- Thread starter mtnsammy
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Bad news. Most the hunters have their game and are packing up. After seeing the bull in all it's glory I was soooooo stoked. All I ever wanted was to see the mass size close up. I was blessed watching from 30 feet a bull that looked like he had just run from another hunter. He huffed a few blows as he looked over the clearing as if he was saying, "Ha I outsmarted that hunter and this is now my field." I could see he was looking for the smells of humans. His breath was still heavy from the run and as I reached for the phone a brush of the grass alerted him. I got to spend several minutes amazed with his beauty. After he ran I needed to eat so I went back to camp.
On the way I stopped and talked to another solo hunter from Denver. As we talked my back to the forest he saw 2 cows. We grabbed our rifles and ran. Unfortunately I had my 444 and am limited to about 150-200 yards on a perfect shot. He took a shot at 300 yards and grazed one cow. He never found it. Over and over I heard this from the hunters. As it turns out the cows ran right behind my camp less than 100 yards. Now I was really stoked. I got to my trailer ate quickly and as I stepped out of the trailer there went the knee again. I sat and rested a few going over my equipment. I changed rifles to my 30-06 and wanted to be sure everything was ready. Last check I noticed my cell phone was gone........
CRAP I cannot hunt without any communication. I started tracing my steps and found the phone in the road 1/2 mile away. Now with a sore knee, doped up, no phone, most the hunters gone that were my back ups, I was deep in thought. Eventually one has to realize the hunt is not going to work out. Many equipment failures, injuries, no support locally. With deep regret I decided to first try to hookup with some of the others in the area. A lot of bad hunting and they were all still trying to fill any of their tags too.
So now I am at home simmering the tag stew again this year. Probably one of the best hunts I have ever had. You the readers kept the spirit of hunting alive enabling me to relive the hunt each time something new occured. I met several hunters from around the USA sharing tales of past and present. I spent so much time in the area I feel I am a local now too. I summarized the GPS and found I rode my quad just over 300 miles, hiked just under 150 miles in 2.5 weeks. I counted well over 100 deer sightings, 20-25 elk sightings, Moose, grouse, all sorts of animals and their marks on the forest. I helped dress a cow, hung a bull, flipped a quad back for another. I was honored with seeing markers of heroes past and future.
So what is the real reason we hunt? Hunting is the one time we get to go back to the days of hunters and gatherers. When the hunt is over everyone sits around a fire and listens to the adventures of the strong. The gatherers are in awe, the children amazed. We make the stories exciting by adding our personal views sometimes stretching the facts to make it more adventurous. One by one the hunters all tell what happened as the audience ewwws and awws. Everyone is jealous or envious. But the hunters just like the opportunity to make another's life more than a day gathering greens and gords.
I don't think anyone likes the killing and the harvesting is a bit gross if you actually think about it. I got to help again dressing out a cow. The new hunter was timid about sticking his finger up inside as he cut out the backside of the cow. Actually it is the easiest way to do it. You know it is done right. But reaching in and pulling out the guts, worried about the accidental slip and cutting of the stomach, can be intimidating. But looking back at all the fun, labors, accidents and failures, successes and glories shared with family and friends makes the hunt more than a 2 second shot or 3 hours butchering. Going out with friends and family enduring the worst nature has looking for the most difficult game and bringing home the meat to tell the story over and over again. The memories are forever. I will forget how many times I hurt my knee in less than a week. But seeing the bull up close will be there forever. Having some meat would be nice but here on Jesse's I had the opportunity to still share and weave my tale for those I kept close. I can say we hunted well. Advice over the years from all of you brought me closer to the game than I have ever been.
We hunt to share. We share the meat, the hard work, the stories, even the disappointments. We hunt because with family and friends we can become closer. We survive the snoring, the midnight gas attacks, close quarters, lack of bathing, bad cooking all of it just so we can share the memories later. Some of the time we are teachers and most of the time we are students. In the end we are glad to come back with game, stories, and a better understanding how frail we really are. With a flick of our finger life ceases and we are the the cause. Suddenly we face the reality God placed that creature for us to have. I hope we all thank him for a quick and sudden death with little suffering. And we place the food in our freezers. Now with great honor we tell all about our trip and how we took our game. Just like when we took the shot the story last for days and the killing is brief.
