We did it. We harvested a beautiful bull elk. For anyone who thinks hunting is just tromping out into the woods and shooting something, you are so wrong. It is waking up at 4:30 am.
listening in the dark, deep in the woods.
Trying to figure out which way they are going and then tip toe through branch strewn woods.
Cow elk are hypersensitive. They will see you coming long before you see them.
A herd of elk can disappear into a thicket of small pine trees in an instant. All you can see is their feet and hear the occasional call. A 900 lb animal doesn't make a noise; meanwhile, I sound like a freight train moving at half the pace they are.
It wasn't easy and it shouldn't be. Elk hunting is humbling. Now comes the real work, butchering. That will take a couple of days. I think that is the other part of hunting people don't understand. The work that ensues after the shot. The quartering, hauling out of the woods, preparing, and then butchering. That elk roast tastes even better, knowing all the work you yourself put forth before it was eaten.
Have you ever seen or heard an elk in the wild? Have you ever tasted elk meat? Have you ever butchered your own meat?
