Pepper Lime Battered Trout Cutlets

With the onset of ice fishing season I find myself bringing home more fish to eat than any other time of year, so variety is the name of the game.  This recipe is perfect for any number of different fish - in fact it was initially a perch recipe - but this is my go to batter if I'm having a fish fry.  Best of all these very generic ingredients that most will have on hand.

First and foremost, the way the fish is prepared greatly affects the outcome of the finished product - so follow these tips when filleting the fish to ensure you're working with quality filets. 

• Rather than using a filet board (which I've ALWAYS had trouble keeping a fish on), spread out an old towel on the counter and fillet the fish on that instead.  You'll find that the cloth grips slippery fish far better, and it absorbs the slime so cleanup in much easier.  Just drop it in the washer by itself afterwards.
• After removing a fillet from the fish, never lay it meat side down in your working space.  Try to avoid getting any unnecessary fish slime anywhere on the fillet - especially the meat.  If you're unable to cook the fish the same day you fillet (doing so makes the fish taste even better), wrap up the fillets with the meat touching and skin on the outside - or even better wrap them individually.  
•  Lightly run the fillet under cool water to help get any residual slime off.  Pat dry both sides with paper towel prior to seasoning.  If you haven't caught on yet, fish slime is the #1 reason for fish tasting overly "fishy."

Pepper Lime Battered Trout

INGREDIENTS:

2 Trout (or any other fish) filleted
9 Tablespoons lime juice, or 3 squeezed limes
1 Cup flour
1 Teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of Salt
2 Egg Whites
3/4 Cup water
Pepper to taste (don't be afraid to add a little kick)
Canola oil (for frying the fish)


First run the filets under cold water briefly and cut into approximately 3" lengths for easier frying.  Pat dry VERY WELL.  This will help the batter stick to the filet.

Next mix all ingredients into a mixing bowl, ensure that all lumps have been removed.  The batter will look thin and runny, but don't over think it and thicken with additional flour.  The thinner batter does an outstanding job.

Bring the oil to temperature, dip the filets in the batter and fry until golden brown on both sides.  No need for lemon or lime juice after its cooked, the batter does that!  Serve with tartar sauce & enjoy!

Gear Review: Cabela's Perfekt 10" Hunter Boots by Meindl

Finding the perfect boot for hunting is no small task. Luckily for us consumers, the marketplace is incredibly diverse and competitive, and with the ease by which reviews and customer ratings (such as this one) are found online - it would seem relatively easy to get yourself into a great pair of boots. I do not deny this. However, as a budget conscious hunter that can't afford a different pair of boots for every situation - I had one silver bullet to throw at new footwear. My requirements were simple: I needed a boot that provided adequate ankle & foot support for treacherous terrain while carrying heavy packs without compromising flat ground comfort, waterproof, durable, and most importantly - versatile. I wanted a boot that could be worn while hunting mulies in early September or elk in late November.  A tall order, no doubt.  Enter the subject of this article: the Cabela's "Perfekt 10" Hunter Boot by Meindl.

Here are the specs for the Perfekt 10" Hunter Boot as provided by the Cabelas website:

• Ideal all-around big-game hunting boot
• Cork molds to your foot for custom support
• Multigrip rubber outsoles offer no-slip traction on loose terrain
• 100% waterproof, breathable GORE-TEX membranes
• 400-gram Thinsulate Ultra Insulation
• 10" height
• Leather Construction
• Weight 4.4 lbs

I'll call out the two elephants in the room immediately - the weight, and the insulation. For an all-around hunting boot, I typically prefer an uninsulated boot because I find most of my hunting takes place in September and October when the temperatures are more mild. For the later months it's easy to add a layer of wool socks and get the warmth that I need. I was hesitant about the 400 grams of Thinsulate Insulation. With advancements in full length warm weather sock materials and the assurance of multiple salespeople that it wouldn't be an issue - I went for it. The other elephant is the weight of these boots.  Weighing in at 4.4 lbs, they're over half a pound heavier than other boots I was considering - such as the Kenetrek Mountain Extreme, the Cabela's Denali Hunting Boots by Meindl, or the Danner Ridgemaster Boots. The insulation is a big part of this, but weight is weight. 

After speaking with several trusted sources and pouring over review after review - I steered away from the Kenetrek boots for one simple reason: consumers either absolutely loved them or completely hated them. They were simply too polarizing to throw over $400 at compared to the other two options in the $280 range.  I eliminated the Danner boots for several reasons - I simply couldn't find a Danner boot that fit my foot exactly the way I wanted it to, they weren't as robust and allowed to much torsional movement on the sole, and they didn't provide a heel locking lace like the Kenetrek & Meindl boots did (evidenced by a further back set lace studs located between the ankle and to of the foot which helps anchor the heel back in the heel pocket). While the Denali boots were more comfortable initially, they provided less ankle support and weren't as sturdy as the Perfekt boot, so I elected to buy the Perfekt 10's.

My boots arrived the first of April, so I had two full weeks to break them in prior to the first hunt of the year - my week long mountain turkey hunt.  This hunt takes place in some surprisingly rough terrain with timber choked steep canyons between rolling grassy knolls - a perfect proving ground for both my new Eberlestock backpack & my new boots.  Mid April in that part of the state, even with moderate elevations, can still be a cold proposition - deep snow and sub freezing temperatures are the norm, so it proved to be a good test of warmth as well.  For the maiden voyage into the mountains I paired them with Smartwool Hike Ultra Light socks.  Temperatures consistently hovered in the low 20's in the early morning hours (even dipping into the low teens on 2 of the days) and climbed into the mid 40's during the daytime.  Even with only a lightweight merino wool sock, my feet never got cold once despite many frigid mornings waiting for turkeys to fly the roost in the pre-dawn darkness.  They performed flawlessly.

After 5 long days and countless miles with sparse turkey action, this jake felt taking like the biggest tom in the woods.

The heel locking lace studs ensure there is absolutely NO heel movement, even when hiking up extremely steep grades that can wear your heel raw in no time with a lesser boot.  The cork footbeds did take about 7 days to break in around the house, but I don't mind the break in period when I know the end result is a well fitted and sturdy boot with outstanding torsional support.  The boots do come with an insole spacer, which I initially tossed aside after breaking the boots in for a couple weeks around the house, confident I had a good fit.  My first morning while climbing up and down steep canyons I noted a small amount of heel movement, and luckily I had brought the spacers with me.  After placing the spacer under the main insole I had a PERFECT (or should I say Perfekt?) fit for any terrain.

I have since run these boots through the ringer.  I have thrown every terrain imaginable with every weather condition - in the past 8 months I have logged 50 days and well over 200 miles in the field.  I spent 14 days in Spring bear season packing heavy loads of bait up steep and impenetrably thick undergrowth with temperatures at times soaring into 70's - and with the right sock (I found Under Armour Heat Gear Ignite socks to be best for warm temperatures) my feet didn't overheat 95% of the time. During a grueling 6 day elk hunt in late September I was in either knee high foliage sopping went from incessant rain or ankle deep in snow every step of the way and my feet NEVER got wet or cold - and there's definitely something to be said about the confidence of substantial ankle support provided by these boots when throwing an 80 pound elk quarter on your back to hike out.  On a recent high country archery mule deer hunt when I found myself at 9,000 feet in elevation during late November glassing atop a windswept mountain pass - even after punching throw the ice on a frozen stream and sinking into water ankle deep - I never got cold or wet.  I have found these boots provide outstanding versatility in almost every element, the key is pairing the boot with the right sock for the elements.

On uneven terrain and shale rock they provided enough torsional support to allow me to confidently traverse hillsides that normally would have been far more worrisome for fear of rolling an ankle.  The soles are so rigid that they're uncomfortable on flat ground either, allowing enough flex to make it easy to forget you're wearing a mountain boot.  As I mentioned earlier, I put these to the test as well while packing out 2 large bull elk across steep and unpredictable terrain.  With an elk quarter strapped to your pack, these hikes out can be a minefield - one small misstep can lead to a broken ankle or worse, depending on the terrain.  This is where the rubber really meets the road, and these boots shined.

Mule deer hunting with a bow is one of the most frustrating things on the planet.  This tremendous buck strode
right down my tracks from earlier that day as I watched from afar.  At least my feet weren't cold.

The only two vices I have found thus far with this boot are the weight and overheating in exceptionally warm conditions - both of which I am easily willing to live with given the benefits.  Could weight be saved by going with an uninsulated boot?  Yes, but typically only 6-8 ounces between both boots if you comparing to other 10" tall sturdy leather boots.  Could a synthetic uninsulated boot be better suited to higher temperatures in early season - and lighter as well?  Yes, but the bottom line is this: these are an outstanding choice for 90% of all hunting scenarios, and as for that 10%?  No other boot (I believe) is going to get you 100% for under $300 - and even in the ultra high end price ranges, I seriously doubt it.  You'll just ending up buying a second pair of boots for a different purpose.  All things considered, spending a few hundred bucks on a pair of boots can be a daunting thing - but it's the best money you'll spend to keep you in the field longer.  For my money, I don't see a better boot on the market.

Something to Prove

As the summer wanes and the nights grow colder, my thoughts are consumed with visions of cool September mornings spent in the rugged Idaho mountains.  Visions of hunts gone by, and hunts still to come.  All of the sights, the smells, and the feelings of this beautiful season revolve around one thing for me - elk hunting.  Each year I look forward with much anticipation to the sound that for me, defines the wild.  More times than not, the first bugle of the year is heard in the darkness before daybreak - which only amplifies the mystique and excitement for the hunt ahead.  When the mountains come alive with the screams of bull elk in the early fall, every stress in  my life becomes a distant memory.  Standing there in the pre-dawn light listening to these monarchs of the mountain reaffirm their supremacy is unlike any other experience man can have.  Since childhood, it has instilled a passion deep inside my very being that can't be bridled - and in those moments, I feel more alive than ever before.

This season I had intended on hunting a different unit, but I overlooked the tag quota and the zone sold out - so I was forced to hunt a zone with a 3% mature bull harvest rather than 7%.  Those numbers were very telling.  I had set a do or die goal for myself this year - I was going to bring home a mature bull.  I wanted a bull that represented the amount of time and effort I dedicated to elk hunting, something to be really proud of.  I allotted a 6 day hunt just after the peak of the rut, as this is the time I find the bulls to be most responsive to calls.  The forecast called a chance of rain on Day 3 and showers on Day 4, and temperatures in the low 50's, but as it turned out it either rain, sleeted, or snowed on me EVERY SINGLE DAY, almost all day.  While battling the elements can be mentally and physically exhausting, it can also create phenomenal hunting opportunity.

Rubs dotted the small draws between ridges the elk used as traveling routes between feeding and bedding grounds.  These funnels 

provide outstanding ambush areas, especially in the early morning and late evening while the thermals are consistent.

Day 1 of my elk hunt finally arrived following 3 challenging weeks pursuing high country mule deer, and I found myself on the familiar slopes of Island Park.  By 10:30 the first morning I had already seen one 300 class bull with several cows that I couldn't catch up to, hiked up over the mountain into the next drainage and located another active bull in the dark timber below.  Typically a bugling bull at that time of morning is very willing to come in for a fight - so I plunged down into the steep, timber choked canyon with reckless abandon.  A well worn game trail provided a quiet entrance to the bottom of the canyon - not that I needed it.  He was screaming his head off.

On the way down I realized that the bull was actually on the other side of the canyon; I had to cross a steep, blow down covered creek to get to him.  While crossing the stream a closer-than-expected scream from the opposite bank prompted me to quickly take cover.  I clambered down the steep embankment to the creek and dropped my backpack in the bottom before peaking up over the top of the abrupt bank.  I let out two quick cow chirps and the bull screamed in frustration from directly above me.  I knocked an arrow and stepped sideways beneath the cover of several large pine boughs just as the massive bull came charging down the hill above me and into a wide open meadow.  The beautiful 340 class 6x6 was on a dead run towards the tangled creek bottom, his hooves tearing up the hillside with each bound - but from where I knelt I knew I wouldn't have a shot.  I quickly leapt down into the creek and dashed uphill in hopes of an ambush.  We arrived at the same point at roughly the same time.  With my chest heaving, I managed to drop down to my knees and come to full draw as the bull trotted to a stop 40 yards away - directly behind the thick branches of a spruce tree.  Even at that short distance, his body was merely an outline through the impenetrable branches.  He let out another blood curling bugle, searching for the unseen opponent that had brought him down the mountainside.  After a brief pause, he continued charging down through the creek and up the other side into the timbered bench I had just come from without stopping.  The last time I heard him bugle was as he crested the canyon rim above where I initially located him.

The snow was a constant companion on this trip.  The unseasonably cold temperatures helped kick the post rut into high gear.

That set the tone for the entire hunt.  The rest of the week seemed to fly by, each day running into the next.  The bulls were responding beautifully to the calls, but something always happened.  No matter how many bulls came in, I couldn't get a shot opportunity on anything mature.  In my own mind, the stakes were getting higher.  This year was supposed to be different.  I had bought a new Bowtech Insanity CPX, outfitted it with brand new accessories, and spent countless hours at the range practicing to make sure it was perfectly dialed in.  I shot between hunts daily.  Beginning in February, I began working out regularly and paying more attention to nutrition - resulting in 30 pounds of weight loss and the best physical conditioning I'd ever had.  I finally bit the bullet and bought top of the line boots, got the backpack I had always wanted that would allow me, in their own words, to "go in light, come out heavy."  I never got into my truck to go anywhere (since June) without my diaphragm to practice my calling - which looks just as ridiculous as it sounds.  I simply had to make this happen.  It wasn't about a picture to show off, or a tale to tell - I had plenty of those.  It was about proving to myself that I could test my resolve against the wild and either come out successful or go down swinging.

On the evening of Day 5 I had an opportunity just before dark at an impressive 3 point mule deer buck that I stumbled upon while hunting.  While I was confident in my initial shot, the follow up resulted in a lost arrow and no sign of a hit.  I searched all evening and well into the night with my headlamp - looking for any sign, but found none.  That night I returned to the cabin at the lowest of lows.  The snowfall had just begun and it was due to last all night - and it was going to be my last day of hunting.  I awoke the next morning to find 4" of fresh snow on the ground, covering up any hope I had for finding a sign of a hit from the evening before.  I awoke my brother and dad to discuss our strategy for the final morning hunt.  After a lengthy discussion that made us late getting into the woods, I decided to return to where I had shot at the buck the evening before and search one last time - just in case.  I went alone, since it was the last morning and I didn't want to impede the hunt for anyone else.

