ALL MY YEARS COMING TO THE
ROCKY MOUNTAINS TO HUNT I HAD TO RELY ON OUTFITTERS TO HAVE
THE AREA SCOUTED AND HAVE A GOOD IDEA WERE THE ANIMALS WHERE
LOCATED. IT WAS A BIT AWKWARD FOR THESE PEOPLE SINCE WE WERE
EITHER BOW HUNTERS OR BLACK POWDER HUNTERS AND WISHED TO HUNT
PRIMITIVE BRING ALL OUR OWN GEAR AND CAMP AS A GROUP NEAR SOME
GOOD WATER AND CLOSE TO THE OUTFITTERS CAMP.
WHEN WE FIRST SHOWED UP
OUR OUTFITTER HOLLIS ATWOOD AND HIS SUPPORT TEAM WHERE A
LITTLE ASTONISHED. HE KNEW WHERE THE GAME WAS AND HE HAD THE
HORSES. WE WHERE ALL PRETTY FAMILIAR WITH HORSES AND AGREED TO
GIVE US FREE REIGN. WHAT CONVINCED HIM TO OUR SERIOUSNESS WAS
THE FIRST MORNING WHEN WE ALL APPEARED AT THE FIRE IN OUR
BUCKSKINS. WE HAD SEVEN HUNTERS AND ONE WAS MY WIFE VALERIE.
TWO OF THE GUYS WERE BLACK POWDER HUNTERS. SO HOLLIS PUT THEM
OFF IN AN AREA BY THEMSELVES WHICH WAS ABOUT TWO MILES FROM
THE BOW HUNTERS.
EACH EVENING AROUND THE
CAMP FIRE HOLLIS AND HIS HELPERS WOULD GATHER AROUND WITH A
MILLION QUESTIONS ABOUT WHO WE WHERE AND WHAT WE DID. AT THIS
TIME WE WERE ALL PART OF A GROUP OF PENNSYLVANIA LONG HUNTERS
AND TREKKERS, WE WERE ALL BLACK POWDER COMPETITION SHOOTERS
BUT MORE OFTEN THAN NOT WE CHOOSE TO HUNT WITH THE BOW. WE
WERE ALL KNOWN FOR OUR ABILITY AFTER SPENDING MANY YEARS WITH
THE WA-XO-BE ARCHERS OF MILLTOWN NEW JERSEY AND MOST OF US
HAVING WON MANY CHAMPIONSHIP TITLES. THE WA-XO-BE- RANGE IS
NOW LOCATED IN SOUTH BRUNSWICK NEW JERSEY.
ON THE FIRST MORNING, WITH
THE ADVISE OF HOLLIS WE ALL FANNED OUT ABOUT 500 YARDS APART
ALONG THE BASE OF THIS MOUNTAIN CALLED SAW TOOTH. WE WERE TOLD
THAT AT THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN WE WOULD FIND A LARGE ROCK
FORMATION THAT WAS FORMED LIKE A SAW TOOTH. WE WERE TO HUNT TO
THE TOP AND ABOUT 4 PM WE SHOULD START AND RE-TRACE OUR STEPS
BACK DOWN THE MOUNTAIN AND THEN WALK SOUTH WEST ALONG A TRAIL
BACK TO OUR CAMP. THIS WAY WE HAD A CHANCE OF PUSHING GAME
INTO ONE ANOTHER.
IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL DAY
AND AT AN ELEVATION OF 8000 FEET WE WHERE ALL SLOW GOING. NONE
OF US WHERE ACCLIMATED FOR THIS ALTITUDE. WE FIGURED IT WOULD
TAKE US 3 DAYS TO ADJUST. I HAD EVERYONE CONVINCED TO EAT
TUMBS, THAT WOULD HELP PUT OXYGEN TO THE BRAIN AND PREVENT
HEADACHES. I DO BELIEVE THAT IT WORKED. NOW THIS TACTIC WAS
PUSHING THE DEER AND ELK ALONG THE MOUNTAIN AND ALLOWING EACH
OF US TO SEE MANY ELK AND HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY OF HARVESTING AN
ANIMAL.
