Elk Hunters

  Elk Hunters 

                                                                   By 

                                                            Mike Capron  

I have a horse that I stake on green grass around the neighborhood. One of my old cowboy buddies  commented on how this reminded him of a story.   

He said that as a kid his dad always had a horse staked around camp or close to the house if they were at a camp house or the HQ.  He learned at an early age how to stake a horse.  

His family and friends were planning a Colorado elk hunt, and my friend thought he was old enough to go with them. But his dad said he was old enough to go, but they needed someone to stay in camp and watch the pack horses that were staked close to camp and to protect camp. His dad tried to explain what an important job this was, but it didn’t sound as exciting as getting to go hunting with the hunters. They were camped at about 6000 ft. , but had to saddle up and ride to about 8000 ft. in order to find the elk that were just starting the rut. A lonely job for a young hunter, but he minded his manners and stayed in camp.  Late that afternoon a herd of elk were slowing moving through the edge of camp on the hillside and in the back of the herd was a big bull.  My friend slipped up to his tent and got his rifle just as the bull was coming in full view on the side of the hill above camp.  He made a good shot and got a clean kill on the big bull almost in camp.  The hunters got to camp in the late afternoon with not an elk.  They had not seen a single elk. My friend said he thought this was a great elk hunting area and showed them the elk he had dressed and hanging in a nearby tree.  He said it sure wasn’t a lonely job staying and guarding camp for the duration of the hunt. Several of the hunters volunteered to stay in camp!