The weather went from bad to worse once I arrived.  Freshly fallen snow blanketed the valley floor, the wind was howling, and more snow began falling a mere 15 minutes into my search.  After another 2 hours of searching fruitlessly for the deer itself and replaying the incident in my mind over and over, I conceded I must have simply missed.  At this point, not only were the conditions bad, but the morning was almost over.  There was every reason to head for the truck and drive back to a warm cabin - no one would have blamed me for quitting.  It's difficult to describe the exhaustion, both physical and emotional, that accompanies a difficult hunt.  Earlier in the week while talking to my wife, I had told her something to help motivate her to push through a motivational barrier to keep running.  I had said "the difference between average people and successful people is that successful people don't give up when everyone else would.  You might have every reason to give up, and who would blame you?  Everyone would understand.  Success is pushing through that and NOT giving up when it makes sense to."  I also thought back to something Cam Hanes said:

"On a hunt...you're facing huge barriers, and you want to quit.  No one is going to judge you if you quit.  Most people fail on a hunt...but I don't like the feeling of failure.  I'm going to do whatever it takes to succeed against all odds, and all circumstances and be the very best bowhunter I can be. "

Reaching my goal was never about bloodlust, score, or resume building.  It was about proving to myself that I could do it - that I could be in that small annual percentage of hunters that bring home a mature bull on an unguided, public land, over the counter tag.  I lowered my head into the blowing snow and turned up towards the head of the canyon, determined to give it my all.  Half a mile up, the canyon split into two separate drainages by a knifepoint timbered ridge.  I worked my way up that ridge, expecting the elk to have taken shelter amid the blowdowns and thick spruce trees.  Hoping to locate a bull, I let out bugle into the frigid morning air.  After several moments of silence, a faint reply sounded near the top of an incredibly steep ridge to the East.  In that moment, it didn't matter how discouraged I had felt that morning, the game was on.

The view from the road every day on my way to and from the cabin.  There's nothing like the mountains after an early snow.

Twenty minutes later I crested the ridge top just below the highest point on the mountain, gasping for breath with sweat running down my brow, in spite of the cold.  I let out a soft cow chirp and the bull bugled back from the other side of a quaking aspen grove 150 yards away.  I quickly set up my Montana Decoy and took cover beside a small pine.  He sounded like a young bull, but if there's anything I've learned about elk it's that you can't always gauge the bull by the bugle.  The sound of cows undulated in the distance, so I knew he was going to be apprehensive.  As herd bulls often do, he rounded up his cows and moved them away from my calls.  The trick to calling in these types of bulls is to keep the pressure on them by moving quickly and quietly, and not relenting.  I moved and set up two additional times to keep the heat on him.  From the canyon below me, a second bull had begun responding, followed by a distant third in the opposite direction.  It seemed the pendulum had swung in my favor.

On my third setup, he'd finally had enough and relented to my calls.  He was a smaller bull - a young 5 point with weak eye guards and little mass.  This being the last day - I was not going to let this opportunity pass, despite his size.  As they so often do, the bull stopped in exactly the wrong spot.  After a several minute standoff, he finally decided something wasn't right and strode off back up the hill.  It was both heartbreaking and opportunistic.  He wasn't the bull I had come for, yet there was still an opportunity.  The bull below me was going crazy.  With the smaller bull just barely out of sight, I grabbed my decoy and took off on a dead run downhill to intercept him.

I cow called after closing the distance a couple hundred yards, trying to relocate him.  Although he had been continuing bugling, he had also been covering a lot of ground.  I had barely breathed into my call when he screamed and chuckled from across the canyon.  The steep canyon walls had made it sound like he was on the same ridge as me earlier, and now I had no way to drop down into the draw below to attempt to bring him in without exposing myself.  There simply wasn't any cover on either hill side.  No matter how I looked at it, there was no way to get over to him.  The wind was bad, the cover was worse - and he was coming fast.  I slipped down the hill another 50 yards onto the steep hillside beside a grove of pine saplings and rested my decoy on my chest while I cow called again.  He screamed instantly, allowing only enough time to inhale before screaming again - hitting a pitch so high it hurt my ears, even from 100 yards cross canyon.  Sometimes a bull gets so angry and so rut crazed that it simply throws caution to the wind and comes in like a freight train, completely unaware of any vulnerability.  If this was the case, I was going to give it a try.  I grabbed my bugle tube, opened up the baffles to allow a deeper growl and threw every insult I could at him.  He lit up like I'd just slapped his mother.  I immediately saw him running across the open hillside directly across from me, working his way up the canyon - but I had no way to head him off in the bottom of the canyon.  He carried an impressively heavy 5 point rack with long, sweeping tines.  I recognized him as a bull I had seen several days earlier with a herd of 15 cows.

Earlier in the week I attempted to call in the same 5 point bull in the meadow above but instead had a satellite come in and wind me.

Helplessly I watched him sidehill into the bottom of the canyon above me and disappear.  Suddenly several large branches snapped on the canyon wall below me, right where the bull had disappeared.  Ivory tips materialized through the foliage as the bull raced UP the hill right at me.  He stopped 60 yards away and split the snow filled sky with a primal scream of rage shook me to the core.  I stood in disbelief as he lowered his head and charged further up the hill - I still had the decoy leaning on me!  In no more than a minute he had closed the distance from a couple hundred yards to 60.  The bull had to walk through a small patch of pine saplings, giving me just enough time to toss my decoy up against a small dead tree beside me, knock an arrow, and range a gap in the small pines where I thought I could thread an arrow.  Just as I dropped my rangefinder back into my pocket his muscular shoulders appeared flashing through the trees.  I drew back my bow and settled my 30 yard pin on the gap I had just ranged.  Suddenly he was right there, and moving fast.  With a diaphragm in my mouth I cow chirped sharply and stopped him in his tracks, slightly angling towards me.  His head jerked in my direction and spotted my decoy, giving me a few precious moments to pick a line through the pine boughs he stood in.  There was a small window between his front shoulder blade and a pine bough that exposed the crease in his side.  It was risky, but doable.  I tightened my finger on the release trigger, tensed the muscles in my back, and let back tension dictate the shot.  My bow rocked forward slightly as my arrow sailed downrange, and I watched in horror as it glanced the edge of the pine bough right at the bulls chest and disappear with a loud THWACK.

The bull turned and galloped downhill, crashing through every tree in his way.  I cow called again loudly, and he finally came to a quick stop 70 yards away.  He looked back over his shoulder in my direction, then slowly walked out of sight.  My heart sank.  Had I missed?  I cow called again out of desperation.  From the canyon below I heard him huff loudly, attempting to bugle.  He huffed 3 times in a row, yet was unable to produce anything more.  He was hit in the lungs.  Several moments later he huffed again, then several branches broke, followed by silence.  Uncertainty still ran rampant in my mind as I replayed the arrow glancing the pine bough.

