Thursday was one of those days that was so shitty it earned its very own blog post separate from all the other hunting posts. It started out bright and early at 5 am. Todd and I headed to this other spot we had been hunting. We were going to be on one side of the mountain where the elk had been crossing. Dad and Chris were going to be on the other side spotting for us. To start off the morning Todds sick as can be. We make it to the parking spot and he realizes he forgot his release for his bow so we start heading back to camp. We get half way there and his release is on his wrist just tucked up in his shirt sleeve so you couldnt see it. We turn back around and head to our spot. We had gone in the day before and marked a trail with reflective markers. Well we were trying to be discrete and didnt start the markers until we got a ways into the trees. Its DARK. Heavy thick forest and its pitch black. So we start down part of the trail but cant find our markers. We get to one spot and are lost. We are in a field and so turned around. Some of our markers fell off the tree. We are only 100 yards away from the turn we need to be at and cant see any more markers. We have a pretty good idea of which way we need to be headed but if you go past the turn off you'll keep going forever and never realize youve passed it. We get out the GPS and its telling us to go the wrong way. After about 45 minutes the sun finally starts coming up so we know which way east is and which way generally we need to go. We finally made it to the turn and realize how stinking close we were to it! So we hike up the mountain and get into our spot. The elk have this little alley way between the trees we've watched them cross two mornings in a row so we know they are going to cross there. They start our way when this cow (elk) comes RUNNING in nose in the air sniffing around. Circles us and takes off running. She pushes the herd too far to the east from us through the trees so we cant get a shot. We had sprayed some Bull Bomb scent cover up and instead of bringing the elk in it takes them away.
Todd and I hike down the mountain and kick up a spike and cow. We were 10 feet from her and she couldnt smell us so we know it had to be the bull scent that spooked them. We keep going through the trees and kick out a few more cows and possibly another bull but hes too far away to see anything but his butt running off. We figure thats ok. We will let them settle and come back tonight. We hike out to where Dad and Chris are waiting to pick us up on the 4 wheelers and head back to camp.
Dad cooks us up some Chili Rellenos for breakfast
We had to run into Fish Haven that day for some supplies. We realized that Todd, Phil and Dads spike tags were up that next morning. They were thinking they had a whole week still left to hunt but since they are in a spike only area it ends a week earlier. So Todd was kicking himself for not shooting one of the cows we saw earlier that day. (with a spike archery permit you can take a cow or a spike) So now its down to the wire for them. We get back from town and go into remark the trail we got lost on that morning. We get back to camp and its already time go to back out for the evening hunt. Kennedy's going to go deer hunting with my mom and the rest of us are going to go in together on one side of the mountain where our normal spots are.
Chris and Kennedy were practicing their elk bugles before we headed in.
Our group for the night.
Phil, Me, Chris, Dad and Dad
Dad and Phil walking the fence line. Middle of the hunting season a crew came in and put up a fence right behind our camp to keep the cows out. So we have to cross a fence every time we start out.
Todd and I
So we hike into our spot. Todd and Chris are at one place glassing and calling. Phil is in Todds normal place. Im in my normal spot and Dads behind me calling. We had a few answering us back but nothing was coming in. We waited til dark and hiked out. We made it to camp just as it was getting really dark. We walk into camp and Dads trucks gone. Mom and Kennedy had taken it out hunting. Todd goes to get into his trailer.. locked. Dad goes to get into his trailer...locked.
Mom had locked the trailers before she left and locked them out. Todd had one set of trailer keys in his truck which was locked with the truck keys in the trailer and the other set of his keys was in Mom and Dads camper in case they needed anything while we were down in town. Dads got a set of keys to the camper in his truck...which mom has. So we waited a few minutes. Mom had said they were just going to run down to the end of the road and should be back any minute.
We waited.. and waited.. finally we decided its too late we need to go look for her. So Dad, Chris and I hop into Chris's truck. Todd and Phil stay at camp with a radio so they can let us know if she comes back. We drove down to where she said she would be and her truck wasn't there. We had two choices and figured going right was probably the most logical choice. So we headed that way clear to a turn off we knew she might take. Nothing. No mom. No Kennedy. No truck. By this point Im worrying some wondering if they rolled the truck, got a flat and are trying to hike out or are stuck. They arent answering on the radio. Its almost 10pm. We drive all the way back to camp and past it when Todd calls us and tells us they are back.
Turns out Mom and Kennedy went for a drive. While they were out they passed a Razor on the side of the road and some people walking from it. She stopped to see if they needed help and they had been broken down. She left the two guys with the Razor and took the lady (who was from West Haven) down to their truck which was parked a good 30 minutes away at least.
