YORT40
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I just got home from our annual family cow hunt in CO on Friday. After making the 19 hr. drive back in 1 stretch, going to the butcher, and cleaning out the truck. I finally have some time to type before going to the office tomorrow to take my punishment for missing a week of business.
After years of exploring different areas to hunt elk, my family was very fortunate to find a private ranch where we have become 1 of the 2 groups who are allowed to hunt this area for cows. If you want to read about a hard-core elk hunt, this ain't it. Our base camp is a furnished mountain cabin, which we can start glassing for herds out of the kitchen window. This hunt is about getting 3 generations of family men together for fun & fellowship. We bring plenty of food, our guns, and thick skin for family humor. This year, the only member who could not make the trip was my older brother, so our group included my father, my younger brother, my son, and myself. Our duties in camp were simple, I make breakfast & coffee, then clean-up. My brother & I make lunch, then clean-up. My Brother takes pride in making his dinner steaks & fine wine, then cleans-up. My son does his best to blow down a 3 lb. bag of "bit-a-honey" before the trip ends. My father eats, and just enjoys being together. That's the way we all like it. So this is how our time together went this year:
DAY 1- We woke, we ate, we were moving @ 1st light. On our way to check a low elev. feeding meadow, we spotted a group of 20 cows & 3 bulls on a ridge line right off the county road. We marked the spot and continued toward the meadow. After not finding any animals in the meadow, we headed back and put together a plan to get a shot @ the group of 20. My son & I started hiking up a draw 1/4 mile south of the ridge. My brother set-up below the ridge, & my father went to watch an escape route. As I crested over the draw, I heard a shot ring-out from where my father was. I waited to check for the direction of the moving herd, but my father called on the radio to say he made a good shot and the elk had moved into the black timber. With that, we all met up @ the spot where my father took his shot. I found the blood trail & decided to stay on the trail through the timber, while everyone else moved to find vantage points around the timber where they might try to escape. About 45 min. into tracking blood through timber, scrub oak and willows, I heard the cannon-like explosion from my brothers Rem. 300 ultra-mag. He had looped all the way around the timber and elk were coming out 400 yds in front of him. He saw the wounded cow, and put her down. My dad's shot had been a bit low on the front shoulder, and we decided that my brother should tag her. That afternoon we set-up on a high country park which has always worked well in the evenings. We sat in the wind & splitting snow, freezing, until last light. But nothing came in to feed.
DAY 2- We woke, we ate, we were moving @ 1st light. Winds were still blowing @ about 30 m.p.h., so we went to check the same feeding meadow. The area had much calmer winds, but no elk. We decided to check the part of the ranch which had several deep canyons. We have been coming on this hunt for 7 years, so we were all surprised the see that instead of the old logging tracks & trails through the canyons, new graded 2 lane roads made been cut into the hills. Apparentlly the ranch owner has been made aware that his property is rich in Methane Gas. So he signed a "Big Buck" contract with a gas company to have 19 wells drilled throughout the ranch. So after learning that info. we knew the elk movement had changed from the past years. Though we found several outstanding Mule Deer bucks, we never found any elk on Day 2.
DAY 3- We woke, we ate, we were moving @ 1st light. The winds had stopped, and we were thrilled to find a light falling snow as we were heading out. This morning my dad decided to check an open field high on a ridge, while my son "Brad" & I went back to the low feeding meadow again. We checked the meadow, and once again found nothing. Next we headed for more high country parks. On the way up, my father called on the radio and asked for help on the ridge. We arrived to find my father ready to load his cow in the truck. He had came around the corner of an Aspen tree line to see 40 elk feeding right on front of him. It took 3 rounds of the 7mm to keep her from getting into the timber, but the job was done. We loaded the cow in the truck & headed for the cabin. On the way down we stopped to glass the low meadow real quick. Sure enough, we spotted 9 cows feeding out a the scrub oak into the meadow. My son & I got out & started a sneak through the trees. We made it to the edge of the meadow oppisite of the cows. With no wind, they were clueless to our position, so we took our time getting on our stixs and ranging the nearest cow. The nearest animal was smaller than the rest, so we ranged the next cow @ 265 yds. Brad took his time and waited for a perfect broadside shot. I was watching through my scope when the trigger was pulled and I saw the impact of the 270 wsm hit 6" behind the shoulder. The cow hit the ground and tried to get up while I tried to find another cow to shot. I pulled down in front of the 4th cow moving up a small knoll, but shot behind her. As I threw another round in, elk started to appear from behind the knoll. They all moved out into the open to see what was happening. In my scope, I could see about 30 elk standing there just looking in our direction. The cow I had just shot at was standing 10 yds. below the rest, so I put it on her shoulder & pulled the trigger again. Missed again! As more elk moved into sight to see who the crappy shooter was. Brad quickly ranged the cow for me as she just stood there. He said 345 yds. So I moved to her back line, pulled the trigger, & she dropped to the snow. Brad's cow had gotten up but only moved about 25 yds. before falling down and sliding part way down the knoll. We were done, and both cows were in view. We spent the rest of the day skinning and quartering for the trip home.
