The New Huntmastersbbs!: Just when you thought it was safe

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Posted by Gerald Stewart (Member # 162) on October 23, 2005, 10:21 AM:

I'mmm baaaaack. Tired, sore, Elkless and thrilled with the experience. I walked my butt off, rode horses, put the cross hairs on a cow and a bull the last day and chose to pass for a variety of reasons.

It was a great experience....a bit different than coyote hunting though.

That's me on the left.

This is up in nose bleed country.

It was 5 days of very difficult hunting for me, but not for some of the others. I was willing and able to go to the higher country where the bigger bulls should have been but they were very elusive. The lower country was overrun with elk but the big bulls would not show themselves. I believe part of the cause and effect was a very bright full moon almost the whole time we were there, difficult terrain. The biggest bulls we saw were always on the most difficult terrain and the furtherest away.

I would have pulled the trigger on a cow the last day but it was not in easy-to-access terrain and would have taken us a half day to get them out which would have delayed me getting home. It was not accessable by horse and we would have had to carry or drag the meat out. The outfitters would have gotten it out for me but I chose not to take it.

I put the crosshairs on an average to mediocre bull at 315 yards the last day and chose to let him live for another day.

I experienced all of the drama you could expect from an elk hunt and am very happy with the experience. I thought my wife would be very dissappointed that I spent the money that I did and still came back empty handed....but I suspect she knew that the more important justifications in my mind did not really mean that I would be bringing meat home. She seems to be content with the experience for me also.

[ October 23, 2005, 10:25 AM: Message edited by: Gerald Stewart ]

Posted by Tim Behle (Member # 209) on October 23, 2005, 10:44 AM:

Sounds like a great time! Hunting Elk is something I've always wanted to try, just haven't gotten around to it yet.

Looks like some beautiful country you were in!

Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on October 23, 2005, 11:29 AM:

I know what you mean about weighing all considerations before pulling the trigger on any elk. We had a guy, one year that offered us one of his, if our party of five would help him with the two bulls he just hammered....down in a ravine. He was a local that had been watching this group for several days. Besides the ethical issue, we declined.

Glad you had a good time and glad to have you back.

Good hunting. LB

Posted by Gerald Stewart (Member # 162) on October 23, 2005, 12:27 PM:

Tim, do it while you are young and strong. It is a great challenge if you are in an area like I was. Some of the areas were almost straight up and down. We would take twenty steps like we were on a stairmaster and rest a minute then do it again.

I glassed a guide and hunter, who was not in the best of shape, take almost an hour to go about 400 yards up to the level of the bull he had shot.

Going down was probably the most damaging to my body. My knees were getting worse and worse every day.

I am thinking maybe I should take up archery and call them to me next year. [Wink]

The bulls were still bugling but they all had 8 to 12 cows with them and would not move to us very good at all.

I walked up and down the side of our lake Dam here in Waco for about two weeks before I went up and it paid off good dividends. I was able to go and do, see some georgeous country most of the others did not.

5 of the 6 hunters got shots at or took bulls. I passed on mine, so the outfitters were relieved they had gotten a good ratio for the group.

I would love to do it again but will need to make an even stronger effort at getting in better shape because I will be a year older. [Smile]

I use stuff like that to keep myself motivated to stay in as good a shape as I can. Eventually I will probably sign up for the Senior Olympics wheel chair division just so I can still play with my great grandchildren. [Wink]

Posted by Byron South (Member # 213) on October 23, 2005, 07:09 PM:

Sounds like a great trip Gerald. I've hunted elk in Colorada several years during archery season, but never in gun season. I think you would enjoy the hunting elk during that time. I hunted much like we do calling coyotes. I would bugle early in the morning and try and locate bulls then before light try and close the distance and coax them in with cow calling. If that didn't produce an opportunity I would just slowly move through the dark timber, set up every now and then and cow call. Gets me all fired up again thinking about it. I didn't kill an elk on every trip but always had oportunites. Always came back exhasted but never dissapointed. One of my most memoreable hunts was having a cuss fight with a big bull for over an hour at no more than 100 yards. At one time I had him to thirty but the thick cover prevented a clean shot. My wife was with me at the time and it was an experience we will never forget. We came home empty handed that year but still happy.

Byron [Big Grin]

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