LAST EDITED ON Sep-11-11 AT 11:15PM (MST)[p]avacadoboy
It was so nice for you to call and share your hunt with me today. I truly do appreciate knowing how your hunt turned out.
I would like to congratulate you publicly on taking an outstanding bull. Successfully taking a mature bull elk with a bow is a tremendous accomplishment. You should be thrilled with your trophy and I can tell that you are.
I'd like to take a moment and tell the folks a little more about your hunt because I believe it is a good example of how hunters can successfully accomplish their goals and ambitions.
avacadoboy had never been on the Monroe before he drew the tag. Once he drew it he started to research the unit. He got gov't maps of the area. He looked for people on MM that claimed to know the area. He called them and asked for help. He came down to the unit numerous times during the summer to learn the roads, trails and terrain and asked everyone he could where the elk would be during the archery season and he listened to what he was told and then verified it himself to make sure what was good information. He walked the trails and the found the water and the pastures. He asked landowners if he could hunt there property, some told him yes, others told him no. He keep a positive attitude regardless of their response, always attentive, polite, and persistent.
Once the hunt started, he was up early, listening, traveling, locating and watching elk behavior. He learned where they were in the morning, what they did during the day and where they were in the evening. He tried different calling techniques, some worked, some didn't. He watched and learned from the reaction of the bulls to the calls and didn't get discouraged. He changed from one kind of call to a different call, again watched and learned from their reaction.
He hunted and went home, then returned, went home again and returned again. He brought his young son and allowed him to participate in the hunting. He didn't leave him in camp, he was on the hunt. (While his son wasn't able to be with him the day of the kill, he'd been very involved in the scouting and the hunting throughout the event.)
He got help, family and friends were invited and participated. Once the bull was on the ground, rather than gut wrenching work, the joy of the harvest and the thrill of success was enjoyed by all 4 hunters Even though only one nocked an arrow, all get credit and reward in the adventure.
Learning to put an arrow where you want it, is in itself a skill that takes time and dedication. Clearly avacadoboy made the commitment well before the hunt.
I never got to spend a lot of time with him but in the short time we shared on the mountain together, I got a new friend and that is what is most important to me. When my friends are successful, it makes me feel successful and I get tp steal a piece of their joy for myself.
So my friend, I say again, "Well done. You deserve every thing you got out of this hunt, you did it right and straight up earned it and you have my upmost respect."
Admire "your" bull, it's an old warrior, massive and smart, and will forever life in your mind and memories.
DC
It hit his heart and it only ran down 50 yards. The best part is my friend, brother in law, and my brother were right there with me to share in this ,Oh and having it die less than 200 yards from the main road wasn't bad either 
