The younger Youngs

[rmyoung1]

The Young house had sort of a weird 2025 from a personal finance perspective. My wife’s medical practice, for reasons not entirely understood, just had a slow summer in terms of surgical volume. I had a couple of tags (CO pronghorn, MT general elk) that I had to return when the inflows failed to meet the outflows. But I did manage to maintain a grip on my boys’ trips. I took my oldest to central Wyoming for pronghorn in September and then protected a trip back home to Yellowstone country where my younger two held youth Elk B tags. I really enjoy going back home, and returning with tags in the pocket for my boys makes it even better. My hunts bit the dust, but I managed to keep Ethan & Luke’s afloat.

 

[rmyoung1]

Some of you may remember years ago when MT allowed kids barely out of the womb to accrue points. Well, I noticed, too, and Luke entered the draw in ‘25 as a 12-year-old with 6 elk B points. Pretty weird. Ethan had drawn this tag previously, so the party app with his little brother helped him out. We were set.

 

[rmyoung1]

First up was Luke. This was his first elk tag, and getting Luke his cow was the top priority. This unit I grew up hunting can really offer up the elk if big snow events get elk moving out of Yellowstone. This year there was no early storm. Finding cows still wasn’t much of a problem, but… man… they were high for the most part. We logged some early morning miles and gained elevation on Day One only to miss the herd as it worked higher. Luke did manage to find a sweet mule deer dead head, which put a nice twist on the morning.

 

[rmyoung1]

Around mid-day I found a herd of cows bedded for the afternoon. I actually spotted the elk from the main highway. They sat on public ground that we could access without too much effort. We’d have to circle uphill a little, but a nice rock outcropping would give us a perfect sniper’s roost within easy rifle range. We executed the plan, and Luke squeezed the trigger on a cow that had stood to figure out what the squirming on the hill above her was all about. Unfortunately, Luke hit her too far back and she managed to follow the rest of her companions onto private ground. That was a bummer, but the landowner is someone we know. I stayed with Luke keeping an on his cow while Dad talked to the landowner. We received an enthusiastic invitation to finish the job, which Luke did with a well-placed second shot.

 

[rmyoung1]

Always cool to watch a kid get their first of whatever. It’s especially nice when Big Brother, psycho-eyed Dad, and Grandpa are on hand.

 

[Sheltowee]

Man, that is fantastic. Congrats on making lemonade from the lemons you were dealt (and congrats to your boy on his first elk!)

 

[CPAjeff]

Nothing beats generations hunting together - congrats!

 

[rmyoung1]

Ethan was up next, and our first morning attempt strangely mirrored his little brother’s. We logged some miles, gained elevation, found snow and fog, but couldn’t catch up to the elk. We did find grizzly tracks in the snow and had a nice morning talking about things teenage boys don’t often bring up in the current of ordinary life.

 

[rmyoung1]

Later that afternoon, after a warm lunch back in Gardiner, I decided to check out a piece of National Forest ground that recently came into the public domain via a land transfer. It’s a slice of elk country that, back when I was in school, belonged to a family friend. It has been years since I’d walked there, so that part held some intrigue, elk or no elk. I made it up the locked & gated road far enough to glass into a drainage where I knew elk like to hang out. Sure enough. A little bunch of a half-dozen cows and calves stood feeding in the sage about 1365 straight-line yards away. The hike into rifle range would be a longer, serpentine route but it seemed doable. Dad and Ethan were game, so we closed the distance without a ton of daylight remaining. We found a shooting perch 345 yards away from the unsuspecting elk with only 25 minutes of legal light remaining. Ethan felt comfortable and assured me that he was good to go. The 270 Weatherby barked and the distinct sound of a hit followed. The cow soon tipped over and began sliding down the hill. Pretty awesome.

 

[rmyoung1]

We quartered up Ethan’s cow in the dark and packed her back to the truck. The good conversation continued in the black of night with heavy packs on. It marked the close of one of my favorite days with my middle son. It’s been two straight autumns now where I haven’t punched a tag of my own but I still feel full. Just a God-given gift to do these things with family on public lands in a slice of the world I will always call home. Such a blessing from the Lord.

 

[Bighorner]

Well done! Your priorities were well placed.

 

[WildWill]

Only thing better than hunting with dad is hunting with dad and grandpa. Congratulations guys!

 

[HiMtnHntr]

Congrats. How bout another view of that buck?

 

[rmyoung1]

Congrats. How bout another view of that buck?

I can’t believe I didn’t take better pics of that thing in the field. Stupid. When I get it hung up at the house and stuff perhaps I can remember to circle around and post another.

 

[mtmuley]

It’s been two straight autumns now where I haven’t punched a tag of my own but I still feel full.

I get it. Good stuff. mtmuley

 

[noharleyyet]

Jackpot hunt team Young...!

 

[Jbotto]

Awesome job! Fun to read and see all the smiles!