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Helper for Wichita Mountain Controlled Hunt
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<blockquote data-quote="dennishoddy" data-source="post: 2933137" data-attributes="member: 5412"><p>I went down as a helper when my buddy drew a bull.</p><p>Helpers have to wait in the corral area parking lot. You can come and go, but that is where the ODW guys that drive the trucks on the refuge roads come and go.</p><p></p><p>Here is how it happens. First day, mandatory briefing in the auditorium. You are assigned an area and a driver. First afternoon, you look at maps, talk you your driver and the Federal folks that work there every day to figure out where you want to hunt, then load up in your truck, and go scout the area. You will be given a small traffic cone to be put on the side of the road where you want to be dropped off and picked up.</p><p></p><p> Before daylight the hunters have to meet with their designated drivers at the corrals. Helpers can be there too. They go to their trucks and are taken into the refuge to be dropped off at their cones. You start your hunt.</p><p>Every hour or so, the driver drives up and down the same road you were dropped off on. If you take an elk, your best option is to get down to the road and have them notify your helper that your ready for assistance. Then go back to field dress your animal while help is on its way.</p><p>There is a chalk board at the Check in station with the hunters names on it that are out in the field. When the ODW driver comes into the corrals on one of his runs, and has a hunter with an elk down, a check mark is put beside the name so their helpers know to load up and go. The ODW drivers will take helpers back in on his next scheduled run.</p><p>With this method, your helper can go get lunch, and come back seeing his hunter needs help. They also announce over a loud speaker if someone is hunting without helpers that a person needs volunteers.</p><p></p><p>While the helpers were milling around and visiting, a call came in for help. An 80 year old guy and his 60 year old daughter had a cow down, needing help. A guy from Duncan that was there to help his dad if needed, and myself volunteered to go help. Rode out and met them on the side of the road. How that 80 yr old guy got up that rocky bluff I don't know but the cow was down and field dressed.</p><p>The guy from Duncan had a couple of the Deer sleighs that are nothing but plastic sheets with grommets around the side to lay a deer on for dragging. Knowing how big an elk is, he brought two so we got the cow rolled over onto the sheets and proceeded to lace her in like a spiderweb. That plastic was so slick that we had to put a rope behind it to slow down the slide down the slope. Once we got it to the bottom where it is just grass, I had brought a dual wheeled deer cart that had a load rating of 500 lbs. Cabella's brand. Laid the cart on its side, rolled the cow into it, and rolled both upright. Tied her down and off we rolled to the road and cone. Done by noon.</p><p>Next day, early morning a guy with no helpers killed a bull up on a ridge. They called out for volunteers again, so the same guy from Duncan and I teamed up again. This one had been quartered out and put in game bags already, but the path down was like mountain climbing. We found a couple of spots we could let the quarters down on ropes, climb down, and repeat. There are some REALLY rough areas out there.</p><p>Late afternoon after getting back in, saw a checkmark on my buddy's name, so I asked the same guy if he was up for another, and off we went. Got my buddy's out on the cart right at dark.</p><p>Others were volunteering as well. I think most were just bored sitting around the corral.</p><p></p><p>Here is the rub. A guy killed one first morning way up and way back in a remote area. Son went up to help. They had quartered out the bull, and were doing a relay carrying the meat and head all day. They had a radio and contacted somebody that they were exhausted and lost.</p><p> You go over that scenario in your first meeting. You are allowed to spend the night if lost and start a warming fire if necessary for survival.</p><p> An off duty federal employee that worked on the refuge was there when the report came in, and he thought he knew where they were at by the description they gave. The night was going to be very cold, and he said his job was likely going to be in jeopardy, but he went and got a 4 wheeler on a trailer. They put it behind one of the ODW trucks and several of us jumped in. He drove the 4 wheeler away, and about an hour later came back with the dad riding behind him. Several trips later, the son and meat made it out. The Fed employee said that they would be more than happy to help on the hunts to recover animals, but fed regs about overtime, etc didn't allow it.