Well...not sure what to say. Disappointment is the first thing that comes to mind. This was a DIY elk hunt w/ my friend JD...we used my uncle's horses and camper. I've done this twice before w/ great success using archery equipment and a rifle.

Travel was done in record time...Armagh, PA to Silt, CO was completed in 24.5 hours! The return trip took one hour longer but still GREAT time.

The plan was to hunt from Saturday (opening day of third season) until we were tagged out or our bodies could not take it any longer. The terrain in the area we were hunting is SUPER wicked.

First day at camp (Friday) had us saddling the horses and taking a cruise up the trail to see what the snow situation was like in the high country. We camped at 7800' but were hunting in 9000' to over 10,000'. Snow cover was sparse...south slopes only...and temps for the week were supposed to be in the 50's (day) and 30's (night)...way too warm for the area we were hunting.

Anyhoo...somehow on this first day at camp I managed to smash my right thumb pretty good. It swelled to twice the size of the left thumb and was pretty much unuseable. Ouchy #1!

First day...saw lots of elk early but could not close distance before they made their way to the mountain tops and out of our reach. Other than that this day was pretty much done.

Second day (and final day...you'll read why in a minute)...up at 3AM, saddled horses and just about ready to head up the mountain when my uncle's horse (Angel) spooks (w/o him on it) and steps off a shear enbankment, pinning herself between a scrub oak tree and the bank...oh...forgot to mention she was UPSIDE DOWN w/ the saddle against the tree and her feet up the hill!! JD and I pulled the halter rope w/ all we had to get her head around while she struggled to right herself and Uncle was pushing from below. She quickly righted her front legs and the back soon followed but the enbankment was too steep for traction and she slid another 25' down the hill onto a trail area. The real kicker is that it was dark and JD and I could not see her rear come around and her slipping...so when that happen we were still grasping the rope w/ all we had...this means that when Angel went down the hill, so did we!! JD smashed head first into a rock while I encountered a tree w/ my head and rock on my left shoulder. Not a good way to start the day!

After getting Angel righted, Uncle proceeded to go deer hunting while JD and I attempted to bag an elk. JD mounted his ride w/o a problem while my ride (Hank...but who I now effectionately refer to as Skank!) was giving me a fit. Once I got aboard he tried to buck me off twice but I got his head up and ended the fight.

Up the mountain we go was before daylight, spot elk and still could not close the distance fast enough. So about lunch time we go back to the rides and plan on ending the day early to recoop from the exhaustive hiking of the day before and that morning.

Again JD gets aboard his ride w/o fault while Peckerhead (oops...Skank...errr...Hank) was still being difficult. I let him graze a little while and tried again. I got one foot in the stirrup and the other just over the saddle when we jumped forward, tossing me onto his arse, he jumped twice and kicked me off.

Now pause a second...230# man, 15# pack, full hunting garb and a $1800 full custom XP-100 get tossed into the air. The only outcome...well...let's just say it was not good but could have been MUCH worse.

I landed on my left scapula (gun was on the right side) and missed a medium size log by mere inches w/ my shoulder and head. Knocked the wind from me but I managed to loose a long stream of cussing that was total directed at Hank. After several moments to gain my breath (and feet) I assessed the situation to conclude that I could walk off the mountain (minimum three mile walk) eventhough I had a sharp pain in my upper left back area and a semi banged up knee. If it would not have been for the saddle needing to get off the mountain, I would have loosed a 160gr Nosler AB into Hank's head.

JD and I (and the horses) made it back to camp, decided to cut our losses and called Uncle to come gather his horses. We packed camp while waiting for Uncle, spent the night at his house and left on Monday AM.

I'm still licking my wounds...sneezing and coughing are VERY painful (think it's a rib problem), right knee has a sharp pain on the inside just below the cap, thumb is still swollen a little and I am generally sore all over. I have a Dr's appointment tomorrow to assess the damage.

At least I get to do some fall turkey hunting... ...depending on what the Dr says.

for once I'm at a loss for words!!!! Hope nothing serious is wrong.

uhhh.....yikes! glad yer still around to tell about that trip....n now i don't feel so bad about bein here at home n missin out there.

dang i was thinkin bout shootin that horse before you even mentioned it.

Dan I hope you get a good report from the saw bones! You had enough bad luck in CO.
An elk hunt on horseback was one of my dream hunts until I just read that!

Wow, you know in hind sight, you could have shot skank at the bottom of the mountain

Seriously though I hope you don't have any permanent damage!

Sorry about that Dan--That is just terrible. I have heard of things like that happening. Steve and I have never used horses and I don't expect we ever will until we get to feeble to pack them out then we will hire locals to do that.
Let us know what the doc says. I'm glad no one got killed. Horses when spooked can be so dangerous.

The only good part of the trip...on day two I pulled the trigger.

After the elk were long gone I pulled out the Leica 1200 and lasered a rock at 429yds. I assessed the slight down hill angle, wind conditions, chose the correct stadia in the Burris scope and squeezed the trigger. Just as I squeezed, the wind shifted from a 12 o'clock requiring no correction to 11 o'clock requiring a correction hold of 3-4" into the wind. I realized this just as it went bang...and my bullet landed 3" to the right. I missed the mark but mentally called the miss before JD spotted the bullet splash.

