Big Brown Down

Well shots were fired and fur fell to the ground. It was like watching those hunting shows that you think are staged. "Its the last day, and the last hour of our trip, and wouldn't you know it, the elk stepped out and presented a shot". Yeah it was kind of like that but more surreal. Now came time to do some real work, recover my harvest which was across a valley. Seems simple right,.... nah Jack. The elk I shot weight 400-500 pounds, its not just as simple as "Hey Willie, go get your truck". This would truly define the hunt aspect of harvesting big game animals.

I started my trek down the mountain, as we were at 9,000+ feet in elevation, and then climb back up the other side to find the elk. This was easier said than done, just thinking about it now makes me wish I had hit the treadmill harder. Once I made it to the bottom of the valley the aspen forest masked the location of the downed elk. With a general location of the animal, the trek uphill began. Trudging through branches and ducking under downed limbs was normal. There were no clean vertical pathways as the elk used horizontal paths on the mountain side to travel. Once enough elevation had been gained, the game trails could be followed, but with the heavy cover it made finding the elk difficult even when only feet separated us. Finally I caught a big noseful of the downed animal, just like mature bucks, this elk stunk. I turned into the wind and followed it to the prize.

My eyes couldn't take in the view all at once. It was like looking at a horse laid on its side. The last animal I had harvested was a sika deer, which in comparison to an elk is about 1/10 the size. With my excitement flowing through my body, I took a seat on a nearby log and just starred in amazement. A spur of a moment trip with a friend that I never met, took shape into a completed bucket list item. My partner eventually made it up the hill and found me hanging out on the log. "It's time to get to work", he said. After a few photo opportunities of course.

I dove into my field pack and pulled out an arrangement of Gerber knives. We had to maneuver the elk into position and cut some branches out of the way for a makeshift butcher shop. Believe me, take the time to clear your area, that one tree branch will get cursed out the entire time for being the way and could lead to you sliding that knife into your hand. It wasn't long before the body cavity was opened and the elk lost about 100+ pounds, it was like an in field tummy tuck. Then working from the back forward, one person held the leg while the other skinned it back, deboned the leg at the knuckle, and separated it from the body. Each leg section was put into field dressing bags to keep it clear of debris. This is also a good time for some black pepper for preservation of the meat. Remember once the animal is done, time is critical. The colder it is, the slower the clock but dealing with a frozen animal of this size would seem impossible.

Our temperature situation was about 40 degrees, not too cold but a long enough window for use to field dress and travel back to the truck. We continued our assault with several knives and bagged and tagged the elk. Since this was a cow there was no need cape out the head. The hide could also be saved but during this trip it wasn't of interest. Again proper care has to be taken in order to preserve it. With all the meat and four appendages bagged we loaded up for a trip down the valley and all the way up the other side. My partner who was notably older than myself would be a stationed halfway up the other side and I would go from there to downed elk and back. This process was repeated over a three hour period until all the meat made it to the truck. Since the appendages and field dressing bags were so large, we choose to use my water proof dufflebag to store the meat. Once back at camp we could put some ice right into the dufflebag.

So it felt like Karate Kid, up the mountain, down the mountain, repeat. Except every 50 feet, catch your breath and curse for not being in better shape. Then repeat. Dressing in layers though is key, all the physical strain is going to make your body generate heat. Since the trek up and down was along the same path, it allowed me to shed clothing along the way to picked up on the last trip out. It also gave you trail markers or to highlight trip hazard to stay away from. Of course when it starts to snow, this means nothing. The temperature dropped quickly and near white conditions started. Luckily we were nearly done.

This entire process took about 5 hours. Two minutes to pull the trigger and 5 hours to field dress, field butcher, and trek the meat out of the valley. That 9000+ feet elevation isn't too forgiving either. I was in a little better acclimatization being in Denver for over a week prior to the hunt. Although once you add a physical load, say hauling 80 pounds of meat out up a mountain side, it's a new ball game Jack. This hunt tested our physical abilities the most and I urge anyone doing a similar hunt to prepare for it. In the end, it makes the harvest a lot sweeter, even if you have to stop every 50 feet to catch your breath. This concludes my first elk hunt, below are a few treats for your viewing pleasure.