I thought Halloween came before Christmas. What's with all the snow?
Having just returned from hunting on tribal ground in South Dakota I was in shock to discover that it looks like Christmas in Wyoming. It’s been snowing nearly every other day since I left a week ago and it has me scared. I’m not scared of the snow; I’m scared I won’t be able to get to our elk camp for my son’s first elk hunt. I’m dragging my 20-foot horse trailer up the mountain as our base camp and plan to use our two saddle horses to access remote canyons for hunting. Getting this rig up the mountain is no problem when it’s dry, but when it’s wet that’s another question.
Our plan is to build a rope corral in the timber to hold the horses at night and use the inside of the trailer as our base camp. I have a kerosene heater to provide evening heat and we’ll cook on a Coleman Guide Series stove for meals. It will take us more than an hour to ride to our hunting location and the same or more to return. This will all be done under the cover of darkness so taking our time is essential in making sure the horses aren’t rushed back up the mountain in slippery conditions.
Temperatures should be in the single digits in the mornings and rise to 30 or so by the afternoon. Keeping elk meat cool won’t be a problem if the T/C Icon gets a crack at an elk. My son is shooting the .30 T/C with 165-grain ammunition from Hornady. It’s shooting tight groups and Cole feels confident after knocking his first pronghorn to the ground with the rifle.
I’ll let you know early next week how the hunt went, but regardless if we get an elk or not, it will be a great experience in the wilds of Wyoming.
Take a weekend out and spend with your kids before the hunting seasons ends.and stay warm!
Mark Kayser
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