I elected to wait a full hour just to be on the safe side.  I spent that full hour gnawing on a frozen protein bar to occupy my mind between sincere prayers.  Nothing troubles a bowhunter more than uncertainty of questionable shot placement.  Cautiously I made my way over to where he had stood and found his tracks in the snow - along with the dirt he had torn away from the hillside as he ran downhill.  The blood trail was obvious even from a distance.  I followed it down into the bottom of the canyon and across the next hillside when suddenly the blood all but disappeared.  If there hadn't been snow on the ground, the trail would have been extremely difficult to follow.  Doubt and worry crept into my mind as I walked faster and faster along his trail.  I looked further into the distance to see where the tracks were leading when I saw a massive antler protruding from the undergrowth.

Elated,  I raced up to his side and dropped to my knees as emotion swept over me.  All my sacrifice and effort had paid off - I had finally done it.  The rush of emotions were more than I was prepared to control, and tears flowed freely as I looked up into the sky with gratitude - there was no doubt in my mind what had led me to this moment, and my own insignificance was more evident now than ever.  I may have been the only one on that mountain side, but I knew I wasn't alone.  For several minutes I sat beside the bull in silence out of pure respect for such a magnificent animal.

There is a balance between effort & result in hunting - a balance all of its own, unique in every way.  The harder fought the battle, the more sweet victory, and this is the essence of elk hunting.  I often hear it said that once the elk hits the ground the fun ends.  I beg to differ.  It was noon when I found my bull, and we weren't done packing him out until 10:30 that night - but there wasn't a moment I wished I was somewhere else.

Gear List

Bowtech Insanity CPX
Carbon Express Maxima Blue Streak Select Arrows
Slick Trick 100 grain Magnum Broadheads
Eberlestock J34 "Just One" Backpack
Meindel "Perfekt 10" Hunter Boots
Russell Outdoors APX Camo
Cow Elk 1 Montana Decoy
Bully Bull Grunt Tube
Allstar Diaphragm Call
"Temptress" Cow Call

The Perfect Trout Recipe: Honey Glazed Grilled Trout

Preparing good fish can seem like a real challenge - and all too often I've found online recipes to be either too involved and grandiose or require a laundry list of expensive ingredients I won't use on anything else.  I simply don't have the patience for those kinds of things considering the frequency we have fish at our home.  In an effort to find the perfect fish recipe I cooked a wide variety of different recipes - all the while trying to convince my wife that trout is good.  While I may never fully win that war, I have won many battles with this recipe.  Best of all, these are ingredients every kitchen is likely to have - nothing too unique or obscure here.  After trying many different things I found a common denominator - how the fish was filleted and prepared prior to cooking greatly determined the outcome.  Here are a few tricks I have learned over the years to ensure your fillets are in top shape before seasoning them:

• Rather than using a filet board (which I've ALWAYS had trouble keeping a fish on), spread out an old towel on the counter and fillet the fish on that instead.  You'll find that the cloth grips slippery fish far better, and it absorbs the slime so cleanup in much easier.  Just drop it in the washer by itself afterwards.
• When possible, leave the skin on the filet.  Removing the skin (for most recipes) results in dryer meat with less flavor - and is impossible to grill without foil.  The skin also protects the meat from burning - a major plus.  This refers to trout only - other species are different.
• After removing a fillet from the fish, never lay it meat side down in your working space.  Try to avoid getting any unnecessary fish slime anywhere on the fillet - especially the meat.  If you're unable to cook the fish the same day you fillet (doing so makes the fish taste even better), wrap up the fillets with the meat touching and skin on the outside - or even better wrap them individually.  
•  Lightly run the fillet under cool water vertically to help get any residual slime off.  Pat dry both sides with paper towel prior to seasoning.  If you haven't caught on yet, fish slime is the #1 reason for fish tasting overly "fishy."

Honey Glazed Grilled Trout Recipe

For this example I cooked an early Spring-run Steelhead, typically a challenging fish to cook.  The result was undeniable - this is THE spring steelhead recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

2 Trout, filleted - skin on
McCormick Smokehouse Maple Seasoning
Lemon Pepper Seasoning
1/4 cup Honey
Lime Juice, to taste


First lightly drizzle lime juice over the fillet, just enough to dampen the meat.  Lime juice (similar to lemon juice) is naturally acidic and helps the seasonings penetrate the flesh resulting in more even flavor.

Second - apply liberal amounts of the Smokehouse Maple seasoning, this is the primary seasoning desired.  Afterwards lightly dust with lemon pepper.  I discovered this blend accidentally when I ran out of the Smokehouse Maple seasoning halfway through seasoning a fillet and found the two complimented each other very well.

This is the fillet prior to grilling to show the amount of seasoning applied.

Third - grill on medium high for about 10 minutes.  Don't turn the fillet over!  This helps the fillet stay juicier and the skin protects it from burning, allowing to cook clear through on just one side.  If it's a very thick fillet (say over 1.5" in the thickest part) move the filet to the upper tray and turn the grill to the hottest possible temperature.  The most common mistake with fish is overcooking.  Trout should flake easily off the skin when cooked, but still be moist.  Texture is the name of the game - if it looks rubbery give it a couple more minutes, but watch closely.

Remove from grill and place in a tinfoil tent.  Next microwave the honey until it begins to boil - typically about 30 seconds.  Baste the meat with honey and close tinfoil tent - this will allow the honey to seep into the meat while it's still hot, essentially letting the honey cook into the meat while in the foil - this makes an outstanding compliment to the Smokehouse Maple flavor.  Let it sit for about 2 - 3 minutes, then serve.  I typically reheat any remaining honey and place it on the table for anyone that wants more - most people don't believe honey is good on fish until they try it!  Enjoy!

Gear Review: Eberlestock "Just One" J34 Pack

If there is anything I've learned over the years hunting it's simply that your comfort while hunting should never be a secondary consideration.  I've always been very analytical of my successes and failures in the field - and what factors either supported or detracted from my efforts.  I look at every aspect - everything from my gear, mental toughness and focus to physical conditioning.  It's amazing how much effect gear has - not only on physical capabilities, but also morale & confidence.  That being said - I've never had a backpack I felt directly contributed to my efforts.  For years I've known I wanted a better solution than what I had, I just didn't realize what I had been missing.  Enter the Eberlestock "Just One" J34 Backpack.  

First I want to make a very thorough disclaimer:  I am in no way reimbursed/incentivized by, affiliated with, or given anything from Eberlestock.  I write this review as an unbiased and meticulous consumer.  After literally months of reading other reviews, multiple visits to several different retailers, and questioning several prevalent sportsmen in the hunting industry about their preferences, I decided on the Just One pack.  At $329, it's priced towards the upper end of most hunting packs - but in my opinion, is well worth its cost.

The first thing I noted about this pack upon its arrival is the sheer number of adjustments that can be made to ensure a proper fit.  I had the distinct pleasure of spending some one on one time recently with Jason Hairston - founder of Sitka, and CEO/Founder of the new revelation in outdoor clothing & gear - Kuiu.  We spoke extensively about the role gear plays into the experience of a hunt, and the importance of having quality gear.  Later that day in a well prepared seminar at the Backcountry Hunters & Anglers annual Rendezvous in Boise, Jason stressed over and over again the importance of a well adjusted pack and the damage that can be done without a proper fit.  In fact - Jason bears scars on his obliques from an ill fitted pack on a very long backcountry elk pack out.  This is an area where the Just One shines right out of the gate.  It has no fewer than 7 different methods of adjustment - just to ensure it's fitting on your torso correctly.  It may seem daunting to have that kind of adjustability, especially knowing how important it is to find that sweet spot - but they have a fantastic video on their website that made getting it right easy.  I spent about 30 minutes getting my pack adjusted properly the night before a 5 day mountain turkey hunt (I swear, we have those in Idaho), and once it was done I didn't need to make any changes the rest of my hunt.  Rest assured, when weight is added to the pack (I recommend adding 40 lbs when adjusting it the first time) it's obvious when you hit that sweet spot.  The load magically disappears from any one spot on your body and feels perfectly distributed.

