This stuff is like crack and I'm feigning

[ChrisAU]

So we are a week removed from getting back home to Southeastern AL from me and a few buddies first trip out west. 2nd Rifle OTC bull hunt. We saw some cows a couple miles away while hunting, a pile of mule deer, and a shit load of pronghorn on the drive out. Never saw a bull (I was the only one with a tag, had 3 companion campers), but we did help a couple awesome dudes from Arizona pack out a toad of a 7x6. Found a couple of nice sheds too, showing off one of them in my game room now.

We drove 25 hours straight through with none of us sleeping on the way up because of how excited we were. We chose the area we did because it was hard to get into, and we had no frame of reference. Everything was going to be hard to us. In general we killed it as campers, just not so much as hunters. Found a ton of sign, just struggled with technique. That will get better. We camped approx 4 miles from the truck. Was dreamy being somewhere with minimal insects. Insects down here are awful year round.

When I first had the idea to do this a few months ago I was 247 lbs and loved donuts. Today I'm 208 and still hitting the gym every day. Cut out a lot of bad food too. Feels good to be on the way to not being a fat ass. Funny to think hunting is to thank for it. Down here "hunting" is driving the ATV to the shooting house and cranking up the buddy heater. For most anyway.

I'm as excited to train and buy gear today as I was the week before we left. And I have 49-50 weeks left!!

So, what do you guys do between seasons? I'm anxious to start going after whitetail in earnest in the coming weeks down here, but it won't be anything close to the same of course. Only so much vacation time so for now it looks like 1st or 2nd rifle in CO OTC will be all we do for the forseeable future. Dream is to eventually hit up Alaska/Canada for Caribou hunts.

 

[Mt Al]

Good on you!!!! Thanks for the story, glad you guys (y'all?) had a great time. Your weight loss is inspiring (reaches for next doughnut).

 

[cornfedkiller]

Awesome pictures!!

Even though your hunt was unsuccessful, it sounds like you guys had a great time!

 

[CX5Ranch]

Lol welcome to elk hunting

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[NYSKIER]

Awesome story love the hard work you put in to get into shape. I started coming out west for muleys three years ago and I've been in love with the west every since. Just got back from a South Dakota Deer hunt and it was probably one of my favorite hunts of all time even though I missed shooting high over two bucks with my bow. I suggest you get GoHunt and OnX and start checking spots out for next year!
!

 

[boom]

great story!!

elk hunting also motivated me to get into shape. haha.


what rifle is that? i am out of the loop on rifles.

 

[silverbullet555]

It's all addictive. I just wrapped up an unsuccessful season which was frustrating. Already trying to figure out what I learned and how I will be different next year.

Lost 120 lbs in the last two years and I agree it feels much better to not feel like I'm having a coronary on the hill. Recovery is much quicker and while legs get sore, its nothing like the first deer I shot and ensuing pack out.

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[ChrisAU]

great story!!

elk hunting also motivated me to get into shape. haha.


what rifle is that? i am out of the loop on rifles.

Its a Cooper 92 in 280 AI. Cool guy rifle ha.

Its funny, I ordered that rifle in January for whitetail, having never hunted any other mammal. Its first hunt was for elk!

I took it so far that I got rid of my Ram 2500 for a Toyota Tacoma just to have something better for the forest service roads. Truck is small but it was a joy to drive, even the 25 hours on pavement. Now I'm looking at getting a camper shell for us to put coolers and packs in for future hunts. The road trip was a big part of the fun for us.

Just ran home for lunch, had a box from Kifaru and one from First Lite...I am sick. And new trekking poles, snapped one the last day of the hunt. That'll pucker your butthole up real quick.

If it weren't for the google machine and Rokslide I doubt we would have survived our trip haha.

 

[ChrisAU]

I'm gonna rabble through incoherently and without aim as I think of things to add in this thread. None of us could imagine the steepness. We'd simply never seen something like it. Save for a flight to Vegas and LA, I had never been west of Baton Rouge, same for 2 of the others. One had driven straight through to Phoenix once but had never been in Northern TX or NM or CO at all. On the way in I was pretty apprehensive about sections like this, by the end of the week I felt like a pro in comparison ha.

 

[boom]

Its a Cooper 92 in 280 AI. Cool guy rifle ha.

Its funny, I ordered that rifle in January for whitetail, having never hunted any other mammal. Its first hunt was for elk!

I took it so far that I got rid of my Ram 2500 for a Toyota Tacoma just to have something better for the forest service roads. Truck is small but it was a joy to drive, even the 25 hours on pavement. Now I'm looking at getting a camper shell for us to put coolers and packs in for future hunts. The road trip was a big part of the fun for us.

Just ran home for lunch, had a box from Kifaru and one from First Lite...I am sick. And new trekking poles, snapped one the last day of the hunt. That'll pucker your butthole up real quick.

If it weren't for the google machine and Rokslide I doubt we would have survived our trip haha.

maybe we were separated at birth? i too got a Tacoma 4x4 for the maneuverability in the elk woods. hahahahha.

i bought it used and it came with the camper shell. nice nice rifle!! i havent breached that conversation with the wife yet, but thankfully, i am still bow hunting.

 

[mrbillbrown]

Good luck returning to whitetail hunting at home. After chasing elk in CO I can barely stand to sit in a treestand anymore here in OK. It's just not the same and all I think about is elk hunting. The woods at home just aren't the mtns of CO and it's rough waiting for Sept every year. Welcome to the struggle.

