EasternMTHunter
Member
Well, after a week of fighting with the website I finally got my pictures onto the site so I can write the story of my wife’s first elk ever.
After building enough bonus points she finally drew her cow elk tag where I regularly bow hunt. She was excited to say the least. We drove up and got the tent and camp set up and I forgot the heater. Fortunately, we brought 2 of our dogs and she had one sleep with her to keep her warm.
Opening morning came and she was a little slow to get going, but I didn’t care as it is just as important to me for her to have a good time as it is to get one. We made it to the trail head parked and got going as the light was starting to peak from the horizon. I was set to take us in 1.5 miles to a favorite draw. We had only walked about 0.4 miles when I had a flash of yellow on the ridge catch my eye. I spotted an elk on the ridge to the north of us. I looked it over for what felt like 10 minutes, but was probably only 2, and finally determined it was not a spike. We slowly made our way down the ridge. The cow had walked down off the top and we eventually got up to where she was. I was looking on one side of the ridge and my wife was looking on the other. She whispered to me to stop as she saw the elk on her side. We sat down and she put down the bipod. I was glassing the elk and warned her that the one 50 yards below us was a 6 point and to not shoot it. Fortunately, she was watching a group of cows about 200 yards down the draw. She had picked out a cow and was waiting for a good shot. The boom startled me a bit and the elk ran down to the end of the ridge where we couldn’t see them.
We sat up and watched a calf and a yearling that were with her cow run about 50 yards up the far side of the draw and mill around. After what seemed like forever they both headed down into the bottom of the draw. We then started to walk down the side of the ridge away from the elk when 9 cows and the 6 point busted out of the bottom and ran down the draw. The wife was worried she missed, but I reassured her, as I think she is a better shot then I am. We got to the end of the ridge and looked down and there was her cow lying on the far side. She had made a perfect double lung shot. She was extremely excited and her cow elk season had only lasted 30 minutes. I took lots of ribbing as the last time I had this tag it took us 2 hours. I am very fortunate to have a wife to who hunts with me and likes to skin and bone out what we shoot. She didn’t however enjoy the pack out, lol. I took the majority of the weight both times. Now I need to get us both some better packs!
The view of her elk from the top of the ridge
Tamber boning out hte front shoulder
Our camp
After building enough bonus points she finally drew her cow elk tag where I regularly bow hunt. She was excited to say the least. We drove up and got the tent and camp set up and I forgot the heater. Fortunately, we brought 2 of our dogs and she had one sleep with her to keep her warm.
Opening morning came and she was a little slow to get going, but I didn’t care as it is just as important to me for her to have a good time as it is to get one. We made it to the trail head parked and got going as the light was starting to peak from the horizon. I was set to take us in 1.5 miles to a favorite draw. We had only walked about 0.4 miles when I had a flash of yellow on the ridge catch my eye. I spotted an elk on the ridge to the north of us. I looked it over for what felt like 10 minutes, but was probably only 2, and finally determined it was not a spike. We slowly made our way down the ridge. The cow had walked down off the top and we eventually got up to where she was. I was looking on one side of the ridge and my wife was looking on the other. She whispered to me to stop as she saw the elk on her side. We sat down and she put down the bipod. I was glassing the elk and warned her that the one 50 yards below us was a 6 point and to not shoot it. Fortunately, she was watching a group of cows about 200 yards down the draw. She had picked out a cow and was waiting for a good shot. The boom startled me a bit and the elk ran down to the end of the ridge where we couldn’t see them.
We sat up and watched a calf and a yearling that were with her cow run about 50 yards up the far side of the draw and mill around. After what seemed like forever they both headed down into the bottom of the draw. We then started to walk down the side of the ridge away from the elk when 9 cows and the 6 point busted out of the bottom and ran down the draw. The wife was worried she missed, but I reassured her, as I think she is a better shot then I am. We got to the end of the ridge and looked down and there was her cow lying on the far side. She had made a perfect double lung shot. She was extremely excited and her cow elk season had only lasted 30 minutes. I took lots of ribbing as the last time I had this tag it took us 2 hours. I am very fortunate to have a wife to who hunts with me and likes to skin and bone out what we shoot. She didn’t however enjoy the pack out, lol. I took the majority of the weight both times. Now I need to get us both some better packs!
The view of her elk from the top of the ridge
Tamber boning out hte front shoulder
Our camp