UPON ARRIVING BACK AT
CAMP THAT NIGHT WE HAD 3 GUYS WHO HAD SCORED TAKING ONE BULL A
4 BY 4 AND TWO COWS. ON OUT TRIP TO THIS HUNT WE HAD 2 WAGONS
THAT WERE EQUIPPED WITH HOME MADE COOLERS. THE OUTFITTER HAD A
COOLER SET UP TO HANG THESE ELK. SO WE HAD NO CHANCE OF OUR
MEAT SPOILING. IT DID TURN OUT TO BE A VERY MILD SEPTEMBER.
THAT NIGHT AROUND THE
FIRE WE ALL HAD SEEN ELK AND SOME DEER. SEVERAL HAD SEEN
BADGERS THAT WERE THE MOST UN FRIENDLY ANIMALS ON THE FACE OF
THE EARTH. ABOUT HALF WAY UP THE MOUNTAIN I CAME ACROSS A
FENCE MADE OUT OF REALLY LARGE ASPEN TREES. IT STOOD A GOOD
NEAR 6 FOOT HIGH. THIS EARLY IN THE MORNING THEIR WAS A FOG ON
THE MOUNTAIN AND IT MADE VISIBILITY QUITE DIFFICULT. I COULD
MAKE OUT ANOTHER FENCE MADE OF THE SAME MATERIAL ABOUT 40
YARDS OR SO UP THE MOUNTAIN AND AS I EXAMINED THIS FENCE IT
SEEMED TO BE A CORAL OF SOME SORT. IN THE TREES AND HALF WAY
UP THE MOUNTAIN. SO I CLIMBED OVER THE FENCE AND STARTED
HEEDING TOWARDS THE NEXT FENCE WHEN I SAW MOVEMENT OFF TO MY
RIGHT. GOOD LORD IT WAS A BIG BRAYMER BULL, OH MY TWO OF THEM.
HELLO - I TOOK OFF AND RAN LIKE HELL AND CLIMBED OVER THE NEXT
FENCE. I LOOKED BACK AND BOTH OF THEM WERE ABOUT 10 FEET ON
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FENCE THAT I JUST CLIMBED OVER. WOW.
WHAT'S WITH THAT I WONDERED. MAYBE SOMEONE STOLE SOME BULLS
AND HAD THEM HID ON THE MOUNTAIN. LATER WHEN I TOLD THE
OUTFITTER HOLLIS HE TOLD ME TO KEEP MY MOUTH SHUT. THEIR WAS A
BUNCH OF COWBOY'S WORKING COWS ABOUT A MILE DOWN THE TRAIL
FROM CAMP.
ON ABOUT THE 3RD DAY
GEORGE ALPAUGH CAME OFF THE MOUNTAIN WAY OFF ON THE RIGHT OF
OUR HUNTING AREA AND RAN INTO A BUNCH OF COWBOYS WORKING
CATTLE. THEY HAD ABOUT 10 RATTLESNAKES LAYING OVER ONE OF THE
FENCES. THIS SPOOKED GEORGE TO NO END. GEORGE HATES SNAKES. SO
THE REST OF THIS HUNT MADE HIM A BIT UNEASY.
THAT EVENING FRANK
ANDERSACK AND MY BROTHER TED BOTH CAME IN WITH NICE BULL ELKS.
BOTH 5 BY FIVES. EVERY TIME WE SCORED YOU HAD TO GO OUT WITH
THE HORSES AND BRING YOUR GAME IN TO THE COOLER. WE WOULD CUT
OFF THE HEAD AND SPLIT THESE ANIMALS DOWN THE CENTER. CUT OFF
THE LEGS AT THE KNEE AND PLACE EACH SIDE OVER THE SADDLE. CUT
A SLIT IN THE HIDE TO PLACE OVER THE HORN AND TIE THE SIDES OF
THE SKIN TO THE STIRRUPS. THIS MADE TRANSPORTING PRETTY EASY.
