CaddisShack
New member
Had a moment this evening where I was reminded about how special good hunting partners are...
I apologize in advance for the long rant. Need to get it off my chest.
Had a friend (let's name him "Friend X") introduce me to elk hunting 6-7yrs ago. He set me up on a good late season public land spot, and I killed a cow elk on my very first day elk hunting. I continued to rifle hunt with him for a couple of years with success and/or opportunities to harvest every year.
A couple of years went by and I start archery hunting with a different friend (let's name him "Friend Y"). He takes me under his wing for the first few weeks of archery season. He taught me how to scout, how to find elk, and how to call. When he took off to a different part of the state for the last week of the season, I wasn't entirely convinced that I was going to be able to fill my tag without him. He never wavered and remained convinced that I would kill a bull. I consulted my other friend (Friend X) over beers, and he suggested I go up and try the late season spot that he had put me on my first couple of years hunting. I called in and shot my first archery bull (small legal bull) the next day...
This past archery season was an emotional roller coaster. Friend Y called in a monster bull only to watch me whiff on a first pin shot (this will haunt me as long as I hunt). I was a wreck. Friend Y is the type of guy that will do all the calling until everyone's tag is filled...and then he'll fill his. He said all the right things to me and kept things positive. I went back to Denver and shot arrows for 4 days before returning to the woods...determined that I wasn't going to the same mistake twice.
First day back in the woods since missing that bull, I set up on top of a ridge solo. I blow a few cow calls, and before I know it I have a dandy 6x6 at 20yds...and I hit him high without a pass-through. I saw the hit, and I was sure it was fatal. Friend Y is back in Denver with obligations. Friend X is in the area with a friend from Texas, so I call them for help. They arrive an hour later, and we began to track. The blood trail is sparse, and we lose it the timber. Friend X + Texas help me track for 3-4hrs, and then decide that they are going to take off and try to squeeze in an evening hunt (to a spot I recommended to them). I didn't think much of it at the time, since I was focused on trying to find my bull.
Another couple of hours of solo tracking, and I begin losing hope. Friend Y calls to get an update, hears the frustration in my voice, drops everything he's doing and drives 2hrs (each way) for the sole purpose to help me track. We scour the area as best as we can without blood...tried a grid search ...everything...still no bull. We give up at about 11pm. I go back to camp to meet up with Friend X + Texas. Friend Y drives back home in the middle of the night to an unhappy wife.
Conversation the next day with Friend X+Texas takes a weird turn as they start pressuring me to give up one of Friend Y's spots. I end up getting guilt tripped by Friend X to put Texas on a bull in return for him giving me the spot where I killed my first elk. I give Texas some intel on an area where he can put in some work and do some blind calling to try and locate an animal, but tell him that I can't give up exact spots (this is on top of the spot I recommended to him above and the spot where he helped track my bull). I'm still torn up about the bull and now frustrated about the situation I found myself in, and I pack up and leave the mountains.
A few days later, I followed the birds (and a bear) to my now spoiled bull. It was maybe 400-500yds away in the thick timber...still no blood trail. I was sick to my stomach. A few more guys in the grid search and maybe we find him. Maybe if I didn't get frustrated and leave, I would have found him the next day. So many valuable lessons learned...
Fast forward to today...I send an email to Friend X asking to grab a beer and talk some new spots (like we do every year). I get a response back saying that because of my unwillingness to share spots with Texas that it's probably best for us to part ways. I'm a little hurt. He's usually a very reasonable guy. But I guess he's right...it's certainly for the best.
/rant over
You learn really quickly who your true friends are in these situations. I've been hunting for 20+ years now...friends have come and gone...but this is my first experience like this. May this serve as a reminder to tell your true hunting buddies how much you appreciate them. I'm blessed to have a friend like Friend Y.
I apologize in advance for the long rant. Need to get it off my chest.
Had a friend (let's name him "Friend X") introduce me to elk hunting 6-7yrs ago. He set me up on a good late season public land spot, and I killed a cow elk on my very first day elk hunting. I continued to rifle hunt with him for a couple of years with success and/or opportunities to harvest every year.
A couple of years went by and I start archery hunting with a different friend (let's name him "Friend Y"). He takes me under his wing for the first few weeks of archery season. He taught me how to scout, how to find elk, and how to call. When he took off to a different part of the state for the last week of the season, I wasn't entirely convinced that I was going to be able to fill my tag without him. He never wavered and remained convinced that I would kill a bull. I consulted my other friend (Friend X) over beers, and he suggested I go up and try the late season spot that he had put me on my first couple of years hunting. I called in and shot my first archery bull (small legal bull) the next day...
This past archery season was an emotional roller coaster. Friend Y called in a monster bull only to watch me whiff on a first pin shot (this will haunt me as long as I hunt). I was a wreck. Friend Y is the type of guy that will do all the calling until everyone's tag is filled...and then he'll fill his. He said all the right things to me and kept things positive. I went back to Denver and shot arrows for 4 days before returning to the woods...determined that I wasn't going to the same mistake twice.
First day back in the woods since missing that bull, I set up on top of a ridge solo. I blow a few cow calls, and before I know it I have a dandy 6x6 at 20yds...and I hit him high without a pass-through. I saw the hit, and I was sure it was fatal. Friend Y is back in Denver with obligations. Friend X is in the area with a friend from Texas, so I call them for help. They arrive an hour later, and we began to track. The blood trail is sparse, and we lose it the timber. Friend X + Texas help me track for 3-4hrs, and then decide that they are going to take off and try to squeeze in an evening hunt (to a spot I recommended to them). I didn't think much of it at the time, since I was focused on trying to find my bull.
Another couple of hours of solo tracking, and I begin losing hope. Friend Y calls to get an update, hears the frustration in my voice, drops everything he's doing and drives 2hrs (each way) for the sole purpose to help me track. We scour the area as best as we can without blood...tried a grid search ...everything...still no bull. We give up at about 11pm. I go back to camp to meet up with Friend X + Texas. Friend Y drives back home in the middle of the night to an unhappy wife.
Conversation the next day with Friend X+Texas takes a weird turn as they start pressuring me to give up one of Friend Y's spots. I end up getting guilt tripped by Friend X to put Texas on a bull in return for him giving me the spot where I killed my first elk. I give Texas some intel on an area where he can put in some work and do some blind calling to try and locate an animal, but tell him that I can't give up exact spots (this is on top of the spot I recommended to him above and the spot where he helped track my bull). I'm still torn up about the bull and now frustrated about the situation I found myself in, and I pack up and leave the mountains.
A few days later, I followed the birds (and a bear) to my now spoiled bull. It was maybe 400-500yds away in the thick timber...still no blood trail. I was sick to my stomach. A few more guys in the grid search and maybe we find him. Maybe if I didn't get frustrated and leave, I would have found him the next day. So many valuable lessons learned...
Fast forward to today...I send an email to Friend X asking to grab a beer and talk some new spots (like we do every year). I get a response back saying that because of my unwillingness to share spots with Texas that it's probably best for us to part ways. I'm a little hurt. He's usually a very reasonable guy. But I guess he's right...it's certainly for the best.
/rant over
You learn really quickly who your true friends are in these situations. I've been hunting for 20+ years now...friends have come and gone...but this is my first experience like this. May this serve as a reminder to tell your true hunting buddies how much you appreciate them. I'm blessed to have a friend like Friend Y.
