Well back in June my wife found out she was drawn for elk here in Arizona. Not getting to excited because her first hunt was just a disaster. Well just a week before season she sighted her 308 in and it was just were she wanted it to shoot.
The day before season:
We arrived to her unit Thursday about 9:00 A.M. to set up camp. After a nice lunch and sitting around the camp fire my wife heard a bugle about 3:00 and said that the elk were up and we should go out and do some scouting from were she heard the elk. Well we just went down the road and got into a heard of elk. What a nice way to start the afternoon. But within the next hour we saw two more heard’s in the same area. She was getting excited about the opening day Friday. Well we checked out a few more areas and saw a few more elk and decided to call it a day and try to get some sleep. While sitting around the camp fire that night my said “Just let me get a shot at an elk this year.” (She should not have said that) So off the bed we went and she had a rough night trying to sleep but did the best she could.
Opening Day:
Up at 4:30 and getting ready for first light just a little after 6:00. We went to the area that we say all the elk the night before but saw nothing moving all morning. My wife not disappointed said that the afternoon hunt would be good because we saw all those elk in the evening. So we decided to walk down one the largest canyons I would ever want to and found and elk trail about 1/3 of the way down. We walk the trail for about a mile and decided to take a break. While looking around I saw a bedded 6X6 not 15 yards away. I got my wife’s attention and she could not believe how close this elk was. The elk was by it self and the wife could not shoot because she had a cow only tag. She said that was the most exciting time she has had while hunting. We somehow climbed out of that canyon and went back to camp a get a little lunch.
That afternoon:
Well about 2:00 my wife wanted to head out for the evening hunt. We went back to were we saw the three heards the other night and sat down and waited for the elk to show up about 3:00. Well come about 4:30 and no elk showed. My wife suggested that we move down a little and see if we might find some other elk just down the road a bit. Well as luck would have it just about ¼ mile from where she was sitting we ran into a heard of elk. My wife froze and just stared at the elk. She took the shot and this is her speaking of that shot. “ I did everything right, I pulled up my gun, I put the elk in the crosshairs, I took the safety of and squeezed the trigger, the gun went bang, but wouldn’t you know it the elk didn’t know it was supposed to fall” She has great attitude and has heard many reasons why people missed. So she just said it wasn’t her fault but the elks.
We hunted another two days but could never get into position for her to get another shot. She said she had the time of her life and was yet the best hunt she has ever been on. She also said she will NEVER say she just wants a shot. I had a great time too. Being with the one you love and enjoying a hunt together and just being in the outdoors with your wife who enjoys it as much as I do was all a husband could ask for.
Well this weekend is her mule deer hunt. The heard is down here in Arizona but she has seen a few and would love to get a wall hanger. I don’t think I will be hearing I JUST WANT A SHOT before we go out hunting though. I will give a report after our hunt this weekend. I just hope that the deer gods are looking out for her and that she “JUST GETS A SHOT!!!!”
The day before season:
We arrived to her unit Thursday about 9:00 A.M. to set up camp. After a nice lunch and sitting around the camp fire my wife heard a bugle about 3:00 and said that the elk were up and we should go out and do some scouting from were she heard the elk. Well we just went down the road and got into a heard of elk. What a nice way to start the afternoon. But within the next hour we saw two more heard’s in the same area. She was getting excited about the opening day Friday. Well we checked out a few more areas and saw a few more elk and decided to call it a day and try to get some sleep. While sitting around the camp fire that night my said “Just let me get a shot at an elk this year.” (She should not have said that) So off the bed we went and she had a rough night trying to sleep but did the best she could.
Opening Day:
Up at 4:30 and getting ready for first light just a little after 6:00. We went to the area that we say all the elk the night before but saw nothing moving all morning. My wife not disappointed said that the afternoon hunt would be good because we saw all those elk in the evening. So we decided to walk down one the largest canyons I would ever want to and found and elk trail about 1/3 of the way down. We walk the trail for about a mile and decided to take a break. While looking around I saw a bedded 6X6 not 15 yards away. I got my wife’s attention and she could not believe how close this elk was. The elk was by it self and the wife could not shoot because she had a cow only tag. She said that was the most exciting time she has had while hunting. We somehow climbed out of that canyon and went back to camp a get a little lunch.
That afternoon:
Well about 2:00 my wife wanted to head out for the evening hunt. We went back to were we saw the three heards the other night and sat down and waited for the elk to show up about 3:00. Well come about 4:30 and no elk showed. My wife suggested that we move down a little and see if we might find some other elk just down the road a bit. Well as luck would have it just about ¼ mile from where she was sitting we ran into a heard of elk. My wife froze and just stared at the elk. She took the shot and this is her speaking of that shot. “ I did everything right, I pulled up my gun, I put the elk in the crosshairs, I took the safety of and squeezed the trigger, the gun went bang, but wouldn’t you know it the elk didn’t know it was supposed to fall” She has great attitude and has heard many reasons why people missed. So she just said it wasn’t her fault but the elks.
We hunted another two days but could never get into position for her to get another shot. She said she had the time of her life and was yet the best hunt she has ever been on. She also said she will NEVER say she just wants a shot. I had a great time too. Being with the one you love and enjoying a hunt together and just being in the outdoors with your wife who enjoys it as much as I do was all a husband could ask for.
Well this weekend is her mule deer hunt. The heard is down here in Arizona but she has seen a few and would love to get a wall hanger. I don’t think I will be hearing I JUST WANT A SHOT before we go out hunting though. I will give a report after our hunt this weekend. I just hope that the deer gods are looking out for her and that she “JUST GETS A SHOT!!!!”
