Arizona Outdoorsman / AZOD

A Hunting Trip of a Lifetime?

Don Smith
Fulton, MO

For years my hunting buddy (GB) and I have talked about going elk hunting. We have hunted turkey and whitetail deer together for more than 20 years, but for one reason or another we never took the plunge and went after any big game, like elk. This time was different though. It was January and my oldest son (Jeremiah) was soon to be returning from his tour of duty in Iraq. So, we decided it was time to try one, and to surprise Jeremiah with it when he got home. So we went about contacting numerous outfitters.

We settled on taking a cow elk hunt, to increase our possibilities of success on our first time out. Next came the outfitter himself. After calling and talking to several, we decided to go with an outfitter in Idaho This was due to the very friendly and cordial manner that he presented himself over the phone and more importantly that he said that his cow hunters have close to a 100% success rate. So, we sent the deposits and signed all the paperwork, including the paperwork for the out of state license and tag, and booked a hunt on the first week of the cow elk season.

Then came the preparations. While I own a 30-06 and a 270, both of which are adequate for elk, GB only owns a 30-30 and a 25-06, neither of which are recommended for elk hunting. So, he went out and purchased a 300 mag. Then we purchased the proper ammunition for this larger game and sighted our guns in for 200 yards.

Next came all the other equipment. According to the list provided by the outfitters we needed some cold weather (0degree) sleeping bags so we purchased them. Then the binoculars, range finder, portable bipod for the guns, good hunting/hiking boots, and cold/wet weather gear. Finally, we had everything we needed for the trip.

July came and Jeremiah finally returned home from Iraq. When he learned of the trip he was all excited, just as I had hoped. Everything was going as planned. It now was just a matter of waiting until the end of October.

Finally it was third week of October. It was time to pack up the truck and start making our 2-day, 1300+-mile drive to the camp. When we arrived at camp the afternoon before we were to begin our 5-day hunt, we met the outfitter and talked for some time. He told us that his license covered an area approximately 50 miles long by 20 miles wide. He said that he had us with a real good guide. He said he was a good man and knew the area well. GB asked him if he was going to be with us at any time. He said that he normally goes out once with each group during the week. He showed us to our cabin, a nice little log cabin with a bathroom, but only two beds. Jeremiah volunteered to sleep on the floor. Luckily we had the sleeping bags, so he was able to use them to form some sort of a ground pad for the hard floor. Later that evening we were introduced to our guide. He told us about the good luck they had the previous week. He said that out of 13 hunters they got 12 elk including some very nice bulls, and showed us two nice racks and a spike rack. During the conversations at the evening meal, everyone was telling us that since we were going for cows that we should be done by mid-week at the latest. They were saying how they see hundreds of elk. That herds of 25-50 are not unusual. That they normally have cows come within 100 yards. Boy, did this get our hopes up. We could hardly wait until morning. We wound up the alarm clock given to us and set it for 5:00 AM.

We awoke the next morning to the sound of ATV's. We looked at our watches it was 5:15 AM. When we checked the alarm clock it had only ran for an hour, after we went to bed and stopped. We hurriedly got dressed and went to breakfast. After breakfast we picked up our sack lunches gathered our daypacks and guns and headed to the horse corral. There we met up with our guide. He told us our horses were loaded up in the trailer and we could ride with him in his truck to where we were going to ride in. So, we jumped in his truck and headed down the road.

About 3 miles down Idaho highway 34 from the camp, he pulled over. We got out of the truck and unloaded the horses. The four horses were a young mare that was our guide’s horse, a younger stallion that was Jeremiah's horse, and two old stallions (I swear must have been 25 years old) that were GB's and mine. Our guide went around all the horses and adjusted the saddles. He asked if we had ever ridden horses. GB being from Texas, and Jeremiah and myself from mid-state Missouri of course had, so we told him yes. He told us we were going to go up the canyon across the road (Haderlie Canyon). That he had seen a lot of elk up that canyon before, and that it should be pretty good hunting. So, we mounted up and headed up a small trail.

After about 15 minutes of riding we were on top of the first rise. Our guide turned and said that he wanted two of us to stay here and watch over an opening to the left and up a power line. I told him Jeremiah and myself would stay here. He said to find a good spot and make ourselves comfortable, that it might be a while. Our guide and GB then continued riding up the trail to the top of the next big rise.

