Hayguide
Lil-Rokslider
I'm new to this site. Its great! I wanted to share an awesome hunt I had in unit 751-SW Colorado.
I' not new to elk hunting, but living in the Midwest its always a big deal to go. So I do a lot of reading and research. I have had great luck in the Flat Tops in unit 23 near Meeker, but the outfitters in that area have so many options and unless there a start up- they don't like solo drop camps because of obvious oney reasons-they can fill a camp with 4 and make 6-8K instead of 2K. I understand that. Being a solo hunter and 56 years old I had to make a decision to go guided or drop camp. I did not want to go on my own and pack a bull out by myself at this age! I have done that 20 years ago-no problem. In fact I did it 3 times on nice bulls all in Colorado.
So back to the story. I found an outfitter who would do it. I used google maps after he gave me the camp location and follow up on a few references and booked it. I was packed in about 2 miles as a crow flies from a trail head , but the route was around 4 miles on trials . My camp was huge- two wall tents-one for cooking one for sleeping. I guess a group of 5 bow hunters were there a few weeks prior. The outfitter said they told him there were no elk close so I guess they went 4 miles in every direction. The wrangler told me one day when he stopped to check on them at 10AM-there was a cow standing in there camp looking at the tent! Anyway- found some sign fairly close to camp at a spring that they were watering at and a park that was only 1/2 mile away. That evening I sat at the park, a nice 5-5 mule deer and 7 does came out. Right at dusk a lone cow stuck her head out of dark timber-about 200 yards away- the wind was wrong- she busted and ran back in. Dang, I should of stayed in camp. I busted her before the season even started! That next morning I sat at that park to 10AM-nothing. Took a short break and hunted close to my tent near the water hole. Nothing but a lone doe came in. I sat all evening in the park again. Nothing. It appeared that the full moon and 65 degree weather was going to make this a challenge. I love the high country. It gives me a time to think and reflect on my family,job, future retirement, my wife, my parents who passed away. I like to read my Gideonbible- new testament. It gives me hope and the mountains tame my wired personalitie. It really didn't matter if I saw an elk or not. I' hunting in wild country, have an either sex tag in my pocket and no worries since I'm alone.. naps talk to my self, run around camp in my long johns, cook what ever I want. Life is good! Day two came early, I made some eggs and bacon over the wood stove, had some hot coffee and sat in another park-nothing moving at all. I decided to go a little higher to about 10,600 ft. This spot was about a mile from camp. It was a little hike in the dark, but I'min decent shape and It wasn't to bad. The small park was almost at the top. It was only about 40 acres maybe. In my scouting on day one I noticed a few tracks and a nice rub on a pine on the edge of it. As it came into view while still in the timber at daylight-I spotted two bulls walking slow up the hill and over into the north facing dark timber slope. They were heading into the dark timber to bed. dang- if I would have been 10 minutes earlier maybe a long shop would have been in the picture. But maybe not-I would have stumbled into the edge of the park and most likely busted them before a shot. This was better, they had no idea I was there and they went into dark timber where its cool. If no one busted them, maybe they will come back tonight or tomorrow. I found a bull! One looked like a small 5-5 the other had a nice long beam and was possibly a 6-6! The timber they went into was big, but it had a small tril heading into it from a gravel zig zag access rd. It was a tough hike for someone, probably a mile or so. But it was in reach of a trail head hunter-dang. I hoped no one would walk in there. Its first season Colorado public land! I sat for an hour or two, and went back to camp. By the time I got back it was 10am or o. I decided to make a nice lunch and take a solar shower. I was drying off and dozing in the 65 degree weather when a herd of mulies ran through my camp- they were spooked. One was a good buck! dang- someone is walking! I got dressed quick and headed to my spot where the bulls went in. About the time I got there it was 1pm. Three hunters that were trailhead hunters were sitting and talking on the downhill side of that small park. I sat anyway because they didn't see me and it appeared they were on the move. I was a little disheartened, But I also realized the dark timber the bulls went into was huge- these guys may or may not have walked through it. They saw me, I waived. I was going to walk over and talk to them but before I could they disappeared back into the timber and single file heading back to the trailhead. My experience out west is that a lot of hunters instead of staying in a good spot choose to make a hike closer to a trailhead and not go down in the dark. I was OK with that! I moved to a spot that allowed a easy 200 yard shot and one that had the wind in my favor. It was around 230 when I stated my sit. I enjoyed the scenery, I had a slight up hill park to my right that was crowned off with dark timber. It was warm,way to warm. I pretty much new if I saw one it was going to be late. I read and dozed off a little, that spooked herd of deer ruined my noon nap! About a half hour before dusk I called twice on hoochie mamma call. This has worked twice before for me in the flat tops. Once on a fat 4-4 and another time on a nice 5-5. Both times were this same scenario-I glassed morning bulls headed into dark timber and ambushed them. Will it work again. my attisipation as so High I could hardly stand still! My mind was rushing, what if a fat cow comes out? My wife said they taste better and you have 5 set of antlers