VAL MADE IT KNOWN THAT
SHE WAS GOING TO HUNT ON HER OWN. I MADE IT A POINT TO ALWAYS
BE WITHIN SHOUTING DISTANCE JUST INCASE. AFTER A NUMBER OF
YEARS BOW HUNTING SHE WAS PRETTY SURE OF HERSELF. I ALWAYS
MADE SURE THAT SHE HAD A LOUD WHISTLE IN HER PACK. BESIDES I
MADE SURE I WASN’T TO FAR AWAY.
THE FOURTH DAY WE
CHANGED AREAS AND NOW WAS AT THE BASE OF BEARS EARS. THIS WAS
A MOUNTAIN THAT FROM A DISTANCE REALLY LOOKED LIKE THE HEAD OF
A BEAR WITH IT'S EARS STICKING UP. ON THIS HUNT GEORGE GOT A
BEAUTIFUL 5 BY 5 ELK . ON THE SAME DAY WE MADE OUR WAY DOWN
THROUGH CACTUS PARK. WE STAYED TO THE TREES AND FOLLOWED A
BEAUTIFUL COLD STREAM. I FOUND VALERIE SITTING ON AN
OUTCROPPING EATING HER LUNCH WHICH THE OUTFITTERS WIFE MADE
FOR US EACH DAY. I MADE NOISE SO AS NOT TO SCARE HER AS I APPROACHED.
AFTER LUNCH AND A SHORT QUICK NAP WE BOTH STARTED DOWN THE
TRAIL THAT RAN ALONGSIDE THE STREAM. AFTER GOING ABOUT A HALF
OF MILE VAL HELD UP HER HAND AND ABOUT 50 YARDS IN FRONT OF US
WAS 3 ELK BROWSING IN A SMALL MEADOW ON MOUNTAIN GRASSES. I
KNELT DOWN AND WATCHED VAL AS SHE PUT A STALK ON THESE ELK.
SHE MOVED SLOWLY A LITTLE AT A TIME UNTIL SHE WAS ALONGSIDE
THE MEADOW AND WAS ABLE TO STAND UP. I WATCHED HER DRAW HER
BOW AND LET AN ARROW FLY. SHE QUICKLY KNELT DOWN AND BLEEPED
ON HER ELK CALL. ALL THREE ELK STOPPED AND LOOKED AROUND. I
WATCHED VAL NOCK ANOTHER ARROW BUT JUST KEPT KNEELING. I
DIDN’T WANT TO MOVE FEAR OF SPOOKING THEM. I COULDN’T
UNDERSTAND WHY SHE WASN’T TAKING ANOTHER SHOT. SINCE THEY
WERE ONLY ABOUT 25 YARDS AWAY. JUST THEN I HEARD HER BLEEP
AGAIN WITH HER ELK CALL AND ALL THREE ELK STARTED WALKING
TOWARDS THE OTHER END OF THE MEADOW. WHEN THE LARGEST ELK
STARTED TO STAGGER AND THEN FELL OVER. SHE KNEW SHE HAD A GOOD
SHOT. WOW HER FIRST ELK. SHE WAS SO EXCITED SHE COULDN’T
STOP SHAKING AND AT THIS ALTITUDE CACHING HER BREATH WASN’T
EASY. I NEVER FORGOT HOW EXCITED SHE WAS AND THAT LOOK ON HER
FACE IS ETCHED IN MY MEMORY FOREVER. SO NOW WE GUTTED THE ELK
AND DRUG IT INTO HEW WOODS TO A COOL SPOT AND MANAGED TO HANG
IT IN A TREE WITH A SMALL HOME MADE COME ALONG THAT I HAD IN
MY PACK JUST FOR THAT PURPOSE. SO NOT BEING SURE JUST WHERE WE
