Western Hunting Journal, Premiere Issue whj001_premiere | Page 50

ARCHERY
48
WESTERN HUNTING JOURNAL
It’s important to have a good team.
Here, the author enjoys the last load
out on a previous season’s hunt.
zach
Even though I left my Oregon archery tag in tact I still found suc-
cess in my ventures. Lessons learned don’t come cheap and they’re
often paid in heartbreak, blood and sweat. It was no different for me
this year. In my six days elk hunting I covered close to 90 miles, most
of which were in search of the bull I wounded. They were steep, hard
and unforgiving miles. We packed in on Ben’s horses and mules. It
was how I always dreamed of hunting the rugged wilderness coun-
try, and from that perspective it didn’t disappoint. I learned a few
tricks around the pack saddle and got to see some amazing country.
That in and of itself was a success. I hope to continue to hunt that
way from here on out. The smell of sweaty mules lends itself to high
country hunting. The use of horses and mules opens up so many op-
portunities for an elk hunter and I’m thankful that I have a friend
who shares my passion for elk hunting.
Getting a text from Chad with a picture of that bull was pure joy.
Chad and I have run the bad luck gauntlet of archery hunting, so
anytime he or I find success it’s always special. He’s wise beyond his
years in hunting knowledge and his witty remarks always make for a
few good laughs in camp. If there was ever a guy who deserved a bull
like that it was Chad.
Bow hunting can be a cruel endeavor, for both the hunter and the
hunted. It can humble a guy pretty fast. I can say without a doubt it
did me. It’s been nearly three months since my botched shot Sep-
tember nightmare. I keep telling myself that elk are dirty tough, and
if there was ever an animal to survive something like that it would
be an elk. I haven’t decided if I’ll bow hunt again next year or ever
for that matter.
Yesterday, if someone would’ve held my feet to the fire and asked
Ben Rodriguez made a last
ditch effort to tag this fine
public land OTC trophy.
me ‘yay or nay’ on archery hunting next September I would’ve said
pass. Will I still feel that way next September? It’s hard to tell right
now because the wound is still fresh. I’m going to let the winter and
spring seasons pass me by and hopefully by early summer I’ll remem-
ber why it is I love archery elk hunting. I suspect the sounds