How did I get here?
Five years ago I didn’t own even one piece of camo. I had never shot a grown up bow. Back then I thought a back tension release was another term for make up sex. Then I was infected.
Elk fever. Oh, I also got Lyme Disease just to make it all the more difficult.
Now I expect to at least receive a Christmas card from Sitka. After all, I have a closet full of that stuff. I’ve got arrows stuck in trees all around my back yard and foam deer as lawn ornaments. I drink protein shakes for breakfast and hike my butt off year round so that I can keep up with the College Boys.
Yeah, that’s where it started. The College Boys. Out there in Big Sky country going to Trout U. I get a call one day. “Hey dad, you need to get a bow and come out here in the fall to elk hunt with us.” Um, okay. Who knew?
It all went sideways from there. Well, actually it all went up hill - steep, rocky hills filled with grizzly bears and the occasional elk. Miles upon miles. Then more miles. I am an expert on boots now. Need advice, just ask me. Oh, and frustration. By the truckload. Well, at least this all cost a lot of money, too.
Then, last year, it finally happened. After five years and all that effort, a bull stepped in front of my pins. My youngest son was right behind my shoulder, looking through my sight when the arrow found a place for my tag. A moment shared with my son. An elusive, incredibly difficult achievement. Hard earned and humbling.
Public land hunting for ek with a stick and a string is one of the most difficult and physically demanding things I have ever done. There are many superlatives that relate to elk hunting. It is the most - exhilarating, exhausting, frustrating, boring, difficult, elusive, compulsive, mind consuming, challenging and the most satisfying personal pursuit I have ever undertaken.
It is this father’s blessing to be able to spend the time and with my two sons. This shared passion deepens our bond. It’s not just time spent in the mountains. It is the year round discussion and excitement of new gear, strategies and anticipation of the next season. It’s also handy to have one of those BoZone Bro Dudes around when it comes time to pack out!
They say that elk hunting is a young man’s game. I’m here to tell you that is the truth. So, it is a race against time. How many more years can I do this? Elk hunting is mostly hard work with a tiny bit of knowledge mixed with dumb luck. The only fuel that can get you up that mountain and back, day after day, is passion for the hunt. Embrace the suffering. Feel your heart and lungs hammering. I love the feel of my boots on that dirt. Straining to hear the first far off bugle before dawn. When you can sense a change in the wind on the back of your neck, then you are in the moment. And that’s why I do it.
How did I get here? That's not the question. The real question is, wait, did one of you kids take my Power Bar? Dang it.
Five years ago I didn’t own even one piece of camo. I had never shot a grown up bow. Back then I thought a back tension release was another term for make up sex. Then I was infected.
Elk fever. Oh, I also got Lyme Disease just to make it all the more difficult.
Now I expect to at least receive a Christmas card from Sitka. After all, I have a closet full of that stuff. I’ve got arrows stuck in trees all around my back yard and foam deer as lawn ornaments. I drink protein shakes for breakfast and hike my butt off year round so that I can keep up with the College Boys.
Yeah, that’s where it started. The College Boys. Out there in Big Sky country going to Trout U. I get a call one day. “Hey dad, you need to get a bow and come out here in the fall to elk hunt with us.” Um, okay. Who knew?
It all went sideways from there. Well, actually it all went up hill - steep, rocky hills filled with grizzly bears and the occasional elk. Miles upon miles. Then more miles. I am an expert on boots now. Need advice, just ask me. Oh, and frustration. By the truckload. Well, at least this all cost a lot of money, too.
Then, last year, it finally happened. After five years and all that effort, a bull stepped in front of my pins. My youngest son was right behind my shoulder, looking through my sight when the arrow found a place for my tag. A moment shared with my son. An elusive, incredibly difficult achievement. Hard earned and humbling.
Public land hunting for ek with a stick and a string is one of the most difficult and physically demanding things I have ever done. There are many superlatives that relate to elk hunting. It is the most - exhilarating, exhausting, frustrating, boring, difficult, elusive, compulsive, mind consuming, challenging and the most satisfying personal pursuit I have ever undertaken.
It is this father’s blessing to be able to spend the time and with my two sons. This shared passion deepens our bond. It’s not just time spent in the mountains. It is the year round discussion and excitement of new gear, strategies and anticipation of the next season. It’s also handy to have one of those BoZone Bro Dudes around when it comes time to pack out!
They say that elk hunting is a young man’s game. I’m here to tell you that is the truth. So, it is a race against time. How many more years can I do this? Elk hunting is mostly hard work with a tiny bit of knowledge mixed with dumb luck. The only fuel that can get you up that mountain and back, day after day, is passion for the hunt. Embrace the suffering. Feel your heart and lungs hammering. I love the feel of my boots on that dirt. Straining to hear the first far off bugle before dawn. When you can sense a change in the wind on the back of your neck, then you are in the moment. And that’s why I do it.
How did I get here? That's not the question. The real question is, wait, did one of you kids take my Power Bar? Dang it.
