What a Grand adventure!

Congradulations Kevin & Thanks for takin us along!!

Great job Kevin! Absolutely amazing the way you relay the story. Thanks for sharing and congratulations on another big bull.

               

I definitely felt like I was "along for the ride" and it was a great ride!  Can't wait for the rest!  I am slightly jealous of your adventure! lol.  I did learn that I am a social hunter.  I like to have friends there.  I'm sure you did as well when the packing out began!  

WOW!  I felt the tension building in myself. Not many writers are able to create that feeling in their readers.  Congratulations on a fabulous experience. Now we have to get him out!   :D

Outstanding...  What life is all about...  Thank you for letting us ride along.  A heart felt congratulations.  Jeff

After approaching the bull and assuring he was dead, I took a few minutes to look him over and appreciate his bulk. I was less interested in his antlers truthfully, as I badly wanted his body for meat. He was in prime condition and I was grateful. I found myself kneeling by him and giving sincere thanks for his sacrifice. I thanked Our Creator for many things, including my safety. I then headed back to camp for a couple sat phone calls and some lunch. I recall walking inside my tipi and sitting down to collect my thoughts. That's when the enormity of it all hit me hard. I sat and just let myself take a well-deserved emotional ride. I'm usually pretty stoic.

I collected my kill kit gear and headed back to the bull. Uh...wait....did I say "bulls"?





Another bull was chasing cows in the valley and he headed my way when he saw me walking out. I played with him a bit but he was far too willing to threaten me so I gave up after some good pics and video. I had to talk to him to convince him it was time to go. All the moose backed off a couple hundred yards but I could see them for hours. The rutting and chasing was impressive. Cow moose were moving around and squalling like alley cats in the valley. I set my bow down and snapped a few pictures.

Fantastic adventure and a wonderfully told story. This is why I went trad. It's about so much more than the kill, and you did a great job of showing that. I just hope to one day be able to make it up there myself. Thanks so much for taking us all along with you.

Congrats on a great bull, and a lifetime of memories.

Jeff

That was AWESOME!! Thanks for taking us through your hunt.

Gilbert

Kevin, simply phenomenal!  It brings back so many fond memories and the similarities are very fun.  I'll talk to you soon my friend.

What a wonderful hunt.  I imagine most of us if not all here on TG dream of an adventure like this.  Thanks so much for posting your story and photos.

Kevin, I know I posted this over on the PBS site for Bryan's great hunt, but brother it applies to you and your hunt even more so. Nothing at all to detract from Bryan's amazing hunt, but solo just adds more to the equation.

Vance Bourjaily eloquently stated in his article "Hunting is Humane" in the February 15, 1964 issue of the Saturday Evening Post. "..in killing there is no satisfaction. Killing, and this is generally misunderstood, is not pleasure at all if the challenge of hunting does not accompany it." Most will agree that the feeling of accomplishment, pride, satisfaction, and culmination of a truly successful hunt, is not the size or score of the animal harvested, but in the effort and energy expended in the pursuit! In fact, a truly successful hunt often times does not even include the killing of an animal. Robert Ruark summarized a short anecdotal quotation as follows: "There was a Russian school of acting which once maintained stoutly that a good tragic actor had to suffer. The same must be true of all hunters... The value of a trophy is computed directly in terms of personal investment in its acquisition." Theodore Roosevelt was also a student of the chase, as evidenced in the following quote: "Of course in hunting one must expect much hardship and repeated disappointment; and in many a camp, bad weather; lack of shelter; hunger; thirst, or ill success with game, renders the days and nights irksome and trying. Yet the hunter worthy of the name always willingly takes the bitter if by so doing he can get the sweet, and gladly balances failure and success, spurning the poorer souls who know neither."

Kevin, you are an amazing hunter!

Kevin,I could close my eyes and felt I was with you the whole way.Bull or no Bull this hunt sounds like it would have been successful either way.

Congrats on a great hunt!!
That ended with the last piece of the puzzle

Randy

I really, sincerely appreciate the fine comments from everyone...great folks.

Terry you and I have known each other for some time and I value your friendship. You're the complete man...not just hunter...to me. I always appreciate your wisdom, humility, experience and logical counsel. You're a rare man in my book! Thank you.

Now.....

For the record I'm getting less and less about true 'trophy pictures'....the grip and grin variety. So many of them just seem to be glorifying the hunter's accomplishment. I try to keep it more about realism and documenting....portraying the moments after a kill. Hard to explain I guess. You'll seldom find me seeking the lens. Anyway.....



So later today let's tackle getting this dude field-processed and back to the staging area. Lots of work to be done and time is narrowing down steadily.

Almost as impressive as having a bull at 4' and making the shot, is getting a quality photo of yourself and the animal before the work begins. I know I failed miserably at that in August.

Looking forward to seeing the hard part.

in what you say you capture the essence of the hunt and this is what I wish all hunters could takefrom their archery pursuits. thanks for the sharing!

Anazing!!!  Great story telling about a subject that most of us will only ever dream of.

WOW!!! Just stunning, pictures, story, values and emotions, I will remember this thread for a long time... THANK YOU