Season 1, Episode 6 (w/Bart MT Elk)

[jryoung]

So this episode was on my DVR lastnight (I thought I had seen all, but I guess not), and I thought it was a great episode....maybe because I am partial to elk hunting.

My question though is that Bart shot the elk at last light on his last day so what happened to the rest of the animal? Did Bart leave Randy to pack the rest of it out the next day? And did he follow that goat trail up and down again


http://onyourownadventures.com/video.php?id=episode6teaser

 

[noharleyyet]

Ok, I gotta buy the danged dvd now. good 'tease' Fin.

 

[Big Fin]

My question though is that Bart shot the elk at last light on his last day so what happened to the rest of the animal? Did Bart leave Randy to pack the rest of it out the next day? And did he follow that goat trail up and down again


http://onyourownadventures.com/video.php?id=episode6teaser

Yup, he left me to haul it out.

Really, it went something like this, much against the protests of Bart.

We knew it was the last day of the episode and we were willing to do whatever it took. Only that level of desparation would cause someone to do what we did that day.

Bart had some major commitments the next day that he could not get out of. He warned me in advance, so I assured him I would come back and pack out anything we migh shoot, if in fact we lucked out and found one of the bulls we had seen way up there.

He didn't feel right about it, but I assured him it would be OK.

Secretly, I thought our chances of shooting an elk were even less the Vikings odds of winning a Super Bowl, making it pretty easy to pledge packing services for whatever we shot.

Well, as you saw, Bart made a great shot with about fifteen minutes of shooting light. That night we hauled out what we could - all backstraps, tenderloins, trim, gear, cameras, leaving the front and hind quarters for the next day.

I was mostly worried about Grizz, given we had found an elk carcass on our way in that had been claimed by a bear. Thankfully, no grizz showed up.

We had come in from the east and climbed all the way over the divide, with Bart shooting the bull about midway down the west slope of that range. It was going to be a grunt to pack the quarters up the west slope to the divide, then back down the east slope.

By the time we got to the truck that night, I was shot. This stupid liver condition I deal with was red-lined, but I did not want to say anything. Bart seemed to sense I was not doing too well and kept asking. I lied and told him to keep moving before I ran him off the trail. Our shortcut through the blow down sure did not expedite our nightime retreat to the trailhead.

Worried about how much work was ahead and the state of my liver, the next morning I called some of the landowners on the west side of those mountains, one of whom is a client of our CPA firm. He made some calls and talked to his neighbors, specifically the one who bordered the Forest Service on the west slope. That landowner agreed to let me cross his property to the forest, but I had to be accompanied by the ranch manager who worked for our CPA client.

That was even better news. My client's ranch manager, was a great guy, a hunter, and was wanting to see where Bart had shot this bull. So, we drove on a two track crossing the property, up the foothills, and ended up around 3/4 mile from the elk, with not too much grade to climb.

The manager talked me in to the idea that we could carry all of it out in one trip. Stupid me. I carried the two hinds, bone-in, and he carried the two fronts. He had offered to carry the hinds, but given all the work he had saved us, there was no way I was going to let him do that.

By far the heaviest loads I have ever carried in the mountains. But, it was mostly downhill, with a few coulees to navigate. In one load, we had the rest of the elk to the truck. I offerred the manager some of the meat, but he declined. I still owe him for both the help of packing those front quarters and for the calls made to get us this close, rather than the four miles or so of mountains that would have required at least three rounds trips.

I got home with the meat late that afternoon. By midnight, I was in the hospital, liver being maxed out. Doctors let me out a day later, but under the promise I would rest for a week. Had to defer the next episode with NV Longbow and Jereep, until Thanksgiving.

Wife was mad that I went and did that when I was already on the edge. Women, God love them and their concern for dumb husbands, just don't get what it means to have a quartered elk up on the mountain.

Lawnboy was apologizing like crazy, though he really had no say in it. I wasn't going to back out on the deal, as I knew that he had a lot at stake and would have helped. I had assured him it was no big deal. I even called and left a message that I had secured a way to get closer and it would be all downhill, so he should take care of his business and come by to get the elk when he got back in town.

