- Joined
- Aug 4, 2016
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- 1,109
Yall are crazy with the political posts so I figured I'd give you something to laugh at for a few moments before you go back to battling each other.
Que late 2013........
I needed a new hobby so I decided I wanted to try hunting. My childhood best friend was a big bowhunter so I decided I was going to be a bowhunter. I had just been stationed in New Mexico so I did some quick research and put in my first application.
Around that time Sudan and South Sudan started getting reckless and some of our birds got shot up. A quick phone call later and my bags were packed for Africa.... Uganda to be exact (you can find that story online).
I remember sitting in a green bean coffee shake drinking my 5 shot red eye espresso drink and I got an email from New Mexico G&F. Turns out I had beginners luck and had a 1st season archery elk tag in my pocket. Let the games begin!
I found myself reading articles online, snooping around elk forums, and trying to cram as much information as I could learning about elk!
After returning to the mother land I started shooting my bow like crazy and piecing together stuff I needed for the trip.
Armed with a mixture of military issued items, walmart specials, and a used bow, I was ready for my hunt!
I got up to the mountains the eve before opener and set up camp. I picked a random spot that I had planned to hunt for opening morning, made myself a nice dinner, and laid in bed..... awake... wide awake.... what was that insane noise I was hearing from camp? Why was it so close? That... that's a bugle.....
Well the elk serenaded me for hours that night and my adrenaline was spiked. About 20 minutes before my alarm went off I decided to shut it off because you know, I was awake. Well.... 2 hours I woke up to sunlight. I guess I had fallen asleep.
No worries, coffee and a quick change of plans and I was off. Having heard elk from camp I decided to just walk in the direction I heard them talking.
I walked about 800 yards from camp and pulled out this little bite and blow call I had someone make for me. I made the most unusual squeak and the mountains erupted. Next thing I knew four bulls were running into me and bugling their heads off. Mind you this was Sept 1st...
I had no idea what to do. I was fully exposed in the middle of an opening with nothing, but a small tree in front of me. That ran all around, one jumped into a pool of water near me, and let a bugle rip.
OH YEAH, I NEED TO SHOOT THEM. I started to move, they all saw me plain as day and bolted.
Wow, is this what elk hunting is?
I collected my thoughts and wondered around for a little while trying to figure this whole hunting thing out.
That evening I had a GRAND plan. I was going to use this climber tree stand I bought and I was going to hang it over the same waterhole I saw that bull play in.
After seeing four nice bulls and it being opening day, I confidently told myself that I am not shooting a spike if I see one because that would be just silly.
About 30 minutes before sundown I let out another obnoxious call on my bite and blow. A bull sounded off in the distance so I got excited. 5 minutes later a spike bull came into my setup and my world turned upside down.
He walked in and gave me a 19 yard quartering away shot. It didnt even take me but a mili-second to draw my bow and have my 20 yard pin buried in his vitals.
I watched him run off and then the shakes began. The feeling that came over will never be matched, but it was that feeling that gets us all hooked.
I climbed down my tree and walked towards where I saw the elk go.
There he was, piled up next to a tree, dead as a doornail. Again the feeling that came over was like one I'd never forget (Im getting excited just thinking about it).
Here is the problem, a big one.....
I spent hours research elk habitat, call set ups, map study, archery shooting techniques, just about everything under the sun......except..... how to gut or break down an animal.
So here I sat on the side of the mountain, no service, on a solo elk hunt, with an elk down, and no idea what to do.
It was labor day weekend and there were lots of camps parked off the road. I had this amazing idea to just hike back to my truck and drive into a camp until I found someone who wanted to help.
Turns out the crazy adrenaline filled goofball was not the person most of these people wanted to come into camp. After 5 or 6 "NOs" at my request for help, I once again had to be flexible and make something happen.
I hiked back to my elk and decided I would drag it to the road and load it up.
Yep... my little spike bull with all his guts and glory got drug to the side of the road by yours truly.
I got near a ditch and with a giant rope, some dead lifts, and some adrenaline filled stupidity, I got him in the truck.
I hooked up my trailer and blitzed to town.
When I got to town I decided I had a brilliant plan until I could figure out what to do.
I purchased 30 bags of ice and built an igloo around him. I kid you not, I am in Espanola NM of all places, with some people watching me build my ice igloo over a dead elk.
I then blitzed back home. A few hours later, at 2AM, I knocked on a buddy's door who I knew was a hunter.
I asked him for a huge solid and he accompanied me to a big field where he gutted the igloo dweller out and went home with two tenderloins as his reward. The following morning I dropped off my elk at a processor and my first elk experience was done!
I always tell people this story because it taught me a lesson very early in my hunting career.
I will never, ever not help someone in the mountains, woods, etc.
I remember how nervous I truly was because I didnt want to spoil the animal and I was pretty much helpless because no one would help.
I will always lend that hand.
Here he is.
