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.


Sunrise hike to the heard on 2nd day

Awesome Hunt ...Great Family Story!!!

I'm proud of them along with You!

Great narrative!!! You have some great boys there and something to be very proud of. Thanks so much for sharing that.

Congrats.
Your grade school English teacher asked me to help you.
Heard-I heard you shot an Elk
Herd.- The elk you shot was in a herd.

Thanks guys.
Yup very proud of them.

Haha stupid smartphones

I've never shot that much for deer or elk. Injury and health issues. My arm felt like jello the dust couple of shots afterwards felt like a wet noodle haha. Barely made it to the truck each trip, the last trip my arm froze in the upward position had to have my son's and brother unlatch the duffle bag from me. I stood there with my arm up for a few minutes before I could even move it a little bit.
That was way too far for me to walk with a load, especially the head. My body nearly gave out but I made it. I've been trying to recover the last 2 days taking it easy. Thankfully processing the entire elk is low impact and relaxing for me. I also had my boys and my mom helping.

I process the entire elk, everything but guts come home.
Very little fat and waste on this elk. All done except a very little trim. Just laundry and wash camp stuff

1st third

200 pounds of meat from each = 5- 40 pound back packs full. The cape and antlers are separate. We always sold the cape even from a cow elk as our taxidermist here want decent ones for the guys that mess up theirs.......jk

I wish lol.
We bring EVERYTHING home except guts. Very little goes to waste. All of it is either used or ate/ cooked with.
Awesome. I can always use hides. I'll wait a little bit to recover before I begin tanning my elk

that's is great, thanks for sharing,

Thanks man, just like being there, without the expense!

You're welcome. I'm glad to share it.
That's the truth LeftLane! Thanks!

Here's some more pics.
Part of the herd running around the hill towards my boys.

Congratulations Adam and family ,

That should be some darn fine eating ! It's a good thng to have a good supply of meat in the freezer going into the winter !

Just think maybe next year you all get drawn for elk there !

You're doing it right getting your kids out camping and hunting and away from today's electronic this and that !

Thanks Allan.

It's been fantastic eating all week for sure.

Man that would be awesome and way too much at once haha. I've done that before. My dad brother and me all tagged out at the same time.

Thanks! It was so great for sure. No electronics is always awesome and needed at times.

Thursday night I saw an orthopedic Dr they took xrays saying when a muscle or tendon snaps bone fragments with detach. They saw rib #1 broken. No word on a rupture or tear yet. Rib #1 is the top rib chest shoulder to spine (rib where you shoulder guns).
I was telling the kids the update and Noah says... dad I can't believe you hunted that elk with a broken rib. I said I can't believe it either, it makes that hunt way more impressive. As if my health issues don't make it impressive already but to also have a broken rib.

That's Unreal Adam

After the Stroke I had... The Doc specialist said No Hunting this fall or You could DIE

I said "Then I'll die Hunting" He got mad and walked away

I bought and used a .243 Win. Stryker pistol and Bipod . so I had zero felt recoil .

But what you powered through was insanely tuff...

props. to You!!!

I agree 330.
Lol I would have said the same thing.
Sounds like a nice set up. I forgot the sticks in the truck.
I agree 270 145gr shouldered well gently shouldered until the scope kissed my eyebrow haha. Trying to adapt to recoil on the fly to protect the injury was hard. I'm glad I didn't take the 308

Thank you!

Wow! Adam not sure how you battled through your injurers. Hope all goes well with you.

Great pictures and thank you.

Hmm, can't believe I missed this post/ story.
Such an awesome,inspiring post.

Snowy, I have no idea either. Must be my native side haha. Shoulder/ chest went from hurting before i shot to jello to wet noodle to numb with each shot. Arm locked up when skinning and then quartering. 1st trip was a nightmare 2nd trip torture 3rd trip body nearly gave out. The scary part was when I put my pack on the tailgate and arm locked in position. Seriously thought my arm was about to rip off if I moved it. I'm still in disbelief about this hunt and injury.
Thanks. You're welcome.

Bnb Thank you.