Ever since I was a teenager I've wanted to do a big game hunt. However, growing up in Southern California I didn't have any opportunities. A few years ago I got invited into a group of guys at work that are into hunting and I have been putting in for Elk every year since then. This year I finally got drawn for an elk cow hunt up in 10A, by the Grand Canyon.
This hunt consumed most of fall for me. I've been busy with work and trying to finish up my Bachelor's and then with whatever free time I had I was trying to get ready for the hunt. My coworkers were all doing shooting prep but I decided I needed to get my body ready for the hunt too and it's a good thing I did. I was very anxious about this hunt. 19 years after my injury my back still hurts and I'm also having pain still from the hernia surgery last year. I wasn't quite sure if I would survive the hunt but I did and I actually felt a lot better until the following six weeks of work reversed it all.
I started hiking again three weeks before the hunt. The first hike was brutal. I've spent way too much time at my desk lately. By the third hike I was in pretty decent shape and ready to go. Before the hunt we had a scouting trip, which was also the hunt for my coworker's kids. I went up there October 11th for a weekend of scouting. Looking at the weather report I was only expecting it to get down to 26 degrees on the coldest morning. However, the first morning when we woke up it was 22 degrees at the trailer and once we drove to where we were hunting it was down to 11 degrees. Even hiking I was absolutely miserable until an hour after the sun came up. We got on some elk that morning right away but we only saw bulls and they had cow tags.
We did a couple hunts and weren't having too much luck. I was supposed to stay until Sunday but Saturday night the cold got to me and trigger a lot of neck pain and migraines so after the hunt I decided I was going home. When we got back to the trailer though our coworker that was hunting in a different area called saying his son dropped an elk. So we had to drive through the prairie for several miles to retrieve the elk and every bump was hell for me. We got back to camp and got the elk hung up around 11 that night and I decided to start the 4 hour drive home right after. The drive was hell with elk and deer all over the road and the first hour I felt like I was going to fall asleep. Then once I hit Route 66 I was wide awake and my neck pain just went away.
I had four days before going up for the actual hunt. I went to Sportsman's and bought the biggest jacket I could get, some bigger gloves, and a ton of hand warmers. I wasn't going to be miserable again. Thursday the 17th I headed back up for opening day on the 18th. We knew from the scouting the week before that it was going to be a hard hunt. The drought was bad this year. My friends have been hunting that area for years and have never seen it dry like this. Since the tanks were dry the elk weren't doing their normal daily migrations and they were all confined to a couple spots.
We split up into two groups, starting out with four of us there. The first day we were on elk quick. We actually walked up on a bull taking a nap under a tree. It was a huge bull, 6 points and a nub on each side. Even while the bull was sitting the rack was as high as I am tall. The bull stood up and just stared at us from 50 yards away for almost ten minutes. My friend told me he was getting nervous so get my cross-hairs on it. He told me if that thing charges us then I need to take it down and call Game and Fish. Luckily it didn't come to that and it eventually took off. If I had a bull tag I would have been going home day one but I'm not that lucky. Now we had to try and find the cows. We start walking through the area where the bull was and another bull came running out probably not even 25 yards away. We decided to follow that bull and try to find the cows. Next thing I know the cows are running out of the trees from behind. I turned around and tried to line up a shot but the sun was in my face and my scope was blacked out. We had to just let the cows go.
The next day was another fun mishap. We found lots of antelope on this hunt. We were about 45 minutes into our afternoon hunt when we came up on a big herd of antelope. We got within 100 yards before they even saw us. While we were sitting there waiting for them to pass I noticed that my scope's recoil pin had broken and my scope was pushing up into the action. This explained why my shots weren't as tight as I was expecting at the range. As I was sitting there I went through my phone looking for pictures and found that the pin had been broken for a while. So I knew I could continue with this gun and take a shot without the scope blowing off in my face. Also while sitting there we get a text from our other group that they have an elk down. Only four in the afternoon and they walked up on an elk sleeping under a tree and dropped it. We were considering stopping our hunt to help them out but by the time they responded again they said they had it loaded on the truck. About 90 minutes later it was getting close to sunset and we were in some thick junipers and could smell a lot of elk but we just weren't seeing them. We took a stop on a hill and I decided it was time for a pee break. Then my friend comes over to me telling me there are elk. He should have just shot the thing but he was trying to be the nice guy and let me get the first shot since I've never killed an elk. I stop peeing and zipped it all up and got pee all over myself. I sneak over to this bush and was going to take a shot but he tells me don't take my gun down yet because the elk sees us. Then the elk and her calf took off.
