Wapiti Hunt

Wapiti is the native american (Shawnee) word for elk, and that is what we were after the first weekend in October.  We had spectacular scenery this year, but not much luck with seeing elk.  We hunted hard, but due to various reasons the elk weren't moving around during our hunt.  Due to the lack of elk sightings, this post will highlight the beautiful views we enjoyed.
The weather was amazing for us.  Clear skies and fantastic autumn leaves were quite the treat.

I drove up on Friday morning with my mom and dad and we set up camp.  They took their fifth wheel and I took my trailer.  We found a great camp site.  That evening my dad and I left elk camp and went back down to Provo to watch the BYU vs Utah State football game.  It was a disaster of a game, but we had fun and were super excited for the elk hunt the next morning.

Sunrises during the elk hunt are so peaceful and inspirational.  The quiet in the backcountry is soothing to the soul.

My cousin Zach and his family came up around lunch time to join us on the hunt.  The kids all had a ton of fun playing together.  One tree in particular at our camp was a favorite.  The kids spent hours climbing and playing in this pine tree.  It was funny to watch them.

That night we had an enjoyable camp fire and roasted marshmallows and made s'mores.

We got to take advantage of a gorgeous sunset as we were sitting around the campfire.

We had a group of happy kids.  Zach and Lindsay's girls play so well with our kids.

Even though they are messy, s'mores always bring a smile to our kids faces.

The next day the kids went back to climbing that tree again.  Aubrey was quite the little monkey and could climb all the way to the top.

My dad and I stayed through until Monday afternoon.  Even though we got skunked and were unable to fill the freezer with elk meat, we had a great time.  Hunting is a family tradition that I really enjoy.  I love being together with family and getting out in the mountains during one of the prettiest times of the year. It's also fun to see my kids starting to enjoy it the same way I did at their age.  Hopefully they will continue this long standing Calderwood family tradition for years to come.  I took this photo of my dad on Monday when it was just him and me out on the mountain.  This secret location is only about a half a mile from where I shot my big bull last year.  Such awesome country.