WERE WE STARTED TOWARDS CAMP WHICH WAS QUITE A DISTANCE. WE
USED MARKERS AND MARKED THE TRAIL SO THAT WE COULD SEE EACH
MARKER THAT WOULD ENABLE US TO GET BACK TO THE ANIMAL. WE MADE
IT TO THE TRAIL AT THE FOOT OF THE MOUNTAIN AND WALKED BACK TO
CAMP WHICH GOT SOME, VERY CONCERNED ABOUT VALERIE. ME THEY
COULD HAVE CARED LESS. THEY KNEW I WOULD BE ALRIGHT BUT
DIDN’T KNOW THAT VAL AND I RAN INTO EACH OTHER. IT HAD BEEN
DARK FOR ABOUT 3 HOURS WHEN WE GOT TO CAMP. EVERYONE WAS SO
HAPPY WHEN THEY FOUND OUT THE VAL GOT A COW ELK. THEY ALL MADE
A BIG FUSS OVER IT. RIGHTLY SO. THEY ASKED HER? WHAT WOULD YOU
HAVE DONE IF YOU WERE ALONE. SHE REPLIED "THE SAME
THING" AND HOW WOULD YOU HAVE GOTTEN BACK TO CAMP. "
SHE SAID KENNY WOULD HAVE FOUND ME. I HAD NO DOUBT" SO IF
I WAS GOING TO BE SCARED I WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN OUT THERE. ONE
OF THEM COMMENTED "TALK ABOUT BEING ONE OF THE
GUY'S" ONE OF THE GUYS BROKE OUT A JUG AND PASSED IT
AROUND - WHICH WAS THE CUSTOM TO TOAST EACH HUNTER'S SUCCESS.
VAL DILUTED HER'S WITH WATER AND TIPPED A LITTLE MORE THAN SHE
SHOULD HAVE. THIS WAS GOOD OLD PENNSYLVANIA HOME BREW, NOW SHE
COULDN’T SHUT UP AND WAS FUNNY AS HELL. WHAT A JOY.
EARLY THE NEXT MORNING
WE SADDLED UP AND HEADED OUT TO RETRIEVE VALS ELK. HOLLIS TOLD
US ABOUT A SHORT CUT. SO WE TOOK IT AND AFTER AN HOURS RIDE WE
LOCATED THE ELK. LOADED IT ONTO THE HORSES AND STARTED BACK TO
CAMP. ONE OF OUR FELLOWS TEDDY HUDLAK HAD ALSO GOTTEN AN ELK
AND WHEN HE GOT TO IT THE NEXT MORNING A BEAR HAD GOTTEN A
HOLD OF IT AND DRUG IT ABOUT A HUNDRED YARDS. THE NEXT DAY
TEDDY WENT BACK TO SEE IF THE BEAR WOULD RETURN. THAT SAME DAY
VAL AND I WENT OUT AND CLIMBED UP TO SAW TOOTH. WE WERE
SITTING ON THE TOP OF A LARGE ROCK TAKING IN ALL THE SCENERY
WHEN I THOUGHT I HEARD A GRUNT AND A WHEEZING SOUND. WE
LISTENED FOR A WHILE AND THEN VAL GOT UP AND WALKED OVER TO
THE EDGE OF THE ROCK. LOOKING DOWN BETWEEN SEVERAL OTHER ROCKS
THERE WAS A BEAR SLEEPING IN A WHAT LOOKED LIKE A LARGE BIRDS
NEST. WE DIDN’T HAVE A TAG SO WE JUST OBSERVED AND IF I WAS
ABLE TO TAKE A SHOT I COULDN’T TELL WHERE HIS HEAD WAS. HE
WAS ONE BIG BLACK BALL. HE WAS ALSO ONE BIG BEAR. WITH THAT WE
SNUCK AWAY.
