The following Friday we were almost completely packed up and I was working a half day and meeting him at home to finish packing and head back up with the hunt starting Saturday. Early into my work day my father called me and advised my great grandmother had passed and that the services were Sunday. I knew the news that we were going to have to post pone the hunt by two days would be devastating to my son but had no other option. I arrived home early as planned and he was already changed and standing next to his suit case. I told him what happened and that were wouldn't be headed up until Sunday, with tears in his eyes he said he understood and sat in his room.
Sunday after the services he and I drove back to the house very quickly changed clothes loaded into the truck and headed up to Colorado. After 7 hours of driving we arrived at the cabin at 1245 am. We ate a quick dinner and got our packs ready. We hit the sack knowing 0400 was going to come way to soon.
We were on the mountain walking by 0600 and had to park a little further than we wanted due to the wind. We had several meadows we had seen the elk in the previous week and were hoping to be at them shortly after day break. We immediately jumped a herd of deer, they ran to the east which was good for us being that we were walking to the west. After looping around, getting the wind in our faces we crept up on the first meadow still in the dark timber. We jumped another herd of deer and they bounded off straight toward the meadow. We paused several minutes hoping that if any elk still remained in the meadow we gave them plenty of time to calm down after seeing the fleeing deer. Once out of the timber we continued west with a small crest in front of us and the upper portion of the meadow in view. We walked approximately another 100 yards and I spotted an cow feeding with her head down. My son and I immediately dropped to our knees and he loaded his gun. We waited for his grandfather to crawl to our location and told him what we saw. We crawled another 50 yards in her direction before spotting her coming over the rise feeding in our direction. My son got set up in a prone position and located her in the scope. I told him she was within 100 yards and to wait until I gave him the go ahead to shot. She continued to feed in our direction and I prayed she would stay to the left of a large tree between her and us knowing that if she did my son would have a clear shot. We decided to due the exact opposite of what we wanted and feed to the right of the tree. There was a large dead fall on that side of the tree and I feared it would obstruct her vitals and once she got to the end of it she would be in the timber and finding a shooting lane would be almost impossible. With every step she took to the right she exposed more of her vitals and at the very last possible moment before disappearing into the timber I cow called which stopped her in her tracks. She looked in our direction now only 60 yards away and I told my son as I had hundred of times on the range "smooth press", not a second after the words had left my mouth he fired. She turned and began running back in the direction of where we initially saw her. I grabbed my binos and watched her, I could tell she was hit. I stood up and continued to watch her, there were several more elk below her that we had not seen and she attempted to catch up to them as they were running after hearing the shot. She went approximately 60 yards before starting to stumble and going down.
Watching my son take his first elk was way more rewarding than any of mine.
I got a good chuckle out of that line.
CONGRATS TO BOTH OF YOU!!!! Great story. You should be very proud. I can tell you are.
Hope this is the first of many for him!
Best Wishes, Jeff
