Veteran's Day Elk

[Rainier10]

25 years ago I joined the military during the first gulf war.  21 years ago I got out of the military and headed home to Seattle.  This year was the first Veteran's day I took off since I got out.  I took the day off to spend the day with my family, my daughter had drawn a Colockum youth cow tag.

We had gone out the weekend before during the general season, got of the road a ways and actually found some fresh tracks in the snow about 4 hours into our hike.  After following the tracks for an hour we found the elk, three cows bedded in the trees, they stood up at 80 yards and on the move before she could get a shot.  They slowly trotted away but through the trees she just couldn't get on them and they never stopped.  We followed them for another hour until we ran out of tracks.  Didn't see another elk that day but had a great day in the woods.

Sunday we headed out for a short morning hunt, she was a little beat after the long day on Saturday.  We did see an elk, it was a cow bedded on private property so we had to pass.  I told her we would get an opportunity later in the week and to not get discouraged.  We had survived the combat hunting that is the Colockum and had actually seen elk.

Veteran's day came and the weather was brutal.  It had blown hard all night Tuesday night and continued into Wednesday.  There was fresh snow on the ground and I was hopefully things had calmed down and the elk had returned to their normal habits.  On the drive in we saw a few deer but no elk tracks crossing the road.  We hiked in to one of my honey holes and hiked for almost four hours straight not seeing an elk.  We did see a couple of deer up and moving so that gave us a little hope that the animals were still actively moving around.

We decided to head back to the cabin, take a lunch break and head back out for the afternoon.  We got inside, took off our boots and I was starting a fire when my wife said "elk".  I grabbed my binoculars and sure enough I could see at least 14 elk bedded in the grass right below our cabin.  I told my daughter to get her boots back on, I grabbed the Caldwell field pod and we headed out the door.

The wind was blowing hard across our path from right to left covering any noise we were making.  We stopped multiple times on the way to the elk to verify what the plan was and what I would mean by aim dead on or if I said aim high.  We stopped just before our final approach and I told her the elk would be just over the ridge when we came over the top and to be ready.

As we came over the top I could see three elk bedded and one calf feeding.  I set up the shooting stand and she settled the rifle on the closest bedded elk, it was looking right at us at this point.  As it stood up broadside the calf continued to feed towards her.  I said shot dead on if you have a shot, we were only 150 yards away tops.  She said she wasn't sure if the calf was clear.  I thought so but said it is your call, you have the best view. She said she needed to wait.  The calf kept feeding and actually fed in directly behind the cow.  She was still just watching us.

Just then the other two elk stood up.  I told her to swing to the left, there was a cow standing clear and broadside.  Just as she said she was on it the cow started to slowly walk to the right.  I said go ahead and shoot if you have a shot.  She said I can't the elk is moving.  The elk heard her and stopped and looked right at us, I said now is your shot, BOOM!

I am a bow hunter and not used to listening for the smack after the boom, it all runs together for me but the elk seemed to flinch a little and started to run down hill and out of sight.  The other elk ran also, down and to the right.

I grabbed the stand, told her to reload, she grabbed her shell casing first and then reloaded and we took off to look over the hill.  When we came over the top there were at least 40 elk in a line but the back two kept turning around and looking back.  We let them walk over the ridge and figured we could go back after them if needed but we needed to go to where the elk was when she shot and start there.

As we got there I could see the elk laying on the side of the hill dead.  High fives, hugs and screams were in order and then the priceless comment as we got to 10 feet, "Man these are ALOT bigger than deer".  I said yes, now the work begins.

I called the wife who had been watching the whole thing from the cabin and she came down with another packboard.  We took some photos and had to prop the elk head up with the packboard.  Elk heads are way heavier than deer apparently.

My daughter took a back strap, the rifle, the shooting stand, back pack and a bunch of my stuff on the first trip out, my wife took a front shoulder, heart, liver and tenderloins.  I stayed there and kept working to get the rest of the meat off the hind quarters.

When she got back, I gave her the meat off of one hind quarter, 63 pounds when we got it on the scale at the cabin.  I took the other hind quarter, the other front shoulder and the head, 103 pounds when we got it to the scale.  The bull pac's worked great as usually.  I used my Orange Aglow safety patch also.  Couple of great items from site sponsors.

We made it back to the cabin before dark and headed home to start butchering.

Best Veteran's day ever.

Thanks to all that have served, are serving and will serve.

[Rainier10]

First elk.

[Rainier10]

Happiest dad on Veteran's day.

[Timberstalker]

That is beyond awesome.  What a great time with outstanding memories.
Thanks for sharing, and more importantly, thanks for your service.

[pianoman9701]

So cool. Congratulations to father and hunter!

[Rainier10]

Pack out, daughter is out in front almost to the top of the ridge, wife is next in line wishing we had 13 year old legs and energy still.  Second photo is the 103 pound load on the bull pac with my Orange Aglow gear on.

[Rainier10]

Thanks, it has been an awesome season.  She has gotten a few deer with a rifle, this year she got a buck with a bow and now this is her first elk, pretty awesome year for sure.

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

Real nice cow elk!

[C-Money]

So cool! Congrats you guys!

[Mark251]

Congratulations 

[Pinetar]

Congrats to your daughter and you. And thanks for serving.

[carpsniperg2]

Congrats to her!