The month was beginning to regrettably wind down. Fishin’ and huntin’ had been of storybook caliber. I had had a terrific time with Jordan and her fiance and had enjoyed getting to know her beau. It had been special, too, spending time afield with my daughter once again. Watching her display outdoor skills I had taught her so many years ago with a proficiency that would make most men envious, was a special treat. I admittedly gave myself more than one fatherly “atta boy”.

Rhett and I had had our usual adventures, wrapped in good natured teasing and competition and he had killed his first big bull all on his own.  He had a cow tag left, and he was headed into the cabins for one final weekend before I had to head north to Montana.

He arrived about midday. Thick grey clouds were boiling tumultuously over the Laramie’s, driven by howling winds. There was finally some snow cover. Snow dervishes danced and twirled around the cabins and up and down the creek. It was nothing less than frigid. Although I doubted any sane elk would venture forth that evening, Rhett only had a day to hunt. We decided to go back to our stand at seven pin meadow, thinking perhaps the ridge might make that area a bit less tempestuous. It was almost dark. It was beyond windy. The low moan of rushing air screeched through the fir trees. Almost frozen we hunkered in our wool coats, our eyes peering over our drawn collars.

Then suddenly, seemingly from nowhere, there were dim shapes across the meadow. I turned to Rhett. “You’re at bat, hot shot”. “You take first shot, Dad” he protested. “Shoot the fricking elk”, my teeth chattered back at him. I was far to cold to make a meaningful shot anyway. I raised mittens to my ears. Even with that protection the thunder of the .325 mag assaulted my eardrums. Across the meadow the one dry cow toppled. The other three cows, their calves, and a spike bull ran ponderously off.

Gutting the cow in the eighty mile per hour winds with snow drifting around the carcass as we worked by flashlight was miserable. But we were elated. We rolled her on her belly to cool properly. As we hiked out through the screaming darkness, we made plans for the meat extraction first thing in the morning.