Foiled by darkness!

[sinawalli]

#5163

Was out elk hunting yesterday, came across a game trail that had fresh sign on it at the end of the day. Decided to give my best David Petereson impersonation, and sit about 12 yards off it zen like. It was pretty thick bush, and I didn’t realize how fast darkness falls! Needless to say, a nice elk came by me, and even though it was still legal shooting time, I couldn’t see him clearly enough to drop the string! Part of me wanted to, but the thought of trailing a elk through that thick stuff in the dark wasn’t wise! Man, I was pissed! I just watched him walk by oblivious to the death that lurked just off his starboard side! Oh well, next time!

[David Petersen]

#37925

A tough call but a wise and ethical decision, Bill. Years ago I quit staying out until last light, for the very reason you stated–not wanting to have to trail an elk after dark, when chances are excellent, given elks’ ability to turn off the blood flow no matter how vital the wound, that you won’t make a recovery that night. And I learned from the first elk I killed with a bow that you can’t leave them out overnight like you sometimes can deer, without losing the downside meat, at the least, to souring. So you done right and your elk karma is strengthened!:lol: Last night I had a spike bull try to run over me, perhaps because I was sitting “Zenlike” in his trail of choice. Of course, at this point I’m in overtime, hunting on a cow tag. Best luck, Bill.

[jason samkowiak]

#38677

Yep, Good call. I find it very easy to look at myself in the mirror everyday knowing i do my best to be an ethical hunter. I have passed on animals becasue it was raining too hard, becasue it was too dark, they were too alert, etc. The main purpose of hunting is for meat. period. And all aspects of whats required to get that meat in the freezer unspolied has to be taken in consideration. I would of done the exact same as you. I also would of been a little bummed about it. But exited about the experience and the chance to do it again tomorrow.

[William Warren]

#39103

I’m no elk hunter but I agree there is a time of day that we should make the call not to shoot. I may stay on stand after that time just to listen to what goes on awhile just for fun, then leave the woods in darkness. You made the right call, besides that bull will keep much better on the hoof for tomorrows hunt. 😀

[Ralph]

#39166

Good call.

After my experience last year of shooting late, finding and recovering my mule deer buck in total darkness other than my flashlight and “racking”:wink: my bow hand up in the process, by the way that I’m still paying for (physically), I’m having second thoughts big time about late evening shooting. I imagine it’ll be this year, like Duncan says, just sitting and watching the changing of the guard. Sometimes though, mule deer just start popping out of the woodwork about 30-45 minutes before dark.

“Better not Ralphie boy!!! Never have had an easy time of it with late shot deer. Gettin’ old you know old buddy!:lol:”

My hand is so sensitive to cold now after it’s injury. Yuck!

[Ralph]

#40945

Just another thing I think about before trekking around in the dark searching for a blood trail or a downed animal,these prickly pears have no mercy. They’re all over the place in this area and it so happens it’s one of the better places to find mule deer.

[sinawalli]

#41519

R2 wrote:

Just another thing I think about before trekking around in the dark searching for a blood trail or a downed animal,these prickly pears have no mercy. They’re all over the place in this area and it so happens it’s one of the better places to find mule deer.

Ouch! Would hate to stumble into that anytime! My biggest worry was branches in the face. Normally I pack a pair of clear safety glasses for that purpose.

[1shot]

#41564

R2, Those tunas look ripe and ready to pick!!! (For the Northern hunters: Tunas are the bright red fruit of the prickly pear, they make a very goood juice thats good for the body and excellent on, grilled chicken, asperagas(sp), and as a drink…And Yes Deer eat them!!!)

Shin daggers, cat-claw and steep rocky cliffs (not to mention smuggling/illegal imigration) make night trailing an adventure in the SW…

[paleoman]

#41921

R2 wrote:

Just another thing I think about before trekking around in the dark searching for a blood trail or a downed animal,these prickly pears have no mercy. They’re all over the place in this area and it so happens it’s one of the better places to find mule deer.

Love the pics! Man, I’d feel like a squirrel in a clearcut down there. Do you have poison ivy down there too?

[Ralph]

#41968

No poison ivy, just a variety of pokies 😀 Bear grass (kind of yucca) prickly pear cactus, barrel cactus ( they’re small and get you when you ain’t looking), mesquite trees have thorns anywhere from an inch to two inches long (hard on tires and thin soled boots too) just to name some of them. Then there’s this weed, know not what it is, that when the seed pod dries and you bump into it you think your being buddies with a rattler. I don’t like the dark out there much.

[1shot]

#42019

To right R2, everything in the SW either pokes, stabs or wants to bite you… A simular seed pod in the fall woods of NY rattles like a buzz worm and makes me jump like alittle girl, then I realise I’m in the cold north east… hehehe…

There are places with poison ivy/oak in AZ…

[Doc Nock]

#45341

When I moved sight unseen into Helena MT years ago, I was flabbergasted to see prickly pear cactus!

Turns out the E. Slope of the Divide is 11″ of annual precip, only 1″ above “desert” status. Cacti abound, but only that one variety.

Hell on tires, too! 😯

[paleoman]

#47711

We have what I believe is Prickly Pear cactus in Michigan too. Not that uncommon in the SW part of the state on very dry sites.

[Ralph]

#47747

I hope y’all try to avoid that stuff as I do:D. I plucked the fruit to eat a few times. Survival input at best. Doesn’t taste bad, you gotta burn all the little fuzzy thorns off the fruit before you bite into it (lesson learned!) and the fruit is full of itty bitty seeds. I mashed the purple juice out of some fruits once, tried thinning it down to dye some white feathers. Was a mess but I got some kinda purpleish looking white feathers. I’ll try different if I ever get ambitious again.

[Doc Nock]

#47750

R2,

That is hysterical, reading between the lines. I do not “recall” (who trust memory of things 30 yrs ago in MT) that the ones I saw ever got berries… I could forget, but dont’ recall seeing any and I was about the country 12 mos of the year. Interesting.

“have to burn the fuzzy thorns off before eating” eh??? OMG.

Yeah, some lessons are ones that imprint BIG TIME!:)

[Author]

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