TLDR: Easy is a 4 letter word, hunted hard for 3.5 days w/o success, changed hunting area shot one at 350 yards.
This was what I consider my son's first real big game hunt. He shot a mule deer spike 2 years ago, but we sat water for 2 days in a blind after the first morning of hiking when I found his pants were too short causing his socks to fill with burs. I knew an area chock full of cows, but decided to hunt another part of the unit first where I've been told there were cows. I wanted him to truly hunt, and not think all hunting was as seen on 30 minute TV shows.
Got to where we'd camp the afternoon of opening day, found a travel trailer in our proposed spot. Decided to talk to them, it was a guy who had helped his buddy's son who tagged out at first light. Guy said there were a bunch of cow's in the area and it should be an easy hunt. Hunted the area Friday evening through Monday night with no success, lots of glassing and hiking. Lots of SxS activity and hunt pressure. We had seen 1 cow 1000 yards away with no chance to gain ground, 2 other cows were shot in the area Sunday evening,
Monday night decided to sleep in Tuesday morning and drive across the unit to the area I knew there were cows, Hiking through thick brush, we spooked 4 cows we didn't know were there. Glassed till sundown, didn't see anything. Wednesday morning; back to the second area, hiked in a mile to our glassing spot with headlamps. As the sun was rising, heard a bugle across a canyon, another one behind us minutes later. I responded to the bugle behind us with a hoochie mama, he bugled again only closer. I cow called again, he bugled a third time even closer, I cow called. A few minutes later a raghorn 6x6 came busting though the brush 50 yards away, no cows with him. He looked around for a few minutes before deciding there was no cow and walked back into the brush out of sight (side note: I don't think he had any idea we were there, and I'm always amazed at their location abilities- he was able to almost pinpoint our location from 3 cow calls). Son saw a heard of elk across the canyon, 350ish yards away. 5-6 cows, a few calves and a big bull. We had to reposition multiple times and wait as the herd was stacked up with no clean shots. They finally fanned out a bit and he was able to shoot one. Found her, I quartered her right side, he her left. Packed her out in two trips, Processor weighed 150 pounds including bones in the quarters, don't know what the straps/tenderloins/organs we kept weighed.
I think my plan of not going to where I knew there were cows was a good one, my son said he was real frustrated in not seeing any elk in our fist location especially after meeting the guy Friday afternoon who said how easy it was. He said he learned a lot the days we struck out, though he would have preferred to have shot an elk earlier in the hunt.
I don't like the word easy, not just for hunting, but in general. Very few things in life are easy. Try telling a four year old tying their shoes is easy, or a new driver driving a stick shift truck is easy. Sure, once you get the hang of it it becomes second nature, but it's not easy to learn. IMHO lots of preparation and even some dumb luck etc... can make a quick, but not easy hunt.
