Sitting in a makeshift blind on a water hole for 4 hours in the Arizona afternoon heat, waiting for a big bull elk to come in and quench his thirst, makes it hard for a guy not to sit and reflect on what he is doing there. So I'm sitting here thinking of the success the archery elk season has already brought to Corey and me.
Opening morning of our Idaho hunt finds me flustered and panicked not to forget anything, although I had already double and triple checked to make sure I had everything ready when we started up the trail at 5:30AM. We had walked 1/2 mile up the trail and I just had that feeling like I was forgetting something. Sure enough, after a quick mental inventory of my gear, I realized that I had left my bugle tube on the back of the truck. Some help I'm going to be! I stopped Corey and told him. He was okay with that and said that he'd do the calling (makes me wonder if he didn’t just hide it before we left so I wouldn’t be scaring the elk off). We continued up the hill another 1/4 mile and as it started to get light I reach into my pocket to grab a reed in case we get into the elk. As my hand slid into my pocket with the greatest of ease I had one of those jaw dropping moments…how can my hand go into my pocket so easy with a release around my wrist? Then I realized what important piece of gear I had forgotten - my release. "Uh?" "Corey?" He stopped and I caught up with him holding up my hand to tell him the news."O.K." he said, and took his off and handed it over. "I'll just be calling". Boy did I feel great! (Corey's most likely thinking, how convenient, that’s one way to make sure you get the 1st crack at the elk).
An hour later, and near the top of the mountain, Corey's bugle did its job and a bull answered 300 yards across the draw. We scaled the hillside and I got set up with Corey 60 yards above me. The bull started coming in and I caught a glimpse of him, a nice 5x6. He’s just above me and I prepared for him to circle downwind of Corey's bugle where I can get a shot. Suddenly, the forest exploded with crashes, and a small rag horn that had been trailing the 5X6 busted out above me. Then the nice 5x6 came to the edge of an alder patch 40 yards above me and started somersaulting down the steep hillside, landing 15 yards in front of me. What just happened? Corey came to a rock outcropping directly above me and said "I had to shoot in self defense with my fingers!" The bull had come straight in to him and he had shot it at 10 yards. "It was supposed to be your bull" he said. We laughed and enjoyed our opening morning success.
Opening morning of our Idaho hunt finds me flustered and panicked not to forget anything, although I had already double and triple checked to make sure I had everything ready when we started up the trail at 5:30AM. We had walked 1/2 mile up the trail and I just had that feeling like I was forgetting something. Sure enough, after a quick mental inventory of my gear, I realized that I had left my bugle tube on the back of the truck. Some help I'm going to be! I stopped Corey and told him. He was okay with that and said that he'd do the calling (makes me wonder if he didn’t just hide it before we left so I wouldn’t be scaring the elk off). We continued up the hill another 1/4 mile and as it started to get light I reach into my pocket to grab a reed in case we get into the elk. As my hand slid into my pocket with the greatest of ease I had one of those jaw dropping moments…how can my hand go into my pocket so easy with a release around my wrist? Then I realized what important piece of gear I had forgotten - my release. "Uh?" "Corey?" He stopped and I caught up with him holding up my hand to tell him the news."O.K." he said, and took his off and handed it over. "I'll just be calling". Boy did I feel great! (Corey's most likely thinking, how convenient, that’s one way to make sure you get the 1st crack at the elk).
An hour later, and near the top of the mountain, Corey's bugle did its job and a bull answered 300 yards across the draw. We scaled the hillside and I got set up with Corey 60 yards above me. The bull started coming in and I caught a glimpse of him, a nice 5x6. He’s just above me and I prepared for him to circle downwind of Corey's bugle where I can get a shot. Suddenly, the forest exploded with crashes, and a small rag horn that had been trailing the 5X6 busted out above me. Then the nice 5x6 came to the edge of an alder patch 40 yards above me and started somersaulting down the steep hillside, landing 15 yards in front of me. What just happened? Corey came to a rock outcropping directly above me and said "I had to shoot in self defense with my fingers!" The bull had come straight in to him and he had shot it at 10 yards. "It was supposed to be your bull" he said. We laughed and enjoyed our opening morning success.