About 1 1/2 hours later we heard our guide whistle. He was on his horse about half way down the trail that he and GB went up. He waved for us to come up. So, Jeremiah and myself gathered our stuff, mounted up, and began following the trail up the next rise to our guide and GB. When we got up there, GB was looking at some moose in the next canyon over. There were four of them. We admired the moose for a few minutes and then we all saddled back up and headed further up the canyon.

About 200 yards up the trail, Jeremiah yelled up to our guide that he could see some elk on the ridge across from us. Our guide turned around and came back to Jeremiah. When he got there he looked over and saw the elk. They were about 700 yards away on the base of the ridge, slightly up the canyon from where we were. Our guide sat on his horse rubbing his chin. He told us "Boys I'll have to figure out what we need to do". A few minutes later he said, "Let's have two of you go up the trail to the next rise, then sit and watch down the canyon". He said that he and GB would wait before doing anything until we were in position. Jeremiah and I set out up the trail.

A couple of hundred yards up the trail, the trail went up a small rise that was over grown with small trees and brush. We got off and tied up our horses and walked up the rise. Once on top we took a position above and down wind from the elk, where we could over look the entire adjacent ridge including up to the top of the mountain. I ranged the elk they were more than 600 yards away. As we sat there I told Jeremiah that we were in a perfect position to stalk in on the elk. He asked, "Why don’t we"? I told him that we shouldn't because we did not know what Our guide and GB were up too.

About an hour went by, when all of a sudden all the elk stood up and quickly went up and over the top of the ridge. I looked at Jeremiah and told him we might as well walk back down to the horses to wait for GB and our guide. After waiting for them for about another 1/2 hour we decided to lead the horses through the over grown trail and ride up the canyon.

We rode up the canyon to very near the top of the mountain. Once there we tied up the horses and took a position overlooking the top of the mountain. An hour or so later our guide and GB showed up. Our guide said, "let's go"! We mounted up and followed him to the top of the mountain on the other side from where we were. He told us to take up positions overlooking the saddle going over the top. He said he would be back but it will be a while, as he rode up and over the top of the mountain. We took up positions with GB over looking the right side and Jeremiah the left. I acted as the spotter. The wind was blowing right into our faces from down the canyon. Our guide disappeared up and over the top of the mountain.

As we sat there, GB explained, that he and our guide had stalked down toward the elk from below them and that they had gotten within 300 yards of them. He said that he had his scope right on the big cow, but our guide told him to hold on, that they could get closer, and that once they moved in closer they were gone.

It was about 1:00 PM and we were getting hungry, so we started eating our lunches as we watched. Another hour or so past, when we finally noticed our guide riding back over the top of the mountain. We saddled back up. He rode over to the side of the mountain and looked down the shear drop off into the far canyon for a while. Then we began to ride back down the mountain. As continued down, our guide occasionally would go over and look down that drop off into the far canyon. For what reasons, we had no idea. The drop off was so steep and the trees so thick, it was impossible to see more than 20 yards.

After quite some time of this we finally arrived back at the truck. By the time we got down off the horses, all of our knees were hurting. We loaded the horses back into the trailer and drove down highway 34 for several miles. Along the way our guide would point out different things. Eventually, we turned around and headed back to camp. We arrived back at camp by about 5:30 PM.

That night, after dinner GB broke out his alarm clock and set it. We went to sleep anticipating the next day.

The next morning it was snowing lightly. We returned to the same canyon and began riding up. This time our guide said we were not going to stop until we got to the top. When we got up to the area we had seen the elk the day before, our guide yelled get your gun. Jeremiah, being right behind him, jumped off his horse and grabbed his gun. Thanks to our old horses, GB and I were 40-50 yards behind them. Out ran 5-6 elk, a couple of good size cows and several calves. Jeremiah shot at the first good size cow and missed. Then I saw a couple more elk coming in from the left. I yelled here come some more. Our guide yelled back, get your gun and get up here. I grabbed my gun and got up behind Jeremiah. The next big cow came out, turned around and stopped. Jeremiah shot and hit her right in the chest. Next, out walked her calf. We both stood and looked at it as it turned and went back the way it came. We walked over and found the cow lying no more than 30 yards from where she had been shot.