I think it was the crazy hike in and out of there that was the biggest cuplrit to my liver and the stupidity of carrying two hind quarters, rather than making two trips. Stupid is as stupid does.

Finest of all, we probably had one of the best Season One episodes in the can. Well worth all that was required. Would do it again, if I had to, just would do it a little smarter next time.

 

[jryoung]

Wow, that is some serious behind the scenes drama, almost "the best part is left untold"....ending up in the hospital excluded.

Thankfully no griz, on a hunt I had this past year in BC I had a griz pillage the carcass and boned out meat. There were no trees to hang the meat in so we stashed it about 75' from the carcass figuring the carcass would be much more appetizing. That bastard feasted and buried the carcass, but stole one of my backstraps!

We saw him on his way out to nap too, he was about 175yards from the carcass. First griz I had ever seen, I thought my heart beats fast with an animal in the crosshairs.....that is nothing compared to that guy looking at you.

I thought it was a great episode, I'm planning an MT elk hunting this year with my Dad and brother, so this hit the spot perfectly.

Care to share about your liver condition (my wife is a Doctor and I love to hear about medical conditions and share ones I hear about with her). I wanted to go to med school, but ended up a "bean counter" like you instead.

 

[d-bone20917]

I had seen that one before, but I saw it on my DVR and watched it again. I have my DVR set up to record OYOA anytime it airs. It was a great episode. I could tell you were in for a long night because it was pretty much dark when Bart shot.

 

[Big Fin]

Care to share about your liver condition (my wife is a Doctor and I love to hear about medical conditions and share ones I hear about with her). I wanted to go to med school, but ended up a "bean counter" like you instead.

Your wife will probably give you a funny look when you tell her I do not have a Portal Vein. The main source of plumbing that takes blood to the liver. Most call it Portal Vein Thrombosis, or PVT. Quick link below if you want to send it to her.

http://www.veindirectory.org/glossary/2007/09/portal_vein_thrombosis.html

I have an amazing amount of collateralization that has formed to take the blood around my liver. I still get some blood flow via a few other veins. The Mayo tells me that I get about 30%-40% of normal blood flow from that souce. Better than no blood flow at all, but there are days when the other 60%-70% would come in handy.

Collateralization helps relieve veinous pressure, but doesn't do much to get my blood cleansed. My blood profile charts look like a Richter scale chart during an 8.0 earthqualke.

No complaints from me. Compared to how I was in 2005-06, I am like the picture of perfect health. My wife still tolerates me. I am upright most days. I have the funnest job I ever bought, and it gives me an excuse for acting like on an idiot, allowing me to claim my hepatic encepholopathy has kicked in. What's a little liver problem when you have so many things in your favor?

If you watch the NM elk episode from Season Three, we (Troy and I) were dealing with a major liver flare up, out in the middle of nowhere. Heavy meds, drinking all my water and part of Troy's, got me through the day. After a long nap for me, we killed an elk that day, at two yards. Rather than a re-do of what happened with Bart's elk, we boned everything and took an extra trip, at a reasonable pace. I was messed up for a couple days after that. Thankfully, Troy is almost like a field medic when he sees it happening.

Thanks for asking. Hope that explains why I often times look a little peaked and my speech is kind of slow or messed up. And why dehydration is such a serious event for me.

 

[idnative1948]

Thanks for sharing your condition with those of us who didn't know the full story. Would like to have you around until you get old and are the pain in the butt, so please take care of yourself and try to have some common sense regarding your limitations.

 

[Lawnboy]

That was a fun hunt and one I will always remember! I still can recall sneaking through that burnt timber, it was awesome. He was a bit pissed about the short cut getting into the spot but the short cut he took us on in the dark on the way out was hell. I can't believe I didn't lose an eye stumbling through that blow down and dark timber. I still remember him saying well the gps says a trail is coming up. Yea right! We stumbled for about 45 minutes in that crap before finding the "close" trail. Ahh the memories and scars.

Man I feel bad for leaving you in a lurch on that one Randy. I'll have to admit I wasn't fully in the know about Randy's condition either at the time. Now I know what some of the signs are and try to help by keeping the young lad hydrated. Considering his blood plumbing is screwed up he can still hold his own. Although I know he's milking it when he says can I have some water and a DQ Blizzard.

