First Elk Hunt

This year I decided it was time to finally go on my first hunting adventure.  I was pretty nervous about it.  The potential for killing such a large, elegant creature made me quite unsure of myself.  After all the years that I have spent taking care of animals, the thought of purposefully ending a life to feed myself was a bit intimidating.  I have killed chickens for my freezer, but that was a relatively controlled experience.....tracking an animal through the woods is quite a bit different.  I was worried about maiming an animal, but not killing it.  I definitely wanted to be sure of a quick kill and I honestly don't think I am a skilled enough marksman to feel confident about doing that successfully.  Luckily (or unluckily) for me I never had the opportunity to find out if I could kill an elk this trip.  Though we found tracks and other signs from them, I never caught a glimpse of any in the areas that we were hunting in.  I did see plenty of other wildlife like mule deer, wild turkeys and grouse along with the usual woodland fare of songbirds and squirrels. 

I learned a lot about hunting this trip.  I learned more about what I should carry with me and what kind of endurance I need to have to hunt more comfortably.  Trying to hike quietly through a forest while carrying a pack and rifle can be quite difficult.  My legs became sore in places that I never knew could hurt.  My shoulders ached with exhaustion because I wasn't using an entirely appropriate day pack for hunting.  I did carry plenty of warm clothing for which I was grateful for in the cooler hours of the day.  I also had plenty to snack on when we took breaks throughout the day.  Hiking up and down mountainsides has a tendency to fire up your appetite so snacking often helped to keep up my energy levels. 

Being my first hunting trip I am not at all surprised that I came home empty handed.  I did go with experienced hunters so I felt that I was in good hands and I learned a lot from them over the course of the trip.  If anything the experience has inspired me to get out and hike more just to work on my hunting skills.  Walking quietly though the forest following game trails and not getting lost is not something that you can learn overnight.  I am hoping that when next years hunting season starts I will be better prepared to have a successful hunt.