What a way to start the day!

The morning was a bit chilly, somewhere in the teens but not bad at all. Plan was to drop me off high, set my dad in the middle sitting just off a clearcut and my brother and his friend would go low and we'd all meet in the middle. It had worked in the past and we were hoping it would this time.

Well, we were running just a bit late as I got dropped off right at first shooting light. First time I'd make the hike from the road to the ridge while being able to see my hand in front of my face. The hike back to the ridge might be a mile or so on an old logging road until I would top the ridge and make my way down.

I guess someone was looking down on me that morning as I got maybe 400 yards into the woods and caught sight of a couple of cows coming up through an old clear cut. They were moving like they were late for a meeting but not spooked.

Problem was, I was coming around a turn on the old logging road and still in the trees. No chance of a shot. I chirped on my cow call and sure enough they came to a stop. I moved a bit closer to get out of the trees and busted a few does between me and the elk. I didn't pause to take a look at the does as I was intent on getting my elk. They moved, I'd chirp, I'd move, they'd move.

Finally, I got into a position that looked pretty good and had one of the elk in my crosshairs standing broadside at about 125 yards. Problem was, there was a small pine just in front of the elk. I waited for her to take a step and squeezed the trigger.

She just stood there.

Ok, let me try this again.

Put the crosshairs just behind the should, breath in, out, squeeze...

she wasn't there anymore.

Hmmmm, how could I have missed twice at that range? (???)

Figured I HAD to hit her and headup up the hill to look for blood. Just as I see her down my radio buzzes. My brother said they just saw 3 elk cross the road and heading up the ridge as they were getting to the area to drop my dad off.

I told him I already had an elk down and to go on with their hunt.

Now, when I said I had an elk down, I wasn't lying. I thought I had hit her in the spine as the front legs and head were doing just fine but the back wasn't going anywhere. So I walked up with my pistol and put her down. I've never like this part but it is a part of hunting and why I carry a pistol.

I go to start the field dressing only to find one of the hind legs broken up high. Still can't find the entry or exit wounds. Well, trying to field dress and elk by yourself is hard enough as it is but with a broken leg makes a dang near impossible.

I get on the radio to get one body up to help and wait patiently. Now, usually, we don't take field photos for cows but I couldn't pass up on this picture.

As I was waiting for help, I followed the tracks back to where the cow was standing when I hit her to get an idea of the distance. She dragged herself maybe 30 feet and as I looked back to where I was when I shot I found myself just a bit amazed.

There were so many little branches between where I was and where she was. I've come to discover that before the sun actually comes up and you are in that dawn stage, you can't see them with the naked eye nor through a scope.

This would explain was I missed the first shot and hit her in the hindquarters on the second shot. If I had this same shot in the bright daylight, I would have never taken it. I'm not sure if this by far the best shot I've ever made in my life or the luckiest.

I kind of lean toward the latter.

I know this isn't a huge bull or monster buck, but I think this is perhaps the best field photo I've ever taken. It still isn't complete daylight but just on the cusp of that warming sun hitting the mountains off in the distance.