The next morning we were out scouting in the truck before sunrise. We had 3 of us because the fourth guy was quartering his elk from the previous day. I saw the same elk from the night before (I didn't know it was the same one at the time) in a field about a mile to a mile and a half in front of us. This time my friend that was partnered with our other friend for the hunt the day before decides he's going to go with me to try and get close to this elk. We left my normal hunting partner for this trip in the truck. We got within a couple hundred yards but couldn't see the elk at that time because it was in the trees. However, even though it's three days in they were still bugling. Well my friend decides he doesn't want to move on these elk, he wanted to wait until we had the three of us and come back. I should have gone on by myself but I went back to the truck and would soon regret it.
That afternoon my friend that was there that morning went home so we had three of us left. We went back to the prairie from that morning and 2 minutes ahead of us was another truck. It stopped right where we were that morning and a guy walked out in the direction where we were on the elk that morning. So we went south and decided we would walk a couple miles in and get the elk. Well when we got to the area I had been that morning I walked up on a dead, gutted, tagged cow. I was so pissed off. This is the cow we had been on for the last two days.
The next day our other friend took off so it was down to two of us. Our friend that left gave me his 30 06 rifle to use so I didn't have to risk using mine with the broken recoil pin on the scope. We did two days of trying different areas because everyone was now converging on the spot that we were on the first couple days. Monday we didn't see a thing. Tuesday we went out and sat on a tank. We were both sitting with a bush behind us. Right at sunset we could hear a large elk come up behind us and could even hear it eating. We suspect it was a bull but we never did get to see it even thought it probably was only 10-15 yards behind us. We think it got wind of us and took off. We tried to get up once we heard it leaving but we both had numb feet from sitting there so long. By the time we got up and turned around it was gone.
Wednesday morning we did a long hike in an area that is known for having a lot of elk, but they always seem to get away. We could find fresh tracks, poop, and smell there beds but didn't see anything. With one day left in the hunt I was about ready to just be done. My shoulder was killing me from carrying the rifle, I was sick of being cold, and not feeling very optimistic. However we decided to go out again that night and our luck turned.
Not many people were left in our area. People from all the other camps either tagged out or ran out of time off and went home. There were about a dozen carcasses on the side of the roads that we drove past so we were wondering if the elk would even come out to play or be too skiddish. Even though the area had been worked hard all week there was no one left to work it that day but my friend and I. We left camp that day before three and started hiking to where we thought we would see elk. We got to a spot where I could smell a lot of elk. Out of nowhere a huge 800-1000 pound bull comes running out of the bushes. So we know we are in the right area. We keep on moving slow and then I spotted 3 cows. I tried to line up a shot but it was a rushed shot with a rifle that is not mine, the cows were walking, and I missed. I went over to see if there was any blood but nothing. I figured for sure at this point the hunt was done. A rifle was fired, it was loud, they had to be gone.
Well my friend had pulled out his cow call and was calling. The cows got hung up on a hill. After a week I finally got to see the bright orange shiny mane on the elk when the setting sun hit it. It looked like they were wearing a big dunce hats and they were so easy to spot. So there we were about 350-400 yards away with 7 elk staring at us. I put down the stick and this time I take a better aimed shot. After my shot I see the herd run off except a bull. Not the big bull, but a smaller 500 pound bull. I didn't take a shot at the bull yet there it was standing there like it's hurt. I started swearing like a sailor telling my friend I think somehow I hit the bull. So we start moving up on the bull but it doesn't leave. We pull out our tags and call Game and Fish and we were on the phone with them for 20 minutes. We get transferred to the game warden and told him what happened. The bull finally decides to take a seat. Game and Fish tells us to go ahead and put it down. So we move up on the bull and it gets up and slowly walks away but then stops and just looks at us. I take a shot from 300+ yards and thought I missed. My friend takes a shot through the neck and drops it. Game and Fish tells us to field dress it and we can meet up the next day to give them the bull. They said they can donate the meat to a food bank and auction off the antlers.
So we are feeling pretty damn stupid at this point. We hiked back over an hour to get the truck and drove back in to get the bull. Once we get about 300 feet from the bull my friend says "What the hell is that?" I insisted it was just a rock. We pull up closer and it's a dead cow. We're sitting there thinking WTF just happened. So we go over to the bull and only find one bullet hole, the one through the neck. I've got the G&F warden on speed dial by this time so we called a couple times to update him on what was happening. It took us a couple hours to gut and quarter the cow and get it on the truck. We thought we were just going to gut the bull and get it on the truck but soon realized it was way too big. We cut off the head and gutted it but still there was no way we were getting that thing on the truck. So we took off the front legs but it was still to heavy. So then we sawed off the back legs. The back legs were pushing 200 pounds but we finally had everything cut so we could get it on the truck. We were finally able to head back to camp shortly after midnight..
