Seven days into an Idaho elk hunt, Henry and his friend Mitch split up to improve their odds. Before sunrise on September 25, 2024, Henry hiked six miles and found a herd with a six-point bull. When the big bull stayed screened by his cows, Henry shifted his focus to a five-point. At 72 yards, an opening appeared—and one arrow through the heart brought the elk down in under 40 yards. The hard work of packing out the meat followed. While skinning the bull with a fresh blade, Henry cut very deep into his forearm and severed an artery. He’d been cutting toward himself, and the new blade sliced through the hide with ease…a very stark reminder that even experienced hunters need to handle knives deliberately, keep the blade’s path clear of their body, and never let a familiar task invite carelessness.
Henry improvised a tourniquet and tried to get back to camp, but the wound reopened, and his gear was still by the elk. With no cell service and growing weaker, he remembered Mitch’s tip about using an iPhone’s Emergency SOS by satellite. After several attempts, he reached 911 and sent his location. Dispatcher Lindsey kept him texting and awake while Life Flight searched; the helicopter initially passed him, unable to spot his camouflage against the sagebrush, until Henry waved his black socks. He survived the flight and several surgeries, and doctors ultimately saved his arm after being unsure if that could happenb. Just over a month later, he was back hunting and shot a buck—with a buddy taking over knife duty.
You can read the full story by Henry Rauschenbach, as told to Alice Jones Webb, and see photos from the whole thing here.
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