That felt good.

Oh DannyBoy, that's why we only use horses fer packin! I hate them blasted things and if they couldn't carry camp in and meat back out, I wouldn't use em. I've been through what you went through-Once! Too me, a 5 mile hike leading a pack horse into camp is 10,000 better than being thrown once. Hey after you heal and feel better, we'll see if you want to dump off that custom French (only dropped once!) XP-100. Good luck at the Dr. and maybe we'll get together during deer season. Besides, you can always 'walk' in with us!

Sorry to hear about the trials of you hunting trip. Reading your message made me feel very fortunate. I just returned from a visit to an orthopedic surgeon about my lower leg issues. The news was mostly positive. I have no ligament damage in the knee but I have quite a few inflamed tendons below the knee. It hurts to walk without a cane. He told me that he does not see surgery in my future and that I need to keep taking Ibuprofen for another 10 days and things should get better. My dislocated finger is getting lots better as well. I even managed to get a 5 point bull for my problems. I was thinking horses next time to pack any elk out but I am not sure now after reading your post. I hope to hear positive news about your wounds. I will be thinking about you.

Recoil

I've come to have a great dislike for most horses that I've encountered and I think if I had your experience I would have been paying the trophy fee on that one. On the upside the backstraps would have probably been pretty tasty...

Hey Dan - Was waiting to ask you how the hunt went, but after this, I don't think I'll ask ! Glad you're able to tell the story. Good luck with the recuperation. I think I'll stick to my 4 wheel Mule. Rupe

Dan, That just plan suxs! Sorry to hear you didn't shoot that horse. My sister had a horse that....well that's another story for another time.

Time heals all wounds, so later in life you will look back and laugh about all this.......




I hope.

And people wonder why I ride dirtbikes and 4 wheelers. I ain't riding nothing with a mind of it's own and 4 legs.

Don't feel bad Dan. We didn't score but, then we didn't have the adventure you did. We talked with a few hunters that said this was the first year that one person in their party didn't connect. I saw one buck but all I had was a doe tag. It snowed on us all day Saturday. Sunday was nice.

We hunted hard for 2 days, NE of Granby, CO. Worst thing that happened to me was a mild ankle sprain. We might head back up on Friday to hunt the final day of 3rd season.

OUCH!!! I feel for you! I'm not laughing at you honest...just with you. Don't you hate it when an animal doesn't realize this is s'pose to be a good time? Hopefully all will heal strong and mostly straight. Been there, done that. Nearly 40 years of baseball has done my legs in from behind the plate. But look at it this way, at least you weren't hung upside down in a tree in the dark. Good luck at the Doc's.

John (katcher)

Jeez, Louise-- well at least u did the right thing-- sacrificed your body for the handgun. Ha! (laughing with u of course, not at u). I've actually used both horses and llamas for packing, and the 1 time i used horses i was ready to put an arrow thru 1 of them not long after we met. Llamas were great tho, just this past archery season, in fact. Hope u get better soon there Dan. Nice to hear the rig's shooting good.

Well, what did the doc say?

Well...he was pretty impressed! Don't know if that is good or bad.

But I had eight dislocated ribs and my knee has a slight sprain. For the ribs...he put them all back into place with two twists...felt about like I got kicked off the critter again!! Then I went to rehab for two treatments already...one on Wednesday and I felt a LOT better when I went back for another overhaul yesterday.

For the knee...they said just take it easy but still use it. So I took that as turkey hunting being great therapy and they agreed!!

The therapist was also impressed...he said "you managed to injure a muscle between the shoudler blade and ribs that is very hard to get to."

So this AM I am headed out for my fourth trip turkey hunting. Still a mite sore and still get a sharp pain occassionally but NOTHING like what was happening. Overall..feeling great but the $500 spent for 1.5 days of elk hunting and gas both ways still stings a little.

Go get 'em Dan-- you'll be telling that story to your grandkids 1 of these days, ehhh?

Dan,
Be at Steve's house by Tuesday and you can go up with us-WITHOUT ANY HORSES

Dan

I'm sorry about your painful experience. This is not the type of hunting adventure I was hoping for (neither were you, I know). It is good to hear you are on the mend. Hope you will not have any lasting efforts from your injuries.

I'm with Gerry (not that you need to know now), I hate horses. I'd much rather use LPC's than horses.

Also, good to hear the prized XP was not damaged.

Dan

Well Dan I am almost speachless. I really don't know what to tell you, except I am really sorry things worked out as they did. However at least you are recovering and I agree a little Hunting will be the best therapy.

As for me, I too don't trust my well being to anything with legs and a mind of it's own.

Glad to hear you are recovering.

Larry

Dan,

I worked for an outfitter for a couple seasons in Colorado when we lived out there and never had that kind of difficulties but I'm certainly aware that they can happen.

I've heard the stories.

Sounds like the horses you used don't get much use and were a bit rough around the edges.

Anyway... Here's to hoping you have a speedy and complete recovery and better luck on your next trip.

$bob$