Yep took a surgical hatchet to the knee. Let me unfold the event,to start
we pack in7 miles to about 10,000 on horse and foot I have hunted the area for twenty years and have taken my share of Elk from there. This year was well kinda nasty you know lots of snow and no elk. We were forced to go low to the foot hills and hunt scrub oak on sneaks and drives.
well day nine after a long day ofdrives and stalks , I drew my last card
I decided to go to my Honey spot. A ridge of aspens that cliffs out to dense spruce Forest below. So I left the party on foot in knee deep snow
worked my way up. About3:30 pm I came across a vary fresh track and right after that jumpedthree Elk cow,cow, rag-tag. Well being that it was the last day of hunting before pack out and we hunt for the meat I figured it would be good to get four more quarters. So made sure he was legal, in my area you must shot a 4x4 or the bull must have 6 inch or better brow tines, then took him. Well let me tell ya he was so easy to gut and work on I was making great time still lots of good light. Thats when it happened ,while using my hatchet to remove the head, it deflected into the side ofmy knee. Well it was about 2inches deep andwas bleeding pretty good. So I cleaned out the wound with snow and backed an insert with snow and used a strap from my pack to compress it. Then I tried to raise the party on radio but no go. so the hike to camp began it was about 2miles to our tent.from there I had to go down to the ranch some 7 miles.From the ranch it was 30 miles to the near st hospital . well when I was in camp I boiled water,drank lots, put the first aid kit to useand with the help of my family made our way out. Its been one month and Iam getting around about normal, I feel lucky and thankfully no permanent damage.
Good hunting
Elkslayer338
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