I Hate White Rabbits...

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I Hate White Rabbits...

Author: Chris Awe

Oct 26, 2009
(1 comments)

As the swirling smoke from our rotten-log campfire continually circled and burned our eyes, Dan and I’s spirits remained untouched. We shifted with the smoke, uttering sayings to ward away the “Campfire Smoke Spirit”. –White Rabbits seemed to do the trick. On the eve of BiGRO (Big Game Rifle Opener), it’s hard to for anything to curb the excitement and anxiety of what the next morning will bring.

My Bro-in-law and I have shared numerous BiGRO Eve’s… I guess you could say it’s a bit of a ritual? It technically starts when the last passenger/attendee is picked up, and the path goes into a forward motion. For some guys; it’s a hall-pass, using the BiGRO as their vehicle for unchecked man-time. For others, it presents a unique opportunity to harvest the wily-Wapiti with a rifle.

I’d say for Dan and I, it’s a bit of a blend. We are stoked to load up our gear and head off into the mountains, but on the other hand are careful not to neglect the opportunity to tour old taverns and soak up a little culture.

This year it was just Dan and I. Dan possessed his general elk/bull tag, and I was down to my cow tag. We both had to be at work on Monday, so we packed light and planned to cover lots of ground. We were banking on the chaos of BiGRO to afford us some action.

As we watched a large herd disperse, and begin working their way into some heavier cover, we raced up to the ridgeline. The elk were on the move, and we were not yet into position. Within a moment, we saw the lead cow of a sub-herd poke her head into the drainage we were climbing. We froze hoping she wouldn’t see us… She then signaled to the other elk that it was okay to descend. As I ranged a nearby cliff band, we could see the entire batch of elk assemble: 2 bulls, and 11 cows/spikes.

The two bulls were in the very back of the line, and we waited for them to trickle in so Dan could get a shot. We carefully watched to make sure everything was clear, and Dan concluded he’d be happy with the bull. With a deep breathe; Dan squeezed off a round and separated the bull from the herd. In a split second the remaining elk tensed up, regrouped, and began to traverse the drainage in the other direction. Carefully watching and trying to anticipate their path, I ranged a clearing in their near future. One of the cows happened to be slightly outside of the group, and gave me a great opportunity… I took it.

Just like that… Dan and I punched our tags (and began to understand what our success meant). Thankfully; we have some great friends and family who were able to come out and lend us a hand with the harvest… An opening day that won’t be forgotten.

Categories: Hunts

COMMENTS

Gotta love the double header!
God bless the BiGRO. LOL.

Luke Johnson Posted At 11/10/2009 05:43 PM

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