Late Season Hunting with Tom

Alright, for the past couple of days we have been getting smatterings of snow. A couple inches Monday night, then one inch last night. This has made it unbearable at work. Especially when the deer run through the lawn outside my window. I am committed to a point however, and have been working NEARLY all day, then heading out into the woods.

Wednesday evening I hiked and hiked...and seriously, I must be doing something backwards in the grand scheme of things, because I bumped a herd of elk! They filed through a shooting window, at 30 yards, one by one. Not running, just ambling. Hmph.

At last light I bumped a three-point buck and a doe. I moved a little to get a shot and the buck bounced up the hill. I was ON HIM the entire time. Just bouncing the rifle along with him, centered on the back of his head. It would have been done with. However, I think I must have been ingrained with some ethics growing up (thanks Dad) and didn't pull the trigger. Better to have not shot than to have to deal with the numerous other issues that could come from something like that. Talking to a fella later...he said, "Seriously, that little buck must have nine lives. My son and I have both had shots on him, and now you have...and none of us pulled." We shall wish that little guy luck...until perhaps this Saturday or next year.

And just today I went on what some would call a "hell-hike." Or more appropriately, a "death march." I was itching to go all morning, but had work to finish up. I got done with that at 1230, did a quick survey around the office on "Should Tom Leave Right Now and Go Hunting?" It was unanimous, plus my boss was out in the field cross-country SKIING for crying out loud. And it was work related! Go figure. So, I left and headed into the snowy woods.

I'm not really going to get TOO detailed here. But the snow was about six? inches deep and had that wet-snow squeak to it. I hiked pretty fast up a draw, then topped a ridge. I found a big problem with hunting a snow pack that resulted from a small storm following a larger storm. Tracks that may be a day or two old look NEW under cover. I tracked numerous deer numerous times, only to get into an opening and find them old. However, the deer led me into some lovely places. Brush above your head so you were essentially crawling through snow covered branches, small trees, logs, sticks, and general crap. I couldn't see anything past the barrel of the rifle. And don't forget that all the brush and trees were snow-laden. So every movement resulted in a crescendo of falling snow. My rifle and myself were covered. At one point I had snow in my EAR. Figure that one out. My cover was pulled off a couple of times by rebel sticks. My back had a steady stream of snow pushed down it. All my optics, binos and scope were packed with snow.

It got to the point where I was frantically pissed (a term I coined when it was starting to get dark, I didn't REALLY know where I was, crawling through snow-laden brush, drenched in sweat, and irritated.) Ever get that way? You get into a hole so crappy that hunting isn't the point anymore. Your entire focus is to get OUT. That's where I was.

So I didn't see ANYTHING, but had a nice relaxing hike. Right?

And I saw deer in TOWN on my way home...so that makes it better. Right?

Fernan Lake was pretty though.

Looking south toward Fernan

Err, essentially the EXACT same photo.

I DID think of something though. When you are at work and want to go hunting, and people are coming down and telling you to go...pestering actually...here's what you need to do.

Put on the heaviest boots you have with you and all the wool clothing you can find and get them soaking wet...I'm thinking a quick jump in a pond or lake is appropriate...just make sure it's not over your head. Then, find some stairs and run up and down those for at LEAST an hour. If available, have coworkers throw snowballs at you occasionally (I'm sure they'll be happy to help.) After that, you can write it off as "wellness" and get some work done. Repeat daily until the season is over.

Don't worry, you'll see deer in the office's yard or at least on your drive home. If you did it all correctly, you will simply see them as amazing creatures and want to take photos of them eating the roses.

Good Morning Coeur D'Alene

Yep, so we were featured on Good Morning America on Wednesday, November 28th, 2007. All it was essentially was a ceremony involving turning on a bunch of Christmas lights downtown and then some fireworks.


Yup, it is 2007.

Starting at 0400 and lasting two hours, I figured, "huh...that sounds like a good thing to do before work."

So I got up at 0215 and went through my normal morning routine. I know it's weird, but for some reason I always get up at least an hour before I have to be somewhere. Met up with the crew at 3:30 and walked downtown. We joined the throngs of people with only ONE thing on their mind. Getting their face on TV. They would run from one camera to another, trying desperately but what looked like...not succeeding. But they would push and shove. Generally it was mob mentality at that point. I like this....my Dad gave me a formula for how to derive the IQ of a group. Take the lowest IQ of the bunch, then divide by the number of people in said group. It really is true.

