Normally the rut has by started during the first week of the September Bear Hunt but because of the drought it was delayed. The late September Trophy Bull Hunt came and went and still no bulging Bulls and no Cow chirps could be heard. After a month and a half of silence the rut finally started. Because of the severe drought the hunt was made easier. All that had to be done mainly was to find water, which proved to be a challenge because stock tanks that were never dry before could now be driven across. Springs went dry and some of the creeks were dried up also. While I was out looking for water in various stock tanks, friends were looking at some of the local creeks. The most promising was Spring Creek it was learned that the Elk were hanging out in the hills to the Northeast and coming to water between 4:00-6:00. Talking with them convinced me to set up my ground blind in that area. I went out there to scout out a site to setup my blind I came across signs of a Bull fight and 3 different game trails. 2 of them were where Elk jumped the fence and one went through a gate. The trail at the gate had the most sign. The next day I went out there with my wheelchair, Camo. netting and Baking Soda (to kill scent). Talking things over with my hunting partner, Ernie, it was decided that we leave our ATV�s in a corral a couple miles away on the Thursday before the season opened.
After dropping off the ATV�s we were picked up by another buddy, Jim. As we left the ranch we spied in the distance a herd of Elk of about 50 animals. They were grazing on a hillside right above the set up blinds and greatly increased our hopes of a successful hunt and dismissed our fears that they would be grazing under the full moon.
Opening day was upon us and by 5:30 we were settled in the blinds waiting for shooting light. Jim was set up on a hill a little over 2 miles away with a spotting scope. As the sky lightened I saw 8 cows, 1 calf and 1 5x5 Bull grazing on the hillside off to my right, at about 350 or 400 yards. As the sun started to crest the hill the Elk started down the hill but didn�t follow the game trail I thought they would. They came to the fence and were to far to my right for a clean shot. There I was out of position and stared at by 20 eyes. There I was knowing that the slightest movement could spook the Elk and yet I had to move into a shooting position. But try I did and yes they did spook. And up a drainage to the East they ran. After scaring them off I moved my blind back under a big Juniper and facing up the canyon those Elk ran. I saw numerous Elk herds on the hills above that draw a good 1000 yards away. Sometime later, late morning or early afternoon, I heard some heavy footfalls, probably a horse seeing how I was in a horse pasture, then some splashing around in the creek behind me, but never saw anything. Later, about 3:00, a flock of a dozen Turkeys came within 10 yards of Ernie�s blind. He told me later that 1 brave bird came up to 6 feet away from of him and they both just stared at each other. After those Turkeys roamed off a herd of Elk came out of the drainage. Made up of ! Spike Bull, 3 cows and 4 yearlings. I got on the radio and told Jim and Ernie that �I see some Elk and here they come�. When they cleared the trees they broke into a trot. Jumped the fence and turned straight for Ernie. Later he told the story that when those Elk got in front of him they started to play and jump around. At 100 yards he got a clear shot and downed a 2 year old cow. After he shot they started to run towards me. As their heads topped the little rise they turned towards the fence. When the last cow was jumping the fence I snapped off my first shot. I hit her and down she went but jumped right back up. I only hit her in the leg. She started to run away from the drainage and up the hill when I popped off another round, but she just kept going. At 300 yards she stopped and then she caught a couple more bullets and tumbled down the hill into a Mesquite bush. I then got back on the radio saying �I got one down�. When my hunting buddy, Ernie, tagged his and was starting the long walk back to the ATV�s I spotted a large herd walking on a hillside about 3/4 a mile away. I know I didn�t count the herd�s leading edge but what I did count numbered 28 plus a few more standing on the other hills.
When Ernie returned with the quad he drove over to where my cow laid and drug her out of the Mesquite. After tagging her she was towed over to me. He then started the 2 mile journey back to the truck to get the knives, tarps and old bed sheets. While Ernie was gone Jim arrived and we started skinning and gutting. With the daylight rapidly fading we maneuvered the ATV�s around so the headlights would shine on the task at hand. As the temperature dropped a old clich� came to mind. It says that �happiness is a steaming gut pile� and it is. With part of the work almost over we wrapped the meat in the old bed sheets, loaded the halves on the quads and started back to the trucks. By 11:30 we made it home. Froze stiff but ready to celebrate a successful hunt out came the bottle of �Wild Turkey�.
