January 1st 2012 Cow, Thank you Weyerhauser

[ICEMAN]

No bull for me this year during the modern rifle elk hunt. I did receive one of the new Winston late rifle hunt permits, with a bonus invite from Weyerhauser to feel free to drive on their land to hunt, this hunt started today. 

Here is another poor me story, sort of...  Between getting hit by a car at age 14, working in construction field for many years including a 12 foot fall onto my azz thru a building where I broke my back..... (back is better now...) but my hips have suffered over the years. Being heavy has not helped I am sure. I have not been nice to my body over the years. My doctor cringed at my xrays five months back, was shocked enough to write a referral for immediate replacement of both my hips to start immediately. I told him it was going to have to wait until I finished my house...and hunting season of course....  Advanced osteoarthritis of both hip joints, bone on bone contact in both hips. Nice.

Long story short. Drug my wife and kids along today to the winston. Started off in state land. ROAD HUNTED 7:25am to 9am. Hiked into a clearing at 9 and bumped a herd into some guys who have no problem firing at a moving herd at over 450 yards. Never understood how guys do this, especially since if an animal does not drop, and you rechamber, which do you shoot at next? ANYWAY, I passed on moving animals. Finally a spike stopped at 300. I admired him from my bipod and the soggy snowy ditch I was laying in....  No quality shots for me, I move on. (So did the elk) Steep stuff, too steep for me this year or I would have pursued...

More ROAD HUNTING into Weyerhauser lands..., usually gated lands. Finally spied a single 2yr old cow all by her lonesome in the middle of a clearing above me. Walked down the road to close distance. Very windy. Got to 150 yards and could not find any firm tree for support. Flipped out the bipod and extended high cause the shot was steep uphill. I slogged my legs and hips off the grassy skid road and positioned for a shot. Bad juju. Took forever to get into a sane position to shoot by, too steep up, crippled fat guy on ground and in ditch. Finally it worked, one shot thru the lungs at 175 yards. The cow spun around but did not run. Placed a second rib shot in and she flipped belly up, legs sticking straight up and not moving.

Here is the cool part; my 15 year old went up to survey the area. He blazed a reasonable trail up and my 13 year old daughter drug a rope up to the elk. My wife and I traded off repositioning the rig and pulling the elk downhill. Radios helped a ton, and the kids worked miracles yanking the cow around stumps and other probs.....  Not adviseable pulling stuff down hill, I know, I know...but "these legs AREN'T made for walking" lately.

Drug the elk to the roadside, rolled out a tarp, gutted, skinned in T-shirt weather. We had to carry the quarters 15 feet to the truck. Could not have asked for better weather, or a better crew to help this crippled hunter out. Very proud dad and husband.

In picture (1) I circled my daughter carrying the rope up to my son above with the elk. My kids are awesome.

[ANDERWAGON]

Nice work Iceman and fam! 

[EDT]

Fun Sunday outing.

[Widgeondeke]

congrats on filling the tag and freezer 

[frostman]

Good job! What a great way to spend the day with the family!

[big wood]

NICE WORK ICE. THAT IS WHAT FAMILY SHOULD BE LIKE!

[Bob33]

What a great way to start the new year.  Congratulations and thanks for the story and pictures.

[Wenatcheejay]

 

[buglebuster]

Congrats! Awesome way to bring in the new year with your family! I can't wait till my daughter is old enough.

[SniperDanWA]

Nice, good times with the kids.  Congrats to a good shot and more to come.

[bobcat]

ROAD HUNTED 7:25am to 9am.


More ROAD HUNTING into Weyerhauser lands...,

 


I like how you emphasized that.   

Good job, it's nice that you got it done on the first day. Did you see a lot of other hunters?

[Skyvalhunter]

Way to go Kevin!!!

[BOWHUNTER45]

WELL....I be damned man .... drive right to it and with your family ..Thats cooler than sheet man ...congrats ..ICE !!! Good eats their now !!! we headed that way next week ...Coweeman ..a little pumped to see my kid get his first elk ...I hope !!

[PolarBear]

Awesome!  Congratulations!!!

[ICEMAN]

Way to go Kevin!!!

Thanks.

Bobcat, I did not see a ton of other hunters amazingly. We decided to hunt a few areas in state land and down low at first, thought the open gated lands would be crawling with permit holders so we waited.....  First Weyerhauser gated road we explored we found the lone elk on... Alot of guys get back to camp by 10am IMHO.... We intended to glass till our heads ached. Did not need to, got lucky I guess.