DAY 4- We woke, we started the trucks @ 4 am. and headed home.
I'm @ home now, but tomorrow I'll down-load some pics for everyone.
After years of exploring different areas to hunt elk, my family was very fortunate to find a private ranch where we have become 1 of the 2 groups who are allowed to hunt this area for cows. If you want to read about a hard-core elk hunt, this ain't it. Our base camp is a furnished mountain cabin, which we can start glassing for herds out of the kitchen window. This hunt is about getting 3 generations of family men together for fun & fellowship. We bring plenty of food, our guns, and thick skin for family humor. This year, the only member who could not make the trip was my older brother, so our group included my father, my younger brother, my son, and myself. Our duties in camp were simple, I make breakfast & coffee, then clean-up. My brother & I make lunch, then clean-up. My Brother takes pride in making his dinner steaks & fine wine, then cleans-up. My son does his best to blow down a 3 lb. bag of "bit-a-honey" before the trip ends. My father eats, and just enjoys being together. That's the way we all like it. So this is how our time together went this year:
DAY 1- We woke, we ate, we were moving @ 1st light. On our way to check a low elev. feeding meadow, we spotted a group of 20 cows & 3 bulls on a ridge line right off the county road. We marked the spot and continued toward the meadow. After not finding any animals in the meadow, we headed back and put together a plan to get a shot @ the group of 20. My son & I started hiking up a draw 1/4 mile south of the ridge. My brother set-up below the ridge, & my father went to watch an escape route. As I crested over the draw, I heard a shot ring-out from where my father was. I waited to check for the direction of the moving herd, but my father called on the radio to say he made a good shot and the elk had moved into the black timber. With that, we all met up @ the spot where my father took his shot. I found the blood trail & decided to stay on the trail through the timber, while everyone else moved to find vantage points around the timber where they might try to escape. About 45 min. into tracking blood through timber, scrub oak and willows, I heard the cannon-like explosion from my brothers Rem. 300 ultra-mag. He had looped all the way around the timber and elk were coming out 400 yds in front of him. He saw the wounded cow, and put her down. My dad's shot had been a bit low on the front shoulder, and we decided that my brother should tag her. That afternoon we set-up on a high country park which has always worked well in the evenings. We sat in the wind & splitting snow, freezing, until last light. But nothing came in to feed.
DAY 2- We woke, we ate, we were moving @ 1st light. Winds were still blowing @ about 30 m.p.h., so we went to check the same feeding meadow. The area had much calmer winds, but no elk. We decided to check the part of the ranch which had several deep canyons. We have been coming on this hunt for 7 years, so we were all surprised the see that instead of the old logging tracks & trails through the canyons, new graded 2 lane roads made been cut into the hills. Apparentlly the ranch owner has been made aware that his property is rich in Methane Gas. So he signed a "Big Buck" contract with a gas company to have 19 wells drilled throughout the ranch. So after learning that info. we knew the elk movement had changed from the past years. Though we found several outstanding Mule Deer bucks, we never found any elk on Day 2.
DAY 3- We woke, we ate, we were moving @ 1st light. The winds had stopped, and we were thrilled to find a light falling snow as we were heading out. This morning my dad decided to check an open field high on a ridge, while my son "Brad" & I went back to the low feeding meadow again. We checked the meadow, and once again found nothing. Next we headed for more high country parks. On the way up, my father called on the radio and asked for help on the ridge. We arrived to find my father ready to load his cow in the truck. He had came around the corner of an Aspen tree line to see 40 elk feeding right on front of him. It took 3 rounds of the 7mm to keep her from getting into the timber, but the job was done. We loaded the cow in the truck & headed for the cabin. On the way down we stopped to glass the low meadow real quick. Sure enough, we spotted 9 cows feeding out a the scrub oak into the meadow. My son & I got out & started a sneak through the trees. We made it to the edge of the meadow oppisite of the cows. With no wind, they were clueless to our position, so we took our time getting on our stixs and ranging the nearest cow. The nearest animal was smaller than the rest, so we ranged the next cow @ 265 yds. Brad took his time and waited for a perfect broadside shot. I was watching through my scope when the trigger was pulled and I saw the impact of the 270 wsm hit 6" behind the shoulder. The cow hit the ground and tried to get up while I tried to find another cow to shot. I pulled down in front of the 4th cow moving up a small knoll, but shot behind her. As I threw another round in, elk started to appear from behind the knoll. They all moved out into the open to see what was happening. In my scope, I could see about 30 elk standing there just looking in our direction. The cow I had just shot at was standing 10 yds. below the rest, so I put it on her shoulder & pulled the trigger again. Missed again! As more elk moved into sight to see who the crappy shooter was. Brad quickly ranged the cow for me as she just stood there. He said 345 yds. So I moved to her back line, pulled the trigger, & she dropped to the snow. Brad's cow had gotten up but only moved about 25 yds. before falling down and sliding part way down the knoll. We were done, and both cows were in view. We spent the rest of the day skinning and quartering for the trip home.
DAY 4- We woke, we started the trucks @ 4 am. and headed home.
I'm @ home now, but tomorrow I'll down-load some pics for everyone.
