Update - Backcountry Baptism

Because I was getting asked by many, I thought I would send out an update to Tanner's first backcountry elk hunt last weekend. A football update!!! As I wrote in a recent post on www.cameronhanes.com, Backcountry Baptism, which chronicled Tanner's first hardcore mountain elk hunt, just prior to our trip, his football team qualified for the state playoffs. Beings that Tanner killed his bull last Sunday afternoon, the last day of elk season, some 7 miles deep, after packing out camp and the bull we didn't even get home until late Monday night, meaning he missed Monday's practice. Luckily, like many of Tanner's teammates and their family's, his football coach, Laric Cook, is a longtime elk hunter. So, instead of being judged negatively for missing a practice, all was good. In fact in between school and football drills, he told and re-told the story of his bull hunt time and time again all week to kids, parents, coaches, etc. Game on.

While the state playoff game for the defending state champions, the Mohawk Indians, didn't go as they hoped it would in a rematch of the title game last year, Tanner (wide receiver) and his friend, C.J. Vian (quarterback) ended the season on a positive note hooking up late for a 6 yard touchdown pass. Beings that Tanner and C.J. are both just sophomores and the Indians as a team are young...they didn't have even one senior that played in the playoff game, their future on the gridiron is bright. As is their future in the hunting woods. It should be noted that C.J., in between school, football practices and games this September, arrowed his first big game animal with one of my old Hoyt bows. Great job buddy...I am proud of you.

Together, we can keep the hunting fire burning bright!!!

Keep hunting hard, Cam