Passing of the Torch
This is probably the last “report” that I’ll ever type up regarding my daughter’s success. As I have deleted my previous hour of typing away after coming to the realization, that I have passed on to this young lady all that I feel I can. So, please, understand I think this story needs to be explained as a Father accepting his daughter as an equal in the hunting community. It’s time for Olivia to step out from behind me and share her own experiences.
2015 was Olivia’s last opportunity to draw a tag under the Colorado Youth program, as she will be 18 by the next application process in 2016. So with that, it was intense to select a unit & season that gave her the best opportunity to draw a bull tag within a unit with a decent population of elk. Denied of a first or second season, Olivia drew a bull tag for a dreaded 3rd season of educated cows and bulls that had been hunted for weeks prior on public land. – For me, I was denied a tag for either elk or deer in the draw and settled for just being there.
Olivia arrived in Colorado the day prior to her hunt. Like any hunter, she made the time to get out in my brother-n-law’s range and check for any variances in her shooting. To our surprise, we were shocked at the 8” high @ 100yrds Vs the 3.25” @ 100 that she should have been with my 270WSM. That resulted in making some changes and a quick set-up of my mobile reloading. After adjusting the scope to the preferred 3.25” @ 100, the mildots all were spot on for the cheat sheet we keep. Her final test was the reloads I did in the field @ 500yrds from her bipod. She delivered a 5 shot – 3” group. Her confidence (and Dad’s) was on a high.
The five of us proceeded off to camp – B.I.L. Paul, family friend Jesse, my Nephew Justin, Daughter Olivia, and myself the C.B. (you’ll figure it out since I was the only person without a tag). Nestled up the mountains, we laid out the gear and discussed the tactics and locations for morning. Being very realistic about our tactics – we kept it VERY SIMPLE. Go further, farther away, and work harder than anyone else would do. We all knew that having 3rd season would be tough. The animals have been called to, chased around by ATV’s, shot at, and so on. Additionally, the rut was primarily over with. So the intent was to be located in high percentage locations the furthest away from easy access where lone bulls would most likely travel to find a last cow to breed.
Day 1
We selected a valley/meadow that Paul had hunted in previous years. It laid about 15 miles back through brutal conditions to access. The majority was covered by ATV travel (through and over down timber & rockslides then 2+ miles of hard hiking). We had 46mph gusts of wind – sustained in the upper 20’s and heat. Not what we wanted, but had to make the best of it. Olivia and I selected a rock outcrop ridge where we could watch over timber patches and calm valley of aspen. Paul and his son Justin sat on an outcrop watching an isolated meadow beneath a large saddle of dark woods that was also blocked from most of the wind. Jesse opted to stalk, and made for a day of walking ridge tops. We were all entertained by the occasional mulies wondering by during an all day set
As the sun set below the mountain peaks (about a solid hour prior to actual sunset), Olivia and I heard the roar of Justin’s 7mm short mag echo up the valley. Immediately the radio chatter began and our first night of work was upon us. At 230 yrds, Justin and Paul had two bulls come out – a 5×4 legal bull and a 3×3 with exceptionally long browe tines. They got to watch them spar and light level of fighting before Justin made the shot. Justin’s first bull and very importantly, his Father at his side to share in the experience. We all converged were the bull dropped in the meadow and began the nights work of field butchering and packing. We managed to get back to camp with the meat iced down by 12:30 am.
Day 2
Needless to say, we got a late start to our morning. To my surprise, I got to see Olivia step into her own element and prepare for the day. As the echo of the generator quit and I enjoyed a mug of coffee, she had topped off the gas in the ATV, packed our lunches, water, sharpening knives…. There was nothing for me to do but grab the camera and tag along – NICE for Dad!!!
We returned to the same series of meadows from Day 1 with a slight alteration in our plan. Based on the 2 bulls both coming out of dark wood saddles to the meadow, we would key in on identical habitat. Olivia and I settled into a outcrop with a slight cave in it allowing for 500+ yrds of vision to the east and over 1200 yrds of vision to the west. Paul split part of our view to the west to watch a bottle neck of willows were he has seen elk cross this valley in the past with his oldest son Paul Jr who had drove up for the one day. Justin sat with Jesse at the nearest end of the valley to our ATVs to watch a transition area into an aspen grove.
The days’ gift of sights was quite amazing. We had a mature bull moose make his way down the meadow. In their own element, I still think they look so clumsy as they have a waddle to their walk. Olivia and I had two huge wolves throughout the morning feeding off of Justin’s carcass. Though, Colorado clearly states that they don’t have a wolf population – HAHAHA. Afternoon had coyotes crossing the meadow and no shortage of magpies.
Paul was the only guy with a known opportunity on the day. A 6×5 with a cow had crossed through the willows behind a beaver dam in the mid-afternoon. Paul made a couple attempts with a cow call to draw the bull in for a shot. This educated bull kept his body below a hill exposing nothing from his eyes down. At under 120 yrds, the bull saw no cow in the meadow and bolted out of there.
