People ,
Well I am back from Africa for a few weeks and had the great fortune to hunt an elk in Wyoming – apart from the story of the hunt heres what struck me –

It was the first time I have been guided as the “client” it was something that I think every PH should have to do –

It’s a whole different ballgame when you have to follow a guy , listen to him and when you have to make the first shot and the pressures associated with that –

Just getting prepared for the hunt – I have never hunted the cold so it was akin to a guy from here going to Africa – what should I wear , how cold will it be – I found myself asking anyone and everyone and ended up with a confusing mix of advice – in the end I spoke to the guide , Denis Magnusson and took all his advice and ignored the rest – he was spot on – I found that everyone has killed an elk and all are experts on what I should and shouldn’t take !!!

We had an incredible hunt , hunting a species I knew nothing about in unfamiliar terrain – it was at first kind of weird knowing that I didn’t have to make any of the major decisions , my guide , Dennis Magnusson , was the ultimate gentleman , I think I about wore him out with questions !!!

I tried very hard to listen to what he told me to do , follow his instructions and perform well when I had to –

On the first day at dawn there were elk bugling EVERYWHERE – by the time the sun came up we were an hour away from the truck on the top of a mountain – at 8500 feet that about killed me but I was bound a determined to prove that I was fit and able to keep up (though barely!!). as we started to see elk , every single one was huge – I kept saying –“what about that one what about that one “ Dennis would very patiently say ,” no that’s not what we want” or “that’s the same one you pointed out a minute ago “ ! now I finally understand what its like when I first walk you into a buffalo herd or up to an elephant and tell you none are big enough !!! his patience and gentlemanly nature made that part of it very easy and enjoyable .

Then we saw a huge bull who had a broken horn , we were in the midst of 250 to 300 animals , the closest at just 50 or 60 yards – I would be happy with that one I hopefully told him – no he said its badly broken we can do better – I repeated myself and got the same reply !!! as we walked back to the truck I thought about how many times I had been the one who had said no , we can do better , I instantly felt better , realized that he wanted the best he could get for me and and thoroughly enjoyed the three hour walk back – that day was a 12 mile day and about killed me !!!!!

From that moment onwards I allowed myself to be led and guided , I didn’t second guess Dennis and I ended up with a great bull –far better than the ones I had wished to shoot on that first day - we worked hard for five days covered a lot of ground , I learned a lot about the culture , the area , the elk and more than anything I learned to allow myself to be guided – if Dennis said we would wait and glass for an hour I didn’t sit there wishing we were walking the timber !!!

I also underestimated the pressure of at the end of all this effort being able to make the perfect shot – I thought about it way more than I should have – it humbled me and made me realize some of what goes through a guys head while we are sitting in a leopard blind or walking up to a huge elephant on day 12 of a hunt !

Then there was the etiquette , how much should I tip him how do I do that etc etc – I wanted to be on the “heavy side” but what was that – I sought advice and I made the right choices but I am asked that question many many times and never really put the weight on it that it deserves-


The end result was an incredible experience – I have a far far deeper understanding of what its like to be guided, what its like to prepare for a hunt to unfamiliar ground and it has truly made me a better guide !!!!

As I said EVERY ph should do this – it would make us better at what we do and more sympathetic to our clients needs and concerns.

Interesting thought.

Awesome rendition of "the shoe is on the other foot".
Congrats on your success Ivan.
Now you need to do a "cold hunt" , like Alberta Whitetail, or a trip to AK, or Yukon

BTW, wheres the pics? I'd be interested to see a hunting pic of you with something on your feet, in something other than short pants & a Jacket on......Thats a strange thought!

Great report Ivan! Elk hunting is very excited, I'd love to see some pictures of your elk. I can remember my first safari and having the same questions go through my mind that you had. Thanks for posting, sounds like a great hunt.

Ivan,
What a thought filled post and one which many of us feel when we travel. It has been my experience that most professional hunting guides are very patient wirh their hunters.

HERE YOU GO -

people - here are some photos and captions from the elk hunt –

FIRST MORNING GLASSING



ELK ELK EVERYWHERE !



WHAT A VIEW !



TYPICAL AFRICAN ELK HUNTING GEAR !!!!



THEY EVEN CAME WHEN WE CALLED !!!- THE LITTLE GUYS ANYWAY !!!



HERE HE IS ,



WHERE ARE MY TRACKERS WHEN I NEED THEM – AND WHY WOULD ANY SANE RIGHT MINDED PERSON KILL AN ELK AT THE BOTTOM OF A CANYON !!!!




THE COWBOY CULTURE – AS AMAZING AND INTERESTING TO ME AS AN AFRICAN VILLAGE WOULD BE TO AN AMERICAN !!!

