A long, hard day of rolling and bouncing along over sage and snow in a snowcat. Helping seven university researchers to find, kill and necropsy seven more downed elk. Beautiful morning weather, freezing wind in the afternoon.

Seven elk all too easy to find. Ten others died today from the additional eight seekers we had out in snowmachines.

The wrist? Just wrapped in an ace bandage. No other way to get a coat on. Much less a shirt.

Dinner with the full family... corned beef and cabbage, courtesy of eldest son and girlfriend. Scones and Irish beer courtesy of wife and youngest son. Falling asleep during The Boondock Saints.

And tears.

From a hard cry in the shower. For the elk I had to kill.

Butcher's bill: 65.