My Turn to Give Back

[elkholla]

When I first heard that Brian had come up with this idea of documenting a years worth of hunting adventures I thought about participating, but felt like I didn't have enough to share that would be interesting for you all to read. I don't have a Limited Entry Deer, Elk, or Moose tag burning a hole in my pocket to share about. I don't have an Alaskan, or Northern Territory Adventure planned that I can share about. I don't even have a general season Elk license yet. What I do have, however, is an opportunity to give back this year. I have been very fortunate to have had the opportunity of killing a trophy bull elk with my bow on a LE tag. I've had the opportunity to kill a trophy deer, and a trophy antelope, and many other animals. I could write a whole book on those experiences, but what's most important to me about those experiences are the people I shared them with. Family, and friends. All of whom participated in MY success in the past, and they have worked hard to help me with that success in many different area's. They have joined with me in everything from the pre-season scouting, to the boning of a 1000lbs bull elk on the side of a mountain in the blazing sun...only to throw hundreds of pounds of meet in their packs and hike the meat off the mountain. For those of you who have been in this situation before....I know you understand me when I say...you have to experience what that is like, to really appreciate good friends.

Long before Brian posted this invitation to document a hunting adventure I had already committed myself for 2010 to give back to those hunting buddies who have done so much for me. I'll have several opportunities this year to give back and help those around me be successful in 2010 and I hope to be able to share with you in the experiences, the struggles, the challenges, and hopefully the successes at the end of the year. I am a man that believes the only way to find true success is through hard work. So this adventure will begin with just that: the work.

"Luck is often nothing more than preparation running into opportunity.?
-Some Smart Guy

 

[elkholla]

The Work

LAST EDITED ON Jun-27-10 AT 00:43AM (MST)[p]THE WORK:

Starting retroactively on the year and how the "work" started. I had knee surgery on May 20, 2010. I've had a bad left knee for several years, and 2008 was sort of the nail in the coffin for me. My dad and good buddy both drew LE Archery Elk tags on the Wasatch mountains of Utah. We spent days and days in the woods in pursuit of the elk and had many opportunities to harvest elk. We passed on several smaller bulls that gave us opportunities, but ended up really battling an uncharacteristically quiet rut that year. The elk finally started to become responsive the last two days and both my Dad, and my buddy had opportunities to kill a mature bull...but couldn't bring it all together; hard to do everything perfectly. Unfortunately, when you hunt with a bow perfection is a necessity! Long story short, we wore out a lot of rubber on our boots that year, and when the year ended I literally spent the next month all but crippled. So thats-that. I tried to kid myself in 2009 and get to the hills again, but again, same result. So, 2010 I went under the knife and what a fun experience that was NOT! The surgery itself was painless; it was the recovery and rehab. Good thing for Will Primo's and all of his hunting videos to get me through it!! Recovery has been miserable, and although I am still not at 100% I am pushing myself everyday to be 100% come the hunts.

Last Wednesday the 23rd of June I started my real hunting adventure for 2010. I called a friend who holds a LE Rifle Elk permit and told him I was headed up to do some scouting and hang some trail cams for him. He decided to take off work and join me. We met at the base of the mountain, and I jumped in his truck and we headed up the rough dirt road that would take us to our "honey hole." Unfortunately, about 3/4 of a mile up the road we were greeted with dozens of downed trees blocking the road. We tried everything we could to get around the trees, but there was no way. So, we headed back into the city to try and locate a chain saw. After several efforts to find one to barrow, or rent, I ended up buying one from a small hardware store in town. $250 later, we were back up on the mountain cutting through trees. We spent the better part of that day clearing the road in, but we made it.

Once we arrived, I took off on what would be the first and real challenge that I would put on my knee. It was slow going at first, but seemed to get easier once I started to work up a sweat. I hiked about 3 miles that day, and hung a trail cam, while my buddy went to another location to hang his camera. My buddy Cody placed his trail cam in a location that we have found to be VERY fruitful for large bulls in the past. Here are a couple of pictures from the past years from this same wallow:

For those of you who say the Wasatch Unit is a waste of time to hunt....check out this Bullicious stud of a bull! Yep...this is on the Wasatch! I think it's the biggest sleeper unit in Utah. Just stay away from the Strawberry area that gets hunted by everybody, and hike a long way and BAM!!!

I ended up harvesting this bull with my bow in 2007:

Here is my bull. I actually first saw this bull while scouting with my Dad in 2007. I was about 100yrds from this wallow, and I jumped them from their beds on accident. Several bulls scattered, and I am 90% sure that this same bull circled right into me and we had a stand-off for 10 minutes. He then walked right to me and passed me at about 10 yards. Close enough I could see the flies in his eyes. Cody should get some really good pictures from this specific location. It holds a lot of bulls!

We'll let those cameras? sit for a couple of weeks and then we will revisit the location and check on the camera, pull the pictures and reset everything for more pictures. If necessary, we will remove the cameras and relocate them.

Interesting side note about the tag that Cody is holding. In 2008, Cody is the same buddy that hunted along side my Dad holding a LE Archery Elk Tag on the Wasatch. Two years later...he is holding a LE Rifle Elk Tag. How is this possible? That is the same question I asked. Turns out he has more luck than anybody I've ever met. Cody was a dedicated hunter in 2009 and was unsuccessful in harvesting a deer. So he submitted his uncut Dedicated Hunter license to the Division of Wildlife, and his name was drawn for a LE Rifle Elk tag on the Wasatch Mountain range for 2010. Unbelievable right? I think Cody was just as skeptical as the rest of us, but the DWR confirmed it and he has the tag in his pocket! So round two, we get a chance to redeem ourselves!

Stay tuned!!


"Luck is often nothing more than preparation running into opportunity.?
-Some Smart Guy