 

[torrey.harris.5]

So we are a week removed from getting back home to Southeastern AL from me and a few buddies first trip out west. 2nd Rifle OTC bull hunt. We saw some cows a couple miles away while hunting, a pile of mule deer, and a shit load of pronghorn on the drive out. Never saw a bull (I was the only one with a tag, had 3 companion campers), but we did help a couple awesome dudes from Arizona pack out a toad of a 7x6. Found a couple of nice sheds too, showing off one of them in my game room now.

We drove 25 hours straight through with none of us sleeping on the way up because of how excited we were. We chose the area we did because it was hard to get into, and we had no frame of reference. Everything was going to be hard to us. In general we killed it as campers, just not so much as hunters. Found a ton of sign, just struggled with technique. That will get better. We camped approx 4 miles from the truck. Was dreamy being somewhere with minimal insects. Insects down here are awful year round.

When I first had the idea to do this a few months ago I was 247 lbs and loved donuts. Today I'm 208 and still hitting the gym every day. Cut out a lot of bad food too. Feels good to be on the way to not being a fat ass. Funny to think hunting is to thank for it. Down here "hunting" is driving the ATV to the shooting house and cranking up the buddy heater. For most anyway.

I'm as excited to train and buy gear today as I was the week before we left. And I have 49-50 weeks left!!

So, what do you guys do between seasons? I'm anxious to start going after whitetail in earnest in the coming weeks down here, but it won't be anything close to the same of course. Only so much vacation time so for now it looks like 1st or 2nd rifle in CO OTC will be all we do for the forseeable future. Dream is to eventually hit up Alaska/Canada for Caribou hunts.

What’s the setup rifle wise??
She sure is a pretty thing??


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[FLAK]

Ak. Mt., Id. ruined me too.
I hear ya.

 

[davsco]

yeah i was unsuccessful on my first elk hunt (nw colo first rifle just last month) and i'm trying to figure out how to go back west in december for another chance... i need some redemption!

 

[ChrisAU]

What’s the setup rifle wise??
She sure is a pretty thing??


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Haha thanks, its a Cooper 92 Backcountry in 280 AI. Got tired of spending all my money on rifles, decided to order one I couldn't sell. Had them make the serial number my last name (its a unique one too). 3/8" shorter LOP than standard, and cerakoted stainless.


The scope is a science project of mediocrity. Its a Zeiss V6 5-30x50 (I've always liked higher power scopes and have never had a high low magnification bite me...yet) with a Kenton military turret that I carefully calibrated with real world data to the point where my chosen round (off the shelf errr internet site Nosler 160 gr partitions) will be within a couple inches elevation wise out to about 500 yards if I dial based on yardage. The turret still has MOA hashes if I'm ever in a situation to need it, but I basically took my ballistics down here (500 ft elevation avg, 60* F, 60% humidity) and averaged them with another end (10,500 ft, 40* F, 40% humidity) to come up with a yardage dial that will get me within an MOA from sea level and hot to 12,500+ and cold at 400ish yards and under. Even up to 600 yards I should be within a couple inches. Tested it here, didn't shoot that far in CO obviously. I'm also not going to shoot past 500 at an Elk, ever. I can get closer than that. I do have large fields I whitetail hunt here where it will likely get some testing this year.

I'm sure thats clear as mud, but thats how I justify the heavy scope on a light rifle. Its a lot lighter than a heavy scope on a heavy rifle.

Back to the rifle, shes sweet. 3/4" MOA without trying very hard. No blood in CO for her, but the first doe that I see on our rifle opener in a couple weeks is gonna find out.

 

[boom]

consider yourselves blessed. my brother and i had the opposite experience.

we have NEVER hunted elk. i dont know which one of us said, "hey we should put in for elk"
so we did.

we put in close to home. and NM unit 36 was our first choice.
we drew!
we hiked and bought a lot of game biologist coffee. we pointed to a spot on the map and he said the magic words, "hell, if you can get up there, you will find elk for sure!"
i was fat, but we got up there opening morning. i bugled and a bull came running. i had to shoot him before he got too close. 150 yards, boom. done. 4 minutes of hunting. done. (3 hour hike up..straight up).
next day, we went back up. 7 minutes later. my brother was done.

trust me, it was like flying first class on a flight to Milan full of super models...all other flights will suck for the rest of your life.

i've been chasing the dream ever since. i dropped 40 lbs just in case it happens. i dont know if i will ever draw NM bull elk ever again. that state is a fickle elusive B.

 

[netman]

Way to go! Awesome trip! I made three long separate solo trips out west this year myself and already dialing in next years hunts. I’m retired so it is easy for me to have the time.
I smiled all the way out and all the way back. I love long trips.

 

[rgrx1276]

Nice hunt and a fine looking area you were in. I would suggest trying to draw several different states possibly? I put in last year for Montana, Idaho, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona. Was blessed with a tag from New Mexico for a 2nd choice hunt. I'd have to be WAY lucky to hit more than one but if I did, I'd have found the time to go.
Good job on the weight loss too...

 

[Ross]

That is why we do it the rush and adrenaline of the mountains Good luck on your future elk hunts.......

 

[ElkNut1]

Ha Ha, yes it is but it's a good addiction!

ElkNut/Paul