New to the board Story
11-09-2005, 06:55 PM
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Join Date: Nov 2005
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New to the board Story
Hello, My name is Billy Baker and I thought you guys would like to here a story about my first elk hunt
We woke up at three in the morning to set out for my long journey it was a thing I had want to do all my life, to go bow hunting for Oregon Elk. All summer I had practiced shooting my PSE bow preparing for this day. Countless hours were spent with my Dad working out and practicing. Soon I was ready for my first hunt; I had passed my dad’s test. I had to be proficient with my bow to ensure I would not wound an animal; and that it would be a quick and human kill. My dad told me that we owed it to the animals and the decision on weather or not to shoot rested solely with me. Once the arrow was shot there would be no bringing it back. I took heed to this and became a darn good archer in the process.
This morning was special, I checked all my gear three or four times before we started to load the truck. Most of which I had mowed lawns or did odd jobs all summer to buy. It was time to put all the hard work to the test. Could I do it kept crossing my mind. I remembered all the stories of seasons past. Like when dad shot a cougar that was watching him from the hillside with one well placed arrow. Or about how hard dad and a friend worked to pack a 800lb bull 3 miles out of a canyon in the dark.
We loaded the truck and hit the road; we were heading to Clatsop state forest near Jewel wild life area. When we got close to camp dad slowed down and said that’s what we are looking for Billy. As I looked into the field I couldn’t believe my eyes. There where 2 herd bulls fighting over about 50 cows. The were really going at it. One was a 6x6 and one was a 6x7 we watched for a while and then proceeded on to camp.
We got to camp about 3pm and began setting up our tent and tables. We got out the lanterns and stove, we also made a shooting range so we could practice with our bows everyday. Our camp was so nice, it wasn’t in a campground like I was use to ,It was high in the mountains in a little clearing. We had deer and elk walking around our camp. I was so excited I couldn’t stand it. I shot my bow for a couple hours and then dad Made dinner, a big pot of Deny Moor stew. After dinner dad said it was time to go scouting and I was going to drive!!! I drove for about an hour up and down dirt roads and most of the time we had to be in 4 wheel drive. It was awesome!! Big old mud hole’s were no problem for our truck. Then we had to head down the Mountain to meet up with dads hunting buddies. After we met them and got back to camp the story’s started to fly. I had know idea how much everyone looked up to my dad and his hunting ability. After that it was time to hit the sack, I sure wasn’t tired at all. But I just laid there wondering what the next day would bring. I was dreaming about big bugling bulls and one well placed arrow.
The next morning came at 4am we were all up and eating breakfast filling our water bottles and preparing our gear for what ever may come. Dad and I headed off into a canyon it was steep and tuff but I felt good and I new I could handle it , thanks to dad pushing me all summer. Soon we heard a cow calling to other elk and we moved into position.
Dad began a calling sequins, He was cow calling back at the cows and they answered to him It was like he could really talk to them, It was amazing. The lead cow came in to 20 yards but I didn’t have a clear shot. I remembered what dad said about wounding a animal and decided to pass on the shot. Dad was really proud of my decision and gave me a big hug. I was so excited I was shaking. Elk are so big in the woods when they come in you don’t know what to expect. You just start to feel your heart pounding in your ears and your legs and arms begin to shake almost uncontrollable. For the rest of the day we hiked up and down hills calling on benches and fingers of the mountain. We heard a few bugles from bulls but they were far off so we didn’t push them.
The next day I woke at 4 am again and found out I had muscles I didn’t know I had. I was stiff and sore but it wasn’t going to stop me. We ate and dad asked how I felt. I told him good and I was ready for anything. He said “good, we got a 15 mile hike to do today and if we get one down you won’t see that bed till midnight.” What had me and my big mouth gotten into now?
We began a walk behind a gated off logging road that was a continuous climb for 4 miles and then it leveled off into some old clear cuts. I couldn’t help but think that these old fat guys still got game. They weren’t even breathing hard and I was getting wore out pretty fast. Dad and I split up from the other guys and we went to this steep clear cut there were a few elk in it up at the top so we began our stalk. We checked the wind and found it was blowing into our face so they shouldn’t be able to wind us and we got down and started at the elk. It was slow going we would gain 20yards every few minutes. Soon we were within 80 yards of a big cow. We only needed to go 40 more yards and she was mine. I could already taste the jerky off that elk. Just then the wind shifted and she was gone in a flash she vanished. That was the last elk I saw that day. I was a bit disappointed but it was awesome hunting with my dad. He told me it’s not about the kill it’s about the hunt and that even though we didn’t get anything it was his favorite hunt of all time because he got to hunt with me!