Kennedy was asleep before they even got back to camp. Grandpa Todd tucked her into bed and I started on burgers for dinner. WE WERE STARVING and EXHAUSTED.
We all went into mom and dads camper to eat hamburgers and peach cobbler. We had just finished our burgers and were talking about the plans for that next morning as dad was dishing up cobbler. One of the people with us wasn't joining in the conversation but we figured they were just tired. It had been a long day! Dad set the cobbler in front of them and they didnt really pay attention. They kind of looked one way, looked the other and then focused in on the cobbler and took a bite. Everyone is sitting on bar stools around the counter besides me. I am sitting on the couch eating. A few seconds later this person tips over backwards. Todd catches them right by the hoodie before they slam into the TV and stairs. One second later and Im sure they would have cracked their head open. This person is right between Todd and I. So I hop up and help hold this person on their stool. They are passed out cold. I feel for a carotid pulse and cannot feel one at all. We pull them off the stool and lay them down on the floor on their back the best we can in this smaller space. Their lips are starting to turn blue and then they finally gasp and take a big breath. They are completely grey and instantly break out in a massive clammy sweat as soon as they start to breathe again. They are passed out for almost a minute and then start to come to. They sit up and take a deep breath and start to heave. We grabbed a puke bowl, they seem to stop and pass right back out. I am sitting with my knees behind their back and we cant really lay them back down how they are but they are breathing this time. Still sweating profusely and are grey. Their hands start to tense and spread out like with a focal seizure but turn bright red and their foot starts shaking. After another minute or so they come back to consciousness. They have no idea what has just happened. This person has no medical issues, not on any meds, was just fine and then passed out. With as grey and clammy as they were we were really concerned. We check them over some and tell them we are taking them to the hospital. Where we are we really dont have cell service. We are an hour away from Logan in the middle of a forest. I have Todd go back up his truck because it has the biggest back seat and if they pass out or we need to do CPR on the way down the canyon its got the most working room. We help them to the truck and Todd drives, Dad sits up front and I sit in the back and we head for Logan Regional. We haul ass for the hospital and make it there by 10:45pm
They get all checked in and we wait.
and we wait
and we wait
We all went into mom and dads camper to eat hamburgers and peach cobbler. We had just finished our burgers and were talking about the plans for that next morning as dad was dishing up cobbler. One of the people with us wasn't joining in the conversation but we figured they were just tired. It had been a long day! Dad set the cobbler in front of them and they didnt really pay attention. They kind of looked one way, looked the other and then focused in on the cobbler and took a bite. Everyone is sitting on bar stools around the counter besides me. I am sitting on the couch eating. A few seconds later this person tips over backwards. Todd catches them right by the hoodie before they slam into the TV and stairs. One second later and Im sure they would have cracked their head open. This person is right between Todd and I. So I hop up and help hold this person on their stool. They are passed out cold. I feel for a carotid pulse and cannot feel one at all. We pull them off the stool and lay them down on the floor on their back the best we can in this smaller space. Their lips are starting to turn blue and then they finally gasp and take a big breath. They are completely grey and instantly break out in a massive clammy sweat as soon as they start to breathe again. They are passed out for almost a minute and then start to come to. They sit up and take a deep breath and start to heave. We grabbed a puke bowl, they seem to stop and pass right back out. I am sitting with my knees behind their back and we cant really lay them back down how they are but they are breathing this time. Still sweating profusely and are grey. Their hands start to tense and spread out like with a focal seizure but turn bright red and their foot starts shaking. After another minute or so they come back to consciousness. They have no idea what has just happened. This person has no medical issues, not on any meds, was just fine and then passed out. With as grey and clammy as they were we were really concerned. We check them over some and tell them we are taking them to the hospital. Where we are we really dont have cell service. We are an hour away from Logan in the middle of a forest. I have Todd go back up his truck because it has the biggest back seat and if they pass out or we need to do CPR on the way down the canyon its got the most working room. We help them to the truck and Todd drives, Dad sits up front and I sit in the back and we head for Logan Regional. We haul ass for the hospital and make it there by 10:45pm
They get all checked in and we wait.
and we wait
and we wait
Finally a little after 0200 they come out all spry and say "Lets go home!" They looked 100 times better than when they went in. The drs ran all kinds of test and couldn't find anything major. They decided it was severe dehydration and too much physical exertion. We were all so glad they were ok. We had an hour drive back to camp after stopping for some drinks. We made it back to camp about 0330 Friday morning. We were going to go in hunting still but if we were we would have had to be up at 0430 and there was no way that was happening!! I was so tired I slept in until 0930 that next morning when my mom finally woke me up for breakfast.
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