Last week the boys and I replaced the shocks on the truck due to unforseen situation a week or so before and they needed to be replaced before my elk hunt. Well the nuts were on good and a pain to get off landed up pulling a chest muscle. That was a couple days before the hunt.
The next couple days I rested as much as possible due to the injury and my fibro. Knowing full well the elk hunt is in a coveted area with gravel roads and easy terrain but will still need all my strength for the hunt, the boys packed up loaded the truck etc... we loaded up Thursday night left Friday morning for a mandatory orientation at noon and had a couple stops to make along the way. Opening day was the next day
We get done with orientation and decided to set camp (tent camping) right away. The boys unloaded and set up most things and split the firewood as my injury is bad and I could barely move my arm at times. I made ny steaks for dinner and my brother finally shows up the boys help set up his stuff then crash. He had never been to this unit so he was pumped. This is the same unit my daughter drew but got gun shy a few years back.
I woke up around 0415 to make breakfast burritos and coffee. Oldest son couldn't wake up so we left camp around 0530. We got to the gate of the unit and a truck was already there. We still went in behind them. Landed up seeing 4 bulls before they did. I got out hoping a cow was with them to no avail. We carried on saw a heard of about 8 elk no cows. Just up the way a few cows across the valley. Told my brother the stream isn't frozen and it's a long haul back so we let them go. Around 10 the elk were in the timberline as rain and snow started. We decided to go get much more firewood then have lunch. The afternoon was a bust other than seeing 2 bald eagles which is rare here.
At camp Saturday night the storm cleared up I tell everyone we are leaving by 0500 no breakfast just coffee and hot chocolate since the roads will be frozen and not sure how much snow will be on the mountain roads.
They weren't thrilled with the idea. The boys crashed at 2030hrs my brother and I hanging out and a few minutes later we hear a thump. So we look and we have a heard of a dz elk sleeping right next to camp(different unit too) about 30 yds away.
Sunday I got up made coffee and hot coco we left at 0500 for my unit. There was only a few inches of snow but the mountain roads were also muddy. We trek along and get to where I wanted to be by 6am. Nothing yet I was telling everyone the elk will usually be in certain parts near the road that early. Nothing, so we go to a different spot up the road but my brother asked to stop so he could use use the bathroom. I pull over and he said a few elk way back. We heard that way as the light brightened. It was 4 bulls and then a couple coyotes walk before them. Someone noticed more elk to the right on the other hill so I'm looking in my scope and it's a heard of about 8 cows. We figure out approach then 1 coyote walked below those cows they take off. Just then my brother says it's that one of the hearts you talk about way over there coming out of the trees. I said that's a smaller heard of about 150 elk but yeah. He wants to go I'm like it's far and a pain to cross that meadow but everyone wanted to go so headed out.
Made the long trek got to a hill. I was hurting from my fibro my injury too and winded. I picked out 1 cow of the heard of about 150 my brother sees 2 hunters on the other hill and started yelling to hurry. I finally calm my gun down couldn't fully shoulder the rifle due to the injury took a shot got a scope kiss. Heard took off towards the other hunters. Finally found my elk took another shot. They shot, elk came back towards me. That repeated until my 4 shots were done.
Walked to the other hill to about 300 yards while loading the other hunters were shooting the elk came to the side of my hill, my boys were standing between 2 hills the elk were rushing towards them. I yell for them to move. I look for the initial elk took a shot as they were running I shot in front and missed. They turned back to the other hunters they shot missed. I shot in front of one, shot behind another. I go to shoot again and click. What there's 1 more round. The round was on the ground, I quickly loaded it shot just in front of the cow watched it go down. Tried getting up figured broken shoulder. My brother is yelling to the other hunters helping them telling them there's 2 more elk.
I walk towards my cow notice is back legs were hit. No more rounds on my decided my 45 would be the final shot.
730 am day 2 tagged out. 3 trips to the truck 750 yds away felt like 10 miles each way.
Got it gutted and loaded every single part of her up. The boys carried a lot of it through the frozen show covered marsh over the stream to and back. Youngest was covered in blood from the organs in the duffle bag.
Everytime we worked on the cow and carried to the truck it was snowing hard. it would stop snowing right before the truck and on our way back to the elk. Fished at 230. While resting the rangers stopped and checked it out.
I'm very proud of all 4 of us especially of my boys. They stepped up big time.
Elk heard 1st day in no hunting area.
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Sunrise hike to the heard on 2nd day
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