Elk Hunting

I am once again back in the woods quite literally in pursuit of a Cow Elk. I have been swamped with work in my shop which in my view is a positive experience, yet leaves me at times wishing I was chasing waterfowl a bit more often. Have not even dawned my chest high waders yet this year. As for my elk hunt, well lets just say I have way more experience and practice chasing elk than I do actually shooting elk. This time around the weather has been better. I began this hunt a few days ago with anywhere from zero to 4 or 5" of old wet snow that has gone through several freeze thaw cycles leaving it crunchy loud and then slushy as temps warm throughout each day. Now the rain has returned. Tracking is challenging as the tracks get washed out quickly and unless you happen to be right on'em it's a put in your time and hope you have a bit of luck on your side. I hope we actually get enough rain to melt most of the snow so that it will be a bit quieter while walking.

I did have an opportunity a few days ago but I rushed my shot and flat out missed. I was on several fresh tracks when the temps were a bit colder and it always happens so fast. I stalked on fresh tracks for maybe 10 minutes and before I knew it I saw a flash of brown through the woods. Instantly my adrenaline kicked in. I told myself to stay calm as I held my position so I could figure out where they were. The air was pungent with the smell of elk. I began to creep towards them and then I saw  a lone cow and another cow/calf pair. I dropped to one knee and took aim making sure this indeed was a cow and as I squeezed the trigger I must have raised my head and shot over her. The woods were fairly thick and dark with lots of Bitterbrush and blow downs. The shot startled them, in total a shy half dozen so elk and no bulls that I ever saw. They ran about 20 yards and then stopped looking for the danger and I looked through my bins to see if I hit the cow and I never saw any blood or sign there was an injured cow.  With that being said I was not able to keep a visual on the cow I shot at during their movement. So another shot was unethical until I knew for sure that I had a clean miss or an injured cow to start tracking. Albeit I had a much better second shot opportunity as they searched for me and it still pains me that I missed, but yet it was the right choice to not take another shot. Tis better to be sure than to have a wounded animal and or possibly a second animal shot and killed. That would have been an even bigger knot in my belly than the one I already had. I was losing daylight and I circled numerous times to be sure there was no blood or some blood. I went back the next morning as well and followed their tracks out of the areas and across the highway to the East and a bunch crossed the river to the West. Confirmation of a clean miss and hopefully a lesson learned. Though sometimes you don't have the luxery of a second shot, especially hunting in the pole thickets east of the Cascades.

This is what they call elk hunting and it is not for the faint of heart. Typically, easy is seldom if ever part of the equation while persistence and patience are your best friends. With that being said time for me to get geared up for the afternoon/evening hunt and try to find them again. With any luck I will be back with a story of the one that didn't get away. Not necessarily today, but by season's end.


Women's Hunting Journal         Integrity For The Hunt

Where To Begin ?

This is in response to the article that C. Orlet wrote on the The American Spectator. This has become the recent challenge put forth by Kristine at Outdoor Bloggers Summit. A very good challenge and I am looking forward to reading what my fellow bloggers have to say too. After reading the comments that followed the article I have a pretty good idea what will be written. To read the article (if you really want to, click on his name above).

The article was offensive to everyone who enjoys the outdoors. The article was also done in poor taste, be it a stab at humor which I doubt nor from first hand experience. If this individual is a hunter I am glad he doesn't live and hunt in my state. I would be scared to be anywhere near when he says, "men need to have a gun in one hand and a beer in the other". WHOA, not good judgement there. Ever hear of Hunter's Education classes? I don't think Mr. Orlet has a Hunter's Ed. card, do you? For that matter does he even have common sense? I know, a rhetorical question. Continuing on let me say that the article was one that creates division among all people, not just those of us who enjoy the outdoors. To say in this day and age that a woman does not belong in the "blood sports" and that such places are reserved for "man's primitave instincts to kick in" is totally absurd. It really makes me want to up chuck on him directly.

