So I had already shared this in the elk thread, but figured I would do a write up of the hunt and my journey to my first successful trip.
I actually started planning a hunt in 2020, but when covid happened, it got real busy for us at the fire department and I just couldn't focus on putting a hunt together. So I just spent time studying gear and slowly buying backcountry gear for my wife and I as she wanted to join me on this expedition.
2021 was it, I was going to make it happen so I entered some draws and patiently waiting, while meantime learning how to pattern elk and their habits, and learning to call. I was fortunate enough to draw a tag for Colorado unit 551 and my escouting began. I spent the next couple of months learning the area, scouted it in person mid August, and hunted mid September. We had a few encounters, but just couldn't make it happen, but learned a lot about hunting them. Tag soup it was
This year, I was fortunate to draw another tag in Colorado for units 77/78. Not the best unit, but it was a tag and I was happy with it. I began escouting, fine tuning gear changes, planning out the hunt, and preparing us as best I could. I went up 10 days before the hunt to scout and learn the areas, but never really found solid sign. We got to Colorado on September 2nd and started hunting my first area I chose. Day 1 we ran into 2 different hunters in the area and little sign. Day 2 I called in a guy from Alice, TX, had a nice conversation with him and decided to move to the other side of this area, which was about a 2 hour hike, just to run into more people and a camp. I decided this area was just too busy and the elk sign was very scattered, so we packed out to the truck and slept on it.
The next morning I woke up early and began looking over my maps and picked our next area to drive to. We made it there by noon, packed our packs with 3 days worth of supplies in preparation to go a few miles back and stay put for a while. 2.5 miles down the trail, quick break by the creek, then up the mountain we go to my target area. Some tough climbing, including about 200 yards of what I would say was probably a 60 degree incline in a drainage with deadfall. As we made it to the top of that, I hear a bugle above us. I bugle back at him to see what reaction I get and within 20 seconds or so he bugles back. We're in a decent open area so I bugle back and forth with him for a while, but determine he wasn't moving from where he was, so we move up some, still bugling with him.
I finally get to where I feel we are within 150 yards or so from him, and set up on a small hill with a drainage to my right and a dip in front of us, where he would have to go through either one to be able to get to where we were, and both would put him within 40 yards. So we set up and start calling more, this time adding in cow calls. To me, he sounded like he was trying to pull the cows to him, so I changed tactics some and started to get a little aggressive with him on the bugles, cutting him off over and over. That finally brings him down and in sight about 80-100 yards out where he starts raking trees and bugling more. I kept at him, cutting him off quicker and more aggressively, while also turning behind me giving soft cow calls and a round up bugle. It finally sealed the deal with him, as he dropped down in the dip in front of us and popped out right at 38 yards, but it happened quick, so I had to wait for him to look away to draw back. When I did, my bow string got hung up in my bino harness, and my pack started to making creeking noises around my waist. I thought he had me, but we just froze and I slowly lined up on him. One look away, I leaned forward to pull the string away from my harness, lined the pin up, he looked back at me one last time quartered away and I let it fly. At first the shot looked a little back, so we waited a little. I did hear a crash, but couldn't tell if it was him falling or busting through the deadfall. When I found the first blood, I knew I had at least 1 lung. He barely went 100 yards and piled up. And the work began. Two trips that night back to the trail, final trip in the morning, then the easy packing down the trail.
He wasn't the biggest we saw, but for my first, and the experience I am truly excited and thankful. My next hunt can't come soon enough
Sorry if the pics come out sideways, not sure what the deal is
Sent from my SM-G781U using Tapatalk
I actually started planning a hunt in 2020, but when covid happened, it got real busy for us at the fire department and I just couldn't focus on putting a hunt together. So I just spent time studying gear and slowly buying backcountry gear for my wife and I as she wanted to join me on this expedition.
2021 was it, I was going to make it happen so I entered some draws and patiently waiting, while meantime learning how to pattern elk and their habits, and learning to call. I was fortunate enough to draw a tag for Colorado unit 551 and my escouting began. I spent the next couple of months learning the area, scouted it in person mid August, and hunted mid September. We had a few encounters, but just couldn't make it happen, but learned a lot about hunting them. Tag soup it was
This year, I was fortunate to draw another tag in Colorado for units 77/78. Not the best unit, but it was a tag and I was happy with it. I began escouting, fine tuning gear changes, planning out the hunt, and preparing us as best I could. I went up 10 days before the hunt to scout and learn the areas, but never really found solid sign. We got to Colorado on September 2nd and started hunting my first area I chose. Day 1 we ran into 2 different hunters in the area and little sign. Day 2 I called in a guy from Alice, TX, had a nice conversation with him and decided to move to the other side of this area, which was about a 2 hour hike, just to run into more people and a camp. I decided this area was just too busy and the elk sign was very scattered, so we packed out to the truck and slept on it.
The next morning I woke up early and began looking over my maps and picked our next area to drive to. We made it there by noon, packed our packs with 3 days worth of supplies in preparation to go a few miles back and stay put for a while. 2.5 miles down the trail, quick break by the creek, then up the mountain we go to my target area. Some tough climbing, including about 200 yards of what I would say was probably a 60 degree incline in a drainage with deadfall. As we made it to the top of that, I hear a bugle above us. I bugle back at him to see what reaction I get and within 20 seconds or so he bugles back. We're in a decent open area so I bugle back and forth with him for a while, but determine he wasn't moving from where he was, so we move up some, still bugling with him.
I finally get to where I feel we are within 150 yards or so from him, and set up on a small hill with a drainage to my right and a dip in front of us, where he would have to go through either one to be able to get to where we were, and both would put him within 40 yards. So we set up and start calling more, this time adding in cow calls. To me, he sounded like he was trying to pull the cows to him, so I changed tactics some and started to get a little aggressive with him on the bugles, cutting him off over and over. That finally brings him down and in sight about 80-100 yards out where he starts raking trees and bugling more. I kept at him, cutting him off quicker and more aggressively, while also turning behind me giving soft cow calls and a round up bugle. It finally sealed the deal with him, as he dropped down in the dip in front of us and popped out right at 38 yards, but it happened quick, so I had to wait for him to look away to draw back. When I did, my bow string got hung up in my bino harness, and my pack started to making creeking noises around my waist. I thought he had me, but we just froze and I slowly lined up on him. One look away, I leaned forward to pull the string away from my harness, lined the pin up, he looked back at me one last time quartered away and I let it fly. At first the shot looked a little back, so we waited a little. I did hear a crash, but couldn't tell if it was him falling or busting through the deadfall. When I found the first blood, I knew I had at least 1 lung. He barely went 100 yards and piled up. And the work began. Two trips that night back to the trail, final trip in the morning, then the easy packing down the trail.
He wasn't the biggest we saw, but for my first, and the experience I am truly excited and thankful. My next hunt can't come soon enough
Sorry if the pics come out sideways, not sure what the deal is
Sent from my SM-G781U using Tapatalk
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