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.
