2014 Family Elk Hunt.

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

Put this story on the back burner till now. With spring a couple days out and been enjoying our falls harvest, figured I'd do a write up of our adventure. We treked back to Idaho for the September archery elk hunt. Last two weeks of the month. Had a great uneventful trip there with wife, 4.5 yr old daughter and Fly our new boarder collie pup. By uneventful I mean no mechanical issues or break downs. The trip took us probably a third longer than it did when it was just the wife and I blowing through the state to get to the hunting grounds. Now everybody has to go potty every mile it seems except me, of course..... Got my OTC archery elk tag along the way. Back up to last years season. We decided to start rotating seasons with who would get tag and license. So in 2012 I harvested a dandy bull which we were all involved including 2.5 yr old daughter. There is a story about that in the HW archives.... That year and before we both had tags and alternated days hunting. It worked but seems it just can take two weeks to kill one elk and take care of it properly and we really don't need two elk in the freezer at this time. So 2013 was an awesome time. The wife hunted and me and daughter scouted and located elk in new areas. It was the last two weeks of the month as well. Wife was into elk every day and as many archery hunts go no arrow ever flew. The last two days there the temp dropped to COLD and the moose started rutting hard. Funny how you spend two weeks not seeing any moose to moose all over the place. Wife was hunting up one of our favorite drainages in the snow with a heard of elk and a rut crazed bull moose. She ended up getting charged by the moose three times at mere feet away. She got its attention with her .40 glock and yelling at it. It was very intense for awhile last radio contact was HELP. Me and daughter blew up to the trail head and i started up the trail not knowing what i was going to find??? Luckely wife was coming down with all her parts just a little shook up? Well maybe alot shook up!!!! :yike:Warning shots only but I believe if it was anybody else that moose would probably been dead. Maybe someday she can elaborate on her story because I am doing it no justice at all....Back to 2014. Set up our base camp and headed out to see where the elk are hanging out at. Spent first day way up high on a long round about hike checking our normal areas and go to spots. The elk where there. It was pretty warm so the second day I packed in our ground blind AKA The Hut up to one of our water holes. Got it all set up and brushed in before first light. Had one lone cow come in at about 8am. Didn't mind sitting in the hut all day do to being tired from the day before hike. By about 6pm I was ready to get out of the hut and head down the hill. I radioed the family I was heading down and to meet me at the secret pick up point. Every thing we do is very top secret!   Just as I was closing up the door to the Hut I here a bull elk scream right above me! Back into Hut I go. Radio family scratch that idea bull elk coming in. Get all ready  with black shirt and face mask back on. At about 6:06pm the bull comes down to get a drink. I count 6x6. I'm shooting. Wait till he is quartering away and drill him 45°shot right into the boiler room. He turns left and makes two steps and I stop him with cow call and drill him again on the opposite side 45° quartering away shot right in the boiler room.  He bolts as I cow call some more and watch him fall over at about 40rds away. Get back on the radio and told the family its going to be late night, elk down..... Daughter was super happy and went into some happy happy joy joy dance chanting stuff like daddy got a big bull!!!! Fun times. So I hiked out and met up with the pack crew and we trecked back into the bull about 1.75 miles from trail head. We got it all quartered and hung. Made one pack out that night and went back in the mourning for the rest. We were all in bed about 3am and back to get the rest out about 7am. Made for a quick hunt getting the elk on the second day but made for a very nice relaxing camp out for the rest of the two weeks. Which included  many scouting hikes into the back country locating new areas for our next adventure to take place.......

[mburrows]

That's awesome you get to share that experience with your whole family!

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

Here's daughter with her pack frame packing out the loins. Shes quite the trooper. I think she keeps me and the wife motivated at times.

[Watimberghost]

That's really cool Spending time in the great outdoors with your family cannot be beat!

[DIYARCHERYJUNKIE]

That is awsome!     the little pack board is so cool. Congrats!

[Charlie]

These will be great memories you will all enjoy for the rest of your lives. 

[deerhunter_98520]

What a great story! Thanks for sharing

[Karl Blanchard]

Thats awesome right there!

[Spawnstar]

I'm a firm believer that the good Lord blesses you if you take your kids hunting!!! Great job

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

Thanks all for the  !!!!!   Here is ATL pic.