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age 49 and working out for elk hunt

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iowabow:
Day 4 Tuesday. I thought after 2 days of 7 mile hiking that I would be sore and have to hunt close to camp. After waking and having breakfast. I felt no effect from the previous days hunting so I decided to return to the rock slide to hunt for the morning. This was a 1000 foot climb back to the location I was at the day before. It was a beautiful morning even without seeing an elk. Having run out of water I decided to walk all the way back to camp where the closest water source was anyway. Once back to camp had lunch with party refilled water with hiker pro filter and back on my feet headed south like a dog on point scouting more sign. I headed down to what the outfitters called "the shooting gallery" and headed southwest from camp toward the end of the valley where I got another shot at a grouse and hit a log just behind him. Lol  I headed south to the top of the ridge and found a nice rub where I set up a blind and sat for an hour. A large storm rolled in and I set up a shelter but the storm broke up as fast as it rolled in with only a bark and no bite. I broke down the shelter and set off staking and found a deer that I was able to stalk in on to 20 yards. It was spooked by something on the other side and ran right past me what a rush. I did not shoot because I had no tag.

iowabow:
Continue day 4 ...the deer was in a great location for our party to hunting the next day for elk so I headed back to report the location and in five minutes I bumped an elk lol. I had just stopped stalking.  Just my luck but found a great trail for the next days hunt. It was a long walk back up lots of ups and down. By now I was starting to understand how the trails and sign fix together and was hopeful for the following days. As I walk back I reflected on all of the and good advice you folks gave me and how nice it was that you shared your knowledge so that I could prepare for what was a great physical challege. With good food and good health it helped with my concentration at high altitudes. I learned with something new you have to have a clear and open mind. I really put to heart all of the advice all you gave me and relied on it when I really need it. Returned to camp relayed info ate dinner and turned in.

iowabow:
Day 5 wedesday head back to location of good trail where I saw the elk last night. Sat all morning. I decided to follow the advice of Outback Bob and climb a mountion just for the heck of it and ate lunch up there. Bummed I ran out of water at noon. 3liter gone wow did not know I was drinking that much. No water for miles unless I risk going down a rock side. I was not going to take chances this far out so did without and returned down the mountian to the trail I was hunting . Really really thirsty by 4pm when I remembered that the water filter had some water still in it. I was able to pump 1cup out of the filter and make a cup of hot cocoa. After the hot cocoa a horrendous storm with terrible lightning cracking above my head for a hour as night fall sat in . I did not want to cross open fields with lightning cracking across the open ground so I sat tight till it was dark and the lightning continued so I decided to just risk it and walked as fast as I could untill I hit the camp. This is where all of the training came in handy. I was able to walk consistently at a 3 mph the whole way. Forgot that I also saw a mule deer up close.

iowabow:
Day 6 thursday. Leaving at 1pm so a close hunt was planned. The wind was in my favor but still no elk. I returned and broke camp and waited for the outfitter to pick us up. The ride down was great.

All in all even though the hunt did not produce an elk it was extremely successful in testing my mental and physical character. I am very proud of what I accomplished and learned from the trip , from all of you and how how it brought my wife and I closer together.  She was with me every day with love letters she put in my bag before I left. Before I left on Friday I ordered flowers to be delivered on Monday.

JW_Halverson:
Comes an age when just getting home in one piece can be called a successful hunt! WE AIN'T THERE YET, JOHN !   ;D

Of course, pert' near everyone here is insanely jealous of the time you had out there in the mountains.  Glad to hear the training paid off in high dividends. 

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