We got back to camp that night and went straight to bed. I was so tired I couldn’t even tell dad goodnight. The next day we loaded up the truck for the drive home And I didn’t want to leave I got a tear in my eye as we started home. Dad looked at me and said; don’t forget about the late season in November” Suddenly I felt better. It wasn’t that we didn’t get anything; it was that I would get to spend more time with Dad. Bring on the late hunt
We woke up at three in the morning to set out for my long journey it was a thing I had want to do all my life, to go bow hunting for Oregon Elk. All summer I had practiced shooting my PSE bow preparing for this day. Countless hours were spent with my Dad working out and practicing. Soon I was ready for my first hunt; I had passed my dad’s test. I had to be proficient with my bow to ensure I would not wound an animal; and that it would be a quick and human kill. My dad told me that we owed it to the animals and the decision on weather or not to shoot rested solely with me. Once the arrow was shot there would be no bringing it back. I took heed to this and became a darn good archer in the process.
This morning was special, I checked all my gear three or four times before we started to load the truck. Most of which I had mowed lawns or did odd jobs all summer to buy. It was time to put all the hard work to the test. Could I do it kept crossing my mind. I remembered all the stories of seasons past. Like when dad shot a cougar that was watching him from the hillside with one well placed arrow. Or about how hard dad and a friend worked to pack a 800lb bull 3 miles out of a canyon in the dark.
We loaded the truck and hit the road; we were heading to Clatsop state forest near Jewel wild life area. When we got close to camp dad slowed down and said that’s what we are looking for Billy. As I looked into the field I couldn’t believe my eyes. There where 2 herd bulls fighting over about 50 cows. The were really going at it. One was a 6x6 and one was a 6x7 we watched for a while and then proceeded on to camp.
We got to camp about 3pm and began setting up our tent and tables. We got out the lanterns and stove, we also made a shooting range so we could practice with our bows everyday. Our camp was so nice, it wasn’t in a campground like I was use to ,It was high in the mountains in a little clearing. We had deer and elk walking around our camp. I was so excited I couldn’t stand it. I shot my bow for a couple hours and then dad Made dinner, a big pot of Deny Moor stew. After dinner dad said it was time to go scouting and I was going to drive!!! I drove for about an hour up and down dirt roads and most of the time we had to be in 4 wheel drive. It was awesome!! Big old mud hole’s were no problem for our truck. Then we had to head down the Mountain to meet up with dads hunting buddies. After we met them and got back to camp the story’s started to fly. I had know idea how much everyone looked up to my dad and his hunting ability. After that it was time to hit the sack, I sure wasn’t tired at all. But I just laid there wondering what the next day would bring. I was dreaming about big bugling bulls and one well placed arrow.
The next morning came at 4am we were all up and eating breakfast filling our water bottles and preparing our gear for what ever may come. Dad and I headed off into a canyon it was steep and tuff but I felt good and I new I could handle it , thanks to dad pushing me all summer. Soon we heard a cow calling to other elk and we moved into position.
Dad began a calling sequins, He was cow calling back at the cows and they answered to him It was like he could really talk to them, It was amazing. The lead cow came in to 20 yards but I didn’t have a clear shot. I remembered what dad said about wounding a animal and decided to pass on the shot. Dad was really proud of my decision and gave me a big hug. I was so excited I was shaking. Elk are so big in the woods when they come in you don’t know what to expect. You just start to feel your heart pounding in your ears and your legs and arms begin to shake almost uncontrollable. For the rest of the day we hiked up and down hills calling on benches and fingers of the mountain. We heard a few bugles from bulls but they were far off so we didn’t push them.
The next day I woke at 4 am again and found out I had muscles I didn’t know I had. I was stiff and sore but it wasn’t going to stop me. We ate and dad asked how I felt. I told him good and I was ready for anything. He said “good, we got a 15 mile hike to do today and if we get one down you won’t see that bed till midnight.” What had me and my big mouth gotten into now?
We began a walk behind a gated off logging road that was a continuous climb for 4 miles and then it leveled off into some old clear cuts. I couldn’t help but think that these old fat guys still got game. They weren’t even breathing hard and I was getting wore out pretty fast. Dad and I split up from the other guys and we went to this steep clear cut there were a few elk in it up at the top so we began our stalk. We checked the wind and found it was blowing into our face so they shouldn’t be able to wind us and we got down and started at the elk. It was slow going we would gain 20yards every few minutes. Soon we were within 80 yards of a big cow. We only needed to go 40 more yards and she was mine. I could already taste the jerky off that elk. Just then the wind shifted and she was gone in a flash she vanished. That was the last elk I saw that day. I was a bit disappointed but it was awesome hunting with my dad. He told me it’s not about the kill it’s about the hunt and that even though we didn’t get anything it was his favorite hunt of all time because he got to hunt with me!
We got back to camp that night and went straight to bed. I was so tired I couldn’t even tell dad goodnight. The next day we loaded up the truck for the drive home And I didn’t want to leave I got a tear in my eye as we started home. Dad looked at me and said; don’t forget about the late season in November” Suddenly I felt better. It wasn’t that we didn’t get anything; it was that I would get to spend more time with Dad. Bring on the late hunt
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