TALKING TO HIS HORSE



SUNRISE BEFORE SHIPPING DAY



HERE THEY COME

Ivan, Thanks for the great post. Nice elk.

Ivan,

Congratulations on a great hunt and more importantly welcome to my world of hunting and my culture.

I am glad that you got to experience it. I had my youngest daughter out elk hunting last night. We walked miles in some pretty severe canyon country and closed to about 240 yards from a herd but were unable to take a shot due to low light and her comfort level with the situation so we passed.

On the walk back she complained a bit and then after getting home at 9:30 at night had to do her homework. She was very tired and cranky this morning. As she walked out the door to catch the school bus I asked her if she was up for another elk hunt after school today. She just smiled and said oh YEAH!

Great post Ivan, and great photos! This is a very interesting perspective. Congrats on a fine bull elk as well!

wonderful pictures, I love the close up of the one that came to your call. Enjoy your off season, you deserve it. By the way are you a Wolverine fan, or a Spartan fan?

Wait, Ivan, did you actually kill your elk with a double rifle? My hat is off!

Congratulations Ivan. I think you are right about the point that all PHs should go on a hunt like you did so they can see the other side. I also feel that hunters wishing to shoot N.American and other Asian/Russian game should do it when they are younger! Africa is comparatively easy for the most part. Even if you have to walk miles there, its in a pair of shorts and a t shirt and a lot of it is on fairly flat ground! You also have great accomodations, food and weather for the most part!

Ivan,
great report even better pictures thanks for both. now you know How I felt this spring in Uganda with Steve and you know what Susan had to put up with when I emailed her every day wanting more questions answered
The change must have been a REAL eye opener kind of like the first time you go to Africa nad really get out in the Bush away from the tourist areas

very nice bull Ivan! WY is a great state. Killed a big bull there with my bow last month, and leaving to go back for deer tomorrow!

thanks men , yes i killed it with a double , made it a LOT more work, definitely not the ideal rifle for the job and i knew ahead of time it would have its limitations but made it a lot of fun for me !

Great report. Sounds like a wonderful hunt and that's a very nice bull. Isn't hunting elk when they're rutting and bugling just a fantastic experience?

Ivan,

Congrats on a great hunt. Elk with a double has to be challenge. I couldn't agree more that PH's should get on the client side of business and preferably in an enviroment not familiar to them if at all possible. Could be a real eye opener for some guys. I know booking hunts for myself using agents and not using agents for years before becoming an agent myself certainly gives me a good look at both sides of the coin.

Mark

Wow! An elk with a big bore double, you don't see that every day. Your guide was probably under a bit of pressure too. Great pics and hunt and interesting to walk a mile in the other fellow's moccasins.

Ivan,

Good to see a PH doing these other types of hunts!
Damn nice bull ! Congrats!

Many Thanks

HBH

Bye the way boys, we filmed the hunt for an episode of our new show scheduled to start next June on The Sportsman Channel . It will be called Trijicon's World Of Sports Afield and will find us hunting the world, not just Africa. But no worries, our two African shows will be cranking out as always.
Great job by Ivan on both the hunt and his perspective on the role reversal of guide\client.
I agree, and have said many times that sometimes guides\ ph's loose the sense of pressure that clients go through. Kind of like watching a golf analyst critique a player on "that easy seven foot put for the US Open." Might look easy from the booth, but down on the green it looks and feels just a wee bit harder.
Nice job Ivan.

Nice elk Ivan. I guess this answers the question of what does a PH do in his free time ... he goes hunting.

EXCELLENT post and pics Ivan...Congratulations!

Interesting observations on the role of guide and hunter. Congratulations on the nice bull and taking it with a double rifle makes it even better. Was that your .600? What range and load?

That Wyoming country is beautiful, second only to the still free state of Montana!

P.S. My neighbor and I have been causing quite a stir locally with our preseason shooting tune-ups. We have been hammering the local pine squirrel population pretty hard with my 450NE double and his 416 bolt gun. Great fun!

Walking in great country with a fine rifle does make a man feel like a king.

Well done Ivan….great Photos too. I wish I had the talent to take photos like that. Elk hunting is a lot of fun and can be quite addictive. I expect you will be at it again soon!

Cheers

They say doctors make the worst patients... hope you tipped your guide well !

Seriously, glad you took the time and effort to see the hunt from the client's perspective. Watching you on film, you seem like you have the patience of Job, but I'm sure the experience will make you a bit more empathetic when a client wants to take a soft buffalo or an immature elephant!

Well done!

