My friend was driving when we came around a curve in the mountains west of Tres Piedras.
“That’s where I got my first elk,” he said, motioning with his chin. The way he said it, I knew it was a long time ago, and that he’d done it many times since then.
He told me he’d been out working nearby, when his companion shouted that there was a “cow” down in the creek. He wasn’t thinking elk, but that’s what he found after going to investigate: a badly-wounded elk cow. Someone had shot off a hind hoof, and the animal was terrified and could no longer run. He approached her cautiously. As he got up close, he could sense or hear her heart beating loudly: ka-BOOM-pah, ka-BOOM-pah! “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “I’ve come to release you.” Immediately, her heartbeat quieted [ka-boom-pa, ka-boom-pah] and slowed.
She let him come right up to her. He pulled out his .44 and shot her in the head.
Related posts:
