Utah Longhorn Hunt With My Boys

mcr-85

WKR
Joined
May 28, 2014
Messages
1,069
Location
Southern Utah
When we found out my wife was pregnant and due at the end of September I figured the chances of elk hunting this year were slim to none. My little girl decided to join us 2 weeks early so I decided to buy a spike elk tag. I knew that I would have my 2 boys with me, ages 6 and 2, and didn't have any expectations to kill anything. I figured we'd be road hunters with the other thousands of people, but I was ok with it. I'd be with my boys and chasing elk, sorta.

Saturday morning both boys got up and were excited to go hunting elk. It was a little chilly, not too bad, but cold for them. I bundled them up and we drove up the mountain and glassed off a few points. We seen a few head of deer and cattle and a whole bunch of people. No elk. We picked elderberries and after a while went back to camp. Early that morning right at daylight I had heard a bunch of coyotes by camp so I though maybe we could find a place to make a stand and at least show them something. I couldn't find a place to call coyotes that didn't have a camp trailer in it so we bagged that idea.

We went back to camp once again and ate some lunch. Peanut butter and fresh elderberry sandwiches are pretty tasty, especially when you are hungry. After I got the boys fed we loaded up a couple fly rods and went and hit a little creek. By now its midday and the weather is perfect for fishing and a little hot for elk hunting, for me anyways. We fished a few holes and caught quite a few. The little cutts were hitting elk hair caddis on the top and it was a lot of fun. I finally talked my oldest into leaving and we drove back to camp. We were just bumming around camp and snacking.

My sister and two of my nieces showed up to camp. I was sitting in a camp chair glassing the country above camp and spotted an elk. I got my spotter out and it was an elusive spike! While I was watching him he bedded under a big pine. It was 6:30 at night, I had about 1.25 hours til dark. I asked my sister if she could watch my boys and while I went after the bull. My boys were busy playing with their cousins and it would require hiking faster than they could do. I drove up a road that paralleled the ridge the spike was on. I stopped once and checked and he was still there. I couldn't get a range on him but the trees a ways below him were 2300+. I kept driving and just before dropping to a trailhead I checked again. I found an elk and ranged at 1508. At the trailhead I took my rifle and hiked up a trail right towards the bull. When I got to the top I started glassing and picked up an elk right by the pine I last seen the spike at. I ranged it at 552. I got behind the gun and dialed up. When he lifted his head, he was a rag 5. I got up and moved towards them another 100 yards. I finally found the spike and layed down and shot him at 465 yards. It was 7:35 and almost dark. I hiked over and quartered him with an headlamp. I hung the meat in some oak headed back to camp with the head. I wanted to show my boys, but the oldest was asleep when I got back. The 2 year old told me I got a nice buck. :LOL:

The next morning I rode in on a mule, loaded the bull on him and led him back down the mountain. The boys and I took my mom fly fishing on the creek again for the afternoon. It ended up being a great weekend in the hills with my family. I prefer hunting away from the roads when I can, but this hunt was a great one. I wish I could have had my boys with me when I shot, but the oak was so thick, I doubt they'd have seen the elk anyways. They were just excited that I killed one, and I was too.

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Lando

WKR
Joined
Jun 5, 2018
Messages
337
Location
Arizona
That's awesome. I bet 20 years from now, you'll remember this hunt as or more fondly than any trophy you ever take.
 

dakotaduner

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
May 15, 2014
Messages
174
That's a great family hunting and fishing trip with lots of memories. Congratulations
 

Dakota Dude

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Sep 24, 2019
Messages
118
Location
CO
I am impressed and jealous! I cannot wait to get my kids out (3.5 and 1.5). Awesome story, and awesome picture!
 
OP
mcr-85

mcr-85

WKR
Joined
May 28, 2014
Messages
1,069
Location
Southern Utah
I am impressed and jealous! I cannot wait to get my kids out (3.5 and 1.5). Awesome story, and awesome picture!
Its a bunch of fun. Take snacks and be prepared to pack the littlest one around and keep your expectations low. I didn't get too far from camp. I'm sure other guys are a bit more hardcore with hunting with their kids than me. I just tried to keep it fun. If my sister wouldn't have been there to watch them when I went after that bull we'd have only came home with fish.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk
 

jkdrgn

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jun 27, 2019
Messages
133
Haha, just saw this post, how fun! Congrats on the success, and good on you for including the boys!
 

RR2012

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Sep 30, 2018
Messages
121
That’s an awesome story!! Glad you made the memories with your sons. Congrats
 
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