Our guide then told GB to ride his horse up to the top and sit and watch, while he got busy cleaning the cow. GB soon returned having been unable to get his old horse to leave the other horses, and we all helped get the cow cleaned and quartered. Our guide then said that usually once they get an elk it is the end of the day, but it was up to us. Being that it was only 9:00AM, I told him that since he had to go down and get the pack horses and come right back here anyway, that we would stay here and watch for any more elk to come across. Our guide told us we could not ride the horses while he was gone, and we agreed not too. Our guide then called down to camp and started riding down the canyon.

GB, Jeremiah and I took up positions looking over the other ridge. As we did, we noticed the beds where the elk had been laying, just to the left of where we rode in. We sat and watched for about two hours. Then we ate some of our lunches and talked about what had happened.

Our guide showed back up with another young man from camp and the packhorses. They loaded the quarters on the packhorses. Jeremiah accompanied the packhorses back down the canyon, so he could get the meat to the butcher shop. After they left our guide told GB and I to mount up.

We rode back up to the top of the mountain, to where we were at the previous day. As we approached the top, I noticed two elk on the far side of the crest from us. I yelled up to our guide and GB, who had already, rode by and they returned to my location. Our guide yelled get your gun, they are in range. I attempted two shots at the far off cows before they disappeared behind some trees. I then checked the yardage to where they were standing. It measured almost 700 yards. When I told our guide, he said maybe we should have tried something else. We then continued our ride.

He dropped me off in the same spot I was at the day before and took GB on up to where he rode over the top the day before. As they tried to ride over the crest of the mountain, our guide's horse fell, falling back into GB's horse, causing a chain reaction. They decided to stop there and tie up the horses. Then they continued on foot up and over the crest.

I sat and watched over the same saddle, I did the day before for two hours. The wind, just as before, was blowing up from the canyon. It was so strong and cold that it made your eyes burn and water constantly. All of a sudden our guide appeared, on foot about half way down the mountain, in the few trees that were present. He slowly walked in and out of an opening between two trees several times, taking numerous breaks. Finally he walked back into the trees and disappeared. About 30 minutes later I heard our guide and GB talking over the crest. I got up and returned my gun and day pack to the horse. A while later our guide and GB showed up. Our guide asked, if we did not mind, that we call it a day, it was about 3:00 PM.

After we returned to camp we sat around the cabin talking. GB explained what had happened when the horses fell. He said, that in the 2-3 feet of snow, that Our guide had tried to take the horses over two logs a foot apart, the second one was at the top of the snow. When our guide's horse tried to get over the second log, it tripped and fell backwards, knocking his horse down. He said that our guide's horse ended up with a large gash on its front leg that would probably need some doctoring.

Later, before dinner, our guide came over to the cabin. We asked him how his horse was. He said she would be fine. As we sat and talked, our guide explained how he had just started guiding and this was his first season with Hamilton Outfitters. We asked him if he knew any other places to go. He said he knew that canyon and two others. But, he said that we were going to continue to go to Haderlie Canyon, until we got skunked. After talking for a while, we all went to dinner.

Wednesday morning brought more of the same, with the exception of having Jeremiah along; he did not feel well. The day was looking to be a nice warm partly cloudy day. Unfortunately, true to his word, our guide returned us to the same canyon. This time, our guide used the lead ropes to tie the horses together in a chain to his and drug our old horses huffing and puffing up the mountain.

When we were nearing the top we ran into two men and a kid walking and hunting. We talked for a moment and continued on. When we neared the crest, I spotted 8-9 elk off to the right of the crest in front of us. I yelled up to our guide. He yelled get your guns, hurry up they are going to run off. GB and I both took a shot at the elk, then they ran off into the woods. Like before I ranged out where they were standing. They were at 450 yards when we shot.

