So here is Part 2 of our 2021 Season.
As i mentioned in Part 1, I had been messing with food plots last year, and this is more or less where this one starts. The past few years, her and I have put in the drawing for a Kentucky Elk Tag. It seems like a no brainer, as i live 4 hours away from Elk. Why not put in for a tag.
So, last spring, I was on the tractor working ground. I knew it was the day of the drawing, but figured why waste my day watching. It was dry out for once, and i had to get seed in the ground. A couple hours in, i stop to get a drink. I check my phone and i have several missed calls and texts from my buddy (who was watching the drawing). I call him back, without checking texts. he asnwers with " SHE DREW SHE DREW". I was still trying to grasp what that meant, and what it meant is my GF drew a second week Firearm Cow tag in Kentucky. Being as we both are very geared towards meat procurement, we were tickled!
So, now what do i do? We have an almost impossible Tag to draw, and i have to figure out how to fill it. My first thoughts were, go down all summer and scout public land. A good buddy of mine drew an archery bull tag a few years ago and knew some spots, and a lot of people. I am stubborn, and figured i could handle the task of finding one. This faded quickly, as work became busy to the point of no free time to scout.
In this time, she tried reaching out to several guides to see if we could find a someone to help us. I will tell you this, there are so very difficult people down there to deal with as far as guides. Fast forward to the end of the summer, and i hadnt been able to scout even once. Still had no guide, and was at a total loss. She was super bummed, and more or less feeling like we had no chance.
I reached out to my buddy again, who knew some DNR officers down there. I asked him if there was anyone else we could call. He got back with me, and gave me a name of a guide who came highly recomended from DNR. I called him, and spoke to him for about half an hour about this hunt. He told me he wasnt hunting that season, but to call him after general season, and he would give me any and all info he could. Again, both of us down in the dumps. Thinking this potentially once in a lifetime tag may go to waste.
Anyway, I did what he said, and called him after the general season. Him and i spoke for sometime that night, and he agreed to take us hunting. One piece i left out is that opening morning was Christmas morning. However, he still agreed to take us out. We set up the arrangements, and kept in touch for the weeks approaching season
So, her head down christmas eve, and get a hotel.
The guide picks us up early opening morning, and we proceed to drive to one of his leases. He told us he had been scouting non stop, and this hunt had 17% chance of success. Even though DNR boasts a different story. He had seen 7 cows the night before on this lease and we were going to try and locate them at first light. He also warned us there were likely going to be a poacher in the area that could likely hurt us.
At first light, we were on top of big hill glassing. Wind was roaring. But sure enough, there were the elk. About 25 cows and bulls. Problem was, they were on a piece of land closed to hunting. On top of that the poachers were already there, and going after them. Her and I figured it was a lost cause this AM, But the guide kept smiling. I said, why are you smiling, isnt this bad? He laughed, and said "those guys will never get to those elk, watch them. The elk are going to move off that meadow right onto our lease" ALRIGHT!! Sure enough, the elk do eaxctly what he said.
So, we haul butt over to next ridge line, where he said they should go. Problem was, the elk werent there. We heard nothing, and saw nothing. It was super thick in there, so i figured they could be hiding anywhere. He was still confident that we would find them any minute. Well, minutes turned into hours, and nothing. We kept easing down this logging road, with wind in our faces, glassing along the way. After a few hours and maybe 200-300 yds we found about 9 cows bedded up on ridge side. Her and I both had a huge addrenalin rush, and couldnt wait to make a plan. These elk were about 200 yds away at this point, but it was so thick that there was 0 shot oppertunities. We used wind to move as slow and quietly as we could towards them. Hopoing to find a hole to sneak a 168gr Berger through. After what seemed like a lifetime, we finally got to a spot where we felt we had the best oppertunity for a shot. We had a cow bedded quartering away at about 130-150 yds. She took her time getting set up with sticks, and confirming she was looking at same elk we were looking at. She asked if we were ready, and the guide gave her the nod. Saftey came off, and then all the sudden, BOOM out of the 7mag. The cows body crumbled, but somehow stood up. Luckily, it went straight back down. All 3 of us were overjoyed.
We walked over to find her hanging off the side of a cliff, held up by one tiny little bush! You can see this in the picture. We were able to get her back to safe ground and quarted out from there.
The 7mag sent a 168gr berger through the liver, lungs, and into opposite shoulder where i recovered the bullet. The damage that bullet made was incredible.
All in all, we left the house are 4PM christmas eve, and were back home 8pm Christmas. Back with the family, cleaning meat, and packing in coolers with Ice.
Id say the best wild game meat i have ever had. All Smiles for this Christmas Gift. Check out the shirt! Ha
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