The second thing I noted when getting my pack ready for the hunt was the sheer amount of storage capacity.  The question I had coming into this purchase was simple - can a backpack double as a day pack (light, comfortable, & functional) yet expand to be an effective freight hauler in the backcountry should the need arise?  ABSOLUTELY.  If you're like me, reading online that the Just One has a storage capacity of 4,600 cubic inches doesn't translate very effectively into real world applications.  That's a big number.  An elk is a big animal.  Will a whole quarter fit??  I say yes.  Easily.  When fully compressed, the main compartment is essentially inaccessible, which I thought I'd hate but ended up loving.  There are 5 exterior pockets that are fully accessible (with waterproof zippers I might add) with the pack fully compressed into its most compact configuration - and that doesn't include the hydration chamber.  I consider this configuration to be an outstanding day pack.  Those exterior pockets have more than enough capacity for any hunter without meat.  I was able to transfer the entirety of my previous backpack into only 2 pockets in the Just One pack.  Compression straps allow the load to be brought tight against the pack ensuring it isn't cumbersome or bulky - and even more importantly - prevents the pack from swinging side to side and being noisy.

Now the important part - expandability.  When gearing up for my turkey hunt I was hesitant to rely solely upon the Just One pack, simply because I had a turkey vest I am fond of.  I was unsure of the ability of the Just One to carry a turkey and what condition the feathers would be in upon arrival back at camp.  On the second day of the hunt, I found myself 2 miles and 3 drainages from the truck - looking down the barrel of my shotgun at an unsuspecting Merriam's.  I hesitated at the trigger - unsure if I really wanted to carry a turkey out that far, especially if it didn't fit in my pack.  With only one way to find out, I let him have it.  A moment later I was picking myself back up off the ground after unleashing 3.5 inches of absolute hell in a shell, I walked over to admire the turkey and figure out how this was going to work.

I unbuckled the straps and opened up the main pocket - and dropped the entire bird inside.  I even pulled the draw string closed at the top of the pocket.  The bird was fully contained in the main compartment, with the tail feathers safely running full length up the side of the pack, not folded in the bottom.  I couldn't believe the entire turkey fit so easily.  I would venture to guess two fully grown turkeys could fit inside - that's how much room there is in this incredible pack.  The exterior of the pocket is a highly durable and rugged mesh that allows air circulation without compromising strength, another major plus when packing out meat.

The Just One also comes with a rifle scabbard thats readily accessible while the pack is on your back, another impressive feature.  I had been carrying my trekking poles in the scabbard when stalking the birds, but they were easily accessed when the need arose while traversing large drainages and covering lots of ground.  After loading my turkey in the pack, I simply dropped my shotgun into the scabbard and shouldered the pack for the trek out, trekking poles in hand.  I couldn't believe how well the weight was distributed!  It was the farthest I've ever had to carry a turkey out, and over the roughest terrain - but I didn't notice in the least.  The freedom I had to put both my turkey and shotgun in my pack for the hike out was invaluable.  That alone sold me on the pack.  The weight was distributed extremely evenly from my shoulders to my hips, and it rode close enough to my back that it never felt awkward or big despite its 40 pound total weight.

Over the course of my 5 day hunt, I really ran this pack through it's paces - and annoyed all my hunting partners at camp every night talking about what I loved about it.  Every day I identified something else I loved about it.  By the end of the hunt, everyone in camp wanted one.  As I said at the beginning of this article, I never realized how much my pack could contribute to my ability to hunt.  I was consistently impressed by the modular nature and design of this pack.  The folks at Eberlestock really knocked it out of the park with this one.  Is this the ultimate hunting pack?  Possibly.  It certainly is the best pack under $500 in my opinion.  This much I know - if I'm ever caught 5 miles from camp in rough country and alone with an elk down, you can bet I'll have my Just One pack ready and waiting - with confidence.










Post Publication Notes

A month after my successful turkey hunt using the J34 pack I had the opportunity to put this pack to test again in more mountainous country for a spring bear bow hunt, which I will detail in an upcoming article.  Utilizing the ButtBucket bow carrier -  I was able to carry all my usual hunting gear in the exterior pockets (which stayed impressively dry throughout the entire spring season, enduring many a rain shower), my bow on the back of the pack, AND a 35 gallon bag full to the brim of our popcorn and gummy fruit bait.  The ability to carry EVERYTHING I needed to hunt and rebait a site on my way into the stand in 1 trip while remaining hands free raised my opinion of this pack to a whole new level.  I consider this to pack to be the premiere bear hunting pack.  What an incredible design!

6 Ice Fishing Tips for Trophy Trout

Trophy trout and ice fishing are not commonly used in the same sentence - most ice fishermen spend their time heading to the higher catch rate destinations in the cold winter months, and for good reason.  If you're going to spend several hours on a frozen block of ice, you better be busy catching fish.  However; several opportunistic bodies of water and a couple adjustments in tactic can present both high catch rates and trophy trout.  And believe me - it's pretty tough to beat the exhilaration of trying to figure out how to heft an 8 pound brown out of the ice without a Boga Grip.  These 6 tips will help  you maximize both the quantity and quality of fish caught through the ice.

A new personal best - 27" Brown weighing in at 8 pounds.  This beauty was landed on a size 10 jig with 6 pound line.

#1.  Get Sensitive
As Chris Cutler says over at Living Fly Legacy "Missing fish? Get sensitive."  While this may seem superfluous given the drastically reduced length and diameter of ice fishing rods as opposed to traditional gear, measures still need to be taken to easily identify even the slightest nibble - especially when the winter wears on and the fish get sluggish.  Two equally important, if not obvious, products will help tremendously - strike indicators and small diameter line.

• Strike Indicators - When I refer to strike indicators in this context, I'm not meaning a traditional bobber or float - there are better ways.  Spring Bobbers (pictured above) attach to the end of the fishing rod and extend outward, adding excellent sensitivity to any rod.  This can be a very nice addition to a medium or medium heavy rod that would otherwise be less sensitive, yet has the required spine to fight larger fish.  I have found any of these varieties above work, but the wider the gap the line travels through at the end - the less likely it is to collect ice and freeze up.  I have also found the orange or red variations are far easier to see in flat light conditions compared to the bright yellow or green colors.  Another outstanding product that I highly recommend to easily detect bites is the Mr. Jigger rod holder, available at most Cal-Ranch Stores.  This product will be discussed in greater detail later as it relates to jigging.

