I don't yet have much to show for my thus far relatively short and late onset hunting career.
This certainly remains my most memorable hunt to date. A december/january wyoming cow hunt.
And the most memorable part is not when i finally filled the tag in january with a great friend navigating the challenges of a ridiculously epic snow year, but when i went out by myself in december as a first time father with a freshly minted 4 month old at home. I drove to wyoming in classic winter I80 gnarly conditions, parked the truck after almost getting stuck in snow drifts, spotted some elk i guessed must've only been 2 miles away, hopped out of the truck into the 5 degree weather and whipping wind, bundled up like the michelin man, slung my rifle, and trudged my way towards them
Ultimately, after post-holing through widlly frustrating, endless, deep, snowdrifts for about 4 miles through the weaving hills, the wind seemingly only getting worse, and losing about another 8-9 degrees of temperature, I found myself sitting on this herd of cows and spikes at 80ish yards. Laying in the snow, my hand numb after my glove only being off for about a minute and a half, contemplating shooting a lone cow off to the left.
I looked at my watch, saw there was only about 5 minutes of legal light left, looked at the herd while squinting my eyes against the stinging ice and snow whipping into my face, then looked way back off in the direction of the truck, and started to wonder how many finger tips and toes are worth losing over a cow elk given what would be left after pulling the trigger.
I pulled the bolt, stuffed the round in my pocket, stood up, watched the herd runaway, and post-holed 4 miles back in the dark.
Just something about that day, that weather, that landscape, having a new baby at home... it will remain special in my memory forever.
This certainly remains my most memorable hunt to date. A december/january wyoming cow hunt.
And the most memorable part is not when i finally filled the tag in january with a great friend navigating the challenges of a ridiculously epic snow year, but when i went out by myself in december as a first time father with a freshly minted 4 month old at home. I drove to wyoming in classic winter I80 gnarly conditions, parked the truck after almost getting stuck in snow drifts, spotted some elk i guessed must've only been 2 miles away, hopped out of the truck into the 5 degree weather and whipping wind, bundled up like the michelin man, slung my rifle, and trudged my way towards them
Ultimately, after post-holing through widlly frustrating, endless, deep, snowdrifts for about 4 miles through the weaving hills, the wind seemingly only getting worse, and losing about another 8-9 degrees of temperature, I found myself sitting on this herd of cows and spikes at 80ish yards. Laying in the snow, my hand numb after my glove only being off for about a minute and a half, contemplating shooting a lone cow off to the left.
I looked at my watch, saw there was only about 5 minutes of legal light left, looked at the herd while squinting my eyes against the stinging ice and snow whipping into my face, then looked way back off in the direction of the truck, and started to wonder how many finger tips and toes are worth losing over a cow elk given what would be left after pulling the trigger.
I pulled the bolt, stuffed the round in my pocket, stood up, watched the herd runaway, and post-holed 4 miles back in the dark.
Just something about that day, that weather, that landscape, having a new baby at home... it will remain special in my memory forever.