THE NEXT DAY I WENT OUT
ON MY OWN, MOST OF THE OTHERS INCLUDING VAL WENT INTO BAGGS TO
HAVE A LOOK SEE. I JUST WALKED OUT OF CAMP AND WORKED MY WAY
ALONG THE SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN AT A VERY SLOW PACE. IN MY
IMAGINATION I THOUGHT ABOUT THE MOUNTAIN MEN WALKING OVER THE
SAME GROUND. I WONDERED IS MAYBE THEY CAMPED IN THE SAME SPOT
THAT WE CAMPED. SOMEONE HAD DONE SO BEFORE US, THE FIRE ROCKS
WERE USED MANY TIMES AND YOU WHERE ABLE TO SEE WHERE OTHERS
MADE LEAN-TOS. AS I MOVED ALONG I HEARD A LOUD SOUND THAT
SOUNDED LIKE A DOG BARKING. NEVER HEARD ANYTHING LIKE THAT
BEFORE. I DID STUDY ELK CALLS BUT NOTHING LIKE THIS. THERE WAS
A LARGE COW ELK ABOUT 50 YARDS UP THE MOUNTAIN THAT SPOTTED ME
AND WAS WARNING SOMETHING. SHE STARTED TO MOVE BACK INTO THE
HEAVY TIMBER OUT OF SIGHT. I MOVED FURTHER UP THE MOUNTAIN AND
LOOKING ABOUT 60 OR SO YARDS TOWARDS THE WEST I SAW A HERD OF
ELK. ONE NICE BIG BULL. I COULD SHOOT 65 YARDS BUT THERE WAS A
SMALL CALF THAT KEPT WALKING AROUND IN FRONT OF THE BULL. I
STALKED BACK DOWN THE MOUNTAIN AND USING HEAVY COVER I MADE MY
WAY DOWN ALONG SIDE WERE I FIGURED THEY WHERE, ALL THE WHILE
BEING CAUTIOUS OF ANY BREEZES. SO FAR SO GOOD. I CRAWLED UP
THE SIDE OF A FLAT AND EASED MY HEAD OVER THE TOP IN ORDER TO
SEE. THERE WERE ABOUT 9 ELK ALL LOOKING DIRECTLY AT ME. HOW
COULD THEY DO THAT. I WAS SO QUIET, I DROPPED DOWN AND LAID
THERE FOR ABOUT 10 MINUETS. WHEN I LOOKED BACK UP THEY WHERE
ALL GONE. ONCE SPOOKED THERE WAS NO CHANCE ON SNEAKING UP ON
THEM AGAIN, UNLESS I HAD A SMOKE POLE.