in the house already-one in our dining room. Where are you to put more? Maybe the garage? Heck no not the garage! I also thinking, if I get one I will stay with it under the full moon and quarter it up. I will build fire and have a blast up here on my own. I don't want a black bear to come and drag it off. I should have got a bear tag, so much sign around here. $350.. but I was to cheap! But what would I do with a bear rug. I have no place to put it. I already have two Wisconsin bear rugs hangin on my walls. I have no room-my wife is right again. Dang. Why did I have to marry someone smarter than me! She has a masters degree! I just heard a loud crash-but I cant pinpoint it. I should have got ahearing aid she keeps hounding me about. No more sound, maybe it was my imagination. Its staring to get heavy dusk, only 5 minutes or so left of shooting hours. I look uphill- a cow is stairing at me. It came out of the far corner-buts it a 300 yard facing shot. I don't like it. If I take it I blow my opportunity here on a bull, plus its facing me. No way- why is it looking at me. Im in cover- the wind is down buts its downwind. Why isn't it running-it has me pegged. dang! Look the other way please. I need to sneak out of here. I hear something-I look in the park to my left. I stand up to access what to do, I look to my left- a great bull is heading down the hill about100 yards away. I bring up my 300 ultra mad- it fills my scope. By this time Im really in a buck fever moment- That's what the cow was staring at -not me. I remember I decided to try and drop it in its tracks with a front shoulder shot. I missed it somehow and shot a few inches to the left. but it was a perfect killing shot. I broke the neck and had an exit on the bull on the opposite shoulder. It droppd! As I walked up to it I was thankful.God is good, thank your Jesus! I just sat next to it for a long time as the darkness came. I had a bunch of work to do. I snapped a cellphone picture. I had 10% battery is all. dang. I gutted it which was a tough on a hillside. I went into the woods and dragged a log out-tied rope to the leg to keep it up so I could gut.After that I started skinning it. It was a full moon and 40 degrees. I need to process this bull tonight! I texted the wrangler. He was very happy. I asked him if he could pack it out tomorrow with this warm weather-in the AM if possible. He said he could head up tonight with the other wrangler , I said no. He said yes- he wanted to help and getting in on the kill would break in the new wrangler- besides its a full moon! So at about 11pm he came with a pack horse and the other wrangler. Wow- can you believe that? I walked back to camp which was about a mile away- we made a nice bon fire and sat around most of the night. They left around dawn with my bull. I stayed a couple more days, saw a few more elk but really didn't tramp around a lot since a group was coming to my camp for 2nd season. On the way down the hill I told the wrangler to book me for the same camp same season-next year!
I' not new to elk hunting, but living in the Midwest its always a big deal to go. So I do a lot of reading and research. I have had great luck in the Flat Tops in unit 23 near Meeker, but the outfitters in that area have so many options and unless there a start up- they don't like solo drop camps because of obvious oney reasons-they can fill a camp with 4 and make 6-8K instead of 2K. I understand that. Being a solo hunter and 56 years old I had to make a decision to go guided or drop camp. I did not want to go on my own and pack a bull out by myself at this age! I have done that 20 years ago-no problem. In fact I did it 3 times on nice bulls all in Colorado.
So back to the story. I found an outfitter who would do it. I used google maps after he gave me the camp location and follow up on a few references and booked it. I was packed in about 2 miles as a crow flies from a trail head , but the route was around 4 miles on trials . My camp was huge- two wall tents-one for cooking one for sleeping. I guess a group of 5 bow hunters were there a few weeks prior. The outfitter said they told him there were no elk close so I guess they went 4 miles in every direction. The wrangler told me one day when he stopped to check on them at 10AM-there was a cow standing in there camp looking at the tent! Anyway- found some sign fairly close to camp at a spring that they were watering at and a park that was only 1/2 mile away. That evening I sat at the park, a nice 5-5 mule deer and 7 does came out. Right at dusk a lone cow stuck her head out of dark timber-about 200 yards away- the wind was wrong- she busted and ran back in. Dang, I should of stayed in camp. I busted her before the season even started! That next morning I sat at that park to 10AM-nothing. Took a short break and hunted close to my tent near the water hole. Nothing but a lone doe came in. I sat all evening in the park again. Nothing. It appeared that the full moon and 65 degree weather was going to make this a challenge. I love the high country. It gives me a time to think and reflect on my family,job, future retirement, my wife, my parents who passed away. I like to read my Gideonbible- new testament. It gives me hope and the mountains tame my wired personalitie. It really didn't matter if I saw an elk or not. I' hunting in wild country, have an either sex tag in my pocket and no worries since I'm alone.. naps talk to my self, run around camp in my long johns, cook what ever I want. Life is good! Day two came early, I made some eggs and bacon over the wood stove, had some hot coffee and sat in another park-nothing moving at all. I decided to go a little higher to about 10,600 ft. This spot was about a mile from camp. It was a little hike in the dark, but I'min decent shape and It wasn't to bad. The small park was almost at the top. It was only about 40 acres maybe. In my scouting on day one I noticed a few tracks and a nice