The Lieutenant in this story is my oldest son. He’s been commissioned in the National Guard and is going to helicopter flight school in the spring. He’s my family’s GW Bush.
For some strange reason, my two sons and I have different elk tags this year. We normally hunt together but do go separately a lot too.
Opening morning found Hunter and I 5 hours apart on different ridges. About an hour after daylight I get a text Bull Down. Great! I have spotty service and get no response to my tell me the story text. Late afternoon he finally calls me. He had hiked up a ridge we had scouted this summer and he confirmed elk day before the opener. Ridge was fogged in and he had elk bugling off in the mist in the dark. Bugles stopped at first light. He worked into a better location and the fog started to lift. He cow called and heard a bunch of crashing, cows calling and bugles back. A herd of elk started coming to him. Out of the mist, the lead cow walked by him at 135 yards with the rest of the herd in pursuit. The bulls were bugling. He watched approximately 70 elk walk past him. He counted seven 5 points, numerous spikes and cows. He heard a bull chuckling in the back of the herd, so he waited as elk appeared. He knew the herd had a few good 6 points from scouting. This must have taken a lot of patience as the boy has never killed a browtine bull. Finally a good six shows up. One shot through the shoulder at 135 yards and it dropped in its tracks. He used a 257 Roberts for those of you who want to know. It was a great elk.
By the time I had talked to him, he had maneuvered all the meat to a final access point and was taking a very heavy load last, approximately 130 pounds. I suggested he make it two loads but he said he’d be fine.
He went radio silent for several hours into the night. Wife started to worry and give me hell for not being there to protect her baby. He finally starts texting via satellite messenger from camp. He bonked on his way out. Load was too heavy and he said he messed up his leg. He was at his truck recovering.
I hear from him the next day mid morning. He said he pulled his glute and hiking uphill wasn’t happening that day. Being the sensitive type of guy I am, I made a few jokes before I got serious.
He said he could use help packing the elk. At the time of the call, I happen to be glassing a few elk below me in a hell hole with a buddy. You need to be a little crazy to go off the ridge there. Buddy heard my conversation with my son and said he’d join me, he definitely wasn’t going after the elk below us.
I was concerned that H might really hurt himself if he pushed it too hard with a minor injury, which could delay his flight school. Plus, if an elk hunting buddy, family or not, asks for help packing, you go. I text that we’re coming to help. We pack gear and take off to take the long drive to my son. I was texting my second son to see if he could join. He was off deer hunting with buddies. I finally hear from Clay a few hours later as he tells me he has a big bull glassd up for me. Great but I was with Hunter. He thinks about the situation a few seconds and says he’ll be with us at midnight. This was all great except we didn’t give my wife the Clay update and she starts going crazy about 10pm when he’s radio silent and not home. I guess we should update my wife on our shenanigans better.
Morning pack out was easy with four guys. One up and down the ridge. We went back to town and had H buy us lunch. As we all told him, he owes us one. All elk hunters need a few guys to help pack when needed.
For some strange reason, my two sons and I have different elk tags this year. We normally hunt together but do go separately a lot too.
Opening morning found Hunter and I 5 hours apart on different ridges. About an hour after daylight I get a text Bull Down. Great! I have spotty service and get no response to my tell me the story text. Late afternoon he finally calls me. He had hiked up a ridge we had scouted this summer and he confirmed elk day before the opener. Ridge was fogged in and he had elk bugling off in the mist in the dark. Bugles stopped at first light. He worked into a better location and the fog started to lift. He cow called and heard a bunch of crashing, cows calling and bugles back. A herd of elk started coming to him. Out of the mist, the lead cow walked by him at 135 yards with the rest of the herd in pursuit. The bulls were bugling. He watched approximately 70 elk walk past him. He counted seven 5 points, numerous spikes and cows. He heard a bull chuckling in the back of the herd, so he waited as elk appeared. He knew the herd had a few good 6 points from scouting. This must have taken a lot of patience as the boy has never killed a browtine bull. Finally a good six shows up. One shot through the shoulder at 135 yards and it dropped in its tracks. He used a 257 Roberts for those of you who want to know. It was a great elk.
By the time I had talked to him, he had maneuvered all the meat to a final access point and was taking a very heavy load last, approximately 130 pounds. I suggested he make it two loads but he said he’d be fine.
He went radio silent for several hours into the night. Wife started to worry and give me hell for not being there to protect her baby. He finally starts texting via satellite messenger from camp. He bonked on his way out. Load was too heavy and he said he messed up his leg. He was at his truck recovering.
I hear from him the next day mid morning. He said he pulled his glute and hiking uphill wasn’t happening that day. Being the sensitive type of guy I am, I made a few jokes before I got serious.
He said he could use help packing the elk. At the time of the call, I happen to be glassing a few elk below me in a hell hole with a buddy. You need to be a little crazy to go off the ridge there. Buddy heard my conversation with my son and said he’d join me, he definitely wasn’t going after the elk below us.
I was concerned that H might really hurt himself if he pushed it too hard with a minor injury, which could delay his flight school. Plus, if an elk hunting buddy, family or not, asks for help packing, you go. I text that we’re coming to help. We pack gear and take off to take the long drive to my son. I was texting my second son to see if he could join. He was off deer hunting with buddies. I finally hear from Clay a few hours later as he tells me he has a big bull glassd up for me. Great but I was with Hunter. He thinks about the situation a few seconds and says he’ll be with us at midnight. This was all great except we didn’t give my wife the Clay update and she starts going crazy about 10pm when he’s radio silent and not home. I guess we should update my wife on our shenanigans better.
Morning pack out was easy with four guys. One up and down the ridge. We went back to town and had H buy us lunch. As we all told him, he owes us one. All elk hunters need a few guys to help pack when needed.
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