Ever take him again?

[Newtosavage]

This is a bit tongue-in-cheek, but I have to ask...

Say you've been elk hunting every year for the past 4 years, but have (for one reason or another) never managed to get a shot. Over the course of those four years, you spend months planning and scouting (both on line and on various trips to the area) not to mention the roughly $2K on tags and another $2-3K on supplies, fuel, miles on the truck etc. At this point you have logged roughly 20 days of scouting and 30 days of hunting on the ground, in addition to countless days preparing. You are meticulous about your preparation, researching every piece of gear, every acre of ground, and spending most of the winter working up hand loads and memorizing ballistic information to be ready for any eventuality.

Then this year you offer to swing by and pick up an old friend who wants to go on their very first elk hunt. When you get to their house, they have to make a last minute run to Wal-mart to buy a scope and a box of ammo, which get "sorta" sighted in over the tailgate of your truck 2 days prior to the opener.

You supply just about everything, including tent, heater, ride in the truck, years worth of knowledge you've obtained about the hunt area, etc.

And suppose on the very first day of this friend's very first elk season, they happen to hike less than a mile, take a 400-yard shot and spine a big 6x6 bull that you then help them pack off the mountain...

Here's the question - do you ever offer to take that person again? LOL

And that ends my report of my 2018 elk season.

 

[gbflyer]

Heck yes. I’d way rather someone else get one.

 

[hflier]

You offered LOL. That is why I hunt solo, no one takes it as serious as I do. I make an exception for my wife.

 

[MuleyFever]

I would not offer to take someone that had to run by Walmart and buy a scope on the way to a hunt.

I have to add that the actions of the person after the elk is down would most likely determine if I took them again.

Sounds like you had a good trip.

 

[Back Country Hunter 2]

I think you have to ask yourself a question: What are you out there for and what is your goal? If your goal is to get meat, then mission accomplish (assuming he shared the meat with you). Is your goal to kill an elk for yourself? If so, going with other people can complicate that. When I'm hunting with others who also have a tag, we communicate before hand who gets first shot/opportunity. I like hunting with others for two main reasons. Number 1, someone to talk to and experience things with. Number 2, help on the pack out.

 

[tdhanses]

Heck no!

 

[cnelk]

Why did you offer to take him in the first place? Musta been a reason for that.

 

[davsco]

so are you the 4 year hunter or the one that got the walmart scope? ahahaha

like it was said above, if he was good during and after the hunt, sure, hunt together again. everyone has to start somewhere.

 

[Newtosavage]

LOL I've had all those responses in my head at one point or another.

Back story is he's an old college hunting buddy I haven't seen in 25 years. So part of the reason was to just catch up with an old friend.

And like many here, I enjoy the preparation and details, so that's just my nature. He's not a planner, and I knew that.

I'm the kind of guy who loves to plan and prepare because that's part of the experience to me. But when it comes to actually getting something, I never worry about that. I look at my elk tag every year as my "gym membership" because it keeps me motivated year-round to stay in shape, and gives me something to look forward to. It doesn't bother me that I've never killed an elk. Eventually I know it will happen and every year I get closer - this year being the closest.

I'm also happy for my buddy, but in a way sad too because he is now ruined. I'm not sure what reason he will ever have to go elk hunting, and his whole hunting experience lasted literally a couple days total. I would be disappointed if that happened to me actually.

So it's all good. I just thought it was a funny story to share.

To top it off, he was shooting 150 grain soft point deer ammo out of a 10 lb. 7 mag. Wrong on so many levels. LOL But hey. We always say we'd rather be lucky than good right?

 

[N2TRKYS]

I wouldn't have taken him in the first place.

 

[AdamW]

I think you should kiss him on the mouth for helping you learn that months of pain-staking planning and thousands of dollars just can't beat dumb luck sometimes.

 

[5MilesBack]

There's a reason why Nike's motto is "Just Do It". You don't have to be prepared, you don't have to train, you don't even have to have experience.......just do it, and sometimes you'll just be successful.

 

[Firehole Hunter]

I guess that I am a lot different than most but I see several things done wrong in hindsight which should always be looked at to better learn from and not repeat. I understand your motives, which were very good by the way, it is just that a little more thought needs to be put into what your doing, IMO.

1) Should a spent a little bit of time with him before the hunt working on the logistics of going several states away on a hunt of a lifetime for most, ie (shooting, gear & equipment, strategies, 1st shot, etc), which quite frankly would help with the bonding;
2) If we are going to expose others to the hunts that we truly enjoy we need to help them understand what it takes and not just be a guide/outfitter for them that they get for free or almost free;
3) I commend you for taking another with you and allowing them to experience what we find to be a tremendously awesome sport, rather than keeping it to yourself and watching our elk hunting opportunities dwindle away in the guise of conservation or other misguided notion that elk need to be protected from blood-thirsty hunters; and
4) I seriously doubt that your former buddy would have wanted to take advantage of you or your friendship and it was up to you to help him understand what is really happening from preparation, logistics, ethics, etc. standpoint. This elk hunting business is a little bit more than going out to shoot some squirrels or rabbits it is UNDERTAKING, from beginning to end.

Lastly, your friend will always remember till the day he dies, whether he goes hunting again or not, the larger than life animal that he took on that mountain out West with you, one of his "best friends". That is what it is all about. Sorry about the speech.

 

[nettereo16]

He sounds like good luck!

 

[Sturgeon]

Did you split meat? If you have been coming home empty there is something to be said if you did get to bring meat back finally.

 

[Newtosavage]

i think you should kiss him on the mouth for helping you learn that months of pain-staking planning and thousands of dollars just can't beat dumb luck sometimes.

lol.

 

[Newtosavage]

Did you split meat? If you have been coming home empty there is something to be said if you did get to bring meat back finally.

He offered me a shoulder. I was like "a shoulder?" ha, ha.

Actually, CO state law only allows a person to give away 25 lbs. of meat, so the shoulder was probably about right.

 

[Newtosavage]

Firehole, I totally get what you're saying.

For reference, my buddy is a very accomplished, public land, backcountry hunter for whitetails and waterfowl who has put in his time over the past 30 years. He had just never hunted elk before. We did coordinate ahead of time. I didn't mean for it to sound like it was a last minute decision to pick him up. But since I had just about all the gear and was going already, it was a pretty small investment for him to go.

I'm very happy he had success. I still view it as "our" success since he would have had no idea where to go without my previous years' experience and would have had to make all the same mistakes I made to get to that point. But then I also appreciate that experience I've earned and wouldn't trade it for anything. How else would I be able to put an old friend on an opening day bull? LOL

 

[sndmn11]

I think you should kiss him on the mouth for helping you learn that months of pain-staking planning and thousands of dollars just can't beat dumb luck sometimes.

"Master Dumb Luck" is engraved on my Mavens.

I would take him again. He didn't really ruin anything other than a mature bull's spine, and I would imagine that you guys had a fun time catching up.

 

[5MilesBack]

He offered me a shoulder. I was like "a shoulder?" ha, ha.

Actually, CO state law only allows a person to give away 25 lbs. of meat, so the shoulder was probably about right.

That's before it's processed, and actually it's 20lbs. Afterwards he could have given you the entire elk.