• Small Diameter Line - Often I speak with fishermen that are concerned about fraying their line on the edges of the ice, so they fish a larger line than needed to ensure strength.  While I can't argue with the logic, it does decrease catch rates.  Rather than fishing an 8 or 10 pound line for insurance against frays, use a high quality, abrasion-resistant 4 pound line such as P-Line FloroIce and change it regularly.  Berkley Vanish is another great option - both lines are virtually invisible in the water; Vanish has a very supple characteristic, while FloroIce is slightly stronger for the weight rating.  While you may have to change your line a time or two during the season depending on how you fight fish, frequency of use, etc. it will ensure you detect more bites, jig more realistically, and fool the larger, cagey fish into biting with seeing the line.  To minimize line breaks - tie a Palomar Knot as opposed to an Improved Clinch Knot when attaching a jig or ice fly.

#2.  Mini Jigs

This may sound counter intuitive to those accustomed to the school of thought that says big fish eat big meals.  While it may be true, a slightly different set of rules apply under the ice.  As oxygen content wanes under ice pack, fish become lethargic, less aggressive and their metabolism slows - rendering a larger meal less alluring or appetizing.  Aside from metabolic changes, trophy trout have simply seen the exact same thing over and over.  In most bodies of water where trophy trout abide, the vast majority of fishermen think the same way - throw something big on there to catch a big fish.  Trophy fish are cagey and wise - it's not often you see a fisherman present a 1/32 oz scud bug on a trophy trout lake in the middle of winter.  This may be the biggest reason so called "mini jigs" catch monstrous trout.

By no means do I suggest swapping out all your tried and true jigs for their smaller counterparts, especially when Idaho allows 5 rods per fisherman while ice fishing on most waters.  Mix it up - throw on a smaller offering, but know that in order to get the desired effect it needs to be jigged more regularly than the larger lures to attract attention.  With my 5 rods all set up - I typically rig up 3 rods with tried and true jigs, and the remaining 2 with something experimental.  This year I landed multiple fish over 5 pounds through the ice on a 1/32 oz jig patterned after a scud, while a 1/64 oz trout magnet jig also produced great fish when the old stand by paddlebugs died off mid morning.  Throughout the ice fishing community, so called mini-jigs have been gaining popularity - and from my experience, for good reason.  Simply put, mini-jigs simply can't be ignored by anyone in pursuit of trophy trout.  That being said, water depth is certainly a consideration.  Try getting away with the smallest jig you dare and watch the results, just ensure your fishing line has little to no memory in it for maximum sensitivity at depth.

This beautiful 25" buck fell victim to the 1/64 oz Trout Magnet in 15 feet of water when little else had any action.

#3.  Hug the Banks
When colder weather hits and the ice first forms on a lake, most of the trout move into shallow waters - really shallow.  In fact, a majority of the fish caught early in the season on most bodies of water are caught in 5 - 8 feet of water, while some bodies of water boast even shallower depths than that - such as Henry's Lake where that figure is more like 3 - 5 feet.  With the safety of the ice protecting large trout from most danger typically inherent to shallow water, they move up and cruise the banks ambushing minnows.  As the winter progresses, the fish may move into deeper water - so a good rule of thumb is to start shallow and work your way deeper as needed.  Henry's Lake is a great example of this.  In November when the ice first forms, fishing in 2 - 3 feet of water produces the highest concentration of fish.  Towards the tail end of the season in mid to late December, fish are more commonly found in 10+ feet of water.  When fishing in shallow waters, fish are far more easily spooked by excessive noise such as gas augers and running to and from each rod.  Keep this in mind when setting up and try to minimize the distance needed to get to each rod.  Once a location has been selected, cover different depths by placing rods in a line perpendicular to the bank rather than stringing out parallel to the shoreline, even 10 feet further out can make all the difference.

A great 21" Brookie caught on Henry's Lake at the end of December.  After drilling well over 30 holes  between 2 of us  by hand - we located 
the fish and ended the afternoon with just under 50 fish.  Sometimes it's a numbers game!

#4.  Be Mobile
One of the most common strategies that surprise those that I take ice fishing is how often I move.  Ice fishing can be challenging, as it becomes a process of elimination by drilling countless holes and remaining active throughout the day.  Finding the fish is the first obstacle to overcome.  Focusing your efforts around bank structure (such as peninsulas, underwater structure, warm springs, etc.) will help your chances of having schools of fish move through your area multiple times throughout the day.  However; the greatest success is often found by being mobile throughout the day.  If more than 30 minutes passes without significant activity - move.  Often the first 20 - 30 minutes at a new location are the most effective because the fish are far less active in their movement patterns in the winter - even if it's only 20 yards away from your previous set up, you could find a whole new pod of fish.  While this type of fishing can be physically taxing, it will pay dividends in catch rates that far outweighs the cost, and one of those fish pods may hold a giant.

#5.  Jig Constantly
Everyone knows jigging will help catch fish while ice fishing, but often the frequency and style of jigging will determine the outcome of your trip.  Jigging an ice fishing rod is very similar to streamer fishing with a fly rod - the way that the line is stripped (or jigged) determines how many fish are caught - and it all depends on day.  Even the right jig with the wrong action or movement underwater won't catch as many fish.  Remember - variety is the spice of life.  Often the standard jigging motion is enough to attract the attention of fish and lure them over, but not enough to entice a bite.  Try grasping your line over the hole in the ice between your thumb and index finger and twisting it to make the jig rotate rather than move vertically.  Sometimes that small change is enough to trigger a strike.  Another extremely effective method when jigging ice flies is grasping the line in your hand and shaking the line quickly, just enough to make any appendages from the jig vibrate.  I've watched many a trout while in an ice shelter hang up beside the ice fly when this method made all the difference.  Early season it seems aggressive jigging is the ticket, and as the season wears on and the fish become more sluggish, a slower more deliberate lift gets it done.  Just remember to keep tension on the line when letting it down rather than letting it go slack, often a strike comes on the downward motion - and you need to be ready.

Perhaps one the best (and most economical) advancements in ice fishing equipment is the Mr. Jigger or Jigger Totter.  A friend of mine routinely fished with them for a couple years before I bought into the idea.  They act as a teeter totter for the ice fishing rod and provide several big advantages.  Perhaps the most obvious advantage is ease in jigging multiple poles.  I now use these on EVERY pole I fish.  Its much easier to walk from pole to pole and bounce the back of the rod with an extended handle ice skimmer and stroll to the next as opposed to waiting at each line to jig it up and down.  I have also found that large trout are prone to short striking and are sensitive to line tension, another area where this kind of hardware coming in handy.  Often a fish nibbling won't feel the line tension as quickly as the rod is balanced on a fulcrum, allowing rod tip movement without a lot of pullback on the hook.

This video shows the jigging action of the rod when bounced above water 

and just how sensitive these types of rod holders really are!

The video below I recorded at Henry's Lake this past December to show the difference the jigging action makes on a Jigger Totter or Mr. Jigger as opposed to hand jigging.  The far jig is done by hand in the traditional way and the close jig is on a Mr. Jigger.

The other thing that really stood out to me about this video is just how murky it 

gets down there during the winter.  No wonder jigging is a necessity!

#6.  Look for Non-Traditional Freezes

Waters that don't normally freeze every winter can hold the best ice fishing around, particularly rivers.  Ice fishing rivers can be dangerous, so it's important that proper safety precautions are taken - but the results can be astounding.  Watch your favorite coves, eddies, and slack water during the coldest parts of the winter, you may be surprised to discover they ice over.  Opportunities like this are golden - take advantage of them when possible.  It's easy to get tunnel vision and only think of still water for ice fishing - and perhaps thats why ice fishing rivers can be so darn good.  Very few people do it.  

