Empty Nester
Member
- Messages
- 41
TEAM Geriatric's Successful Hunt in the Valle Vidal
This hunt started last year when I (dad) was able to draw the 2nd rifle hunt in the VV. My wife and I scouted the area 6 times prior to the hunt and we were rewarded on the first night with a nice broken horned 5 point.
Fast forward to 2021 and my son was able to draw the same tag as I did last year. My son works and ungodly amount of hours working in the oil and gas industry and wasn't sure how he would pull this hunt off. My wife and I told him that we would do the heavy lifting (scouting) and he could join us when time permitted. My wife I made 8 scouting trips during the spring and summer. We made the decision that we would concentrate our efforts on the west end of the unit (Clayton Corrals west). This allowed us to find some amazing country and we hiked 100 or so miles during these trips. My son was able to join us on 3 of these trips. He fell in love with the area and in particular several of the areas that we had our eyes on.
On to the hunt. Team Geriatric consisted of Grandpa (84). one of my other sons father in law (70), my wife (55), me (55) and my son (31). Probably not your starting 5 on your lifetime hunt. My wife drove grandpa down from Idaho and I met up with her in Raton, NM on Tuesday before the hunt. We arrived at the Cimarron campground Wednesday morning and set up camp and prepared for the hunt. We did some scouting on Wednesday night and Thursday. Friday we rested. Opening morning found us overlooking a meadow that had 40 cow/calves but no legal bulls (one spike). I told my son that the bull beat us to the forest before we could get a look at him (just a feeling I had). On the way out we picked up Fred (father in law), because he wasn't able to make it all the way in and held a discussion. Jordan (son) said that he wanted to go to another area for the evening hunt. I told him that this was his hunt and I would do whatever he wanted but........I had a feeling that we missed the bull this morning and that he would come out with the cows this evening. I asked him for one more opportunity at this meadow. He trusted me as said that we would come back. Good choice. We made it back to the meadow around 3:30 and got ourselves hidden in some pine trees. At 5:30 around 20 cows/calves came out of the forest and not long after a nice 6 point bull appeared. This was a nice bull and there wasn't any discussion on whether or not the trigger was going to get pulled. My son was calm as a cucumber with mom and dad proving to be a cluster fart (shooting sticks/range finder etc.) One shot (220 yards) and the easy part of the hunt was over. This was my sons first elk and he was amazed at the body size of the animal. I looked at him and told him the easy part was over. He hit that bull with a 7 mag 168 grain berger hybrid bullet. It went down in a heap and did not move one inch. Impressed with how hard that bullet hits its targer. We got the elk tagged, cleaned and prepared for tomorrow's work. We got back to camp and gathered TEAM Geriatric and told them that tomorrow was going to be a long hard day and that we would need everyone's help. I had spoken with an individual prior to the hunt, who told me that they would be in the campground with horses and that they would help with the packout. Something must have happened because they were not there. There was only one set of horses in the Cimarron Campground and they belonged to a hunter who was using them for their hunt. TEAM SCREWED.
The five of us hiked in (4 miles one way) SLOWLY and got the animal quartered and prepared. My son and I took the quarters and leap frogged them back to the truck. The wife carried the meat sack and Fred carried the horns. Grandpa enjoyed watching us kill ourselves. It took all day but we got the job done. Not bad for our age.
First elk killed by my son.....congrats
First elk ever seen by Fred.....had the time of his life
Hope it not the last elk hunt for Grandpa....steps a little slower but did a great job helping. (Truth of the matter was that I told him to stay in camp. He told me to kiss his ***** and he would meet me at the elk)
My wife was with me every step of they way (both hunts). Couldn't be prouder of her efforts. Two years ago her idea of camping was a night at the Holiday Inn with breakfast in the lobby.
Empty Nester
This hunt started last year when I (dad) was able to draw the 2nd rifle hunt in the VV. My wife and I scouted the area 6 times prior to the hunt and we were rewarded on the first night with a nice broken horned 5 point.
Fast forward to 2021 and my son was able to draw the same tag as I did last year. My son works and ungodly amount of hours working in the oil and gas industry and wasn't sure how he would pull this hunt off. My wife and I told him that we would do the heavy lifting (scouting) and he could join us when time permitted. My wife I made 8 scouting trips during the spring and summer. We made the decision that we would concentrate our efforts on the west end of the unit (Clayton Corrals west). This allowed us to find some amazing country and we hiked 100 or so miles during these trips. My son was able to join us on 3 of these trips. He fell in love with the area and in particular several of the areas that we had our eyes on.
On to the hunt. Team Geriatric consisted of Grandpa (84). one of my other sons father in law (70), my wife (55), me (55) and my son (31). Probably not your starting 5 on your lifetime hunt. My wife drove grandpa down from Idaho and I met up with her in Raton, NM on Tuesday before the hunt. We arrived at the Cimarron campground Wednesday morning and set up camp and prepared for the hunt. We did some scouting on Wednesday night and Thursday. Friday we rested. Opening morning found us overlooking a meadow that had 40 cow/calves but no legal bulls (one spike). I told my son that the bull beat us to the forest before we could get a look at him (just a feeling I had). On the way out we picked up Fred (father in law), because he wasn't able to make it all the way in and held a discussion. Jordan (son) said that he wanted to go to another area for the evening hunt. I told him that this was his hunt and I would do whatever he wanted but........I had a feeling that we missed the bull this morning and that he would come out with the cows this evening. I asked him for one more opportunity at this meadow. He trusted me as said that we would come back. Good choice. We made it back to the meadow around 3:30 and got ourselves hidden in some pine trees. At 5:30 around 20 cows/calves came out of the forest and not long after a nice 6 point bull appeared. This was a nice bull and there wasn't any discussion on whether or not the trigger was going to get pulled. My son was calm as a cucumber with mom and dad proving to be a cluster fart (shooting sticks/range finder etc.) One shot (220 yards) and the easy part of the hunt was over. This was my sons first elk and he was amazed at the body size of the animal. I looked at him and told him the easy part was over. He hit that bull with a 7 mag 168 grain berger hybrid bullet. It went down in a heap and did not move one inch. Impressed with how hard that bullet hits its targer. We got the elk tagged, cleaned and prepared for tomorrow's work. We got back to camp and gathered TEAM Geriatric and told them that tomorrow was going to be a long hard day and that we would need everyone's help. I had spoken with an individual prior to the hunt, who told me that they would be in the campground with horses and that they would help with the packout. Something must have happened because they were not there. There was only one set of horses in the Cimarron Campground and they belonged to a hunter who was using them for their hunt. TEAM SCREWED.
The five of us hiked in (4 miles one way) SLOWLY and got the animal quartered and prepared. My son and I took the quarters and leap frogged them back to the truck. The wife carried the meat sack and Fred carried the horns. Grandpa enjoyed watching us kill ourselves. It took all day but we got the job done. Not bad for our age.
First elk killed by my son.....congrats
First elk ever seen by Fred.....had the time of his life
Hope it not the last elk hunt for Grandpa....steps a little slower but did a great job helping. (Truth of the matter was that I told him to stay in camp. He told me to kiss his ***** and he would meet me at the elk)
My wife was with me every step of they way (both hunts). Couldn't be prouder of her efforts. Two years ago her idea of camping was a night at the Holiday Inn with breakfast in the lobby.
Empty Nester