Hunting should never be about the killing or the taking of game. It is about everything else around the harvesting. It is about who and where, when and how, what and what happened. It is about the tales and memories and who we decide to tell them to.
My new saying is, " Right field, Wrong tag." I did do it this year several times over I just had the wrong tag. Next year I will try for an "Either sex Tag." Best of all I have already shared my tale with several hundred friends and I just got home. I can go back and read it over and listen each time another reads it and calls me.
So what is next?? Pigs in the spring time. I am already making plans and reassessing my gear and tactics. I will work twice as hard on my new stepper and hit the range to better my aim. I will never be one of those that took the shot I probably shouldn't have only to injure the game and not find it to put it down.
Practice practice practice. If shooting at moving targets is your fault then work at it. Have your brother run real fast and shoot paint balls at him. If it is distance then work at it. Never be the one to injure the game and not be able to track it. At camp I even have a blacklight just in case so at night I can follow the trail easier.
I look forward to hunting with you all again soon. My phone is still dead so Sean I will get back to you later when I get another phone. I am sorry I did not have a great ending for everyone but now that I am home I see others have had great luck to talk about.
On the way I stopped and talked to another solo hunter from Denver. As we talked my back to the forest he saw 2 cows. We grabbed our rifles and ran. Unfortunately I had my 444 and am limited to about 150-200 yards on a perfect shot. He took a shot at 300 yards and grazed one cow. He never found it. Over and over I heard this from the hunters. As it turns out the cows ran right behind my camp less than 100 yards. Now I was really stoked. I got to my trailer ate quickly and as I stepped out of the trailer there went the knee again. I sat and rested a few going over my equipment. I changed rifles to my 30-06 and wanted to be sure everything was ready. Last check I noticed my cell phone was gone........
CRAP I cannot hunt without any communication. I started tracing my steps and found the phone in the road 1/2 mile away. Now with a sore knee, doped up, no phone, most the hunters gone that were my back ups, I was deep in thought. Eventually one has to realize the hunt is not going to work out. Many equipment failures, injuries, no support locally. With deep regret I decided to first try to hookup with some of the others in the area. A lot of bad hunting and they were all still trying to fill any of their tags too.
So now I am at home simmering the tag stew again this year. Probably one of the best hunts I have ever had. You the readers kept the spirit of hunting alive enabling me to relive the hunt each time something new occured. I met several hunters from around the USA sharing tales of past and present. I spent so much time in the area I feel I am a local now too. I summarized the GPS and found I rode my quad just over 300 miles, hiked just under 150 miles in 2.5 weeks. I counted well over 100 deer sightings, 20-25 elk sightings, Moose, grouse, all sorts of animals and their marks on the forest. I helped dress a cow, hung a bull, flipped a quad back for another. I was honored with seeing markers of heroes past and future.
So what is the real reason we hunt? Hunting is the one time we get to go back to the days of hunters and gatherers. When the hunt is over everyone sits around a fire and listens to the adventures of the strong. The gatherers are in awe, the children amazed. We make the stories exciting by adding our personal views sometimes stretching the facts to make it more adventurous. One by one the hunters all tell what happened as the audience ewwws and awws. Everyone is jealous or envious. But the hunters just like the opportunity to make another's life more than a day gathering greens and gords.
I don't think anyone likes the killing and the harvesting is a bit gross if you actually think about it. I got to help again dressing out a cow. The new hunter was timid about sticking his finger up inside as he cut out the backside of the cow. Actually it is the easiest way to do it. You know it is done right. But reaching in and pulling out the guts, worried about the accidental slip and cutting of the stomach, can be intimidating. But looking back at all the fun, labors, accidents and failures, successes and glories shared with family and friends makes the hunt more than a 2 second shot or 3 hours butchering. Going out with friends and family enduring the worst nature has looking for the most difficult game and bringing home the meat to tell the story over and over again. The memories are forever. I will forget how many times I hurt my knee in less than a week. But seeing the bull up close will be there forever. Having some meat would be nice but here on Jesse's I had the opportunity to still share and weave my tale for those I kept close. I can say we hunted well. Advice over the years from all of you brought me closer to the game than I have ever been.
