FNG blew it

[E in CO]

my $0.02... that hunt and your reflection back on it will teach you more than you imagine in regards to elk, gear and hunting partners far more than you appreciate just yet.

 

[AaronMColeman]

Pro tip from a non-pro, I like to carry trekking poles for a pack out. You can learn how to cross them to make a really stable bipod. Practice at the range and it may help you out.

 

[Laramie]

One gear idea for next year. Primos tripod trigger stick would be an addition to consider for shots you can't get prone.

 

[Bluumoon]

Thanks for the ideas. I'll def practice some with my treking poles. I think the primos may have actually been what I was using that failed on the first shot. Somehow I disengaged the yoke at the top and it fell off with the first shot. My tripod (KDC) has a L shaped piece (what the binos attach too) that is attached all the time and make a great platform, KDC also sells at yoke that you can put it the bino adapters place. The KDC is very quick to deploy, I just brain farted.

 

[BDRam16]

Thanks for sharing the story. Planning my first elk trip as we speak and reading what people wish they did better always goes in my memory bank.

Can you pm me what you want for the sleeping bag?

 

[Spence1875]

Laramie is right on as far as the shot, to far in that wind, and remember wind is almost always a variable, not a constant. Great story and lessons. Either get new buds or go with less gear solo. The sleeping bag situation is the truth, having been in the infantry and spent alot of time sleeping on the ground I always pack my gi goretx bivy sack as insurance for being wet or an extra layer for freezing my back side off. Spence

 

[87TT]

Did you use the Big Agnes pad? I think their bags use a pad that goes in the bag to make up the bottom layer. I don't own one as my Marmot has been good for me down to single digits and only a 15 degree bag.

 

[Bluumoon]

I was using a Klymit insulated infatable and a BA foam pad. Went back and looked at BA temp ratings and the "Zero" degree rating is more of an extreme lower limit than a usable measure.

Spence, curious how much the bivy sack would increase comfort temps? I'm trying to decide if I should do something like add a bivy sack and puffy pants and keep the BA bag, or pick up a Western Mountaineering bag and call it a day.

 

[87TT]

I have a Mountain hardware -10 bag I never use as it is too warm. Never liked BA because of the pad in the bag thing. They put all the insulation on the top and expect the pad to do for the bottom.

 

[Bluumoon]

The BA bag I have has insulation equally all the way around, it's not the bag/pad system.

 

[87TT]

Then maybe keep it for better weather and get a cold season bag. That's why I have more than one bag. When in doubt go warmer is my go to plan though. The older I get the less I like sleeping cold. Makes for a loooong night.

 

[Spence1875]

I think it ads some comfort and warmth for sure as it becomes the outer layer and seals in heat. I always carry it in day back or harness system when out solo as an emergency shelter weighs maybe a pound or pound in a half.

 

[ILIKEBEARS]

Please pass your story and lessons onto other new hunters you meet! This is a great lesson to give to someone before they injure and animal.

 

[Ridge Hunter 83]

I may have missed others but at this point in the thread, I see only one mention of the wounded animal!! Major inexperience, lack of attention to detail, little to no understanding of mountainous high-country here, obviously a lack of understanding in regard to winter weather ("the coldest night of my life" / "froze my ass off at maybe 15 degrees"), and... a wounded animal because of it.

What would this individual do in -20 (20 below) air temperature?

Could it be that his "buddies" were smart enough to not become entangled in this mess?

I've always argued that a course in "reality" should be taught, starting at nothing past the 2nd grade and continuing through the college (higher education) levels. But, of course, who likes reality?

I've listened to and read about stories such as this for a minimum of 35 years!

Many times though, included within the mess, is the description of a .243 that was shot at the biggest elk in the history of mankind's records of elk hunting, at a distance of 832 yards, and... the elk dropped in his tracks, but... was never found because there was a storm moving in and he was getting cold!

Perhaps, a better hobby would be writing books!

 

[Bluumoon]

I may have missed others but at this point in the thread, I see only one mention of the wounded animal!! Major inexperience, lack of attention to detail, little to no understanding of mountainous high-country here, obviously a lack of understanding in regard to winter weather ("the coldest night of my life" / "froze my ass off at maybe 15 degrees"), and... a wounded animal because of it.