Well, after that I just went to work. Then after work, I went hunting. I was actually awake until around 2130...I was impressed. It was a good experience; if for nothing else than to say I did it.



Rachel in the midst

Priest Lake was too nasty

Yep, too windy, too rainy. We were wiping clouds off of our shoulders the entire time. We saw more in town filling up the four wheelers than we saw in the hills. I was able to wet Zimmer down to the bone in a last-minute puddle though. So it worked out.



Cloudy




See anything?

Muley

Tomorrow, after I'm sure a tiresome half-day at work, we shall pursue mule deer in the Priest River country of north Idaho. I'm not sure I'm really into deer hunting, due to the size of my freezer, and my seemingly general lack of desire. But, a hunter as I am, I shall go along. Perhaps I can help others with their pack out. Perhaps I can en light humor upon the group. Perhaps I can just get out of town and enjoy myself for a bit.

I think the final reason is THE reason. I need to get out of my routine. It is a comfortable one, but I am getting tired of it. I am ready for a trip. Something to look forward to and plan for, then execute. I do not have many days off, so it may be a short trip somewhere, but anything different and exciting is a plus.

The meat is ready at H & H, so I shall pick that up in Missoula over Thanksgiving. I am definitely looking forward to that!

I shall try and take some photos this weekend and hopefully we'll have some success. A good time is guaranteed.

Reply to someone who didn't respect my first elk

Note some sarcasm in the opening line:

"It's so nice when people appreciate the time, effort, and skill it takes to wander into a critter as wonderful as an elk...and then be ABLE to kill it. To have the mental fortitude, to look down their barrel at something as majestic as this, and end it's life. I know a guy that couldn't pull the trigger on an elk, because once he saw them he said, "They're so BIG!" He stood there and watched them leave....and was pleased with this result.

Even if after seven years of bow and rifle hunting. After many practice sessions with said bow...and rifle. After being in range of elk that weren't legal (either because it was the ONE night prior to season-opening, or...on a different occassion...because I didn't know if the antlers were large enough.) After encountering elk out of bow range and watching their habits. After NOT shooting a legal cow elk I had snuck up on and eventually got to within FOUR YARDS of because she had a yearling with her.

After familiarizing myself with the land. Planning a trip. Scouting. Learning to bugle, and calling in other hunters because as they put it after I walked into them, "There is a HERD of elk down there!" (No, just me coming up...they looked very disappointed.) Hiking up and down the vertical minefields of slippery logs, deep dark caverns, through brush fields, insane elevation gains and losses, playing the wind, playing the terrain, learning about the habits of elk, finding sign, tracking, learning, and praying.

Paying my dues if you will.

Perhaps it is because it is a FIRST elk. Perhaps it is because my ONLY elk, that I might, JUST MIGHT, feel a certain amount of pride and accomplishment in fulfilling one of my lifelong dreams; that made any sort of teasing unbearable.

I am very happy for [name deleted]...coworker's...brother. But, as Butch said, "If you can kill elk in the Panhandle, you can kill elk anywhere." So perhaps he'll come up? Or better yet, perhaps YOU want to hunt elk? I'll drop you off someday and let you figure it out.

It meant so much to me, [name deleted], that after I confirmed this bull was dead, my knees left me and I hit the ground. I prayed and prayed and nearly cried. I thanked who I needed to thank, and I tried my best to account for the elk itself. I almost didn't want to touch it because I respected everything about it so much. I took many many many photos. I was very proud and thankful.

I read this the other day:

"The hunt is over and I'm watching Gregg's reaction as he looks upon the animal he has just taken. Respect. Reverence. Awe. Gratitude. These are the measure of a man."
Jim Shockey

Yes.

Tom"

I had to post this because it says so much. It sums up the last couple of years I have kept this blog...and tries to encapsulate SOME of what I have felt and done. SOME. I still wander outside on my deck and look at the one thing I have right now of this elk.

I still almost can't touch those antlers.

I can see everything that led up to this like it was yesterday.

As it is, this person who laughed and teased me at the size of the elk that came to me was comparing it to an elk killed in Nevada. She is entirely harmless and feels terribly about saying what she said when I took back the photo I gave her. I stand strong, however, and still feel passionately about my stance. Later, I will probably relent and come to terms with it all, but now? Not now.

I am too proud.



I had to FORCE myself to smile.

I still pray for him