Just Kids

[rainydays]

Always when my friends and I would elk hunt in North Idaho, we would set up a pretty nice camp with wall tents, and wood stoves etc. The best part of the hunt was always having our kids along.
Right or wrong, they were always sick that first week of elk hunting and would have to miss school. Yes they hated missing school, but we figured they couldn't get a better education than being in the woods on a elk hunt. We made them work for it though, cutting , hauling, splitting firewood and doing dishes, all with no complaints from them. Well as kids go, they pretty much knew everything about hunting after one trip. Our kids pretty much grew up in the woods and new how to get around and survive by the time they started hunting. As things go sometimes, they found that it would be more fun partnering up with one the other boys for the days hunt rather than hunting with good old dad. And that was always fine by us, they were good kids and earned that priviledge. Well, one particular hunt
always sticks in my mind and still make me laugh every time I think about it. One cool frosty morning, my son Chris and his friend George decided they wanted to hunt together. They had there own secret spot several miles from camp they wanted to hunt. So they were off. About two in the afternoon I wandered back into camp, being the first one back I started a fire in the stove and put on the coffee pot. Soon after, the others started tricklin back in. About three, Chris and George stumbled in. They had a huge grin on there faces and blood on their clothes and hands. It didn't take much to know that they had gotten something. Well, everyone asked, whats the story? Well we were hunting down this ridge and hadn't been seeing anything, so we stopped about 11 o'clock to have lunch. After a sandwich, we decided to smoke a cigar. Yes a cigar "what can I say about that", anyways we noticed something down the ridge. We watched it for about ten minutes. Finally Chris said, George, do you think that might be an elk way down the ridge there under that tree? I don't know for sure, said George. Maybe we should sneak down the ridge and get a closer look. So they put out there cigars and crept down the ridge. Sure enough there was a
5x5 bull bedded down under a tree. They didn't quite know who should shoot it so they decided they would both shoot at the same time. They did, and the bull never got up. They spend quite along time dressing him out, but they did a decent job of it, but it wouldn't be till the next morning when we could pack it out.
So the next morning we got up and made a light breakfast. We told the boys, since they had shot that old bull about a mile and a half down the ridge, it would be fitting that they pack it out. So four of them took off and got him out in the morning. They were beat, but they did it. Sadly they are all grown up now and gone there own ways. But it was sure great giving them the oppurtunity to be in elk camp, and they gave us alot of great memories. Always, Always, take a kid hunting or fishing when ever you can. Have a great Day!--tr

[LoneWolf]

Another great story!
Thanks Rainydays

[IdahoHunter455]

Cool. Now its my turn to get a game animal. I just got back from my first hunt trip sunday. and saw a 7 point elk symetric about 25 yards away from us. As we continued on the road, well we first got back on the dirt road, we say another one past just directly in front of us not even 25 yards away. In a time of like 10-20 min. I guess that is really rare especially since that was my first hunting trip ever. But unfortunatly I was hunting deer and not elk.

[rainydays]

No that feeling 455. Always seen my best elk when deer hunting and best deer when elk hunting. Got treed one time by a big old bull when I was working in the woods. Heard him bugling and decided to play with him alittle. Bugled him a couple of times and he came out of the trees with fire in his eyes... Didn't know I could cllimb a tree that fast. He hung around for 20 seconds or so. Never had that happen when I was hunting. Keep plugging away though. Sooner or later an elk will be yours. What area will you be hunting in. Have a Good One!--tr