Our guide told GB to stay there and watch down into the same saddle we had for the last two days, and had me go with him check where we had shot. When we got to the location above where the elk were, our guide had me stay there and watch, while he walked their trail and checked things out. After sitting there for about an hour, a hunter on horseback came riding up. We talked briefly and he headed on. Then our guide walked out in front of him, and began to talk to him for a while. While waiting on our guide, the two men and the kid came walking up. We were standing there talking when our guide finally came walking up. He exclaimed that there was no sign of blood, and began to talk to the men. Our guide and one of the men soon found out they were from the same town and knew a lot of the same people. I stood there while they talked for another 20-30 minutes. Finally, I told our guide I was going to take my pack over to the horse, some 100 yards away and down off the crest. When I walked back up to the crest, our guide was still talking to the other man. I decided to go see how GB was doing, and began to walk down to him.

When I got down to GB, he was looking down the steep drop into the canyon next to ours at some bedded mule deer. We sat and watched them a while until they finally got up and walked away. GB asked me where our guide was, and I told him. Some time later, we saw a good number of elk run across the adjacent canyon.

Finally, about 11:00AM our guide came riding down to us with my horse. We told him about the elk and asked him if there was anyway that we could get down into that canyon. He said it was very hard to, but if we walked our horses, several hundred yards, down to the place where the elk crossed the morning before, he would ride through and try to chase them up to us. We did, and our guide rode off. About 1:00PM our guide came riding up the very path we have been using to come up Haderlie Canyon. He said he saw 15 elk in a small clearing at the base of the canyon about 100 yards away from him. Again we asked if we could get down into that canyon, he told us that he could ask someone back at camp how to get in there. So, back down the canyon we went.

We arrived at the truck and loaded the horses back up. Our guide drove down the road to a place where a dirt road came in on the left. He was talking and telling us stories as he began to back the trailer up, when the back wheels of the truck dropped off the dirt road into the ditch. Our guide yelled "Oh Shit" and put the truck in 1^st gear and floored it. But, with the weight of the trailer and horses, the tires only spun. So, we got out and unloaded the horses to lighten the load, and our guide gave it another go. This time our guide was successful and after getting out of the ditch he managed to get the truck turned around. We loaded the horses back up and headed on to camp.

When we arrived at camp, our guide asked about the canyon. He then came over to see who wanted go with him, to check it out. GB decided to go. When they got back around 3:30PM, they said they found a way to get in the canyon and away we went on an evening hunt of the new canyon.

I was shocked when our guide pulled the truck into a dirt road, on the other side of a field, directly across from the camp. We unloaded the horses and began our ride up into the canyon. After about an hour of riding we came upon some fresh elk sign. It was many tracks where elk had been crossing over the top of a rise. Our guide stopped for a minute and looked at the tracks, then off we rode on. We rode for another hour or so, until we came upon another guide that worked for Hamilton Outfitters. Our guide and the other guide talked for a good while, mostly about how the trail was up ahead and if it was good to go up that way. Once the two of them finished talking we rode on again, until the trail became very small. Our guide told us to get off and walk the horses. We walked the horses for what seemed like an eternity and it was starting to get dark. GB started to ask if he has ever been down this trail before, our guide said no that this was his first time. We went down another trail and found ourselves going down a cattle path instead of an actual trail. Soon it became obvious that we were not on any kind of trail and our guide was playing it by ear. It started getting dark now and we started to get a bit worried about being in the mountains well after dark. Especially, since now we were seeing quite a few tracks that appeared to be from wolfs. GB spotted what appeared to be the trail and pointed it out to our guide. As it turned out, it was the correct trail. A while later we were finally getting close to where we began our evening ride. We came across (guess who?) the same two men and kid, we ran into in the morning. They were walking down the path on their way out as well. We managed to get back to camp by 8:00PM that night. The dinner left overs never tasted so good that night.

On Thursday morning it was raining. Jeremiah was feeling better so he went with us this morning. As we loaded up our guide asked if we were ready to go to a different place to hunt. Obviously we told him yes. He said we were going to try a place called Fish Creek and that it was a longer ride to get to it. At this point, we did not care at all. As we drove along, our guide told us about how the two elk killed in the drop camp at the beginning of the week, had not been brought out by the guide. He went on to explain how that guide liked to hunt, but not take care of the down game.