Ivan,
I cannot add anything to what everyone else has stated. Well done, well reported and welcome to the high country

Ivan, I will second your motion that EVERY PH and guide would gain a lot by doing a hunt on the other side. There is nothing like the experience of finding out that you have trouble finding and seeing the game that they apparently see so easily, or of trying to keep up with a guide who is obviously patiently waiting for you. It give you and entirely different perspective.
Looks like you had a great hunt. Congratulations

I would have paid a hundred dollars to see Ivan ride a good mountain horse for a day. He could have been the poster boy for bowlegged.

Good show!

Rich

Interesting..Ivan
Congratulations on your Bull Elk.

Outstanding Ivan! Which double? How far? One shot? Tell us more! I guess that it just goes to show that you can take the man out of Africa, but you can't take Africa out of the man!

Ivan Carter wearing an orange hat? Wow...nice bull elk!

Thank you for your post. As usual, thoughtful and useful. I still want to hunt elephant with you-you seem to have fun whether hunting elk or elephant.

Ivan,

Great post! I love hunting Africa, but I love hunting other stuff too like moose and elk - they are both stunning creatures.

Your comment about being a client reminded me of something I said on my hunt earlier this month - I had two guides who were discussing difficult clients. I said, "You know, being a client isn't easy either. You are supposed to trust your guide, you don't often know how to tip (I had two guides working for me; I only expected one), etc.

Anyway, congrats on one of the finest hunts in the world.

quote:

Originally posted by Dave Fulson:
Bye the way boys, we filmed the hunt for an episode of our new show scheduled to start next June on The Sportsman Channel . It will be called Trijicon's World Of Sports Afield and will find us hunting the world, not just Africa. But no worries, our two African shows will be cranking out as always.
Great job by Ivan on both the hunt and his perspective on the role reversal of guide\client.
I agree, and have said many times that sometimes guides\ ph's loose the sense of pressure that clients go through. Kind of like watching a golf analyst critique a player on "that easy seven foot put for the US Open." Might look easy from the booth, but down on the green it looks and feels just a wee bit harder.
Nice job Ivan.

Gee, for a second I thought Ivan actually opened his wallet just because he wanted to go hunt elk. Ivan, would you have bought the hunt if it wasn't done for a show?

I hope it has the quality of your other shows. Frankly, I wonder just how popular some of the "low quality" shows are; I also wonder about the long term health of these kinds of channels.

quote:

Gee, for a second I thought Ivan actually opened his wallet just because he wanted to go hunt elk. Ivan, would you have bought the hunt if it wasn't done for a show?

The fact that it was filmed does by no stretch mean that i didnt pay for it - the hunt had been planned for over 18 months , the new Tv show planned for the last year - what does it matter anyhow ? i had a great time and it was worth every penny - and yes i will spend that money again on a similar experience

Very nicely done!

Pete

Well done!

quote:

Originally posted by ivan carter:

quote:

Gee, for a second I thought Ivan actually opened his wallet just because he wanted to go hunt elk. Ivan, would you have bought the hunt if it wasn't done for a show?

The fact that it was filmed does by no stretch mean that i didnt pay for it - the hunt had been planned for over 18 months , the new Tv show planned for the last year - what does it matter anyhow ? i had a great time and it was worth every penny - and yes i will spend that money again on a similar experience

It matters to me that you were interested enough to do it on your own and not just for the show. My hat's off to you - esp with a double rifle.

quote:

Originally posted by ivan carter:

quote:

Gee, for a second I thought Ivan actually opened his wallet just because he wanted to go hunt elk. Ivan, would you have bought the hunt if it wasn't done for a show?

The fact that it was filmed does by no stretch mean that i didnt pay for it - the hunt had been planned for over 18 months , the new Tv show planned for the last year - what does it matter anyhow ? i had a great time and it was worth every penny - and yes i will spend that money again on a similar experience

You ought to come Halibut fishing in Alaska. That way if you get a 300 pounder you could use the double on it if you get it to the boat.

Congrats on your bull Ivan. It's evident you enjoyed your hunt. Elk can come easy but normally they are a real challenge, and I have come home several times without one. In each case it was without a guide. On my first guided hunt in CO, I took a nice bull at a very long range. At that moment I realized two things: 1. A good guide is worth every penny, and 2. growing up shooting varmints at long range DID serve a purpose in my adult life. I hope you had the chance to try Elk venison. Some old bulls can be tough, but how it's prepared can play a role in it's tenderness, just like an old Wildebeest steak Great pics and I did pay attention to your choice of shooting sticks....my choice as well. Hopefully, we'll get to do that Arkansas snow goose hunt someday.
Cheers,
David