</p><p>The whole show is put on by the ODW, and they do a very good job with it. If you end up going without help, I'll bet you will get some.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="dennishoddy, post: 2933137, member: 5412"] I went down as a helper when my buddy drew a bull. Helpers have to wait in the corral area parking lot. You can come and go, but that is where the ODW guys that drive the trucks on the refuge roads come and go. Here is how it happens. First day, mandatory briefing in the auditorium. You are assigned an area and a driver. First afternoon, you look at maps, talk you your driver and the Federal folks that work there every day to figure out where you want to hunt, then load up in your truck, and go scout the area. You will be given a small traffic cone to be put on the side of the road where you want to be dropped off and picked up. Before daylight the hunters have to meet with their designated drivers at the corrals. Helpers can be there too. They go to their trucks and are taken into the refuge to be dropped off at their cones. You start your hunt. Every hour or so, the driver drives up and down the same road you were dropped off on. If you take an elk, your best option is to get down to the road and have them notify your helper that your ready for assistance. Then go back to field dress your animal while help is on its way. There is a chalk board at the Check in station with the hunters names on it that are out in the field. When the ODW driver comes into the corrals on one of his runs, and has a hunter with an elk down, a check mark is put beside the name so their helpers know to load up and go. The ODW drivers will take helpers back in on his next scheduled run. With this method, your helper can go get lunch, and come back seeing his hunter needs help. They also announce over a loud speaker if someone is hunting without helpers that a person needs volunteers. While the helpers were milling around and visiting, a call came in for help. An 80 year old guy and his 60 year old daughter had a cow down, needing help. A guy from Duncan that was there to help his dad if needed, and myself volunteered to go help. Rode out and met them on the side of the road. How that 80 yr old guy got up that rocky bluff I don't know but the cow was down and field dressed. The guy from Duncan had a couple of the Deer sleighs that are nothing but plastic sheets with grommets around the side to lay a deer on for dragging. Knowing how big an elk is, he brought two so we got the cow rolled over onto the sheets and proceeded to lace her in like a spiderweb. That plastic was so slick that we had to put a rope behind it to slow down the slide down the slope. Once we got it to the bottom where it is just grass, I had brought a dual wheeled deer cart that had a load rating of 500 lbs. Cabella's brand. Laid the cart on its side, rolled the cow into it, and rolled both upright. Tied her down and off we rolled to the road and cone. Done by noon. Next day, early morning a guy with no helpers killed a bull up on a ridge. They called out for volunteers again, so the same guy from Duncan and I teamed up again. This one had been quartered out and put in game bags already, but the path down was like mountain climbing. We found a couple of spots we could let the quarters down on ropes, climb down, and repeat. There are some REALLY rough areas out there. Late afternoon after getting back in, saw a checkmark on my buddy's name, so I asked the same guy if he was up for another, and off we went. Got my buddy's out on the cart right at dark. Others were volunteering as well. I think most were just bored sitting around the corral. Here is the rub. A guy killed one first morning way up and way back in a remote area. Son went up to help. They had quartered out the bull, and were doing a relay carrying the meat and head all day. They had a radio and contacted somebody that they were exhausted and lost. You go over that scenario in your first meeting. You are allowed to spend the night if lost and start a warming fire if necessary for survival. An off duty federal employee that worked on the refuge was there when the report came in, and he thought he knew where they were at by the description they gave. The night was going to be very cold, and he said his job was likely going to be in jeopardy, but he went and got a 4 wheeler on a trailer. They put it behind one of the ODW trucks and several of us jumped in. He drove the 4 wheeler away, and about an hour later came back with the dad riding behind him. Several trips later, the son and meat made it out. The Fed employee said that they would be more than happy to help on the hunts to recover animals, but fed regs about overtime, etc didn't allow it. The whole show is put on by the ODW, and they do a very good job with it. If you end up going without help, I'll bet you will get some. [/QUOTE]
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