Elk Hunting... Day 4

Day Four (Tuesday, 11/14/08)
This was our last chance. Broc had to be to work on Wednesday, and we were both exhausted, so Tuesday morning was our last ditch effort. We hiked up to the place where Bill killed his elk again, this time arriving well before sun up. We sat in the spot, and never saw an elk the entire time. Our last effort was futile, so we headed back to the cabin and packed up. When we got home, we helped Bill butcher the back half of his elk, for which he shared some of the meat with us…
Even though I didn’t harvest an elk, the hunt was successful, in my eyes, because I had a ton of fun, and learned so much that will help me be more successful in future hunts. I learned that I need to practice shooting much more often to feel more comfortable with the shot when it really matters. I learned that I also need to practice climbing up steep hills before I go out to hunt elk… it nearly killed me! ;-) I learned that elk hunting is fun, whether you get an elk or not, if you’re with people who all get along with each other, and have good senses of humor. I learned better ways to stalk elk. I learned to never trust a hunting guide who you have not hired. I can’t list all the valuable things I learned, but I’ll just say it was an experience I won’t forget.