Post by Champlain Islander on Dec 23, 2012 14:08:37 GMT -4
A report from my 2 week DIY elk hunting trip mid October in the wilds of South Central Colorado. The road trip went well without many complications. We left Vermont on October 13 and arrived at our Colorado destination on October 15. We opened the cabin and scouted for 4 days until the season opener on 10/20/12.The scouting started slow but became more successful as we discovered where the elk and mule deer were located. There were 3 of us in camp with 2 of us holding bull elk tags and one holding a mule deer buck tag. The first day we hunted near an area where we scouted and found both elk and muleys. The first morning I hunkered down on the lower section of a large alpine meadow that was above a steep canyon. About 7:30 I could hear a herd of elk coming down through the dark timber and when they busted out into the meadow there were 8 cows and 3 bulls. I scoped the first 2 which were a rag horn, a 5x5 and then settled my scope on a 6x6. The running elk stopped at 80 yds and my season was ended with a nice bull on the ground. When I walked up to my downed bull I looked back up into the timber and saw a real giant bull elk looking down at me in the meadow. My hunting partner Rob hunted that area several times but that big guy never showed up again. Luckily we were able to get our 4 wheel drive truck down to the elk I shot so the usual nightmare of quartering and packing was much easier.
Since my tag was filled I helped my other partner Gordon scout for a trophy mule deer. We saw dozens of good looking bucks every day but didn't get a chance on any that satisfied Gordon’s standards. On one occasion we were in an area a few miles from where I got my bull and had 7 bucks all come out to feed on a meadow. The last one was a real bruiser 5x5 with very long tines and good mass. I would have shot that one in a minute but it wasn't exactly what Gordon was looking for. On day 3 we spotted an interesting buck way up on a steep side hill and after careful glassing Gordon decided to fill his tag with his 300 Win Mag. Our resident biologist friend estimated Gordon’s buck was an 8 year old and probably past his prime after seeing the teeth. The mass on that buck was incredible with 5” bases that continued all the way out along the main beams. His buck measured 167”. The deer was a real toad and to give the picture some perspective Gordon is a big guy about 225 pounds.
Both Gordon and I with tags filled helped Rob to scout for elk for the rest of the week. We saw some animals but couldn't get into position for a successful stalk. It was looking like Rob was going to have tag soup after missing an animal and on the last day late in the afternoon we came across a very large group of elk we estimated at about 80 head. We were on a high point and able to glass the herd feeding and bedding along an alpine meadow a mile away. We could see several bulls with one 5x5 which must have been well over a 300” bull. We developed a plan and stalked down to a finger of dark timber using the wind to our advantage. The only bulls that we could see were both nice sized ones but not that giant and Rob picked the largest of the two which was a 6x5 and anchored him with one well placed shot at 134 yds. By the time we got down to him it was getting dark and all our gear was up at the truck which was quite a ways up on a 4 wheel drive road. I started to skin it out in preparation for quartering and Rob went back to the truck to get a pack frame and his equipment. I finished skinning one side of his elk to prepare it for quartering using the gutless method which we have found is the best way to deal with an animal the size of a horse. We worked into the night to quarter and pack that elk out up to the truck and got back to the cabin exhausted by 11 pm. We were supposed to head back to Vt at 4am the next morning but had to butcher and package his elk and finally got on the road by 12:30. We drove until about 10 that night and got a room in Grand Junction Kansas. The next morning we left at 5:30 am and drove 1025 miles finishing up in Erie Pa where we had a flat tire and finally found a room at 11pm. The next day we drove about 8 hours and got home at supper time. All in all it was a great trip and the second time in the 7 years we have been going out there we have filled 100% of our tags.
Rob's last minute bull.
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Since my tag was filled I helped my other partner Gordon scout for a trophy mule deer. We saw dozens of good looking bucks every day but didn't get a chance on any that satisfied Gordon’s standards. On one occasion we were in an area a few miles from where I got my bull and had 7 bucks all come out to feed on a meadow. The last one was a real bruiser 5x5 with very long tines and good mass. I would have shot that one in a minute but it wasn't exactly what Gordon was looking for. On day 3 we spotted an interesting buck way up on a steep side hill and after careful glassing Gordon decided to fill his tag with his 300 Win Mag. Our resident biologist friend estimated Gordon’s buck was an 8 year old and probably past his prime after seeing the teeth. The mass on that buck was incredible with 5” bases that continued all the way out along the main beams. His buck measured 167”. The deer was a real toad and to give the picture some perspective Gordon is a big guy about 225 pounds.
Both Gordon and I with tags filled helped Rob to scout for elk for the rest of the week. We saw some animals but couldn't get into position for a successful stalk. It was looking like Rob was going to have tag soup after missing an animal and on the last day late in the afternoon we came across a very large group of elk we estimated at about 80 head. We were on a high point and able to glass the herd feeding and bedding along an alpine meadow a mile away. We could see several bulls with one 5x5 which must have been well over a 300” bull. We developed a plan and stalked down to a finger of dark timber using the wind to our advantage. The only bulls that we could see were both nice sized ones but not that giant and Rob picked the largest of the two which was a 6x5 and anchored him with one well placed shot at 134 yds. By the time we got down to him it was getting dark and all our gear was up at the truck which was quite a ways up on a 4 wheel drive road. I started to skin it out in preparation for quartering and Rob went back to the truck to get a pack frame and his equipment. I finished skinning one side of his elk to prepare it for quartering using the gutless method which we have found is the best way to deal with an animal the size of a horse. We worked into the night to quarter and pack that elk out up to the truck and got back to the cabin exhausted by 11 pm. We were supposed to head back to Vt at 4am the next morning but had to butcher and package his elk and finally got on the road by 12:30. We drove until about 10 that night and got a room in Grand Junction Kansas. The next morning we left at 5:30 am and drove 1025 miles finishing up in Erie Pa where we had a flat tire and finally found a room at 11pm. The next day we drove about 8 hours and got home at supper time. All in all it was a great trip and the second time in the 7 years we have been going out there we have filled 100% of our tags.
Rob's last minute bull.
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