A New Look

First of all, I'd like to sincerely thank everyone for following along and reading my articles.  This has been an outstanding opportunity for me - and hopefully you've enjoyed the content.  As we've grown in readership, it became evident I desperately needed to redesign the site.  All my articles are now categorized by their respective topic - either hunting or fishing.  Have a look around the new site, let me know what you think!  Feel free to email me - ThePursuitOutdoors@gmail.com - with any insights or suggested edits you may have.

I'm currently finishing up my next article "Giants on the Hard Deck" where I detail tips for catching monster trout through the ice, including pictures of a new personal best - an 8 pound Brown!

Stay tuned, more great things are to come!


- Jared

A beautiful shot of Mike Reider reeling in the biggest trout of his life to date - a teaser for another upcoming article on night fishing

Survival: Part II

To read Part I of the Survival Story - click [here].

The cool evening air was already rushing at the back of my neck while I descended from the ridge top. The sun had almost set, and we were well above the bugling bull - we still had half a mile of timber to cover in our attempt to swing downwind of the elk we'd heard bugling moments ago.  My strides grew longer as a satellite bull challenged the herd bull from the valley floor below.  It was a race against time, and half of my heart feared we wouldn't make it in time, but the other half knew I had to try.  I had driven over 600 miles the day before after work - arriving in the early morning hours on a Thursday.  I only had two and half days to hunt before I had to turn around and drive back to Southern Utah, so I was determined to go to whatever lengths necessary to take an elk.

We made our final approach quietly through the lodgepole pines in the valley floor.  My eyes darted toward every sound the feeding elk made.  We were very careful not to call until we were within 100 yards from the herd.  This was no small feat - a make or break for most archery elk hunts.  If we began calling from too far back, the bull would simply round up his harem of cows and push them to the next canyon - away from any challenging or curious bulls.  Get in too close and we ran the risk of bumping the herd.  Despite what camouflage manufacturers would like hunters to believe, elk visual acquisition relies on movement - not detail - to spot imminent danger.  Their incredible ability to catch movement (even from great distances) paired with a phenomenal sense of smell, makes stalking to within calling range tricky business.   The ability to stay patient and get in close before revealing your location will influence the outcome of a hunt dramatically; public land elk are accustomed to hunter pressure and most hunters just can't contain their desire to get their bugle on.

I found these bulls scouting in the months before the season opened and photographed them through my binoculars at daylight.  They
stayed in the same area all summer and fall.  The bull on the left was the herd bull I hunted all weekend.

I carefully chose a spot to kneel down with several good shooting lanes stretching out to 50 yards.  My dad took a position slightly behind me and to my left - typically we'd station a caller farther back from the shooter, but tonight I was both.  While knocking an arrow to begin my calling, the dominant herd bull screamed from the ridge above us a mere 75 yards away.  Often if the herd bull has a satellite bull or two around the herd, I'll try to pull him away from the others with a cow call rather than a bugle.  I let out a couple soft chirps and let the bull do the work.  By the sound of the bugle I could tell he was facing towards us this time as he growled and rose to scream, followed by several chuckles.  The hair on the back of my neck stood on end as the scream echoed down the valley.  Almost immediately, a satellite bull responded 50 yards to our right in the dense timber.  I let out a few more cow calls, when suddenly the woods came alive with elk.  Cows and calves were mewing incessantly, and the herd bull started thrashing a small pine sapling with his antlers.  The satellite bull to our right joined in the chorus as the light faded quickly.  The entire herd passed in front of us at 60 yards, but all that could be seen were legs flashing through the timber in the twilight.  Realizing it was too dark to shoot, I pulled the arrow from my string and clipped it back in to my quiver.  Rather than rising to my feet to leave, I just sat there and listened to the chorus of elk.  We had a long hike out in the dark, but it didn't matter to me in the least.  I was grinning from ear to ear just listening to the bugles erupting from the dark hillside before me.  Something primitive and primal stirs inside of me every time I hear rutting elk in September.  It feeds my addiction to the sport.

My dad quietly eased his way up to my location where we sat enjoying the sounds of the evening for several golden minutes.  After a short time we rose to our feet and quietly backed out.  With absolutely no moon during the peak of the rut, the elk were sure to be in the same area until morning and remain active well into the day.  I resolved the year before to only shoot branched antlered bulls, but with such a short time to hunt I was prepared to shoot any elk within range.  Knowing exactly where the elk would be in the morning with the rut in full swing, gave us a real advantage for the next morning.

This ancient tree root sits atop a ridge above the wallows at 9,600' in elevation.

After a much needed full nights rest, we arrived the following morning well before daylight.  We were anxious to be in position before sunrise, so with miles to cover we shouldered our packs and began the trek in the dark.  The clear skies the night before brought significantly cooler temperatures than the previous day, which was a much needed reprieve from above average temperatures that had been the norm.  The cold air stung my lungs and chilled my arms and legs, but I took no notice - the echoes of distant bugles carrying down the valley floor was all I could focus on.

We located the elk in short order, but they were significantly higher in elevation than the previous evening.  The hike up was a grueling 800 foot climb in elevation in 900 lateral feet of distance.  We peaked the ridge out of breath and slightly dizzy from the high elevation air.  A bugle interrupted our labored breathing from 200 yards in front of us on the opposite side of a small bald saddle.  We quickly crept up another 75 yards and positioned ourselves to call.  Our first bugle was answered within a few short moments by the herd bull, followed by a satellite bull.  They were slightly farther away, and headed for some black timber that held several springs and a series of wallows.  We continued calling to them, but despite our best efforts they continued growing farther away.  After 15 minutes, my dad stood and moved up towards my position.  When he was several yards behind me, I heard a cow chirp from our left - and close.  I signaled my dad to drop down as I spun to the left and positioned myself for a shot.

Less than a minute later a cow appeared, apparently separated from the herd.  She was trotting down the hillside above the meadow on a line that would bring her right into range.  She hung up at the edge of the meadow 80 yards away and mewed, searching for our calls.  I had no cover in front of me, and only sparse trees several yards behind me from her angle - so minimizing movement was essential.  I let out a soft calf chirp and lowered the call to my side to prepare for a shot.  The cow responded almost instantly, and came in on a string.  There was only 1 small tree that she had to walk behind that would give me the opportunity to draw, and it was some 60 yards away.  As she passed behind it, I drew back and anchored at full draw.  She was coming straight at us but offered no shot.

She stopped at 40 yards and began to feed, still facing us.  For a couple painstaking minutes she fed easily within range but still presented no shot.  My arm began to shake with exhaustion, but I held firm in spite of the growing pain emanating from my forearm where I had been bitten.  The cow finally lifted her head and walked another ten yards towards us before turning broadside, striding towards the sound of now distant bugles.  I cow chirped with my mouth to stop her right at the tree line, lined up my sight pin and released.

