SUCCESS!!

He did it! Mike shot his first elk this morning! I got a text at 8:49 that said "got one". There is hardly any reception out there, so even trading texts was difficult. I was so excited, I couldn't decide what to do. I tried tracking down some elk-packing help without success, then tried to buy a freezer, then decided to just go help him pack the thing out myself. The freezer guy informed me that it did not need to go straight into the freezer, but rather needed to age a few days first. As soon as I had that info, I headed into the woods. He shot it exactly where we had scouted last night and I found him on the trail with ALL FOUR quarters in a huge pack on his back. After taking the majority of the meat home to clean and put on ice, we hiked back in to the carcass to get the remaining meat. He is super proud of himself and I am so proud of him! Although we both grew up hunting, we have not really done so since moving away from our parents. We tried a bit last season without success, so this is really exciting for us. Mike hopes that next year my dad will join us to teach us how to properly field dress an animal. The loss of his own dad was especially poignant today, as hunting was something they shared for many years and his dad is the first person he would have called with the news. He shared with me that he really never thought he would actually shoot or even see an elk, but had really looked forward to some solitude in the woods with thoughts of his dad. The elk is just a bonus.

Sorry if you're squeamish, here's the animal.

Selah helped pack out her first elk! She looked hilarious in the Ergo on Mike's back. He is so broad, she was completely starfished across his back. Apparently she was comfy, though, because she was asleep within about 5 minutes.

Possibly the secret to his success today. I couldn't help but laugh out loud when I found this in the shower this morning.