Staying positive...son's first elk.

[elkeater2]

I've been on this site for awhile, and like many of us have said, the people, the decency, the ethics, etc. keep bringing me back.
I'll try to keep this really short. My son is a wheelchair-bound(6 years now) former champion swimmer, world class. Circumstances have kept him and Dad from teaming up on elk, although he has gotten really good pronghorn and mule deer with me along. He's got some great friends, young men of character and a fair amount of skill, who have taken him on goose, duck, deer and elk hunts the last couple years.
This morning, from a rough and snowy two-track woods road in Colorado, he shot a decent six-point bull at just over 400 yds. uphill with his 7mm WSM. He shot 3 times, one in the chest a little low and forward, but breaking at least one leg right below the shoulder, the immediate follow-up shot was too hasty, but did break a hind leg right at the hamstring. Not pretty. The next shot went into the chest and the elk dropped. The distance was lasered and he has an accurate drop chart and a steady rest. Adrenalin was involved, I'm pretty sure! As his friend began the hike up the hill, three guys in orange came down from the top. They went to the elk, rolled him over, and ignored the yells of my son and his friend. They tagged it and started gutting it. They insisted that it was theirs and the younger man had killed it. My son called the game warden and he came to the site. Warden looked frantically through his 'disputed kill' rules. The older man said his son had killed it, but he had put his tag on it. The warden let him get away with that, but made the son tag it too! Warden did find some expanded bullets and tried to discern from that what the 'killing shot' was, but no real conclusion.
In a way, I'm glad they let it go. The memory will always be bittersweet, and the other party may well have wounded it earlier or even the day before. My son deserves full ownership of his first bull elk harvest experience, and this wasn't going to turn out that way. His turn will come. I'm pretty sure the old man with the quick knife and tag didn't know my son was disabled. I'm also certain he's the one with the real impairment!! Thanks for letting me vent. Probably a good thing my son's loony old man wasn't there, it may have tested my Christian nature.. :evil:

 

[IdahoCTD]

I'm pretty sure I would have gone off on the guy had it been my kid and I was there. I had a couple guys try to steal a cow I shot. When I figured out what was going on I had the rifle at the ready and walked up on them standing over my elk. They didn't like that at all and split. I guess I just dont understand the thinking of trying to claim something you didn't shoot yourself.

 

[cloverleaf]

So sorry for your experience. You have the right attitude, your son has learned and earned an Elk of his own. Taking the "high road" as it were is probably the only way to go home with some integrity. Anybody know of an outfitter who might want to give this young man a crack at an Elk, if they knew the situation? Just a thought.....he's not gonna ask, but maybe we could...? CL

 

[onesonek]

I can't add to what has been said.
That's one of those situations the leave me without words for the most part,,,,and likely a good thing.

 

[DrMike]

Slob killers (they aren't hunters as they lack the ethics) exist. That is a rotten situation. Hopefully, the Game Warden will take note of the slob killers and keep an eye out for them in the future. I'd definitely be steamed, but you did right. Your son's opportunity will come, and he will know that he played by the rules.

 

[6mm Remington]

Very unfortunate for your son, but there are folks like that out there sad to say! He'll get another crack at one hopefully in the very near future. I wish you all the best!
David

 

[sask boy]

Sorry to hear about that incident :x Your son will get another chance and he will make good. Just remember what goes around comes around. Those types of hunting are few and far between. The hunt is something your son will always remember with his good friends the animal is a bonus that will come to him.
Hey your son made a heck of a recovery and anchored that Elk.

Blessings,
Dan

 

[elkeater2]

Kind and thoughtful comments, thanks all. Now let's go hunting, and get some more stories and pictures up here!
Elkeater2

 

[SJB358]

EE2! Man, that is just crappy ethics on the thiefs part! I do applaud your son, heck, he has to be pretty squared away being he is shooting the mighty 7WSM~

I hope you are able to get on more elk shortly. Just like the others said, everything comes around. Scotty

 

[elkeater2]

Fellas,
I need to make clear he was with one of his great friends, and I wasn't there. We all agreed that was probably a good thing. The kid has elevated dealing with adversity to an art form. He doesn't need any more practice like this for awhile. Thanks again. EE2

 

[Oldtrader3]

Your poor son. It is very disheartening for a young hunter to be the victims of slob hunters to behave like this and get away with it. However, I had a nice 4-point mule deer tagged out from under me a few years ago by 3 rednecks in Utah on horseback who saw me shoot the deer, they shot it after it fell and being on horseback, tagging it and proceeded gutting before I ever got there. I went over and told them what I thought and then walked.

I thought the situation over on the way, walking over there, when they started gutting it my deer. The conclusion that I arrived at, is that I was 3 miles from my truck and that a stupid deer is not worth getting killed over. BUT!!!! I started (that day) carrying a 4 inch .45 SA Peacemaker Bisley, in a crossdraw holster after that incident. Luckily, because I had a jacka** from LA, draw a little teeny .32 auto pistol on me after he shot at me and my truck, 3 times with a .30-06 Semi (while shooting at a 70 pound spike-later that year) and I got in his face. I had the .45 on, told him looking at that little .32 was infuriating me, while drawing my .45 crossdraw and backed him down really fast!

I am physically disabled too but not in the head! Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do!

 

[hardpan]

that sucks. Unfortunately, it happens way more often than we would like. Had that happen with a deer in ca. My 12 year old son shot cross canyon, and by the time we got to it, a slob killer (like that name!) tagged it. We let it go. I told my son what my father-in-law told me. There are more horses a$$e$ than there are horses.

good luck in the future. This is one more reason to hunt private land!
Hardpan