YORT40
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- Sep 29, 2003
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I just got back in the office after our CO Cow hunt. The group of 4 family members all filled our tags with a fun hunt:
DAY 1- We woke-up to find strong winds with it raining & snowing at the same time. As it was getting light, so we split-up into 2 groups. 1 group would check the upper timber & parks, and the 2nd group would check the open ridges. My son & I headed down, while my father & brother headed up into the woods. Within 15 min. Brad & I spotted 8 elk in the Scrub oak. We hiked a little knob for a closer look, and found 8 rag horns feeding along the slope. So we back out and started toward another ridge. After glassing for some time, we spotted another group of 6 bedded on a hill top. We got close enough to see that all the animals were cows, so we started up the hill with timber & some bench elevation for cover. But, as we reached the spot which we thought we could shoot, the cows were on the move, and cleared the hill. We had a big wind in our face so I don't know what spooked the animals. As we came off the hill, my brother got me on the radio, and said that he had hit a cow, was tracking in the timber and needed some help. 30 min. later we met-up in the aspens. He was exhausted and put me on the blood trail. I followed the tracks & blood in the snow for about 1/4 mile before finding that the cow had turned & heading back from where she came from. My brother started laughing as I came out of the timber walking toward him. He said, "I don't think she's here. Where's the tracks?". I showed him the blood only 20 yds from where he stood. We both stayed with the tracks as they took us up a hill. As we crested, I saw on the left was a rock outcrop that dropped off and on the right was a saddle which led back to the timber. I was heading to the right, but saw no blood, so I looked toward the rocks. Out on a little ledge, there she stood. We decided she had nowhere to go, and we could get to her where she was. My brother made the 25 yd. shot, and she laid down. We thought it was over, but she got back up. We were shocked as the cow leaped off the 60 ft. cliff. She hit the rocks once, then fell through the top of the Pine trees before landing in the Scrub oak. To our surprise, not 1 bone was broke and the meat was not bruised.
As the day went on, the snow started coming down hard. That late afternoon we found a large herd about 1 mile away, but we decided to wait for the next morning.
DAY 2- It snowed most of the night and by morning there was 6" on the ground. My brother & father went after the big group, while Brad & I drove to a large park in the Aspens. On the way, we passed 21 bulls coming out of the timber. We parked several 100 yds from the park we wanted to hunt. After hiking up a small slope, we peeked through the trees to find over 200 elk either feeding or bedded in the meadow. We moved slowly for a clear shot, and took our time picking a good cow for Brad to put down. We decided the group of 50 elk bedded infront of us 30 yds out was not a good idea. So we turned to another group feeding 125 yds away. Brad put a cow in his cross-heirs and sweezed the trigger. It was a good hit, but she didn't fall. Meanwhile, I pulled up my gun, found a cow looking back toward us, and pulled the trigger. The cow took 2 steps and fell down a slope into the trees. I put my gun down, and told Brad to find his cow and shoot again before she gets to the timber line. It took a second because there was elk running everywhere, but we saw her side-hilling slowly 20 yds from where Brad 1st hit her. He shot a 2nd time & she dropped! I figured we would field dress Brad's cow 1st, then go do mine. As we walked to the trees where I last saw my cow fall, I came to a find tracks everywhere, and 1 set with a trail of blood.
So after waiting about 30 min., I was off again to start tracking through the snow. I followed through the timber and began what turned out to be a 2 mile hike up a mountain side. The cow bedded a total of 10 times as I pushed straight up. After hours of hiking, I was told to come back down the mountain.
My father did get into another group that morning, but was not able to close the deal. That evening we glassed about 100 elk bedding down on an open ridgeline. So we made a plan for the next morning.
DAY 3- The plan was to have my dad get into the park which the herd had came from, and I would hike the back side of the ridge to get a shot @ them. I waited 45 min. so my dad could get into place. As I started toward the ridge, I came around to a creek bottom. Next to the creek stood a lone cow feeding. I closed the distance to 75 yds. as she had no clue I was there. I set-up my stixs, & down she went.
With that, I radioed my dad to tell him that I was done, and the herd should be on the move. Unfortunatelly, my dad had spent 45 mins trying I.D. a few bulls on his way to his spot, and the herd had spotted him before he could get a shot.
That afternoon we started scouting right after lunch. We found the herd again bedded in the Black timber 1/4 from where we thought they were feeding. My dad & I set-up @ a clearing, then started the wait. Sure enough, an hour later I could see movement in the trees, I told my dad to get ready. 20 elk came out to feed in the clearing, we waited as they moved closer to us. Once again, we were not detected, so we scanned the group for the biggest cow. We picked the cow feeding to the far right, waited for her to turn broadside, and Bang!! She took the hit, and started for the timber, so my dad shot again. This time caughting her in the front leg. She stopped, took 3 steps backward, wabbled and fall.
