So first off I'm a bowhunter that went rifle hunting with my wife. Just the two of us, done this for the last 6 years and she loves it. But that's not the point here. Its the morning of the second day of a 2 1/2 day hunting in the same area I bowhunt so I know the area really well. Wife doesn't go out with me that morning cause she is not felling well and is really sore from the "miles" I put on her feet the day before. So I go by myself and I'm hump'in trying to cover as much ground as I can, (short trip and not much time). Cut fresh set of tracks in the fresh snow, maybe 12 or so in this heard. Moving quickly cause I don't want them to get to the top and get down in the hole on the other side. Probably a couple of hundred yards before the top I spot legs, and drop to my knee to get a better look. I have a cow tag and wanted to make sure no antlers. Put the scope on it and find the head. This is more difficult than it sounds cause remember I'm a bowhunter and my dumb *** has the scope on 9 and its only about 40 yards from me . I turn down the power and there is the head, no antlers, find the shoulder, put it behind it and bang!! Drops like a ton of bricks. Wahoo, man I'm jump'in around high fiveing trees (no one around) . You know that feeling. I get to her and she is huge! I mean this is easily the biggest cow I've ever seen (humg over 300 pounds of meat at the processer).

Now this is the crazy/dumb part!!!

I get her cleaned out and gather my stuff. And the realization hits me, I'm a long ways from camp, a road, pretty much anything. ****! Do I leave her and go get the wife and the frame packs? Do I try to get find the one and only spot on this mountain and call my buddy that's 3 hours away to come up and help? Do I quarter her now and try to manhandle a quarter out now?

None of the above!

Shoot the wife didn't want to even walk, let alone carry a quarter on her back, so that's out, it's 9 in the morning by the time I find that spot and give Jeff a call and he gets here it will be late afternoon and we will be doing this in the dark (still and option though). So lets quarter her and at least get this started. Keep in mind its snowing, I mean snow'n. In the hour since she went down and I cleaned her out there has been 4 or 5 more inches of snow fall. I move her around on the ground and she is moving quit easily. ????Hey maybe I can just drag her out whole to camp???? Yea, I can do this, I'm a big strong guy, (6' 4" : 255) and its mostly down hill.

It starts out good, she is sliding across the snow, and I'm gaining 100 to 150 yards a pull. I'm thinking to myself if I can get to the left side of camp its all downhill and fairly open. Well it was a good plan. I got off to the wrong side in the blinding snow and on the bad side of the hill which was steep and full of downfall and junipers. Going back to get on track ain't happen, by now I'm tired and uphill not a chance. Now I'm a firefighter, fit, work out everyday, and have that "A" type personnality, and I will win. Suddenly this is a personal challenge. I'm going to do this. I've never had an elk whole in camp. This IS going to be my first (I think this is where the crazy part comes into play).

Four hours later and a mild state of dellerium, I make it to the road. I leave her there and walk 2 miles down the road to camp and tell my terrified wife (I was 2 hours late from when I said I would be back), that I shot one and its down the road lets go get her. Thankfully there was two guys in a camp close to her that offered to help me get her in the back of my truck. I think they just came to laugh at me for draging her out whole by myself.

Now was I crazy or dumb?
My wife went with both and a few other adjectives that are not appropriate on this forum.

I'm not an expert, but from what I have read and pics of teeth, my best guess is that she was more than 10 years old, and big. Don't have the best pics of her cause of my dellerium I forgot to take good pics.

This her in back of the truck while I was skinning. Her hide hoof is touching my window and thats an 8 foot bed.
http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss329/c...11091440_01.jpg

This is the hide after it was off and spread out on the ground. Thats my wife squating next to it.
http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss329/c.../1011091445.jpg

You are neither,,,
I have killed several elk alone and no help,,I've quartered and packed by myself up to a 1/4 mile from rig, both bulls and cows,,(then get chewed out by friends and family for not calling),,,
Like you I didn't want to wait for someone to show up late and do it in the dark.....
Good luck on your next hunt

done that too. great job. us fireman are all the same. think we did some great job and then get laughed at by the guys.

Way to hang in there. Next time just Fireman carry it out!;)

Been there done that, LOL.

i would like to be faced with that prob , great job bud!!!