I have had many great hunting experiences this past season at Elkhorn that have made this year especially great, but there is one hunt that reigns at the top of the list. Two weeks before the end of the season I had a hunter, whom after a long day of hunting in frigid weather and not having much luck, told me that “Our luck is gonna change, it just takes one ridge.” The comment instantly reminded me of a special hunt that took place at our high camp much earlier in the season.

The man I was guiding was a decorated navy seal who was on his first ever elk hunt. The hunt started out great; we saw a lot of elk the first day, passing up a couple smaller bulls. Thinking the hunt was only going to get better, we went out the next day to disappointment, seeing only rag horns and cows. The next couple days passed with no opportunities to harvest the bull we were looking for. The last day the hunter’s hopes had all but gone and as we rode the long trail to the bottom of the canyon I couldn’t help but join him. We parked the horses and rounded the corner to an open meadow. I let out a couple cow calls, fishing for a response. To my surprise not only one bull, but four answered with a bugle giving up their exact location, the stock was on. As we crept into the meadow a handsome five point met us only one-hundred yards away at the opposite edge. The brush alongside the horse trail made it impossible to get a shot and the beast, no stranger to experience, ran back into the dark timber. Instead of blowing out completely the mature bull sat just 30 yards inside the impenetrable wall of pines only allowing a glimpse of his massive horns as he furiously shook his head. We slowly moved to the middle of the meadow taking cover behind a small group of pines trying our hardest to draw him out into a shooting lane. After thirty minutes the big bull decided that he had enough of our bantering and disappeared into the thick timber, our hopes had all but gone. While we sat trying to gather our thoughts, another bull came to the opposite edge of the meadow screaming, giving us a brief glimpse of his impressive head gear. I quickly set my hunter up, hoping that this would be the opportunity we were waiting for. This bull too was wise in his years showing off only his ivory tipped horns while managing to keep his body out of a clear shooting lane. As he paced back and forth I kept cow calling, finally I was able to convince the big bull to show himself. At a hundred yards my patient and diligent hunter was able to get a clean shot off, dropping the bull in his tracks. After four hard days of hunting and overcoming an emotional roller-coaster, it was that “one ridge” that allowed us to harvest such an amazing animal.

We all make mistakes in life, and so have we – many of them! One however, reaches a stage in life where you are forced to take stock. Take stock of your past, your mistakes, your successes and your future. Futures which can only succeed, if you realize your mistakes, accept these mistakes, and endeavor to learn from them.
As humans we are often vulnerable to every beck and call of the world out there, that making place for God in your life, seldom happens early. Only after you are brought to your knees, face failure and defeat in the eye, do you start worrying about how to fix things, fix your mistakes and secure a better future. Many mistakes made cannot be undone and we have to live with that! What can be changed is our future; a future which we believe will only succeed with the blessing of God.
For many people, mediocrity is the norm, they want to do as little as they possibly can, and still get by. But God did not create us to be mediocre or average. He doesn’t want us to just barely get by, or to do what everybody else is doing. God has called us to be a cut above. He’s called us to stand out in the crowd, to be people of excellence and integrity:
Indeed, the only way to be truly happy is to live with excellence and integrity. Any hint of compromise will taint our greatest victories or our grandest achievements.
GOD DOESN’T BLESS MEDIOCRITY – HE BLESSES EXCELLENCE.
We are committed to learning from the mistakes of the past, to acknowledge that we have made mistakes and to use the lessons we have learnt from, as a useful guide to the future.
“A man without a past cannot be held as reliable guide for the future”.
We live in belief of God, and put HIM first in our lives, our business and we accept that we were put in this world, to excel, and to live every day to the fullest of our capabilities.
We are committed to living life with excellence and integrity, and thank God for this wonderful opportunity.
God bless you and have a wonderful day!

Key principals that some say work as well on the range as they do on Wall Street and in middleschool and high school classrooms:
-Live each day with courage
-Take pride in your work
-Always finish what you start
-Do what has to be done
-Be tough but fair
-When you make a promise, keep it
-Ride for the brand
-Talk less, and say more
-Remember that some things aren’t for sale
-Know where to draw the line

As I begin to sit down and think of a story to to write about, my mind begins to go back to last years hunting season. As I start thinking about last year I am overwhelmed with ideas and memories that I will never foget.

Over the next few months we are going to share some of those memories with our Elkhorn friends. The most important thing about going on a hunt is not the kill but it is the memory that we make weather it is a father son memory, husband and wife or like last year we had 3 different groups where it was 3 generations of hunters.

I know from being a guide for the last 12 years and from being the manager here for the last 3 years that harvesting an animal can change the mood of a camp. I would like to challenge the way we think for a moment. I am convinced that when we are so focused on the harvest we forget about what really matters. See if we focus on the memories that we are making the harvest will come.

I was told by an elderly man that a picture says a thousand words.When I was younger I didnt understand that but as my little girl gets older I look at a picture and it brings back so many memories that i have forgotten over the years. I dont want to be so focused on the harvest or the harvest of life that I forget to make memories that count.

I guess to end this I would like to say dont be so focused on everyday life and forget whats important. Tomorrow is going to come even if we dont want it to. So we might as well make the best of everyday. Make it count.
“Hunt Hard Life Is Short”