Slowing Things Down
As hunting guides we all dream of that perfect client that can hike the endless mountains and shoot far and steady. We sometimes automatically associate the experience, and possible success in the field based on our clients ability to get after it, and that’s were we are wrong. With the weeks hunt coming down to it’s last day, I was anxiously awaiting for it to be over, caught up in my head on what my client could and couldn’t do. He was an older and heavier man who’s balance was limited and I found myself catching him many times as he nearly fell face down in the snow. As we headed out on our last hunt together something clicked, and I couldn’t help but feel horrible for having such thoughts in the first place.
I glassed up a herd of elk early in the afternoon and made a plan of attack for after lunch. With my clients limited mobility we would get a buggy ride in as far as possible and then go from there. Seeing the top of the meadow that the elk were bedded on we jumped out of the buggy and slowly made our way up the snow packed road. A dark silhouette on the far meadow ahead told me the elk were still bedded and they were in no hurry to get up. Checking the drainage for possible navigation and nearly falling over multiple times, tripping on rocks covered in snow and slippery grass, I concluded it was best I don’t take that route with my client. “We’ll just walk the road” I told him as I climbed out of the drainage, my breath heavy. “We just need to be patient and wait for them to start feeding and then we can walk the road to close the distance.” I reassured him, his face filled with excitement. Time slowly went by as we watched a mule deer buck chase does, he head back, showing off his impressive antlers and his nose to the air. His shoulders and neck were puffed up as he clearly thought he was the king of this mountain.
Picking up my binoculars I kept an eye on the bedded elk that had no idea we were watching them. The air was cool and quiet as we waited to make our move. Nothing else in the world mattered in this moment, and once again I was reminded it’s not how far or fast you can hunt, but most times it’s moments such as this that hit me deep in my soul. That fill up my cup. That ground me in my existence and being.
As the temperatures dropped the elk got up from their cozy beds to feed and it was time to close the distance. Dropping our packs we slowly crept up the road, as I constantly scanned the ridge line and drainage ahead of me. My clients breaths were heavy but I was extremely proud of him for pushing the hardest he had yet on this hunt. A small mule deer buck and several does watch us sneak along from the hillside above, their big fluffy ears pointed towards us.
As we approached where I believed the elk would be feeding I spotted one through my binoculars and knew we needed to push just a little further as daylight was quickly fading. Seeing the tan butt of a cow walking off towards the open face I set up my client knowing she would soon provide us with a shot, and just like clockwork they were right in front of us, completely unaware we were there. Standing behind Sam I gave him clear instructions as to where the elk are and to settle into his rifle. After what seemed forever, Sam finally found them through his scope. “Only take the shot if you feel confident.” I whisper into his ear. The reasons we hunt vary in each one of us, but when it comes to taking a wild animals life, preparation and practice are a must needed skill. It’s the moments such as this that ultimately test us and prove if we are worthy or not. Hearing his rifle fire I watch intently as the cow is unphased and clearly not hit. “Rack another round!” I exclaim to Sam and with another shot he misses again. We watch the elk walk off their tan butts disappearing into the dark snow covered timber. With shaky hands and wide eyes Sam takes a moment to stand up and I can see the life in his glistening eyes. That spark in his eyes fueled by feelings that come from tapping into our most primal being.
As the sun began to set on us the fluffy bright pink clouds create a warm pink glow to the majestic mountains standing tall in the valley. My strong body climbs the sleep, slipping and falling along the way. I make my way to where the cow was standing, to check for blood and to confidently walk away knowing he indeed did miss. I thought a lot about my life and the choices that lead me to this moment in time. I thought back to when I was a weak, scared and a unconfident girl. I thought about the family I have found here and the special people in it. This is what I’ve been working so hard and searching for, for a long while. As my body continued to push up the mountain it releases endorphins which gave me the best high I’ll ever know. Many people in todays world view hunters as ruthless killers that don’t care about the animals we harvest. What they don’t know is that hunting is much much more than that. This story I share with you now, and all that was taken from it, those are the reasons we so proudly call ourselves hunters.
Enjoy some photos from my week with Sam. He was able to harvest a beautiful whitetail buck, and had several oppurtunities on elk. As they all are, it was a week to remember.