We arrived at a parking area, at the end of a dirt road, next to a creek. Our guide started to turn the truck around, when he once again got far off to one side, the truck began to slide down into a ditch. We stopped and unloaded the horses. We stood there in the rain watching, as Our guide tried to pull the truck up out of the ditch, only to have the truck get pushed further down, by the weight of the trailer. He decided to leave it and call for help later, so we saddled up. Our guide once again had us pass our lead ropes up and away we went.

We were only a couple of hundred yards up the trail when the trail became very narrow, as it snaked along the side of a steep hill. The trail was very muddy and slick from the rain. All of a sudden Jeremiah yelled. His horse had fallen. Luckily, the horse did not slide down the steep hill and he was not hurt. He got back on his horse and we rode on for a long time snaking our way back and forth up the creek. Finally, we turned onto another trail and started heading up out of the creek bottom. When we crested the first rise we were greeted by two large mule deer does. They stood and looked at us unafraid for sometime, before bounding off out of sight. It began to snow as we continued our ride up the mountainside. After a bit more riding we reached an area just below the summit, that opened up with only a few large pines. All of a sudden directly in front of us a cow elk and its calf stood up. GB yelled to our guide and he stopped. When GB asked if it was a deer, I replied "That ain't no deer", as I jumped down from my horse.

Unfortunately, the elk ran off down the mountainside before we could get a shot at them. We walked up to where we had seen them. Our guide tied the horses to a tree next to us and began calling. This was the first time he had ever tried this tactic, and wouldn't you know it, it worked very well. Before we knew it, there were elk calling back in front of us and to the right, from the summit of the mountain. Our guide told us to get down and not move. We sat there for about 20 minutes while our guide called to the elk. At one point, there was a group of elk just to right of us, on the other side of some trees, but we could not see them. Then as quickly as it had started it stopped. I walked over to where the elk were, on our right side. When I turned around and looked back, I was staring directly at our horses some 50 yards away.

With the excitement over, back on to our horses we went. Now our guide headed us around to the other side of the mountain. As we headed down the side, we found ourselves once again on no trail and walking our horses. This went on for hundreds of yards down the mountainside until we finally reached the bottom and found ourselves back in the creek again. We stood and rested for a few minutes, then our guide told us to mount up. We started heading back down the creek, the very creek we came up earlier. We rode through, over, and around numerous fallen trees along the creek bottom until finally the creek was to narrow and there were too many downed trees to go on. That's when our guide turned and said, "We'll have to go back boys". So, back we went. Unfortunately, that meant walking our horses back up the same large hill, we had walked them down earlier. With the snow now picking up some steam, that hill became quite slick. At one point, when we were almost at the top of the hill, my horse decided to take off up the hill. The only problem was I was directly in front of him holding on to the lead rope. He ran right over me. He knocked me down as he tripped and fell onto the back of my legs. The barrel of my gun, which I slung on my back, was pushed 6 inches down into the mud at least 4 inches. Our guide turned around, some 10 yards in front of me, and asked, "What did that horse run you over?” But having not offering any help, I turned to Jeremiah and asked him to please take that horse on up the rest of the way. When we reached the top of the hill, our guide told us to mount back up and we rode back up to the very area we were when we were calling the elk. Once there Our guide turned and said we would have to walk our horses again, so we could get up to the summit. Our guide took Jeremiah's horse with him as he rode up, and Jeremiah led GB's horse up. I sat back on my horse and waited for them all to get out of the way. I had already made my mind up; I was not going to get run over by this horse again. Once everyone was clear, I gave the horse a kick and up we went to the summit. Once there, Our guide turned to me and smiled. I told him I was not going to walk that horse up another hill, after he just ran me over.

With us now on the top of the mountain, our guide turned to us and said, "This is where I was wanting to get to. Now we are going to get some elk boys". So, Jeremiah got me a straight long stick, and with some tissue paper we managed to get the barrel of my gun cleared. But, apparently our guide did not seem to think it was good enough. So, he stuffed most of a tissue down the barrel and began pushing it down the barrel with the stick. About 2/3^rds of the way down the barrel it got stuck, breaking the stick. Quite a few sticks later; it was completely plugged tight. That was when our guide turned to Jeremiah and told him to walk down the top of the summit, then drop down off the side of the mountain and walk across. But, even though our guide had radios in his pack, he did not offer him one, so off went Jeremiah with nothing more then the cloths on his back. About an hour went by and GB and I had not seen Jeremiah yet. The fog had rolled in and it was starting to snow very hard. Visibility was down to no more than 50 yards. We started to become worried about Jeremiah. We began yelling for him, but he did not answer.