I choose to not go through the above mentioned offensive article line by line disproving the writers beliefs. When I am more inclined to surround myself with like minded individuals who are open minded and enjoy being with women in the shooting sports, fishing or whatever activity they choose to embark upon in the great outdoors. As I have written about before and will mention again is, how fortunate I am to have been raised by parents who supported and encouraged me in whatever activity I showed an interest, regardless of social norms related to gender specificity. I am a woman, I am a woodworker who builds custom furniture employing the old methods of using chisels and mallets, I am a competent fly fisherman and accomplished hunter. I can lay in a ground blind for hours in single digit weather and I can pursue waterfowl with recently a torn knee ligament. Don't talk to me about breaking a fingernail because you sorely underestimate what we women are truly made of. Shall I mention child birth, does that clue you in at all? I make no apologies for who I am or what I enjoy doing. I am appreciative of the men in my life who are secure in knowing who they are, and that my presence does not make them want to act out like Mr. Orlet. Some days they out shoot me and other days I them. We do not keep score, yet we remember the good times we shared.

I doubt Mr.Orlet spends much time if any with women and that is certainly his loss. In a time when the hunting industry is being attacked by anti hunting groups we don't need a so called hunter damning his own. We need to pull together as a group of individuals who enjoy the outdoors in whatever way it is that you do so. When we as a nation can respect each others differences and still find common ground as people, then we will be moving in the right direction. Creating more separatism and division amongst ourselves is not progress.

Suffice it to say that I am thankful to be me and to have the quality friends that I do. I do not want to continue to give mention to such a discriminatory, offensive article and rather choose to support endeavors where I can contribute in a positive manner. I was thrilled to read the comments as to how outraged 90% of my fellow bloggers were. Seems there are going to be a few bad apples in very bunch, and just when I thought we were making some progress too. I hope he goes back under his rock with his jug of Wild Turkey, please! Case closed.

Women's Hunting Journal Integrity For The Hunt

Why Do You Hunt?

Have you asked yourself lately, why do you hunt? Other than the fact that we get to see and experience a lot of cool things, deep down . . . what are your reasons for hunting? For the past week I have been in my shop completing drawer orders for the upcoming week. That gives me plenty of time to think about these thoughts that ramble through my head at any given time for whatever reason. Most ramblings revolve around hunting, and the philosophical aspects of such a passion.

Specifically my passion and personal evolution as a woman huntress during the period of time I chose to step away from hunting for 9 years. Talk about gaining clarity, as to ones' motives for hunting. Ultimately I chose to re-enter the hunting world, with a renewed sense of respect for myself and my quarry. After 9 years away from hunting I knew very well that on that first day I returned to the field and fired my first shot, that it might also be my last. No longer was hunting a numbers game, and about having to get my daily bag limit of ducks. I was open to whatever resonated within me. I was ready to accept the responsibility for taking of a life.

Throughout my hunting experiences I have remained steadfast in my beliefs about not wasting any part of the prey that can feed, warm and sustain me. There remains a part of me that is emotionally moved by the taking of a life. Before I took my 9 year hunting sabbatical I repressed the painful emotions including remorse that I felt the moment I realized the animal I shot was dead. This is a hard thing to explain, because it encompasses so many emotions. I was pleased that I'd honed my shooting abilities to make clean kills, yet my motives for pursuing my prey were ill defined. My reasons for being in the field needed clarification.

After 22 years of hunting I realized that my motives for hunting were questionable, because my main motivation was killing and numbers. Intuitively I knew I was missing something. Only by stepping away and laying down my firearms was I able to gain clarity as to my motives for hunting and to identify what had been missing from my previous 22 years of hunting.

Now when I make the decision to leave home for a hunt, I know that the hunt has begun before I get to the field. I realize after 9 years that I had been missing 98% of what hunting is really about. Hunting is about being present in wild places and taking in all that those places have to offer.

I have great respect and admiration for the wild creatures which I pursue. I am in awe of their abilities and beauty. Yet hunting remains part of our ancestral heritage for as long as humans have been in existence. It is as much a part of us just as the "fight or flight" response is.

I will continue to hunt with respect and bow my head in honor of my quarry. I can smell the seasons change as Fall closes in. My stomach feels the whirl of anticipation as hunting season draws closer. My pulse quickens with the memories of seasons past and the adventures which lie before me. Hunting is not just about getting "limits" or filling your tag. It goes well beyond and I will leave those stories for another day.

One of my favorite books is titled, Meditations On Hunting by Jose Ortega y Gasset. His book explores all the transitions that a hunter/huntress experiences over a lifetime, and much more. It is a meaty book and I highly recommend it to anyone who picks up a gun and goes afield.