Day 3
Mental challenge. Conditions remained HOT, WINDY, and more heat and wind. Besides the beaver working in the pond, the day was very uneventful. We all returned to our same daily sit anticipating a bull looking for a mate.
Day 4
Ok, I’m getting burnt out. Same spots for everyone, same conditions, same two wolves wondering around, and the carcass is now white as its been picked apart from every critter passing by. Only change is Olivia and I take a noon hike to go exploring for a hour. We discover the end of the meadow we are watching drops into a deep canyon and all the rocks on the edge are covered in cat scat. We’re out of there and on our way back. Olivia steps up on a very out crop of rocks and points out the darkest shadow on a small saddle and says “there has to be elk on that side”. I’m awestruck with the image and take out my phone for a quick pic. We return to the same boring rock we had been sitting on for 3 days straight and decided we were on the best spot in the valley and stick it out. The heat begins to diminish, evening sun set is upon us, and the faint dark clouds of an approaching snow storm are off to the west.
A shadow quickly blankets the meadow, and to the east we see the most majestic creature run from the dark woods to about 100 yrds into the meadow. Both Olivia and I spot him at the same time. I immediately pull up my binocs and count 5pnts to the near side. A recount and I had 7, knowing I see some from the other side on a broadside view.
I declared “he’s a legal bull – Take’m”
Olivia – “400 ish yards?” As he had ran out and stopped beyond a rock that we had a 371 yrds.
I hit the range finder and called it “392yrds – straight tail wind,….as soon as you have THE shot take it – don’t wait on me”
Olivia –“I’m on him….400 mil”
BOOM- and I’m a failure. One task to achieve and I screwed it up. The last thing I did in all of the events was powered up the video camera. Like a rookie, I attempted to frame the image in the monitor before I hit the record button. I just had him perfectly framed as the muzzle blast caused me to take my hand away from the record button and cover my ears. As I stared at the monitor, I saw both front legs buckled and the chest caved in. He did a 180 on his hind legs and bolted for exactly where he came from. With no delay, a 2nd shot roared out before he hit the woodline and a soft comment from Olivia “$#!^ that was behind him.
As the adrenaline and heart rates came back down from both of us, Olivia immediately described her shot. The maturity level and detail was more than I ever expected. I told her I saw the hit, and she responded with “Wow, that was hard to get my heart rate down….I was there and the trigger touch felt perfect….Dad, I had the 1st mildot for 400yrd perfectly on the side of his leg and dead center of him…HE HAD TO GO DOWN”.
So, I being the devoted father I want to be, ran down to play blood hound. With Olivia still in the shooting position, she directed me like a retriever. She would put her orange hat in her hand and point to the direction I needed to move to. As the faithful hound, I continued to take her lead and scan every square inch of grass. As the dark shadows continued to fall, Olivia led me perfectly to the woods’ edge where I found the first spot of blood….then the scond…. As I lifted my head and looked further up the hill, there laid her trophy 6×6.
Then the work began…………………. Though I enjoyed every agonizing second of the miserable punishment she put my old failing body through. Amongst the celebration, key comments came from her that really opened my ears and eyes to the young lady she is. We all hunt as a team and all share in the work. But she began to thank everyone in advance, acknowledge that we won’t get back for hours and screwed up their morning hunt. She was the first to offer making multiple trips and wanted the heaviest load…(that wasn’t going to happen) . Rather than gloating over a nearly perfect shot, she stood humble and did the one thing that made me dam near cry. Gave me a hug and said ”Thanks Dad”. Without anyone else hearing her, she looked at the entry hole and whispered “exactly”.
I caped it out for the mount and continued to debone all the meat for packing. For the rest of the night, her whisper of “Exactly” played over and over…and I was now the gloating Dad.
Days 5 and 6 buried us in 6” to 12” of snow each day and single temps. Neither Paul nor Jesse had another opportunity to fill their tag. We did see a large amount of tracks on the final day indicating the elk were staying in higher country running the ridge tops.
We chained the tires, cleaned up / dismantled camp and made the journey back to Paul’s on the front -range. Upon arriving, Olivia continued to work hard. Everything had a home and that’s where it was placed. That effort continued through the night as we butchered the two bulls. Never bragging more than what was needed (all mouth filters come off at our hunt camps).
It was our ride home that I finally asked about “Exactly”?
Olivia – “Everything you taught me”
I have no words for how I feel. It’s a feeling I can’t explain. I have met a few of you that know “exactly” what I’m talking about….and I hope EVERY parent has the opportunity to feel exactly this way.
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probably the best single report I have ever seen here. Thank you for sharing. 
probably the best single report I have ever seen here. Thank you for sharing. 
yep, the price to be paid when you don’t have a tag 