Mother, Coach, Record Elk Hunter
09-18-2009, 12:09 PM
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Spike
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Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Helena, Montana
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Mother, Coach, Record Elk Hunter
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/7...-elk-kill.html
Breona Bateman Carter was so mesmerized by the huge bull elk standing in front of her, she couldn't move.
"I was so struck in awe of how big it was, I didn't even think about getting my bow out," said the 27-year-old Kamas woman.
Instead, she stared at the elk as he thrashed around in the watering hole and then walked away.
"I was so mad at myself," she said. "I thought, 'That was it. That was my chance.' "
The mother of two young toddlers had already announced that, despite being lucky enough to get one of the 21 once-in-a-lifetime permits to hunt big bull elk in San Juan, she wasn't going on a third hunting trip.
"It's too hard," said Carter, who also coaches high school soccer at South Summit High School. "I told my dad and my uncles when we were out on Labor Day that this was it."
Her uncle Boyd Bateman couldn't accept that. Both he and his brothers, Myron Bateman and Breona's father, Curtis Bateman, had all been putting in for the permits for years, but hadn't been fortunate enough to draw out.
The day before the hunt ended, the men made one last appeal to Carter, who has been bow hunting with her dad since she was 12 years old.
"My uncle Boyd said he'd pay for the gas, the food, just please would I go one last time," she said. "I had a soccer game Thursday night. We left after that, drove through the night and got there at 5 a.m. We hiked right down from the car."
They heard the elk calling and they made their way back to the same watering hole and Breona settled in.
"My dad started cow calling and then he turned the (video) camera on," she said.
A huge elk made its way toward her, turned and she fired from about 35 yards away. Her pink arrow, still straight after being removed from the carcass, felled an elk bigger than anything she'd dreamed of taking.
"His antlers at the base were as big as softballs," she said. The elk has been green scored at 381. The archery record for a typical elk in Utah is 391.
"It was awesome," she said. "It made all the stress worth it."
Carter said that while she loves bow hunting, she hasn't gone much lately as her life has gotten too hectic.
"My dad always asked it was, 'No, Dad, I have soccer. No, Dad, I am married. ... No, Dad, I have a baby. No, Dad, I have two kids.' "
Carter was grateful to not only have her father and uncles there, who were as excited as she was about her elk, but to her husband, Dave, who baby-sat while she hiked through the mountains in an effort to bring home dinner.
"My dad got the shot on video," she said. "Then he dropped the camera and he started crying when we got to him."
Carter said she plans to share the meat and jerky with her family and friends and thanks to the size of the elk, there will be plenty to go around.
"We ate it on Sunday," she said with pride. "It was amazing."
Breona Bateman Carter was so mesmerized by the huge bull elk standing in front of her, she couldn't move.
"I was so struck in awe of how big it was, I didn't even think about getting my bow out," said the 27-year-old Kamas woman.
Instead, she stared at the elk as he thrashed around in the watering hole and then walked away.
"I was so mad at myself," she said. "I thought, 'That was it. That was my chance.' "
The mother of two young toddlers had already announced that, despite being lucky enough to get one of the 21 once-in-a-lifetime permits to hunt big bull elk in San Juan, she wasn't going on a third hunting trip.
"It's too hard," said Carter, who also coaches high school soccer at South Summit High School. "I told my dad and my uncles when we were out on Labor Day that this was it."
Her uncle Boyd Bateman couldn't accept that. Both he and his brothers, Myron Bateman and Breona's father, Curtis Bateman, had all been putting in for the permits for years, but hadn't been fortunate enough to draw out.
The day before the hunt ended, the men made one last appeal to Carter, who has been bow hunting with her dad since she was 12 years old.
"My uncle Boyd said he'd pay for the gas, the food, just please would I go one last time," she said. "I had a soccer game Thursday night. We left after that, drove through the night and got there at 5 a.m. We hiked right down from the car."
They heard the elk calling and they made their way back to the same watering hole and Breona settled in.
"My dad started cow calling and then he turned the (video) camera on," she said.
A huge elk made its way toward her, turned and she fired from about 35 yards away. Her pink arrow, still straight after being removed from the carcass, felled an elk bigger than anything she'd dreamed of taking.
"His antlers at the base were as big as softballs," she said. The elk has been green scored at 381. The archery record for a typical elk in Utah is 391.
"It was awesome," she said. "It made all the stress worth it."
Carter said that while she loves bow hunting, she hasn't gone much lately as her life has gotten too hectic.
"My dad always asked it was, 'No, Dad, I have soccer. No, Dad, I am married. ... No, Dad, I have a baby. No, Dad, I have two kids.' "
Carter was grateful to not only have her father and uncles there, who were as excited as she was about her elk, but to her husband, Dave, who baby-sat while she hiked through the mountains in an effort to bring home dinner.
"My dad got the shot on video," she said. "Then he dropped the camera and he started crying when we got to him."
Carter said she plans to share the meat and jerky with her family and friends and thanks to the size of the elk, there will be plenty to go around.
"We ate it on Sunday," she said with pride. "It was amazing."
Last edited by fiber_tek; 09-20-2009 at 10:24 AM. Reason: Add link
