PathfinderJR's 2010 Elk Camp

[PathfinderJR]

I have been waiting for this all year. I get to go to Elk Camp... Dad picked me up after football practice and we went straight up the mountain. we had dinner there, went to bed, and woke up at 3:30 A.M.!!!
It was a wet morning, we got soaked in rain. we walked in about 3 miles, and saw 2 spikes.dad and I tried to follow them, but they were too far away.  Dad was bowhunting for elk, i was rifle hunting for bear.
Then, Dad heard a bugle down the ridge and spotted a bull with 2 cows.  We went after them, but by the time we got to the end of the ridge, they were gone.  We spotted a nice 5x5 bull across the canyon, and I bugled to him.  He bugled back.  We played with him for a while, and when he wouldn't come any closer, we were getting ready to leave and I asked dad "Can I give a big, long, scary bugle?"  Dad said "yeah", so I did.  Just then, We heard another bugle just down the ridge from us.  It was just as long, and loud and scary as mine!  We snuck over to look at him, and it was another bull.  A LOT bigger than the 5x5.  He was alone though.
While we were hiking out, we found a bunch of shaggy mane mushrooms that we picked and brought back to camp to cook with breakfast.  They were so good!
After our hunt that night, we got back to camp and roasted huge marshmallows.  I made a Boone and Crockett S'More!
The next day my dad gave me a driving lesson in his pickup in the clearcut near camp!
Here are some pictures.  Can't wait for "my" elk season in November!

[Woodchuck]

Boone and Crockett s'more  looks like a great time, good luck to you and the really old man 

[saylean]

Good luck little hunter! Have a blast with your Pops!

[Ironhead]

Now thats an Elk camp. Sounds like you are having a great time JR. You must have a pretty good Dad to too.

[wapiti hunter2]

Three years ago I had such an elk camp with my son.  We hunted in the Lewis River unit.  He was 15 and had never driven.  I taught him on the first day and let him do all of the driving for the next ten days.  All dirt roads.  He had a blast.   I'll bet you can't wait for more.  good luck on your hunt.   

[Pathfinder101]

THat was Junior's abbreviated version of the highlights of his 3 days at our archery elk camp last weekend.  I am proud of him, he walked about 5 miles Saturday morning, soaked to the waist for most of it.  Tried to get him on a bear, but they just wouldn't cooperate.
I don't know if you guys haveever seen those marshmallows before... one of the guys found them at a Mexican grocery store.  They are seriously the size of JR's fist.   

[EDT]

THAT is what it is all about.  Good for you pathfinderJR and good for you Pathfinder101 for being such a great dad.  This is inspiring.

[Wea300mag]

Nice report Jr, it's good to see camp from the kids perspective.

[JCClement]

That is what it is all about.  Great story.

[carpsniperg2]

 

[Hyde]

That's a day to be remembered forever.  He's a pretty darn good writer too!

[NWBREW]

Nice writeup Jr. Sounds like a good time.  Man, I gotta get me some of those marshmellows.

[ICEMAN]

Nice writeup Jr. Sounds like a good time.  Man, I gotta get me some of those marshmellows.

  What a fun time with Dad and son! Good job Dad! Good job JR!

I need some of those megamellows too, plus some oversize graham crackers!

[boneaddict]

Thats what its all about right there.  Great write up and thanks for sharing.   It sounds like I need you as a guide.  Bulls bugling all around you.  It doesn't get much better than that.  Maybe grunting moose but thats about it.  Nice camp!

[couesbitten]

That is definately what it is all about. Great write up Jr, love reading the stories froma kids perspective. Just a while back my wife had me put some of my son's school keepsakes from last year in a box for safe keeping. She said "did you know that Gavin says his favorite vacation is elk camp", it was right there on a school paper from last year, I looked at it and almost got teary eyed. Love camping and hunting with the kids and family.