What a trooper

[Rainier10]

So we are at my cabin this weekend in the Colockum.  My buddies kid drew a youth cow elk tag.  We are scanning the valley looking for elk and all of a sudden they come running across the hillside and stop right in front of my cabin about 120 yards away.  Scramble for the gun and bullets, unfortunately they were not ready and the elk started to walk away.  As he was getting set up for the shot I was explaining what elk were where and which one to shoot.  Not the front one, that is a 3pt, next two are cows, next one is a spike then a spike by two, 8 cows, then a big bull, shoot the last one in line that is a cow. No don't shoot, bad angle and they walked straight away.

I tell them what ridge to go down and where the elk are going.  I turn around as they are heading out the door and there is my oldest daughter, 14, dressed in hunter orange with a rifle.  She says "you said there was a spike, let's go."  So I throw on my coat, hunter orange and grab the shooting sticks and two knives.

We bail down the opposite ridge and work to catch up to the elk.  About a 1/4 mile in I ask how she is doing and if she brought her inhaler.  She is doing fine but didn't bring her inhaler.  I tell her to let me know if she needs a break.

We keep seeing the elk in front of us and off to our left, we are gaining on them.  At 1.5 miles we get busted and they start to move faster so we do as well.  As they crest the top of the next ridge about a mile in front of us I start to get concerned about if there really is a true spike.  Skylined it looks like there are two spike by two's.  I ask how she is doing and she says fine.  I ask if she wants to keep going and she says yes.

I know that there is a valley just about 300 yards over the top of the ridge that they like to hang out in so we push on.  Up the hill we go, it starts to wear on me and I am sure it is giving her fits as well.  I slow the pace as we get close to the top and tell her to breath deep and work to catch her breath.  We need to be steady for the shot and are getting close to having an opportunity.

As we work towards the draw I can see ears and yellow of their backs about 80 yards out.  We work closer and through the binocs it looks like the back one is a true spike with a little velvet at the top of the one antler that made it look like it was a spike by two.  We get set up and just watch as they walk away. I tell her to make sure the one in the back is a spike and wait for them to work up the side of the draw.  Going up they will surely turn broadside to look back at us.

Sure enough at 150 yards they all bunch up and turn broadside.  We take a long look and both agree it's a true spike.  I tell her to just wait and they will clear and give her a shot.  Just like they read the script they all start to move up hill and the spike just stands there broadside.  I say whenever you are ready and she lets the 308 bark.  We hear the smack and the elk barely moves.  He is hit hard and the other elk don't move at all.  I tell her to shoot again as I am watching the elk.  Boom, smack another solid hit.  This wobbles the elk and he takes about 5 steps.  He is in big trouble but still standing.  I grab the shootings sticks in my left hand, wrap my right arm around her, squeeze in tight to hold her steady and tell her to put one more in him.  Boom, smack and he hits the dirt.

Spike elk down.  High fives, big, I mean really big hugs and lots of congratulations.  I tell her at 14 she is now in the spike bull club.  What an accomplishment.  She says she is really tired and was glad that we pushed on up the hill to make it happen.

We get over to the elk, notch her tag and take some photos.

I check my watch and it's been 40 minutes since we took off until the elk is down.  I check my gps and we had done almost 3.5 miles in that 40 minutes.  What a trooper.

We called for help and started to break the elk down.  She was much more involved than she has been in the past and I went over everything in great detail.  With as successful as she has been in the past couple of years she is going to have to be ready to process her own at some point.

Heading out for her final tag next weekend, second deer in 154.  If she fills that all she will have left is a cougar tag.

[bracer40]

Awesome story! Congrats!

[WapitiTalk1]

Outstanding!  Congrats to the young hunter and her guide 

[Woodchuck]

Atta girl.  She is stacking the meat up. Well done Dad.

[bowhunterforever]

Awesome, nice job

[Elkrunner]

awesome

[elkrack]

Great story good job👍🏻

[Rainier10]

Last year she had a youth cow tag and was able to fill that.  Hiking around she had no problem keeping up with me and on some of the hills she was actually passing me.  Trying to catch up to these elk the "old man" was stretching it out a bit.  She said, "man I was having troubles keeping up with you dad, you were really moving."  I am sure one day she will realize that it isn't easy to get a true spike and you have to swing for the fences when the opportunity presents itself.

Pain is temporary.  She was a trooper and I am glad it paid off for her.

Every time we go out I am prouder of her.  She is really turning into a great huntress and outdoor girl.

Wife and both daughters are up next weekend for second doe tags. Look out Blue Creek does, the Rainier10 girls are coming for you.

[Timberstalker]

What a year!  Congrats to her!
Awesome deal.

[Slaysthefish]

Congrats that is awesome!

[724wd]

Man, that's good stuff!!!   

[Skyvalhunter]

That's awesome I love the smile on her face!!!

[Wanttohuntmore]

Congrats!  What Cal is that model 600?

[mhbrewster71]

AWESOME!!! Not much better than that!! Congratulations to your daughter (and you for being right by her side!)

[pianoman9701]

Really awesome story. Congrats to the great hunter.