The Elk Hunters pose

[cowpuncher]

Anyone who has ever hunted Elk and packed meat very far knows this pose. It's the reason I still work, ( and to buy every 45 TLA I can find) so I can go to wild places and chase Elk and exhaust myself for fun. My "buddy" took the picture, unaware by me at the time, thinking himself hilarious while I tried to refresh my 50 year old back! Montana 2021.

[pleadthe2nd]

That's a pose to be proud of.

[bigbrowndog]

That’s also the resting pose of a firefighter having a fresh air bottle placed in our SCBA pack, it’s a very relaxing back stretching one to two minutes. Very fulfilling on both counts knowing you’ve got the strength to carry on, as long as you stay on your feet.

Trapr

[cowpuncher]

Yes it is!

Right outta high school I joined the Volunteer Fire deptartment. I wanted to help my community and to get my EMT certification, while I waited to be old enough to get into the Police academy.

[kings6]

Those of us who head out on an elk hunt with a pack frame on our backs live with the high hope of practicing that very thing. I remember hunting and packing elk in the canyons of eastern Oregon when my dad was still alive. It is where I developed my personal practice of counting how many steps until the next breather, then always adding 2 or 3 more just to make myself do it.

[cowpuncher]

Interesting, I do the exact same thing, counting the whole 5 miles out, curious as to if I was the only one who'd ever done that.
We invited one of our friends to go with us this year. He is 29 years old and has 2 bulls under his belt. He had, to this point never packed one on his back. It was entertaining and humbling on his part. We advised he train hard before we went, he assured us his youth was all he needed.
He was mistaken!😂

[bula]

Climbers do it too. With inner boots, boots, outer boots and either crampons or snowshoes, add in ever thinner air. I was working that pose today, but from getting snow and ice from lower roof lines. My boots were heavy, but mostly age the culprit. Never hunted elk out west. Sigh. Saw them in Mont and Wyo yrs ago. See them now in Penn.. A thank you, to the fire fighters and EMT folks. A few friends in the job. Some of our volunteer force, live on my road. 

[sixshot]

Ah, the pose of many triumphant elk hunters!

Dick

[jfs]

Jan 30, 2022 13:05:50 GMT -5 cowpuncher said:

Anyone who has ever hunted Elk and packed meat very far knows this pose. 

Know what you mean...

[cowpuncher]

I was very blessed, to have been born and raised in the West. We were hunting at about 9-10,000'.
This was my 31st Elk. Elmer Keith claimed to have taken 50 Elk in His life, don't know if I'm gonna get there, but it's fun trying!

[cmillard]

Wow, that's quite the accomplishment!

[Fowler]

It’s funny when I was young we backpack hunted because we lived in prime elk country and didn’t have any money to do it any other way. Now wilderness backpack hunting has become a cool way for people to do it. Several companies set up back country focused fitness programs to help people live out these back country dreams. Mtnops and mtntough are really good and will make anyone’s hunt better if you are a back country hunter, horse, or backpack hunter.

All I can say for all of you who dream of these hunts, don’t underestimate the physical requirements required to get the shot or to get the animal back out. I have lived in Colorado my whole life, altitude is natural to me, I can’t imagine being 40-50 years old and from sea level and trying to enjoy a hunt up here if you haven’t been kicking your own ass in the gym for weeks ahead of time.

[KRal]

Jan 30, 2022 15:34:28 GMT -5 cowpuncher said:

I was very blessed, to have been born and raised in the West. We were hunting at about 9-10,000'.
This was my 31st Elk. Elmer Keith claimed to have taken 50 Elk in His life, don't know if I'm gonna get there, but it's fun trying!

Yes, that’s an astounding accomplishment! Has any of those been with a TLA? If so, we definitely need to see some pics and back brief of the hunts.

[taffin]

Jan 30, 2022 13:05:50 GMT -5 cowpuncher said:

View Attachment
Anyone who has ever hunted Elk and packed meat very far knows this pose. It's the reason I still work, ( and to buy every 45 TLA I can find) so I can go to wild places and chase Elk and exhaust myself for fun. My "buddy" took the picture, unaware by me at the time, thinking himself hilarious while I tried to refresh my 50 year old back! Montana 2021.

ONE THING I MISS as I've gotten older is the joy of exhausting myself in a real task and then the enjoyment of recuperating and thinking about doing it all over again.

[bigbrowndog]

Jan 30, 2022 18:37:27 GMT -5 Fowler said:

It’s funny when I was young we backpack hunted because we lived in prime elk country and didn’t have any money to do it any other way. Now wilderness backpack hunting has become a cool way for people to do it. Several companies set up back country focused fitness programs to help people live out these back country dreams. Mtnops and mtntough are really good and will make anyone’s hunt better if you are a back country hunter, horse, or backpack hunter.

All I can say for all of you who dream of these hunts, don’t underestimate the physical requirements required to get the shot or to get the animal back out. I have lived in Colorado my whole life, altitude is natural to me, I can’t imagine being 40-50 years old and from sea level and trying to enjoy a hunt up here if you haven’t been kicking your own ass in the gym for weeks ahead of time.

Coming from 1000FASL, has always been the struggle for me during western hunts.  Being a younger FF years ago helped with the fitness aspect, being an old retired FF now makes it tougher, but still worth the effort and worth looking forward to 

Trapr