Re: Back from my elk hunt, I\'m just sick
I want to address a few specific responses, but first thanks to everybody for your words of encouragement. I do realize that this can and does happen when hunting. We aren't perfect and can't control every variable.
wapiti6x6,
Thank you for your generous offer. I hunt with a group of friends from Grand Jct. They were unavailable to help track because they had to pack out an elk shot by their niece over in 61 in a hellish location. I have spoken with them and they will be back in that location for some late elk hunting and lion hunting. They have been hunting that basin for years so the bull may turn up yet.
Shawn,
I am not doubting the capability of my cartridge and bullet combo, just the placement of my shot. There were lots of places for that bull to disappear after the shot. If it was more open I might have been able to keep him in sight. Like I said, shoulder shots on bulls from now on.
su37,
I don't think it was fair of you to make that statement without being there. There was a stream of trucks coming out past us having packing up camp. We were advised to do the same to avoid possibly being stranded (as happened to some bow and black powder hunters a few weeks earlier). It was an 8 mile ride on ATV to reach the basin that we hunted and the road (trail?) got pretty ugly even with no snow. It would have been foolhardy to risk being stranded down in the basin with no way of contacting help. No cell phone service down there and batteries die pretty quick when it is that cold. You don't know how bad I wanted to go down there to look for the bull but you must respect the weather and the mountains when hunting in the west. I am a midwesterner and not expert in western hunting by any means but I know enough not to do anything foolish. We might have been socked in at the tent for a week but we had food and wood and the Forest Service would have checked on us by snowmobile since we were just off the main road. They can't easily check every remote valley and basin, however. Maybe I'm overreacting to your statement but I resent the implication that I abandoned that elk. I'm not trying to start an argument or create hostility, I'm just going to chalk it up to the fact that you didn't have all the information.
I want to address a few specific responses, but first thanks to everybody for your words of encouragement. I do realize that this can and does happen when hunting. We aren't perfect and can't control every variable.
wapiti6x6,
Thank you for your generous offer. I hunt with a group of friends from Grand Jct. They were unavailable to help track because they had to pack out an elk shot by their niece over in 61 in a hellish location. I have spoken with them and they will be back in that location for some late elk hunting and lion hunting. They have been hunting that basin for years so the bull may turn up yet.
Shawn,
I am not doubting the capability of my cartridge and bullet combo, just the placement of my shot. There were lots of places for that bull to disappear after the shot. If it was more open I might have been able to keep him in sight. Like I said, shoulder shots on bulls from now on.
su37,
I don't think it was fair of you to make that statement without being there. There was a stream of trucks coming out past us having packing up camp. We were advised to do the same to avoid possibly being stranded (as happened to some bow and black powder hunters a few weeks earlier). It was an 8 mile ride on ATV to reach the basin that we hunted and the road (trail?) got pretty ugly even with no snow. It would have been foolhardy to risk being stranded down in the basin with no way of contacting help. No cell phone service down there and batteries die pretty quick when it is that cold. You don't know how bad I wanted to go down there to look for the bull but you must respect the weather and the mountains when hunting in the west. I am a midwesterner and not expert in western hunting by any means but I know enough not to do anything foolish. We might have been socked in at the tent for a week but we had food and wood and the Forest Service would have checked on us by snowmobile since we were just off the main road. They can't easily check every remote valley and basin, however. Maybe I'm overreacting to your statement but I resent the implication that I abandoned that elk. I'm not trying to start an argument or create hostility, I'm just going to chalk it up to the fact that you didn't have all the information.