I followed Jeremiah's tracks across summit for more than 100 yards, stopped and called to him, still no answer. I began to have visions of loosing my son to the mountains, after just getting him back from a war. I quickly returned back to our guide and GB. Our guide was now fiddling around with his pack. I asked him if he would take his horse and follow Jeremiah's trail, so he could find him. He did not answer. Finally, I rather forcefully asked him to go find Jeremiah, before the snow made following his tracks impossible. He decided to get on his horse and ride down the summit. Some time later he yelled back that he had found him. While GB and I stood there waiting, GB looked at me and said, "Even if an elk walked out in front of me right now, I'm not going to shoot it". He like myself had lost all interest in hunting now.

Finally, about 1-1/2 hours later, Our guide reappeared with Jeremiah right behind him. When I asked Jeremiah what happened, he explained that once they were able to see each other, Our guide just sat on his horse, while he had to walk uphill to him. That due to the distance and the steep incline, it took quite some time. He said once he reached our guide, it only took a few minutes for them to get back to the top, because he was able to hold on to the horse and let the horse pull him back up the mountain.

With everyone back together now, our guide turned and said we had better get down out of here. That was when I noticed that the straps, that were holding my brand new $60 portable shooting bipod onto my daypack were ripped, the bipod was gone. But, at this point there was no sense in attempting to find where it was and nor did I care about it. So, down we went.

As we started down, I began to get concerned when our guide started heading back toward the very hill that we had just walked back up earlier. I could not understand why he did not head to our left, to where we had seen the elk earlier. But, as he reached the trail he made a hard left and headed in the correct direction. As we rode down, my old horse for no reason other than being retirement age, fell straight to the ground. I landed right on my feet and stood over him, ready to jump to the side if he started sliding down the hill. Fortunately, he managed to get his feet back under him and stood back up, with me riding him right back up again. Then we got to the top of the large slope leading down to the creek bottom; we had rode up earlier in the morning. Our guide, once again, told us we would have to walk, as he led the horses down the snaking trail. That is where GB discovered (accidentally) that it was much easier to sit down and slide down the now snow covered hillside, than to walk down it. Unfortunately, in finding out he managed to rip a couple of holes in his blasé orange rain suit.

At the bottom we mounted back up, and after a long trail ride, we finally arrived back at the truck. A few minutes later someone showed up and pulled our guide out of the ditch. We loaded the horses back up and headed back to camp tired, battered and bruised.

Once back at camp I borrowed a gun cleaning kit from Jay (the outfitter) and got my gun in working order again. Later, I told Jay that we were going to leave in the morning. Without asking why, he simply turned and said, "OK".

On Friday morning we slept in until 7:00AM, and when we got up everyone was still in camp. It was still snowing and there was several inches of accumulations on the ground. GB went over to get some coffee. When he returned he said that the guides had told him that the pass was closed and we were not getting out until at least 10:00. He said that our guide had offered to take us on a road hunt in a 4X4 truck if we wanted to. I told him I was going to pass, but he went along. After they left, Jeremiah and I drove to town and asked about the pass. We were told that the pass was not closed, and that the last time the pass was ever closed was 1968. So we returned to camp, left a note for GB, grabbed our stuff and headed out. About and hour later GB called me on my cell phone. He told me about how after driving up dirt road they stopped by a campsite. When he asked our guide what they were doing there, he replied that they were supposed to help take down the camp. A short exchange of words ensued, after which our guide drove him back to camp. He said he had just left the camp. We waited for GB to catch up on the other side of the pass and we all started our trip back home.

When we stopped for the night (north of Denver), and talked about our experiences over dinner. We tallied up the total amount of elk we had seen (52), including the ones that were a mile away. The amount of elk killed in the camp during that week. Out of seven hunters, only one (Jeremiah's). We talked about how Jay (the outfitter) never went out with us one time, and how he was always going out with the same hunter.

The next day we completed our 1300+mile drive back home, a day earlier than originally planned.

We were all very glad that our hunting trip of a lifetime was finally over!