Hirshey's Hunting Season 2016

[Wanttohuntmore]

Tag.  You really need to compile your adventures into a book.   Your writing speed and clarity is fantastic!

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[hirshey]

As the light of day started brightening the highest peaks, my mother and I were sliding into position overlooking one of my favorite basins. We watched as does fed their way up a spine ridgeline, ravens surveyed the landscape for scraps, and a few smaller bucks slunk up the hillside, hopeful, behind the does. The relaxed atmosphere heightened as my binoculars found the golden hue moving up an adjacent slope. “Mom, get the InReach out.” I smiled.

“Tell Jeff I found his bull.”

[hirshey]

Busted

[hirshey]

Bedded

[hirshey]

The big, muscular animal was feeding up a small knife ridgeline 300 yards away as my mother furiously texted and I snapped a few photos. Now all we could do is wait to see if Jeff had his InReach on and if they were game to make the journey our direction. Jeff and Derrick had planned to make a big day in a very different direction, so we were unsure if their plans would be so readily molded to a single text of “Elk! Come to us!” but we had to try. Those satellites were in overdrive as we quickly received the messages “YEAH! ATTACK!” in return. Two hours and many miles later, Jeff and Derrick closed in on us as we explained where the bull had bedded. He was almost invisible in the burned timber, but you could see his antlers reflecting the sun’s midday rays. Jeff planned a stalking route, as we became onlookers to a lethal game of cat and mouse. Most of the distance between Jeff and the bull was very open, and it was going to be difficult to close the distance; he was going to have to move slowly and have a lot of patience, as the animal was 400 yards away and lording over his basin.

[hirshey]

As Jeff’s figure disappeared with the slope, the three of us sat in anticipation, watching the hillside we expected to see him emerge upon… watching the elk. Watching the hillside we expected to see him emerge upon…. Watching the elk. Watching the hillside… watching the elk. Watching the hillside… watching the… THE ELK! The elk stood, suddenly ill at ease, but Jeff had not emerged where we expected him to make his stand from. Was something amiss? He turned uphill, and the mountains rang with a shot. The elk looked nonetheworse for wear. What happened? Our binoculars were all trained on the animal when another shot rang clear, and this time the bull was not so lucky. It disappeared over the ridge with a steady stream of crimson following behind his shoulder.

Again the InReach satellites were busy: the messages crossed. “Shoot! I did NOT feel good about that shot!” “You hit him! That looked good!”

[hirshey]

Jeff strode into view and started gaining the ridgeline as we called out markers we’d last seen him pass. As he arrived at the location the elk was standing, his attention shifted downhill and he raised his rifle. One last shot, and he disappeared from view. “Wow! Thank you for being my friend! Big bull down!” came across the screen, and we all moved his direction to view this magnificent bull.

A little on the content of Jeff’s character: instead of going to admire his bull, he hiked back down the hillside to grab my mother’s pack so we could all be present for the first look. We all arrived at the scene, and started admiring this king of the basin.

[hirshey]

Thumbs up

[hirshey]

My wonderful mom

[hirshey]

As he lays...

[hirshey]

And, now for some admiration photos...

[hirshey]

Hopping around to get a better angle

[hirshey]

The heavy haulers

[hirshey]

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