Well, I was drawn for moose and elk in our zone this year. Moose are easy enough. Elk are another story. I hunt on foot, on our land only. I often just walk out of the house, gun in hand, coffee mug in pocket. Half a mile north of me, there is an amazing chunk of habitat, hills, trees, lakes, fields, my hay land, etc. I leave this habitat, because it is getting rare, I’m a different duck, and I love hunting more than I love money. It’s like a miniature provincial park. Guys ask me to hunt all the time,guys who push every stick, it kind of makes me chuckle. Now that four in our family hunt, I keep it for me and mine to hunt on.
After being in a shootable position ten times with various cow moose, ( I love hunting, I enjoy the challenge of getting close too much to shoot for the sake of shooting), I finally decided I had better pull the trigger last Monday. It was a very satisfying hunt, a waiting game, she was onto me, but I had more patience than she did to get back to her supper. She took a few too many steps and I gathered her for the freezer.
This evening I got my elk. On the same field. 200 yards from where I got my moose last Monday. Lol
The elk are wary beasts, I lucked out with wind direction, as I walked into my sitting spot for the night. I had game cam pics, lots of eye contacts with them, until they disappeared about six weeks ago, to who knows where. Two nights ago, I saw the tracks. They were back! Saw several tan bums as I walked in, at the edge of the bush, one bedded down while I watched with the binos; somehow they didn’t see me. A half hour wait and she too took a few too many steps, like the moose did. Into my shooting lane and bam, she was down!
Those two tags filled, I don’t need a deer tag. My three oldest are raring to go now though, and the deer numbers are tremendous; I’m confident they will tag out in short order.
Moose and elk are getting beef style treatment, steaks, roasts, ground. Deer one will be pepperoni sticks, another will be entirely jerky, and the other will be ground and seasoned. So the kids say anyway. We process our meat ourselves, so it is very economical meat. Hardly burn a drop of fuel. Now the hope is one of the kids gets drawn for something in alternating years. We can hope, right?
As I sat on the elk tonight, awaiting my family for picture taking, and a ride home to get the loader, I sincerely thanked God (yes, I believe in Him, big time), for my blessings in this world. I don’t have a lot of acres, I don’t have much money, or “nice†machinery. But... The meat, the memories, the pleasure of the hunt. But most of all? The ring of smiling faces gathering around me and high fiving , dancing and prancing around our winters meat...
Thanks for reading.
After being in a shootable position ten times with various cow moose, ( I love hunting, I enjoy the challenge of getting close too much to shoot for the sake of shooting), I finally decided I had better pull the trigger last Monday. It was a very satisfying hunt, a waiting game, she was onto me, but I had more patience than she did to get back to her supper. She took a few too many steps and I gathered her for the freezer.
This evening I got my elk. On the same field. 200 yards from where I got my moose last Monday. Lol
The elk are wary beasts, I lucked out with wind direction, as I walked into my sitting spot for the night. I had game cam pics, lots of eye contacts with them, until they disappeared about six weeks ago, to who knows where. Two nights ago, I saw the tracks. They were back! Saw several tan bums as I walked in, at the edge of the bush, one bedded down while I watched with the binos; somehow they didn’t see me. A half hour wait and she too took a few too many steps, like the moose did. Into my shooting lane and bam, she was down!
Those two tags filled, I don’t need a deer tag. My three oldest are raring to go now though, and the deer numbers are tremendous; I’m confident they will tag out in short order.
Moose and elk are getting beef style treatment, steaks, roasts, ground. Deer one will be pepperoni sticks, another will be entirely jerky, and the other will be ground and seasoned. So the kids say anyway. We process our meat ourselves, so it is very economical meat. Hardly burn a drop of fuel. Now the hope is one of the kids gets drawn for something in alternating years. We can hope, right?
As I sat on the elk tonight, awaiting my family for picture taking, and a ride home to get the loader, I sincerely thanked God (yes, I believe in Him, big time), for my blessings in this world. I don’t have a lot of acres, I don’t have much money, or “nice†machinery. But... The meat, the memories, the pleasure of the hunt. But most of all? The ring of smiling faces gathering around me and high fiving , dancing and prancing around our winters meat...
Thanks for reading.
Comment