IT WAS NOW AFTERNOON AND
I FIGURED ABOUT ONE OR SO. I MADE MY WAY TO THE TOP OF THE
MOUNTAIN AND WAS WALKING ALONG WHEN RIGHT BEFORE ME WAS A PAIR
OF ANTLERS. IT WAS A MULE BUCK WALKING TOWARDS ME, COMING UP
AN INCLINE, I WAS CAUGHT OFF GUARD AND QUICKLY GOT DOWN ON THE
GROUND AND STAYED CRUNCHED UP. THIS BUCK WALKED RIGHT UP TO
ME. SO CLOSE THAT I COULD HAVE GRABBED HIS FRONT LEG. KNOWING
THAT WASN’T GOING TO HAPPEN AND PICTURING THE OUTCOME - HE
CHECKED ME OUT MADE A SNORT AND TURNED AROUND AND STARTED
MOVING AWAY FROM ME. JUST AS HE WAS ABOUT TO GO BACK DOWN THE
HILL I KNELT UP AND SHOT AN ARROW AND MADE A PERFECT SHOT. IT
WAS ONLY ABOUT 15 YARDS. I LAID DOWN ON THE GROUND AND ROLLED
OVER TRYING TO LET MY HEART SLOW DOWN. I THOUGHT IT WAS GOING
TO STICK IN MY TROTH AND CUT OFF MY AIR. I THEN GOT BACK UP
AND LOOKED INTO THE MEADOW WHERE HE CAME FROM. I DIDN’T SEE
ANY MOVEMENT. I STARTED LOOKING FOR A BLOOD TRAIL - FOUND IT
AND BEGAN TO FOLLOW WHEN I SPOTTED HIS ANTLERS LAYING SIDEWAYS
IN THE TALL GRASS. WOW. MY FIRST MULE DEER AND IT WAS A
BEAUTIFUL SIX BY SIX. THE FIRST THING THAT CAME TO MIND WAS
THAT I WAS PRETTY FAR FROM CAMP. I DRUG THIS DEER UP THE HILL
AND STARTED DOWN THE SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN. I COULDN’T BE BUT
A HALF MILE FROM A TRAIL THAT RAN ON THE OTHER SIDE OF SLATER
CREEK. I THOUGHT I COULD MAKE IT BY DARK. I GOT TO THE CREEK
AND FIGURED THAT WAS AS FAR AS I WAS GOING. THIS DEER WAS
HEAVIER THAN I FIGURED. ALONG THE CREEK WHERE SOME LARGE
TREES. I FIRST THROUGH A HAND FULL OF PEPPER INTO THE CAVITY
IN ORDER TO KEEP THE FLIES AWAY. I THEN GOT MY ROPE OVER A
LIMB AND WAS ABLE TO PULL THIS DEER UP ENOUGH TO SWING IT OUT
OVER THE CRAVES TO THE CREEK. THIS CREEK WAS RUNNING GOOD AND
WAS QUITE COOL. I TIED ANOTHER ROPE TO THE FRONT LEG AND
CLIMBED DOWN THE RAVINE AND CROSSED THE CREEK. I THEN PULLED
THE DEER TOWARDS ME AND TIED IT OFF ON A TREE ON THE OPPOSITE
BANK. THIS SHOULD KEEP ANY BEARS FROM GETTING AT IT. I STARTED
OUT TOWARDS CAMP AND AGAIN ARRIVED WELL AFTER DARK. SOMEHOW
THEY KNEW I SHOT SOMETHING. SO AGAIN THE DAY'S STORIES ABOUT
SEEING ALL THE ELK AND THEN HOW I GOT THE DEER MADE FOR AN
EXCITING DAY. I REMEMBERED BROTHER TEDDY REMARKING " THIS
GUY NEVER DOES ANYTHING EASY " THEN VAL COMMENTED--
EXCITING, HE KEEPS IT EXCITING.
THE NEXT DAY WAS
SATURDAY AND BEING THAT EVERYONE HAD SCORED WE DECIDED TO HEAD
BACK EAST. WE HAD A 2000 MILE PLUS TRIP. SINCE WE CAME OUT ON
RT.80 WE WOULD SWING DOWN THROUGH STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, HAVE
LUNCH AND A LOOK SEE THEN GO BACK ON RT.70. SO WE BID OUR
FAREWELLS TO THE OUTFITTERS AND THEY THANKED US FOR AN
INTERESTING HUNT. WE MADE A RESERVATION FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR
IN A DIFFERENT AREA CALLED SLEEPY CAT. SOUNDS LIKE A DEAL.
I ALWAYS MISS THOSE
DAYS. SPENDING TWELVE DAYS OR SO WITH GREAT FRIENDS. THE
STORIES AND MEMORIES ARE PRICELESS.
ON THIS TRIP WAS, KEN
DAVIS, VAL DAVIS, TEDDY DAVIS, GEORGE ALPAUCH WHO SET THIS
TRIP UP. TEDDY HOUDLACK, FRANK ANDERSACK, AND GARY RINKER.
