My story would not have occurred without my father. My dad grew up hunting with his father and grandfather. After losing his father when he was 16, my dad continued to hunt with his grandfather. He grew up hunting deer and hunted deer throughout my life. My entire life consisted of watching my dad prepare for his deer hunts every year with his hunting partner and waiting on pins and needles until they returned home to find out if they had shot anything. I have so many great memories of those times. While I was in high school, my dad took up duck hunting and added to his hobby. It was at this time that I started to learn how to shoot shotguns and would shoot clays with him. I fell in love with shooting guns, but I never did any actual hunting with my dad.
In 2006, my dad went on a guided hunting trip in Colorado. He was paired up with a young man named Jerry Blake. On this trip, my dad shot a mule deer and made such a connection with Jerry that they kept in touch every year. My dad’s dream was to hunt with Jerry again one day. Two years ago, my dad had both of his knees replaced and my mom secretly contacted Jerry to purchase a guided hunt with him. Jerry had started an outfitting business named Love of the Hunt Outfitters (LOH Outfitters), and for Christmas, we surprised my dad with his guided hunt with Jerry in New Mexico. My dad was elated!
In the spring, they put in for the dates and unit for a tag, and my dad was chosen. He purchased a brand new muzzleloader and was working with Jerry on bullets and powder and getting all the supplies together. He and I had even mapped out what highways he was going to take, where he could stop and get gas based on his fuel tank, and how fast he could get there. My dad was so excited about this trip! Unfortunately, he passed away suddenly on Tuesday, May 30, 2017, and the Lord took him home to be with Him in Heaven. I called Jerry to let him know, and he said he would call me back later to discuss what to do about the hunt.
A few weeks later, my mom received an email from Jerry stating that he had really been looking forward to hunting with my dad again this year. Jerry asked if there was anyone special we would want to transfer my dad’s elk tag to and hunt with him to pass on my dad’s legacy. Right away, I told my mom I wanted to do it.
I spent a weekend in September with my dad’s hunting partner as he helped me sight in the gun. My dad had never had a chance to shoot it, so we were the first ones. After a few practice shots, my dad’s hunting partner said he wasn’t worried about me going on this trip. I had a pretty accurate shot; I knew I was my daddy’s daughter!
October came, and it was time for my trip. I flew in early and spent Friday with Jerry and his family. Jerry took me to the range to make sure my gun was still sighted in correctly after traveling. It was there that I met the gentleman who would be my guide for the week. I had the most amazing guide I could have ever been paired up with in Andres Trujillo. As this was my very first hunting trip, I had no idea what to expect. Andres was so positive and reassuring and never got discouraged with me.
The first day of my hunt, Andres hiked me back into a major canyon. We got within 120 yards of an elk, but the wind shifted as we got closer and he winded us and ran off. I was sad and knew that was part of hunting, but that also meant I had to hike back out of that canyon with nothing. Andres said he was so proud of what I had accomplished that day and that I had gone further in than most hunters he’s guided. He said he saw a fight in me that he knew I was up for anything. That fight was for my dad!
The second day brought a lot of driving around and scouting because I was so sore from the day before. The afternoon took us to the other side of the mountain we were on Saturday. We went to one hill and glassed for a while, but the couple of bulls Andres saw were too far in for us to get to. That evening, Andres glassed from one of his favorite spots and we saw some bulls, but it was too late to try and get them. We decided we would go back in the morning and see if we could find them again.
As we returned to the glassing lookout the next morning, the bulls were gone. We drove all the way around the mountain looking, but we saw nothing. The third day was a bit rough for me emotionally. I was really missing my dad and not wanting to let him down. I was feeling like I was going to fail and I needed to change my focus. I told Andres how I was feeling, and he knew just what to say to perk me up. We returned to the spot where we had seen the bulls the evening before and started scouting again. As we drove around the mountain, all of a sudden Andres stopped in the road and spotted an elk. He asked if I wanted to go for it, and I jumped at the opportunity.
We made it down to the spot where Andres had last seen the bull, but he wasn’t there. Andres could hear him but not see him. He got me set up in a position on a rock about 150 yards across a canyon, and we waited. It was getting dark, so we needed the bull to come out of the trees. Andres threw rocks and cow called to get him to come out. As he was coming out of the trees, I couldn’t find him in my scope, so Andres took my arms and shoulders and set me up. I finally found him in my scope and tried to shoot. I was so shaky, and Andres kept prodding, “You have to shoot.” He made one last cow call, causing the elk to look my direction. I took three big breaths and shot. I looked at Andres right away to see if I had hit the elk, and the look on his face was priceless. He took the gun from me, and I looked back quickly and saw the bull falling to the ground. He rolled almost to the bottom of the canyon. I turned around again, and Andres just hugged me because I was shaking so badly from all the adrenaline. He said, “You smoked him! I’m so proud of you!”
Andres said I had hit the elk in the left shoulder and that the bullet had traveled and hit him in his back, dropping him in his tracks. What an amazing feeling that was! After climbing back out in the dark, we headed back to the elk camp at the ranch and everyone was there to greet and congratulate me. I wish Jerry could have been with us again, but he was waiting at the ranch for me. He was so proud of me! It was like my dad was with us and he was hunting with him again.
Due to the time of day that I had shot my bull, we were up early the next morning to head back in to pack my elk out. Andres’ friend, Carlos Valenzuela, came with us to help. We took a slew of pictures before they started skinning and quartering the bull. That process was amazing to watch. I apologized for not helping and said my dad would have been right in the middle assisting, but I wasn’t ready yet. Maybe next year! I am having my elk mounted as my dad would have; I wanted to do the same in his honor.
This trip brought me so much closer to my dad even though he is no longer here on earth with me. To be able to fall in love with the hunt as he did has become extremely special for me. I can’t wait to go again and continue the legacy he began with his dad and grandfather. I only wish I would have started the process a long time ago.
New Mexico Elk
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