Elk season half time!

[dupedc]

Well, the early archery elk season has come and gone. What an awesome experience! Hunting solo (5 of 8 days) in the mountains presents certain challenges, yet is embraced as well. I pushed myself physically and mentally, well beyond what I thought I was capable of doing. I love that my success and/or failure is squarely on my shoulders. Even my survival, for that matter! I feel blessed to have a family that encourages me and allows me to spend countless days in the mountains. For some reason, the hours and days of solitude in such beautiful surroundings make me feel alive!

Successful?... YES! Did I get an elk? Not yet. Each day there were close encounters with elk.  Two times I was at full draw, 27 & 32 yards, but the opportunity to release an arrow never came. The adrenaline rush that comes with these encounters is what brings me back! My number one goal is always to return ☺! My mantra, "John, don't do anything stupid," serves me well when I'm solo! It's amazing the number of times that this helps me make the right decision!

There's plenty more hunting this year, but the September elk hunt is always something special! Good luck to all of you!

John

[DoubleJ]

The adrenaline rush that comes with these encounters is what brings me back!

It might bring you back.  It hurts mine.  Right in the kidneys.  When the adrenaline pumps and there is no release for it, it dumps right into the kidneys and makes them ache something terrible.  Happens in hunting all the time and used to happen when I worked loss prevention.  I'd be watching someone and the adrenaline would pump and pump and then they'd drop what they were going to steal and leave the store and the adrenaline would flow right into the kidneys and I'd have to sit down awhile.  I love and hate that feeling all at the same time.

[rover758]

Had to smile at that one .... I never thought of the time between early and late season as "half time".    My only full draw was on a 5x5 I couldn't shoot in a spike only area.  And, I got just as much enjoyment watching a tiny field mouse running over my boot as I did watching that big boy lift his nose in the air searching for the loves of his life.  Good luck in the second half.  It's not about getting an animal as much as it is the journey getting there.

[dupedc]

I agree, Rover!... It's the journey, not the destination.  Double... My coach, Frosty, used to tell us that it's okay to have butterflies, but you have to learn to fly them in formation. It's a double edged sword, I guess.

[bearpaw]

It's the quality of the experience that counts! 

[dupedc]

Yes sir! And sometimes we can lose sight of that...

[axelfisher]

I think its tough for others to understand this mantra! Are you also a former Lute? Frosty was a great man that taught me a ton!

[dupedc]

EMAL!  Player and coach early to mid 80's. How about you?

[MLBowhunting]

Glad you had a GREAT time.   You have lots more time to hunt. 

[axelfisher]

EMAL! Played from 04-08. Maybe earned a better education from Frosty and Scott then I did from school!

[dupedc]

I hear you, Axel! Next to my Dad, Frosty was the most influential man in my life. Good luck to you. "Make it a great day!"

[RadSav]

Too bad for most of us the second half is played as Powder Puff!

[huntnnw]

I look at it as once sept ends its game over...hunting late elk with a bow just doesnt float my boat and nothing like chasing screaming bulls

[RadSav]

I really enjoyed our late bull season.  Actually liked it better than all but the opening day bull hunt.  But I just have a very difficult time getting excited about shooting a stupid cow.  No problem doing it, just doesn't bring that anticipation and excitement.  They are one of the stupidest big game animals on earth.  Still to this day I can not figure out how or why they decided bulls were no longer allowed when in prior years cows were the no-no during the final week   Especially in the Winston where we have lost more than 50% of the elk herd.  You'd think they would encourage bull harvest over cow harvests!

[huntnnw]

wish we had them stupid cows over here! I rarely get shots at cows..usually bulls