point we all had the feeling that this trip would be one for the books, even if we didn’t shoot anything. It truly was a magical place we found ourselves fortunate enough to be part of.

 

[Addicting]

Derek was able to get a photo of how the elk showed themselves to us.

 

[Laelkhunter]

With a little coaxing about finding a better spot and a very impressive bull bulging his cows location away, we were able to find this rock. View attachment 87631

Bleeding rocks !! I think there is something spiritual getting ready to happen- Can't wait to read the "rest of the story"