diamond hitch
Well-known member
One more and then I will go away for a while. One of the benefits of owning a ranch is other than being able to shoot when you want, occasionally an elk shows up in the yard and says shoot me. About 10 or so years ago, on opening day we had finished breakfast and were gathering our gear for a long ride to the north of us. We are typically summer range and the elk are usually gone by August 15. I had one boot on and my hunting pants and was in search of a wool sock that didn"t have a hole it when my son said " Dad what did you leave in the front field?" I said "nothing why?". He says the dawn is just breaking and it looks like something is in the front field.
I stumbled around with the one boot on and a sock in my hand and went out on the glassed-in front porch. I could just make out shapes and while I was peering the light changed and 70 head of elk came into focus in the front yard. I don't care who you are that tends to get your heart started. Regardless of the weather, we scrambled for shells, guns and various items and me for a slipper and head out the back door. While we were exiting the backdoor the elk jumped the fence and moved to the neighbors place. This left us shooting from the lawn chair on the front of the house. Down right leisurely for a rag tag group of knuckleheads. I dropped a cow next to the road and my son whittled on a six point in the field. My wife followed up and filled her cow tag with some coaching because I must have killed the lead cow and the rest were running back and forth across the field in the mass confusion and picking a single out of the flock was a challenge.
When they broke for the east fence, she shot a straggler in the pack on the edge of the field. For the first time in my life I got to fetch elk with the tractor. Instead of wrestling them around we gutted them with ease like a slaughter house. Three elk gutted, skinned, quartered, wrapped in sheets and stored in the tack room was an all day event. I think I got my second boot on after I got them in the yard and we broke for lunch around two. Given the choice I think in the future 2 are enough for one day.
I stumbled around with the one boot on and a sock in my hand and went out on the glassed-in front porch. I could just make out shapes and while I was peering the light changed and 70 head of elk came into focus in the front yard. I don't care who you are that tends to get your heart started. Regardless of the weather, we scrambled for shells, guns and various items and me for a slipper and head out the back door. While we were exiting the backdoor the elk jumped the fence and moved to the neighbors place. This left us shooting from the lawn chair on the front of the house. Down right leisurely for a rag tag group of knuckleheads. I dropped a cow next to the road and my son whittled on a six point in the field. My wife followed up and filled her cow tag with some coaching because I must have killed the lead cow and the rest were running back and forth across the field in the mass confusion and picking a single out of the flock was a challenge.
When they broke for the east fence, she shot a straggler in the pack on the edge of the field. For the first time in my life I got to fetch elk with the tractor. Instead of wrestling them around we gutted them with ease like a slaughter house. Three elk gutted, skinned, quartered, wrapped in sheets and stored in the tack room was an all day event. I think I got my second boot on after I got them in the yard and we broke for lunch around two. Given the choice I think in the future 2 are enough for one day.
