Who taught you how to hunt? 

My father taught me how to hunt.  He has taught me everything from shooting a rifle to survival in the woods.     

 

 

What are some of the important ethical lessons you learned about hunting?

One of the biggest things that have stuck with me is…“We do not trophy hunt.”  My family believes in hunting for the meat.  If we happen to stumble upon a trophy buck or bull then we are just that much more blessed.  One example, I was always told that bear meat was awful, so awful that even dogs won’t eat the meat.  I was charged by a black bear on a deer hunt and I shot and killed the bear and we took every bit of meat home anyway.  He turned out to be a very tender bear.

 

 

What weapon was used on this hunt?

For my elk hunt I used a .270 rifle.  We had this rifle sighted in for 300 yards.

 

 

How long was your shot? 

The shot was 285 yards.  This is one of my longest successful shots.

 

 

Who were you hunting with? 

I went on this four day hunt with two gentlemen from my church.  One of the men loves to take people on hunts.  I would not call him a guide; I would call him a teacher.  I have learned more about hunting successfully by tracking.  I now know how to determine fresh tracks from old, the more specific times of day the animals are at rest or at graze.

 

 

Can you describe the events that led to your kill?

We were on horseback and rode a 3 hour horse ride from camp to an open area that had two bowls to scan for the day.  We got to the area by the afternoon and we all took short naps to let the time pass by.   We had the horses tied in the trees and we left them to hike around to bowl to scan the mountainside at different angles. We were not gone an hour when we spotted two big bull elk on a slope grazing.  These bulls were grazing on a slope that we had our horses parked on.  The elk were about 500 yards down the slope. The guys and I traveled down the slope next to the one the elk were on, it was tough.  The brush was thick and difficult to pass through quietly.  The elk came into view and we only saw the one.  The other bull elk must have grazed up and over the top.  We were 380 yards from the bull at this moment and I was prepared to take a shot but this part of the hillside was covered in pine needles, I kept slowly sliding down the hillside.  There was an opening we had to cross and the elk kept looking our direction but we took the chance and moved.  This new position got us almost 100 yards closer.  I sat down, used my knees as my rest, and aimed high on the bull and took the shot.  The bull acted as though I gut shot him.  He staggered, tried to keep himself from falling over, and then he slid down the hill dead.   Upon further skinning and bagging the animal we found out that I had shot him right through the heart.

 

 

What is your favorite part of hunting?

I love to hunt the animal.  Studying the tracks is probably my favorite.  Hunting is not something I get to do everyday so I really enjoy it all.  Going hunting is my vacation every year.

 

 

What has the reaction been from others in regards to killing your first elk?

Everyone was extremely happy for me.  Joy was all around.  The size of the bull created an even bigger excitement from people.

 

 

What advice can you offer to new hunters or to those considering taking up the sport?

Do not hunt only for trophies.  If you are hunting for trophies always pack out the meat.  If you do not want the meat donate it to families that go to your church or who live in your area.  Do not poach. There is a system to hunting for many reasons.  Always be proud to do what is right.  If you need to turn down a shot on a monster bull to put an end to the suffering of an injured bull, please do.   

 

Kelsey