Very proud lil girl, and father.

[Arteman]

Story is we went into an area my dad has consistently seen Elk in while working building road, waited till daylight and moved on.  Didn't drive for 10 minutes when the wife screams ELK!  The herd was on her side in the timber, I grabbed her gun, and told my daughter to get out.  I came around the truck and met her.  I could see the Elk good, but they were on the move and moving parallel the road.  I tried to hold the gun stable so she could find one in the scope, but the Elk wouldn't stop walking.  So we ran up the road with them, tried to get her on one a few more times with no luck.  As I looked forward I could see the road went out in cut, and the Elk were headed for it too.  We ran up the road till we were in the cut to, but still with the Elk in the wide open she couldn't get on one.  TheElk turned are way and started crossing the road right in front of us about 50 yards, and still with no rest but me holding the gun she couldn't get on one.  I thought then it wasn't going to happen here, had them in plan view and expected a shot but as I watched the last elk cross I told her let's go.  We ran up the road as fast as she could, and with her sick she was coughing pretty good now.  When we got up there I thought for sure they would be gone but they all stopped at the timberline and started to walk it to the right.  This time I got her on a stump at about 100 yards and she popped off and hit the 3rd cow from the back that wasn't walking.  I heard it hit, and seen the elk she hit turn and walk straight in the timber as the rest still continued the timberline.  Looking back now I should have grabbed the gun and finished it off right there, but I left it and went out to the road and called my parents and wife up.  My daughter, father, and I went down after it and found blood.  Tracked it for a long time till we hit another lower road it crossed.  My daughter at this point was almost in tears with frozen feet so we so I called the wife down and got her in the truck.  We gave the Elk some time and told my wife to drive up the road, take the next right and meet us again on the next lower road.  We continued on with still good blood and hit the next lower road.  Same thing again, told her to meet us on the next lower road and to watch because the timber ended above it and the elk could come in the cut while they were there, and to have her ready.  We followed blood through that timber down a draw as it turned into a buffer strip, that cow went into the cut and was piled up just above were my wife was parked the whole time.  It was about 150 yard pack to the truck.  Thus Elk was in bad shape already, had hoof rot bad in the back right and startedIn the front hoof too.  In the pic I put some snow on the neck to cover up a nasty infection were pus was frozen in the hide and fresh green stuff oozing out like it had been shot before maybe.  Anyways that's the story, glad was able to stick with it and recover her Elk.  Shes a lil trooper for sure, and good at tracking blood I found out too.  Lol

[Arteman]

And another note, and this was sad but when I went to gut it the smell from the hoof was so unbearable that I had to keep backing off and dryheaving till I got the legs off.  My daughter kept saying did I shoot the wrong one daddy??  I kept saying no this ones perfect babe, good job!  Lol  and I'm the type of guy that doesn't get quizy over anything, but this Elk stunk BAD!!!

[skywalker253]

Great story! Congrats to your daughter and your family! I would report the green puss and hoof rott to the game department. What did it look like after you skinned her out? Was she previously shot?

[Arteman]

Great story! Congrats to your daughter and your family! I would report the green puss and hoof rott to the game department. What did it look like after you skinned her out? Was she previously shot?

I didn't even look to see what caused it Skywalker, it was pretty nasty so I hacked it off low and tossed it.  It was so gross I didn't even want to explore it.  I took the meet to the locker and had them skin it, he said the meat was fine though.

[MLBowhunting]

Just awesome 

[3nails]

I'm going to guess she gets her smile from her mom? 

[ANDERWAGON]

Awesome! Congrats to both of you.

[lewy]

  very cool

[Arteman]

I'm going to guess she gets her smile from her mom? 

lol I know right?  I look like a grumpy ass!   

[250savage]

Congrats.  Cool pics. and story.

[elkoholic]

awesome  .

[hrd2fnd]

Very Nice and heart warming story and as a father I understand your pride Congrats to you and the hunter

  congrats to the newest hunter in the family

[Elkrunner]

That is awesome.

[Tbar]

Congrats to the whole family. That is so cool you all got to share the experience. Sweet pics. Tell your daughter congrats. Sitka gear should sponsor you guys. I wish they would allot half the cow tags on the tree farm to youth, priceless.

[kckrawler]

My daughter kept saying did I shoot the wrong one daddy??  I kept saying no this ones perfect babe, good job!

Right on man! Those actions right there are what will make her enjoy hunting for many, many years.