Nothing says "ready hunter" more than some OCP pants, an on sale under armor shirt, a .357 on a shoulder holster, and a Z7 extreme.
Que late 2013........
I needed a new hobby so I decided I wanted to try hunting. My childhood best friend was a big bowhunter so I decided I was going to be a bowhunter. I had just been stationed in New Mexico so I did some quick research and put in my first application.
Around that time Sudan and South Sudan started getting reckless and some of our birds got shot up. A quick phone call later and my bags were packed for Africa.... Uganda to be exact (you can find that story online).
I remember sitting in a green bean coffee shake drinking my 5 shot red eye espresso drink and I got an email from New Mexico G&F. Turns out I had beginners luck and had a 1st season archery elk tag in my pocket. Let the games begin!
I found myself reading articles online, snooping around elk forums, and trying to cram as much information as I could learning about elk!
After returning to the mother land I started shooting my bow like crazy and piecing together stuff I needed for the trip.
Armed with a mixture of military issued items, walmart specials, and a used bow, I was ready for my hunt!
I got up to the mountains the eve before opener and set up camp. I picked a random spot that I had planned to hunt for opening morning, made myself a nice dinner, and laid in bed..... awake... wide awake.... what was that insane noise I was hearing from camp? Why was it so close? That... that's a bugle.....
Well the elk serenaded me for hours that night and my adrenaline was spiked. About 20 minutes before my alarm went off I decided to shut it off because you know, I was awake. Well.... 2 hours I woke up to sunlight. I guess I had fallen asleep.
No worries, coffee and a quick change of plans and I was off. Having heard elk from camp I decided to just walk in the direction I heard them talking.
I walked about 800 yards from camp and pulled out this little bite and blow call I had someone make for me. I made the most unusual squeak and the mountains erupted. Next thing I knew four bulls were running into me and bugling their heads off. Mind you this was Sept 1st...
I had no idea what to do. I was fully exposed in the middle of an opening with nothing, but a small tree in front of me. That ran all around, one jumped into a pool of water near me, and let a bugle rip.
OH YEAH, I NEED TO SHOOT THEM. I started to move, they all saw me plain as day and bolted.
Wow, is this what elk hunting is?
I collected my thoughts and wondered around for a little while trying to figure this whole hunting thing out.
That evening I had a GRAND plan. I was going to use this climber tree stand I bought and I was going to hang it over the same waterhole I saw that bull play in.
After seeing four nice bulls and it being opening day, I confidently told myself that I am not shooting a spike if I see one because that would be just silly.
About 30 minutes before sundown I let out another obnoxious call on my bite and blow. A bull sounded off in the distance so I got excited. 5 minutes later a spike bull came into my setup and my world turned upside down.
He walked in and gave me a 19 yard quartering away shot. It didnt even take me but a mili-second to draw my bow and have my 20 yard pin buried in his vitals.
I watched him run off and then the shakes began. The feeling that came over will never be matched, but it was that feeling that gets us all hooked.
I climbed down my tree and walked towards where I saw the elk go.
There he was, piled up next to a tree, dead as a doornail. Again the feeling that came over was like one I'd never forget (Im getting excited just thinking about it).
Here is the problem, a big one.....
I spent hours research elk habitat, call set ups, map study, archery shooting techniques, just about everything under the sun......except..... how to gut or break down an animal.
So here I sat on the side of the mountain, no service, on a solo elk hunt, with an elk down, and no idea what to do.
It was labor day weekend and there were lots of camps parked off the road. I had this amazing idea to just hike back to my truck and drive into a camp until I found someone who wanted to help.
Turns out the crazy adrenaline filled goofball was not the person most of these people wanted to come into camp. After 5 or 6 "NOs" at my request for help, I once again had to be flexible and make something happen.
I hiked back to my elk and decided I would drag it to the road and load it up.
Yep... my little spike bull with all his guts and glory got drug to the side of the road by yours truly.
I got near a ditch and with a giant rope, some dead lifts, and some adrenaline filled stupidity, I got him in the truck.
I hooked up my trailer and blitzed to town.
When I got to town I decided I had a brilliant plan until I could figure out what to do.
I purchased 30 bags of ice and built an igloo around him. I kid you not, I am in Espanola NM of all places, with some people watching me build my ice igloo over a dead elk.
I then blitzed back home. A few hours later, at 2AM, I knocked on a buddy's door who I knew was a hunter.
I asked him for a huge solid and he accompanied me to a big field where he gutted the igloo dweller out and went home with two tenderloins as his reward. The following morning I dropped off my elk at a processor and my first elk experience was done!
I always tell people this story because it taught me a lesson very early in my hunting career.
I will never, ever not help someone in the mountains, woods, etc.
I remember how nervous I truly was because I didnt want to spoil the animal and I was pretty much helpless because no one would help.
I will always lend that hand.
Here he is.
Nothing says "ready hunter" more than some OCP pants, an on sale under armor shirt, a .357 on a shoulder holster, and a Z7 extreme.
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