I left home on Tuesday and drove west to elk hunt. I arrived to my destination on Wednesday afternoon. I set up camp. Thursday morning I was up and in the woods scouting. I walked in and could hear elk talking. Seen a small herd pass through the timber. A short time later I seen another herd cutting through the timber. I hid behind a tree as they pass by. I decided I needed to exit the timber and return on Saturday with my rifle.
Saturday I was sitting in the timber as shooting time came and went. I sat tucked in until about 0930. I decided to move to a opening in the timber about a mile back. I slowly made my way still hunting as the wind was favorable.
I got to the opening about a hour later. I sat down on a stump in the sun . I sat there for quite a while looking towards the west. I turn around and seen a herd of elk behind me. I look at the back elk and it was a nice five point bull. I range it at 296 yards. Made the scope adjustment.
I nestled my rifle across the logs I was leaning against. Rock solid. Put the crosshairs on the crease and slowly pulled the trigger. Pow...a split second later I hear thwap and the bull buckles and darts into the timber. I look at my watch and mark the time.
I’m about to send my wife a InReach message “bull down” but decided to wait until I recovered it.
Within a few minutes it starts to snow. The snow turned into a blizzard. Within a few minutes there was snow accumulation. I decided I better walk up and see if I can see the bull or direction of the blood trail.
As I get to the area the elk was standing I’m looking around and see some tracks.
About that time I feel tightness in my chest. No sooner than I felt the tightness I felt my life leave me. I fell .
I awoke laying on my rifle with my face in the dirt. Snow piled up on me 2-3”. I get up to my knees and still have chest pain. I take a nitro pill. I look at my watch and it was nearly 1.5 hours after I shot the elk. I was unconscious for a hour and 15-20 minutes. I took another nitro.
I remember I have aspirin in my pack so I take two. I had taken my blood pressure meds at 0500 so I took another dose ( just in case).
I sent my wife a message via InReach telling her to summon help and told her I had a heart attack.
I had hiked in on public behind a large private ranch.
I looked at my OnX and seen a dirt road nearby on private that lead to the county road.
I sent my wife another message that I was going to try walking out.
I started walking in the snow storm. I was about 1.5 hours in the walk when I seen a cabin off in the woods with a couple vehicles parked outside. I walked towards the cabin when someone walked out. I waved at him and he got into a truck and drove over to me.
I told him what had happened and asked him if he would take me to the road. He said get in and we drove to the county road. As we were driving he asked me if I believe in God. I told him yes. He said a prayer holding my hand. He drove me to a cabin that had a land line. He called dispatch and told them he had me. They told him EMS and the Sheriff Dept were looking for me. The man drove me several miles until we found a Deputy. The Deputy drove me several miles to a waiting ambulance.
I was transported to a hospital. I was stable upon arrival. They tested me in every way and said I didn’t have a heart attack.
They kept me for two days. I was sent to a Heart Hospital a couple hours away to have my defibrillator interrogated.(I had a defibrillator implant as a result of a heart attack a couple years ago)
Once interrogated the chart showed my heart stopped beating and a short time later the defibrillator fired restarting my heart.
In the hospital I asked the doctor when I’m released can I go look for my elk. She said absolutely not. I called a friend of a friend who was hunting nearby and he and a couple others went and looked for my elk but we’re unable to locate it.
Attached is my defibrillator interrogation report.
Saturday I was sitting in the timber as shooting time came and went. I sat tucked in until about 0930. I decided to move to a opening in the timber about a mile back. I slowly made my way still hunting as the wind was favorable.
I got to the opening about a hour later. I sat down on a stump in the sun . I sat there for quite a while looking towards the west. I turn around and seen a herd of elk behind me. I look at the back elk and it was a nice five point bull. I range it at 296 yards. Made the scope adjustment.
I nestled my rifle across the logs I was leaning against. Rock solid. Put the crosshairs on the crease and slowly pulled the trigger. Pow...a split second later I hear thwap and the bull buckles and darts into the timber. I look at my watch and mark the time.
I’m about to send my wife a InReach message “bull down” but decided to wait until I recovered it.
Within a few minutes it starts to snow. The snow turned into a blizzard. Within a few minutes there was snow accumulation. I decided I better walk up and see if I can see the bull or direction of the blood trail.
As I get to the area the elk was standing I’m looking around and see some tracks.
About that time I feel tightness in my chest. No sooner than I felt the tightness I felt my life leave me. I fell .
I awoke laying on my rifle with my face in the dirt. Snow piled up on me 2-3”. I get up to my knees and still have chest pain. I take a nitro pill. I look at my watch and it was nearly 1.5 hours after I shot the elk. I was unconscious for a hour and 15-20 minutes. I took another nitro.
I remember I have aspirin in my pack so I take two. I had taken my blood pressure meds at 0500 so I took another dose ( just in case).
I sent my wife a message via InReach telling her to summon help and told her I had a heart attack.
I had hiked in on public behind a large private ranch.
I looked at my OnX and seen a dirt road nearby on private that lead to the county road.
I sent my wife another message that I was going to try walking out.
I started walking in the snow storm. I was about 1.5 hours in the walk when I seen a cabin off in the woods with a couple vehicles parked outside. I walked towards the cabin when someone walked out. I waved at him and he got into a truck and drove over to me.
I told him what had happened and asked him if he would take me to the road. He said get in and we drove to the county road. As we were driving he asked me if I believe in God. I told him yes. He said a prayer holding my hand. He drove me to a cabin that had a land line. He called dispatch and told them he had me. They told him EMS and the Sheriff Dept were looking for me. The man drove me several miles until we found a Deputy. The Deputy drove me several miles to a waiting ambulance.
I was transported to a hospital. I was stable upon arrival. They tested me in every way and said I didn’t have a heart attack.
They kept me for two days. I was sent to a Heart Hospital a couple hours away to have my defibrillator interrogated.(I had a defibrillator implant as a result of a heart attack a couple years ago)
Once interrogated the chart showed my heart stopped beating and a short time later the defibrillator fired restarting my heart.
In the hospital I asked the doctor when I’m released can I go look for my elk. She said absolutely not. I called a friend of a friend who was hunting nearby and he and a couple others went and looked for my elk but we’re unable to locate it.
Attached is my defibrillator interrogation report.
