Openning weekend - ELK camp 2023
The time for harvest has arrived!!!! the countless hours of practicing with the bow. Set cams, scouting areas, talkin’ story with the huntin ohana. Brothers and sisters in blood and sweat. taking it back to the roots… in search of the purest organic food around. It’s like Christmas morning as a child. the expectations abound!!
Will the elk be where we think they will or will they have changed the pattern to confound the hunters and huntressses? Will you sleep tonight or will the bugles keep you entranced and solidify that you made the right decisions and you are in the zone?
I use to watch a huntin show growning up, which the name escapes me now, but the the message remains with me still. “It’s not the catch or the kill, but the chance to be in god’s great outdoors. “ Having some limiting health issues this year, I decided even thou, I am not in mountain shape I am going to spend time communing with friends and enjoying the chance to be in the great outdoors.
Not only did I get to spend the opening day with friends but also got the opportunity to share the hills with 2 brand-new hunters. The level of excitement and joy rose to dizzying heights and was palpitable! However, conditions took a drastic change from sweet summer weather to near monsoons and lightning storms. We were in elk camp!!! sharing the excitement, planning, and anticipation that someone will fill a tag! didn’t matter if it was me or a friend or one of the new members of the hunting squad. We were celebrating a long-standing tradition, getting in the woods on opening day!!!
Hopes were high, and wondering which one of the crew would be the lucky 10% that will fill a tag this season! We have spent the year planning, practicing, and exercising (well maybe not so much exercising but will next year…lol).
My hope was that one of the new members of the crew, will get the joy, and pleasure of filling a tag and that I would have the honor of helping out and starting their journey in the huntin life style, a tradition that many before us have enjoyed and few today will follow. And maybe we will be able to get it on film to preserve.
the huntin was tough, and the crew slowly trickled into camp with tales of the day’s events. No tags were filled today, but the memories are priceless… Dinner was had. the fire was built and the time-honored tradition of talkin story and tales of past epic adventures flowed, as we all listened & shared our own stories; and took in the chance to celebrate in god’s great outdoors!! Tomorrow is a new day and the the promise of more adventure & huntin brings new hope for success and the ever-present opportunity to fill a tag!