We were done!!!
DAY 1- We woke-up to find strong winds with it raining & snowing at the same time. As it was getting light, so we split-up into 2 groups. 1 group would check the upper timber & parks, and the 2nd group would check the open ridges. My son & I headed down, while my father & brother headed up into the woods. Within 15 min. Brad & I spotted 8 elk in the Scrub oak. We hiked a little knob for a closer look, and found 8 rag horns feeding along the slope. So we back out and started toward another ridge. After glassing for some time, we spotted another group of 6 bedded on a hill top. We got close enough to see that all the animals were cows, so we started up the hill with timber & some bench elevation for cover. But, as we reached the spot which we thought we could shoot, the cows were on the move, and cleared the hill. We had a big wind in our face so I don't know what spooked the animals. As we came off the hill, my brother got me on the radio, and said that he had hit a cow, was tracking in the timber and needed some help. 30 min. later we met-up in the aspens. He was exhausted and put me on the blood trail. I followed the tracks & blood in the snow for about 1/4 mile before finding that the cow had turned & heading back from where she came from. My brother started laughing as I came out of the timber walking toward him. He said, "I don't think she's here. Where's the tracks?". I showed him the blood only 20 yds from where he stood. We both stayed with the tracks as they took us up a hill. As we crested, I saw on the left was a rock outcrop that dropped off and on the right was a saddle which led back to the timber. I was heading to the right, but saw no blood, so I looked toward the rocks. Out on a little ledge, there she stood. We decided she had nowhere to go, and we could get to her where she was. My brother made the 25 yd. shot, and she laid down. We thought it was over, but she got back up. We were shocked as the cow leaped off the 60 ft. cliff. She hit the rocks once, then fell through the top of the Pine trees before landing in the Scrub oak. To our surprise, not 1 bone was broke and the meat was not bruised.
As the day went on, the snow started coming down hard. That late afternoon we found a large herd about 1 mile away, but we decided to wait for the next morning.
DAY 2- It snowed most of the night and by morning there was 6" on the ground. My brother & father went after the big group, while Brad & I drove to a large park in the Aspens. On the way, we passed 21 bulls coming out of the timber. We parked several 100 yds from the park we wanted to hunt. After hiking up a small slope, we peeked through the trees to find over 200 elk either feeding or bedded in the meadow. We moved slowly for a clear shot, and took our time picking a good cow for Brad to put down. We decided the group of 50 elk bedded infront of us 30 yds out was not a good idea. So we turned to another group feeding 125 yds away. Brad put a cow in his cross-heirs and sweezed the trigger. It was a good hit, but she didn't fall. Meanwhile, I pulled up my gun, found a cow looking back toward us, and pulled the trigger. The cow took 2 steps and fell down a slope into the trees. I put my gun down, and told Brad to find his cow and shoot again before she gets to the timber line. It took a second because there was elk running everywhere, but we saw her side-hilling slowly 20 yds from where Brad 1st hit her. He shot a 2nd time & she dropped! I figured we would field dress Brad's cow 1st, then go do mine. As we walked to the trees where I last saw my cow fall, I came to a find tracks everywhere, and 1 set with a trail of blood.
My father did get into another group that morning, but was not able to close the deal. That evening we glassed about 100 elk bedding down on an open ridgeline. So we made a plan for the next morning.
DAY 3- The plan was to have my dad get into the park which the herd had came from, and I would hike the back side of the ridge to get a shot @ them. I waited 45 min. so my dad could get into place. As I started toward the ridge, I came around to a creek bottom. Next to the creek stood a lone cow feeding. I closed the distance to 75 yds. as she had no clue I was there. I set-up my stixs, & down she went.
With that, I radioed my dad to tell him that I was done, and the herd should be on the move. Unfortunatelly, my dad had spent 45 mins trying I.D. a few bulls on his way to his spot, and the herd had spotted him before he could get a shot.
That afternoon we started scouting right after lunch. We found the herd again bedded in the Black timber 1/4 from where we thought they were feeding. My dad & I set-up @ a clearing, then started the wait. Sure enough, an hour later I could see movement in the trees, I told my dad to get ready. 20 elk came out to feed in the clearing, we waited as they moved closer to us. Once again, we were not detected, so we scanned the group for the biggest cow. We picked the cow feeding to the far right, waited for her to turn broadside, and Bang!! She took the hit, and started for the timber, so my dad shot again. This time caughting her in the front leg. She stopped, took 3 steps backward, wabbled and fall.
We were done!!!