What would this individual do in -20 (20 below) air temperature?

Could it be that his "buddies" were smart enough to not become entangled in this mess?

I've always argued that a course in "reality" should be taught, starting at nothing past the 2nd grade and continuing through the college (higher education) levels. But, of course, who likes reality?

I've listened to and read about stories such as this for a minimum of 35 years!

Many times though, included within the mess, is the description of a .243 that was shot at the biggest elk in the history of mankind's records of elk hunting, at a distance of 832 yards, and... the elk dropped in his tracks, but... was never found because there was a storm moving in and he was getting cold!

Perhaps, a better hobby would be writing books!

Dear Holy One, do I take a knee and kiss the ring in order for you to bestow your endless knowledge upon me?

You are correct, I made all kinds of mistakes, worst of all wounding an animal. Honestly couldn't shake that for months and essentially ended my season when I didn't recover him.

I wrote all of that out to one remind myself of all the mistakes I made and hopefully saving another newb from making some of the same. I read and planned for a year leading up to that hunt. I've spent the last year doing the same and revisiting my plan from the ground up, still haven't found any uber enlightend individuals such as your self that I care to join for this years hunt.

I'm well aware of how quickly the high country can take your life, I do my best not to flirt with that edge. I was cold AF, it sucked, I learned. I didn't feel in danger, I was less than 2 miles from the truck, could have easily walked out or if I was a turd I could have just fired up my woodstove during the fire ban. Changes for this year would be inflatable insulated sleeping pad underneath sleeping bag and the foam pad inside, maybe with a warm Nalgene to boot.

Please feel free to add some of the mistakes you have made over the last 35 years and save us all some time from making the same mistakes.

 

[Bluumoon]

If they were all as cooperative as this fella was this morning I'd be in high cotton

 

[KenLee]

I just wanna know if you replaced the dude's shooting sticks?

 

[Huntndog]

Thanks for the honest account. I am curious about why you won’t be using TSX anymore.

 

[Deerhunter6250]

No worries high country. I shit the bed. My grandfather would have called it "buckagey", inexperienced hunter letting nerves get in the way of what you've practiced. I shared it the way it happened to hopefully help someone else from screwing up in the heat of the moment. I had my tripod, the one I practiced with over the summer and early fall, to the point where I felt very comfortable at 300 yards on 12" plate , right on the side of my pack. Why the hell I didn't use it I couldn't tell you. The bull gave me generous opportunities to make up for a marginal shot, I believe if I'd use what I'd practiced with I could have brought him home. No way to shoot from prone where we were.

Almost 2 months later and I'm still replaying things. Plan for the new year... Practice and get in better shape. Keep learning. Formidilosus seems to have a pretty good suggested program for working on shooting skills, I plan to start there. Work on different shooting positions instead of just off the bag and tripod. Also shoot in different conditions, most days I was shooting wind was under 15mph. I'm lucky to have a spot 10 min from the house I can shoot out to 700yards if I want. I only practiced out to 400 over the summer (prone off a bag at 400), I don't plan on stretching the .308 out past that.

Equipment wise, won't be using tsx ammo again. Leupold scope will be changed to SWFA. I had a major POI shift when I put a muzzle brake on, as in almost 36 inches at 400 yards. I thought that was excessive, but chalked me just not knowing how much a muzzle brake can change things, now I'm thinking scope may have lost zero. Shot another 100 rounds after adding muzzle brake and rezeroing, zero didn't change.

Get a warmer damn sleeping bag.... Anyone want to buy a barely used Big Agnes 0 degree down bag?

I had one and agree there temperature rating is off by 30 degrees at least.

 

[Bluumoon]

Thanks for the honest account. I am curious about why you won’t be using TSX anymore.

Man, so many things learned since that first year. Happy to say I’ve continued hunt DIY and be successful, become a much better shooter, and understand terminal ballistics.

In regards to TSX, I was at or below velocity where those bullets perform at their best (which suck to begin with).