I think I have paid him back for that pack out though. Maybe I can find a bear he can help me haul out in about 30 days.

 

[jryoung]

Wow again. So you do not actually have a portal vein or just don't have a functioning portal vein? It's amazing looking back through the episodes to know you were dealing with that while hunting so hard.
I was gonna guess non-alcoholic fatty liver disease after seeing so many pictures posted of DQ Blizzards.

...and here I feel sorry for myself when I get a migrane after consuming too much sugar. Thank you for sharing through, unusual for sure, but it's cool to see you haven't let it slow you down too much even you've overdone it a few times.

 

[Big Fin]

Wow again. So you do not actually have a portal vein or just don't have a functioning portal vein?

Don't have a portal vein.

Hell, I know a couple polticians who are without hearts and a few more without a brain, so living a somewhat functioning life without a portal vein is not a big deal.

Mayo thinks I had a portal vein at one time. If it was congenital, I would be the largest statured person they have seen who was born without a portal vein.

All evidence points to my portal vein being a victim of a very bad case of influenza in 1998. I lost twenty pounds in two weeks, very high fever, aches, chills, both ends of the GI tract working double OT, extreme dehydration, etc. Anyone who thinks the flu is just a stomach problem will think otherwise if they get full blown influenza.

It was then that symptons started and worsened until diagnosis in 2005. Never did feel right after that influenza bout. Had a lot of abdonimal and other pain following that, but never gave it much thought. The Mayo looked at my medical records going way back, and that is their best guess, though we don't know for sure.

So, a guy can sit around and fret about what might happen, or you can start a TV show and make a big fool of yourself. I chose the latter, and my wife still supports the cause after four years of doing it. Great wife, marginal husband.

This entire event being the reason for my signature line. Though starting a TV show without any sponsors and doing the "build it and they will come" approach is a good way to run out of money before you run out of health.

 

[huntbux]

Had not seen this episode and really enjoyed it. Thank you for the behind the scenes and a great ending to the story.

 

[jryoung]

Amazing. I have a tremendous amount of respect for you and the show, the message is the one that needs to be communicated and you do it well. To layer on the challenges that you personally face in addition to DIY/Public land is just unbelievable. So thank you for "making a big fool of yourself"!

My Dad's "hunting" health is dwindling so I'm on a mission to get out and hunt. My brother has always wanted to hunt with us, but never has. So, I made him commit this year and acted like a fool myself and bought us all Big Game Combos for MT. My wife was not happy to see the credit card bill, but I can make more money, I won't be able to hunt with my Dad and bother in a few years so I full understand your signature.

 

[Corax]

Fin - thanks for sharing. I enjoy the show, the web site (especially the live hunts) and particularly getting to meet you at the RMEF. I hope you are healthy enough to keep doing all this for many years to come. Between the work you put into each show, the ethics you display, and the help you give in getting the information out, you are a real inspiration.

I came to the show and site only recently, and have been working through the file of live hunts. I just finished the first Alaska bear hunt - even though I already have seen the video several times, it was a great read.

 

[LNGBOWFLYER]

Fin thanks for sharing. Your show is my favorite and after hearing the back story on how it got started just makes your show that much more awesome. That type of spirit is what makes your show unique and hetter than the others.

 

[devon deer]

All evidence points to my portal vein being a victim of a very bad case of influenza in 1998. I lost twenty pounds in two weeks, very high fever, aches, chills, both ends of the GI tract working double OT, extreme dehydration, etc. Anyone who thinks the flu is just a stomach problem will think otherwise if they get full blown influenza.

It was then that symptons started and worsened until diagnosis in 2005. Never did feel right after that influenza bout. Had a lot of abdonimal and other pain following that, but never gave it much thought. The Mayo looked at my medical records going way back, and that is their best guess, though we don't know for sure.

When a woman gets a cold its a cold, when a man gets a cold its called man flu.
But as you say when you get flu, lookout, i can honestly say i have never had the flu, but my wife picked it up from the hospital where she worked as a nurse, that was in 1995, it took her weeks to get over it, but it left her with a cough, this was then diagnosed as asthma, which she still has to this day.
Cheers
Richard

 

[Western_Hunter]

Sounds like your a man of your word Fin