Not with cast, but my first.

[429421Cowboy]

9 years of bootleather went into this elk, and I am pretty proud of her! I have been trying to kill an elk for a long time, and help plenty of friend with theirs, but never had a tag for the area, bad luck, no elk etc always kept me from getting my own. This year we managed to draw two Beartooth WMA cow permits between myself and my little brother, and got to go on Veterans day weekend since we got Monday off. We drove home from school Friday, packed up camp, got all our people together and hauled up there. After a setback, we got up there ust as the sun was coming up so we left everything on the pickups and headed in. We went up Cottonwood creek and were sitting on a hillside about to peek over the top to look in the timber when Katelyn started tapping me, I looked up to see 3 spikes headed right at us over the hill at about 30 yards. SO then the fun started! Get your rifle off your pack frame, get ready! Apparently guys on horses had broken up a big herd in the timber, because another spike, raghorn and one cow ran up behind them and right past us. By then I had my rifle out and managed to stand up and shoot her trotting up the creek bottom at 80 yards. A 168 Berger VLD getting spanked by RL-22 cut the strings right out from under her and dropped her in the creek at about 10am. My best friend and Katelyn and I could barely move her out of the creek to start to quarter her. It took us about 30 minutes to get the meat hanging in the shade while we ate lunch, then I took a hind quarter and the two fronts, he took the other hind and the trim, and Katelyn carried my rifle and our packs out. We did manage to run into the caretaker up there on our way out and he let us load our meat in his pickup and take it the last couple miles to the trailhead which was nice. All in all we were out by 1 and setting up camp, which was lucky because it started to snow that night. My little brother was hunting on the other side of the mountain and managed his first elk as well at about the same time.

Some lessons we learned for next year; We need brush guns, so a Guide Gun is on the short list now, and I already wanted an .45/70 so now I have an excuse. There was no reason I should have had my 11lb 7mm with bipods and everything for 400+ yard shooting when every elk we kill up there is under 150 yards, but that's all I have for now.
And again, we say this every year after packing meat out, we need to take the horses but it never works that way!
I am grateful to my best friends Katelyn, who has to put up with me, and Ian who are the two best hunting partners I have ever had in terms of understanding each other, not complaining, and knowing what they are doing. I'd be lost without either one of them.

So here she is! She looks small because of the creek but we did get about 150lbs of good meat and a fairly nice set of ivories from her.93428

[Stephen Cohen]

Well done Sir, those smiles say it all. I got my first deer last year I know how you felt.

[elk hunter]

Congratulations Cowboy!

Every elk is a good one.

Now for the bad news, you have Elk fever. From now on you'll eat, sleep and think ELK. There is no cure for the addiction, I know I've had it for over fifty years. You'll always be wanting to be in the woods looking for sign, sniffing tracks, looking at elk hair waiting for the season to open.

[white eagle]

congrats to you and your brother
nice to have helping friends

[1Shirt]

Firsts are always great memories!
1Shirt!

[dk17hmr]

Congratulations Cowboy!

Every elk is a good one.

Now for the bad news, you have Elk fever. From now on you'll eat, sleep and think ELK. There is no cure for the addiction, I know I've had it for over fifty years. You'll always be wanting to be in the woods looking for sign, sniffing tracks, looking at elk hair waiting for the season to open.

More so after you stick one with an arrow.

Nicely done... did you bone it out or just quarter?

[Beerd]

Nicely done, Cowboy!

I see a .358 and cast bullets in your future.
..

[phaessler]

Great Job!!! Something to be said for the "firsts", you never forget them. Congrats.

[429421Cowboy]

Thanks guys, I am pretty happy with it! I'd say we already have elk fever, we hunted them last season from September till the middle of February, and just wrapped up my late hunt for this year.

Dk, we just quartered her since she was only a little more than a mile to the road, then another 4 or so down the road to the locked gate at the trailhead, so we figured to just quarter her since we weren't in a hurry since it was still early, and we could jump quarters if we had to. We just happened to catch a break in that the caretaker had unlocked the gate and drove in, and happens to be a friend so he helped us bring her out the last little bit with the pickup.
My brothers did bone out Brock's cow since they were in a lot worse country and further from the road on Elkhorn creek. We generally try to avoid boning if we can, to lessen the meat drying out and scabbing over.

[TheGrimReaper]

Man, that is awsome. Congrats!!!

[Wolfer]

Congrats, I hunted 8 years before I got one. I was beginning to think I never would even though I called every season a success. I love elk country and elk hunting not to mention elk meat. That was a long time ago and they still come hard even though I've killed several since then.

One of my big regrets in life ( and there have been a good many ) is that I didn't start elk hunting sooner. Woody

[pls1911]

As good as the kill was, it's the hunt and companionship which will carry you through your years.
I think you owe your sweet lady another hug for the grand smile, the woodsman ship, and the fact the she carried her own weight and more...
And oh yeah... She did tap YOU on the arm to point out what she saw... Kinda like counting coup.
Great story, thanks for sharing.

[CastingFool]

Congrats on your first elk, Cowboy.

[Idaho Mule]

Good job there Cowboy. As someone said earlier now you have been bitten by a serious bug. Lots of good meat. Glad to hear you dug out the ivories as I have always thought they were one of the best trophies to ever have. One day you will smile as you pull out a few pictures and a few of them ivories and let them all sift thru your fingers, remembering. JW

[TXGunNut]

Awesome story well told. I'd say the little lady is a keeper too, but I think you've already figured that out.

[Bad Water Bill]

. Kinda like counting coup.

She was counting coup.

IIRC she is pure Blackfoot tribe. They still collect Armenian cowboy scalps.:bigsmyl2:

[429421Cowboy]

:shock: Well its a good thing I hid her scalping knife! A feller never can be too safe :p

[Dale53]

Cowboy;
Nicely done, well told, and well photographed. And-d-d, might I say, you appear to be a very lucky man with your choice of lady and friends.

Dale53

[Bad Water Bill]

:( Cowboy

Girty is sulking in her stall.

The last time we talked Girty gave that sweet young thing a special call to be used any time Girty could help out.

She said she would have gladly carried out the WHOLE elk by herself.

Young ladys should not have to work that hard.:bigsmyl2: