This is Dad and me with my "first" elk. I was all of five years old. This was in '64. The elk was killed on Lolo Trail Ranch, nine miles up Lolo Creek where Dad was ranch manager. If memory serves he scored in the neighborhood of 345.

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h191/recoil_junky/IMG_1016.jpg

I can remember it pretty well. Dad came in the house and asked me if I wanted to go elk hunting, so Mom and I jumped in the pickup and away we went. The story goes that he'd been shot in the lower jaw and couldn't eat or drink and was pretty bad off. I like to remember that it was a great hunting adventure and I got to see an elk so close I could touch him. I remember being pretty scared until Dad said it 's just like being next to a horse or a cow. I still didn't want to get to close as you can tell. If dad only knew what he was starting. To this day I still can't get enough of hunting and the outdoors.

Wasn't I a cute little kid :D

RJ

Nice elk RJ. 64, what a year, I joined the Army that year, If I'd only knew.

Was that the Lolo trail in Idaho or in Montana or? I'm now retired and though I can't get up and down the mountains like I used to I'll agree with you a couple hundred percent on the hunting and outdoors.

Do you remember the wonderful smell of those steaks frying the next morning? I sure would not be afraid of that. :p Q

Bob, that was on the Montana side.

Q, I'm missing the taste of elk steaks, fried in REAL butter with mushrooms and onions. MMMMMMMM GOOD!! I didn't harvest an elk last year but I have a feeling I'll get one this year.

RJ

That is a nice elk RJ - great mass and points. We need more 1910-style fires to get that elk habitat back. That, or more logging to do almost the same.

Shawn, I have a feeling wew'll get some fires like that this year.

RJ

I'm taking the whole family up to Ouray next week. There's a place we always go to look for shed horns. My wife loves it when we come home with a car full of horns.
Yea, RJ , you were a cute little kid! What do you think happened?

My big sister beat me up :o :( :eek: She was like Pat McManus' sister "the Troll".

RJ

Shawn, I have a feeling wew'll get some fires like that this year.

RJ
I hope you get your elk, not the fires. Q

Bob, that was on the Montana side.

Q, I'm missing the taste of elk steaks, fried in REAL butter with mushrooms and onions. MMMMMMMM GOOD!! I didn't harvest an elk last year but I have a feeling I'll get one this year.

RJ

Boy that's some pretty country on both sides, especially the Montana side. I sure can remember the steaks. We used to slice up the back straps and you could cut them with a fork on occasion. The smell of that cooking and the taste on a frosty morning. Steak and eggs for breakfast with a few pounds of fresh hash browns to go around and one three burner camp stove just making toast. What memories!!!

Last year I didn't put up an elk camp. Between the wolves and 150,000 hunters camped on every flat spot and my inability to get far off the road anymore my elk hunting is about over. Thank goodness there's lots of deer left here.

Up near Lolo Pass

http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q172/faucettb/North%20Idaho/LochsawRiver1.jpg

Top of French Mountian above Pierce Id. looking toward Montana.

http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q172/faucettb/North%20Idaho/LookingEfromFrenchmtn.jpg

Heading down to The North Fork of the Clearwater for a spring bear hunt.

http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q172/faucettb/North%20Idaho/3-28-05TriptoNorthFork021.jpg

My big sister beat me up :o :( :eek: She was like Pat McManus' sister "the Troll".RJ

Ha! Now I have to read my 8 McManus books again....I'm a bit behind in my collection.

Yes Shawn, Rancid Crabtree is my hero :p

RJ