Tank76
FNG
- Joined
- Aug 8, 2016
- Messages
- 38
My buddy and I had been planning our second elk hunt since we left the mountains of Utah two years ago. Last year his wife was expecting a new edition to their family and my wife and I were building a house. So, our second elk hunt had to be postponed until this year. I began prep for the hunt in March by starting to get serious about exercise and my diet. I dropped 50lbs between March and October of this year. After a ton of research we picked a couple spots in our unit that looked promising, to two flat landers from Alabama, anyway! We arrived a few days early to get acclimated to the altitude, recoup from the 20+ hour drive and scout a bit before the Saturday opener. We didn't spot any elk the first night and had decided to move camp but the next morning we saw 4 bulls, all shooters, about a mile away from where we were camping. We devised a plan and set out well before daylight on opening day. Our plan seemed solid but we ended up coming out of a draw too low and bumping the elk. They were only about 90 yards away when we exited the draw. Lesson one, always go high. We spent the next few days fighting the ridiculous wind storm that blew through Southern Colorado. We even had a tree fall through our tent one afternoon! Finally, on the last day of the season and 36 miles of hiking the wind stopped and the elk showed back up. I shot this 5x5 with just a few minutes of legal shooting light left @ 200yds. It was like being on TV but without the cameras ha ha! We spent the night packing the meat off the mountain. It was an amazing experience to have all the hard work prior too and during the hunt pay off. I don't post here much but I have spent countless hours reading posts from other members. So, thanks to all you folks that take the time to offer advice and tell about your past experiences!
