The Big Hunt

So, I went Elk hunting in Eastern Oregon for the first time, and by anyone's standards, I think I was successful ...



The words in the photo say it all. Daylight was at 7:21, and I took my shot at 7:34. From what I could hear, mine was the 5th shot of the day.

It took a little while to find him, but it was worth it. Imagine my suprise to see this big guy laying out under these pines.



The head alone gives you a better shot at all the points. We'd heard that if you are not planning on mounting the head, you can bring the cape to a taxidermist and get some $ for it. We ended up packing out the head/rack/cape, and taking it to someone local who gave us $125 for this cape. I guess people pack out the antlers and then want a complete shoulder mount, so the taxidermist needs material to work with that they don't mind purchasing.

This is the buddy I hunted with. He did all the up front research and ground work and I got the big rack. In the end, we both filled our tags and that equates to plenty of meat for the both of us, so I don't think he is sore.

Our method of transporting the quarters and head may appear a little unorthodox, but it worked. We also had a dolly (behind me in yellow) that did most of the work. Another hunter who came to claim our spot upon our exit said he thought the dolly and bicycle seat were a nice "touch." I think that meant he was gonna get some.



And finally, those of you who are concerned about the healthiness of eating a wild animal like this ... The US government has put this little meat comparrison table together and I found it very interesting. Looks like we should all be hunting Bison.