Mt. St. Helens volcano blew up in Washington State in 1980.  Incredible devastation but as land healed it created unbelievable elk habitat.  I was contracting my invented coin elongating machines with souvenir shop in blast zone.  Went at end of season to pick my machine up only to find owner, Blair, gone elk hunting nearby.  He had never hunted before and shot a nice big bull smack in middle of rain swollen, Toutle River as it was splashing across.  Elk fell in current and was washed down river.  Blair came back to shop all upset he lost the animal.  Helicopter pilot also coming to pick up his tour chopper and said, “Let’s see if we can find it!”  Blair asked if he had ever gutted an elk.  Neither he nor the pilot had ever done it.  I had been doing it on animals for decades so I was elected to be chief gutter and photographer if we could find it.  Flew for miles.  Finally spotted the big animal lodged in shallow rapids.  Pilot landed right on river bank next to ash laden water.  Waded out, gutted the animal right there without a problem.  Pilot rotored overhead and I hooked cable to antlers.  He flew the critter miles back to parking lot and set it down beside Blair’s vehicle then returned for us.  Now THAT was a hoot of a hunt for us ALL.