Practice

Well what does all that gear look and feel like on your back? Today was the "practice run" getting everything into the pack, figuring out the best arrangement for everything and making my last "cut list" on what will not be coming along. Here's the final product: One beautiful Badlands 4500 ready to rock and roll into Wapiti Country with nothing but "THWAAACK" on its mind. It will definetly be the heaviest pack I've ever lugged around but it's also the longest trip I've ever backpacked, and the first one that's required my hunting supplies to come along. My lanky frame makes the thing look small, but that is a standard issue door with a standard height door knob in the second picture. No camera tricks here either, it's that tall.

I bet it looks a whole lot better covered in blood and sweat after the second trip back to the truck transporting a downed majestic bull and kicking one tall guys ass who was hauling it out.

I also just learned you are allowed to buy a second over-the-counter elk tag in CO, an anterless tag. Could anyone even fathom two guys packing out 2 elk in a week, let alone 3 or 4. Hell, we're just hoping to have the chance to sling an arrow at a calf!!!

In other news, after falling victim to my ussual last minute tinkering, the Katera XL and I are finally building some confidence again. At the conclusion of the second shooting session in my weekend two-a-days of today, I slung 4 arrows from odd yardages. They were from apx 23, 35, 46 (the distance that brought down the blacktail last year), and 72 yrds (I lasered the last one). All four hit within about 3 or 4 inches of their mark, and the last long one was the best shot of the bunch. I hadn't even shot past 60 yet! (I know it's luck but let me be, I'd rather be dumb and happy than smart and depressed) I wasn't easy getting back on mark, I'll be needing to buy some more slick tricks to have sharp blades ready for the moment, they seem to get dull after bouncing of granite, and it doesn't help that I lost a couple arrows either. Someone is going to be really preplexed at how so many broadhead-tipped arrows ended up in a field across the street from a 240 store, 1.5 million square foot mall!!

T-5 Days!!!!

(Insert Prayer here that Deryder "finds a way" to make it out there with us.)

And I'm supposed to work this week!?!?! I am going to be the least productive guy the railroad has ever seen.