rub on a pine on the edge of it. As it came into view while still in the timber at daylight-I spotted two bulls walking slow up the hill and over into the north facing dark timber slope. They were heading into the dark timber to bed. dang- if I would have been 10 minutes earlier maybe a long shop would have been in the picture. But maybe not-I would have stumbled into the edge of the park and most likely busted them before a shot. This was better, they had no idea I was there and they went into dark timber where its cool. If no one busted them, maybe they will come back tonight or tomorrow. I found a bull! One looked like a small 5-5 the other had a nice long beam and was possibly a 6-6! The timber they went into was big, but it had a small tril heading into it from a gravel zig zag access rd. It was a tough hike for someone, probably a mile or so. But it was in reach of a trail head hunter-dang. I hoped no one would walk in there. Its first season Colorado public land! I sat for an hour or two, and went back to camp. By the time I got back it was 10am or o. I decided to make a nice lunch and take a solar shower. I was drying off and dozing in the 65 degree weather when a herd of mulies ran through my camp- they were spooked. One was a good buck! dang- someone is walking! I got dressed quick and headed to my spot where the bulls went in. About the time I got there it was 1pm. Three hunters that were trailhead hunters were sitting and talking on the downhill side of that small park. I sat anyway because they didn't see me and it appeared they were on the move. I was a little disheartened, But I also realized the dark timber the bulls went into was huge- these guys may or may not have walked through it. They saw me, I waived. I was going to walk over and talk to them but before I could they disappeared back into the timber and single file heading back to the trailhead. My experience out west is that a lot of hunters instead of staying in a good spot choose to make a hike closer to a trailhead and not go down in the dark. I was OK with that! I moved to a spot that allowed a easy 200 yard shot and one that had the wind in my favor. It was around 230 when I stated my sit. I enjoyed the scenery, I had a slight up hill park to my right that was crowned off with dark timber. It was warm,way to warm. I pretty much new if I saw one it was going to be late. I read and dozed off a little, that spooked herd of deer ruined my noon nap! About a half hour before dusk I called twice on hoochie mamma call. This has worked twice before for me in the flat tops. Once on a fat 4-4 and another time on a nice 5-5. Both times were this same scenario-I glassed morning bulls headed into dark timber and ambushed them. Will it work again. my attisipation as so High I could hardly stand still! My mind was rushing, what if a fat cow comes out? My wife said they taste better and you have 5 set of antlers in the house already-one in our dining room. Where are you to put more? Maybe the garage? Heck no not the garage! I also thinking, if I get one I will stay with it under the full moon and quarter it up. I will build fire and have a blast up here on my own. I don't want a black bear to come and drag it off. I should have got a bear tag, so much sign around here. $350.. but I was to cheap! But what would I do with a bear rug. I have no place to put it. I already have two Wisconsin bear rugs hangin on my walls. I have no room-my wife is right again. Dang. Why did I have to marry someone smarter than me! She has a masters degree! I just heard a loud crash-but I cant pinpoint it. I should have got ahearing aid she keeps hounding me about. No more sound, maybe it was my imagination. Its staring to get heavy dusk, only 5 minutes or so left of shooting hours. I look uphill- a cow is stairing at me. It came out of the far corner-buts it a 300 yard facing shot. I don't like it. If I take it I blow my opportunity here on a bull, plus its facing me. No way- why is it looking at me. Im in cover- the wind is down buts its downwind. Why isn't it running-it has me pegged. dang! Look the other way please. I need to sneak out of here. I hear something-I look in the park to my left. I stand up to access what to do, I look to my left- a great bull is heading down the hill about100 yards away. I bring up my 300 ultra mad- it fills my scope. By this time Im really in a buck fever moment- That's what the cow was staring at -not me. I remember I decided to try and drop it in its tracks with a front shoulder shot. I missed it somehow and shot a few inches to the left. but it was a perfect killing shot. I broke the neck and had an exit on the bull on the opposite shoulder. It droppd! As I walked up to it I was thankful.God is good, thank your Jesus! I just sat next to it for a long time as the darkness came. I had a bunch of work to do. I snapped a cellphone picture. I had 10% battery is all. dang. I gutted it which was a tough on a hillside. I went into the woods and dragged a log out-tied rope to the leg to keep it up so I could gut.After that I started skinning it. It was a full moon and 40 degrees. I need to process this bull tonight! I texted the wrangler. He was very happy. I asked him if he could pack it out tomorrow with this warm weather-in the AM if possible. He said he could head up tonight with the other wrangler , I said no. He said yes- he wanted to help and getting in on the kill would break in the new wrangler- besides its a full moon! So at about 11pm he came with a pack horse and the other wrangler. Wow- can you believe that? I walked back to camp which was about a mile away- we made a nice bon fire and sat around most of the night. They left around dawn with my bull. I stayed a couple more days, saw a few more elk but really didn't tramp around a lot since a group was coming to my camp for 2nd season. On the way down the hill I told the wrangler to book me for the same camp same season-next year!
