Are you wondering what you can do if you get stranded and lost while hunting in the wilderness? The most thrilling hunting stories and adventures highlight the incredible determination and struggles of surviving worldwide. To give you a feel for hunting trips, here are our stories and experiences.
A Day to Remember
There is something special about first-time adventures. A first car, first house, and first kiss are often imprinted in our hearts and memories. No matter how hard you try, you can never recreate the emotions, wonder, and anticipation of experiencing something for the very first time.
Hunting in the West has always been on my bucket list for a long time. As an East Coast resident, the lure of hunting in the West aroused our longing for wild places and adventure.
Planning a hunt of this kind was very exciting. I and my companion devoured YouTube videos and podcasts about backcountry hunting and elk. It was now clear this hunting adventure would be our ‘first’ that would leave a mark.
Taking Everything In
When D-day came, we converged early in the morning at Orlando International Airport from various corners of the state so we could embark on our adventure. Landing midday at Salt Lake City, our guide, John, was already there to pick us up from the airport.
After a brief stop to grab a bite and load our gear in hunting backpacks we bought at Kifaru, we began trekking into the mountains. As our companions and I drove past open landscapes and wind turbines, the view through the car windows we were in was amazing.
After four hours of driving, we pulled over to a trailhead that my friend and I viewed through a laptop screen during our e-scouting session.
We planned to hunt our way up a flat-bottomed, timbered, and small drainage while looking for fresh signs. Excitement quickly came with three encounters with spike bulls before lunchtime.
After we gained 1,200 feet of elevation, our lungs and legs made us know it was time to go for lunch. Refreshed by brief respite, we all spend the afternoon hunting about 11,000 feet, getting only year-old rubs and dry scat. It was now clear that those fresh signs were down lower. So, after we waited for the storm to roll through, we pointed the direction back down the grade.
After setting up, a big bull was right before my friend, raking trees and ripping a bugle. Our first encounter with the bulk elk left us exhilarated and shaken, so we had to sit down for a break to let our heartbeats drop.
Shortly, we managed to take our heart rates back into the green zone and came up with a good hunting plan, now ready to make our best shot.
What was the plan?
I was to put my first arrow with a rent tint, put it to its quiver, and make the best shot. The plan worked, and right in front of us was a bull elk lying on the ground.
In reflection, a lot of things made our hunting trip to the West a success. First, my friends agreed to come with me. Second, our best guide, John, had our backs throughout our hunting adventure. And that is our story that we still remember up to date!