Once we got back to the trailer it was time for a drink. I hadn't had a drink all week and it was time to celebrate the fact we were done. We killed a half bottle of Fireball Whiskey and an hour later I was ready to pass out. Four hours later I had to make a 3 hour round trip drive to Seligman for ice so we could give G&F a bull in good condition. We met up with G&F on the way home and he interviewed us separately to find out what happened. I think he was watching our Facebook because he asked us how we knew our friend that had left a few days before. Turns out they have a new G&F warden with the same name. He realized it was a different person and said never mind, different guy. I thought it was weird this guy's name got brought into this because we never mentioned him but there was a post with him tagged a few days earlier with our other friend's elk. So I can only assume he was watching our Facebook. After transferring the bull to him he told us we'll get a written warning with no fines just because he has to do it so it doesn't happen again. Completely understandable. He thanked us more than once for calling instead of trying to cover it up. I asked him if it's normal for the bulls to stick around like its hurt when a cow gets hurt and he thought it was weird too and didn't have an explanation. Well, this is where it gets interesting.
A week later I get a call from the warden. He asked me how many times we shot the bull. The got it processed and found three holes in it. I told him I took a shot but thought it missed. Well apparently my shot did not miss. I took a gut shot but it didn't drop the bull. This was a strong bull. Then there was my friend's neck shot. So what about the third shot. Well the third shot was an ass shot and he said it looked like it had happen a couple days prior and was healing. Now everything that happened that night was starting to make sense. We kicked up that herd and under normal circumstances it might have just been long gone. But this bull was hurt and likely slowing them down. I shot the cow up on the hill and the bull didn't run because it was already hurt from being ass shot a couple days prior. So instead of running off it next not far from the cow we had taken down acting like we had just shot it. We never actually shot it until after we talked to Game and Fish and they told us to take it down. I have to say I felt a lot better knowing that this thing was already ass shot and it wasn't me that did it.
After our hunt I took my cow to get processed. I did the back straps myself and couldn't save the tenderloins because I did a gut shot. Even without the back straps and tenderloin my cow was 152 pounds on the hook. I'm going to be eating elk for a long time. I've learned I'm not the biggest fan of elk. I prefer bovine. But if I mix 2/3 ground beef with 1/3 elk I can make some killer burgers and don't notice the difference.
So there is a check off the bucket list. I'm very grateful to have friends that got me off my butt and helped me get this done. They know about my back issues and told me don't worry, they're there to help. This definitely isn't something I could have done on my own not just because of the physical constraints but also the lack of knowledge I had on big game hunting. I learned a lot on this hunt and got pretty good at tracking. I don't think I'll be hunting elk again any time soon though. I liked getting out and away from my desk but I don't like being away from my family so long. I'm saving my points for my deer hunt so I can take my family on my next hunt. I can't take them with me on the elk hunt because there is nothing there but the area I want to hunt for deer is close to the North Rim visitor's center so they can have something to do while I'm out hunting. If I'm still physically able to I'll likely do another elk hunt when Zach is big enough to come along or when I can join my redneck family up in Colorado.
Another cool thing about this hunt, I've had this neck pain that started right before Zach was born. Five and a half years, several doctors and treatments and it wouldn't go away. After the hunt the neck pain was gone. I couldn't believe it. All it took was getting away from my desk hiking ten miles a day with gear up and down hills to get rid of it. Of course it's slowly coming back but it's encouraging to know that it doesn't have to be permanent. Can't wait until I'm done with school so I can focus more on hiking.
As I already mentioned, this hunt pretty much consumed my fall. I didn't get to do any of the Halloween activities with the kids this year. Then I got sick on Halloween and had to miss trick or treating. Since then I've been playing catch up on school work.
The weekend after Adri's surgery my dad came out to visit. My sister in law and niece and nephew were over so we had drunken game night. Adri wanted a crown so I gave her the crown from my bottle of crown.
This was our scouting / youth hunt. This was the last night when my neck was bugging me. This picture doesn't capture how amazing the moon looked that night.
This is my broken scope recoil pin. My friend also has a Tikka T3 and told me the rails just aren't good enough for 30 06 recoil. He suggest I get a picatinny rail.
Walking back to the truck the night after the bull came up behind us.
Bacon wrapped elk backstraps in chipotle sauce and peppers.
Dean loves the mixer. It's his favorite thing to play with. He decided he didn't want to be on the floor this time though. He had to be on the counter where all the action is.
Natalie took off for the weekend and left me with the kids. I finally let the kids use my bath for some bubble play time. Big mistake with Dean. He kept splashing water everywhere.
When Natalie was gone I took the kids to the mini train park. I got my first flat tire on the way there. Roadside assistance got me fixed up and on the road really fast. Tire went flat a couple days later and Discount Tires ending up giving me a new one. My lower back was feeling good after the hunt but a week later it all went to hell. I could hardly get up off this train and was hurting pretty bad for three weeks after.
This year we had our first Thanksgiving alone. We didn't go anywhere or have anyone over. Just our family, at home, done eating by 2:30. Some people might like having the quiet time, I actually found it a little depressing.
Trying to teach the kids how to ride their bikes without training wheels. I just don't have the patience for this!
Dean likes it when I play airplane when I feed him.
Natalie's favorite toy. The boopie.