The sound of my arrow rattling through underbrush was audible almost immediately.  While kneeling on the ground I had been unable to see several dead fennel weeds that deflected my arrow.  The cow spooked and ran several steps before looking back, then continued into the dark timber towards the rest of the herd.  In disbelief I rose to search for my arrow.  I consistently practice out to 60 yards and consider anything inside of that to be within my effective range.  My dad attempted to reassure me that I had held a very long time with a weak arm - but I knew I had just plain blown it.  While searching for my lost arrow, the bulls started bugling again consistently from the wallow 400 yards up the dark timber draw from us.  By this time it was already approaching noon; not wanting to waste any precious time we gathered our packs, and were back in pursuit.

Many times on this hunt I wondered if I was hunting Mountain Goats or Elk.  

A well worn game trail led to the wallow, allowing us the luxury of making a silent approach through an otherwise nearly impassable tangle of old growth spruce trees and waist high wildrye grass.  Just as we eased up on the wallow, a bugle stopped us in our tracks.  They were close, and with the early afternoon sun high in the sky, it was a safe bet they were headed to water.  We quickly split up, each taking an opposite side of the spring.  My position offered a view of the wallow as well, although it was somewhat limited due to the small pines I was positioned in.  I challenged the bull with a bugle, and almost immediately a chorus of elk surrounded us.  Several different elk bugled further up the draw, cows called to my right, and another bull to our left - with so many bulls it was difficult to decide where to focus.  Another bugle from above turned my attention to a hillside in front of me.  I glanced up to see a five point bull step out of the trees to look at the wallow below me and drop into a dense stand of pines, headed right towards me.  The herd bull answered him to my right.  As if on command, the wind shifted.  Our crosswind was now angling towards the approaching bulls.  The seconds ticked by slowly, knowing what the inevitable was - yet still hoping they wouldn't wind us.  Moments later I listened helplessly as the approaching elk detected our scent and spooked.

Crashing through the deadfall, several elk flashed through the trees on the hillside above me, just outside of range.  I bugled and stopped them - but the bull wasn't among them.  While focusing my attention on the elk in front of me, I heard the distinctive sound of hooves in the mud directly behind me.  I very slowly twisted to my left and looked behind me to see an elk standing beside the wallow a mere 30 yards away - looking just as confused as I was with what to do next.  My pulse quickened see the elk in such close proximity, although admittedly I wondered how I'd missed the sound of an approaching elk.  Although its head was obscured by trees, the blonde fur of the body lent itself to a bull, but a young one at that.  The elk took a few steps, exposing antlers through a small gap in the trees.  Even though it was a just a spike, my heart was racing.

A view of the spring from above - the wallows are in the trees to the right.  This secluded basin provides all the necessities of 
life to the many elk and deer that call it home - food, water, and shelter - providing ideal conditions to hunt.

He had no idea I was there or why the other elk had run and then stopped.  An older bull wouldn't have made that mistake - and I intended to exploit it.  The wind was blowing perfectly from him to me - but several small saplings stood in the way, choking out any potential shooting lanes.  The spike took several steps into a small timbered draw between the ridge I was on and the next  steeper ridge.  I had a small window of opportunity to move into a shooting position while the timber obscured my movement.  Careful not to break the fragile silence, I took three steps to the left out of the small pine covert I had been concealed in.  I had no cover, no backdrop - but it was my only option.  The spike continued walking broadside to me, angling slightly away up the next ridge.  Ahead of him there was a very small break in the trees only wide enough to fit his body.  With only a day left to hunt, it was now or never.

He lowered his head to feed for a moment, giving me a moment to compose myself for a long shot.  With several long, slow exhalations I was able to lower my heart rate to a manageable level despite the adrenaline pumping through my veins.  The spike slowly raised his head and strode towards the opening, but this time I was prepared.  As his head passed behind the last tree, I drew my bow.  Mentally, I turned all my focus towards my shooting form and executing the shot.  I estimated the distance at 50 yards, so my margin of error was small - and with a blown shot just hours earlier - I knew I had to believe I could make the shot.  The bull materialized on the other side of the tree and walked into the opening, stopping right in the center of my shooting lane.  I exhaled slowly one last time and consciously loosened my grip on the bow to avoid torquing it to the side at the shot.  Bringing the single pin sight to just above the center of his chest, my finger eased into the release trigger.  The bow rocked slightly in my hand as the string launched forward, sending the arrow sailing downrange.  The bull snapped his head towards me at the sound of the bow and attempted to turn, but my arrow flew swift and true.  I watched the bright orange knock disappear into the fur low in the chest and directly behind the shoulder.

The spike spun downhill at the shot, with my arrow visibly protruding from the other side - right through the heart.  He leapt 5 or 6 paces before I found my bugle and stopped him with a scream.  He glanced back in my direction and stood in place for about thirty seconds, visibly swaying.  He took a few more stumbling steps and disappeared out of view around the edge of the ridge.  I looked over at my dad and gave the thumbs up, my pulse still pounding in my ears.  Moments later we heard a crash as the bull collapsed on the other side of the ridge just out of sight.  I ranged the site where he stood just moments earlier - 47 yards.  I knelt down in the tall brush to bow my head in gratitude and prayer.  Months of preparation, countless hours spent shooting my bow in the range, agonizing days spent in crippling pain in an ICU far from my home - unsure if I'd ever hold a bow again, all of it rushed through my mind.  It may have only been a spike, but it was a trophy greater than I'd ever taken.

Its a very humbling feeling to have an elk down nearly two miles and 1,000' in elevation
from the truck with nothing but backpacks to make it all possible

My dad soon stood by my side, he had been able to see the entire scene play out from his position slightly uphill.  We waited a full hour before making our way to the blood trail.  Although I was very confident in the shot and we heard the crash of the bull going down, we always wait a full hour - 30 minutes more than recommended.  Patience pays off, and we like to ensure the animal is expired well before we ever move towards the shot location - jumping a wounded animal from it's bed is the single biggest mistake overly eager bowhunters can make.  The blood trail was easy to find and follow, and a short distance later I spotted the bull crumpled up against a small pine tree.  He'd only gone 30 yards before succumbing and tumbling a short distance down the ridge.

Elation swept over me as I bounded down the hill to my elk, he may as well have been a 300" bull.  I had done it, against all odds.  Minutes later, while posing for pictures - I reflected once again on obstacles overcome.  While my arm still wasn't full strength and ached with pain, my spirit was stronger than ever.  Holding those antlers in my hands, I was as happy as any bowhunter ever  could be.  And greatest of all, I was blessed to share this experience with a man I will admire my entire life - my father.  There is a feeling, an unparalleled vitality, that bowhunters experience every time they stand at full draw with an elk in their sights - it's a feeling indescribable to those that have't yet experienced it.  It's the culmination of long miles traversed over countless mountain tops, blown opportunities and close calls, it's the primal instinct of man versus beast inherent to our own nature - and it's made even sweeter by the weight of a pack loaded with wild game.

"In all human affairs there are efforts, and there are results.

The strength of the effort is the measure of the result."  

                                                                                                      

                                                                                                 - James Allen   

Gear List

2009 Diamond Marquis Compound Bow
Eberlestock JustOne Backpack
Carbon Express Maxima Hunter Arrows
Slick Trick Magnum Broadheads
HHA Optimizer Lite Bow Sight
Octane 7" Hunter Stabilizer
Octane Deadlock Pro Quiver
Scott Archery Silverhorn Release
Bushnell Scout Arc 1000 Rangefinder