We hunt to share. We share the meat, the hard work, the stories, even the disappointments. We hunt because with family and friends we can become closer. We survive the snoring, the midnight gas attacks, close quarters, lack of bathing, bad cooking all of it just so we can share the memories later. Some of the time we are teachers and most of the time we are students. In the end we are glad to come back with game, stories, and a better understanding how frail we really are. With a flick of our finger life ceases and we are the the cause. Suddenly we face the reality God placed that creature for us to have. I hope we all thank him for a quick and sudden death with little suffering. And we place the food in our freezers. Now with great honor we tell all about our trip and how we took our game. Just like when we took the shot the story last for days and the killing is brief.
Hunting should never be about the killing or the taking of game. It is about everything else around the harvesting. It is about who and where, when and how, what and what happened. It is about the tales and memories and who we decide to tell them to.
My new saying is, " Right field, Wrong tag." I did do it this year several times over I just had the wrong tag. Next year I will try for an "Either sex Tag." Best of all I have already shared my tale with several hundred friends and I just got home. I can go back and read it over and listen each time another reads it and calls me.
So what is next?? Pigs in the spring time. I am already making plans and reassessing my gear and tactics. I will work twice as hard on my new stepper and hit the range to better my aim. I will never be one of those that took the shot I probably shouldn't have only to injure the game and not find it to put it down.
Practice practice practice. If shooting at moving targets is your fault then work at it. Have your brother run real fast and shoot paint balls at him. If it is distance then work at it. Never be the one to injure the game and not be able to track it. At camp I even have a blacklight just in case so at night I can follow the trail easier.
I look forward to hunting with you all again soon. My phone is still dead so Sean I will get back to you later when I get another phone. I am sorry I did not have a great ending for everyone but now that I am home I see others have had great luck to talk about.
Last edited:
snoopdogg
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Sammy, 2.5 weeks of solo hunting for a huge species, with many obstacles, you are a bad-ass hunter! You may not have been successful in filling your tag, but you have filled your memory bank full of sights, sounds and new experiences. Good for you, another successful hunt!
hunterdoug
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I agree another successful hunt, thanks for sharing. great reading. many of my hunts have ended in tag soup but with great memories. there's been many time I've said "I'm glad I didn't kill anything today, cause now I can rest and sleep, and hopefully better equipped next time".
Aught-SixGuy
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What a wonderful tale, one we have all lived out in one form or another. Thanks for sharing, and hopefully I will meet up with you next year in the beautiful elk woods. I should get drawn for deer in GMU 12 next year, and will have an elk tag as well. Thanks again for sharing, and God bless. Hope your knee heals up quickly!
Aught-six I can show you where the deer is plenty in GMU12. The only problem will be which 6 or 8x8 you will take.
Now that I have showered, cuddled with the wife and wrestled with the dogs I feel normal again. I am putting together next years hunt again and first things first is the funding. Minus repairs I dumped $3000 this year and am a little over budget. I will get together the funds, find those that want a great hunt, schedule the meets and gather supplies. By Oct 1st 2013 I will be loaded and ready. I have plans for making low budget cabin tents with wood stoves, I am already putting together survival kits to sell ( I think this hunt is proof I know what is needed in the kits), and will work on shooting my 1968 30-06 for distance. Mtnsammy is just an old name from my building diesel Samurai's. Grumpy Joe is my real name I got from driving in LA traffic and dealing with rude people. Hopefully my business takes off this winter and I can become a sponsor here. That is another thread all together.
Due dates for 1st rifle draw is April 2nd 2013. Hunt dates are Oct 12-16th. Cow tags are $351 either sex $576. For the piece of mind I am trying for either sex. 3 times I had the opportunity to fill that tag but was in the right field with the wrong tag. Thanks again for all the positive comments and email. Grumpy Joe is looking to renew the true experience of hunting for all. From Hunter Safety to how to hunt classes I hope to bring out more positive ethical responsible hunters.
Now that I have showered, cuddled with the wife and wrestled with the dogs I feel normal again. I am putting together next years hunt again and first things first is the funding. Minus repairs I dumped $3000 this year and am a little over budget. I will get together the funds, find those that want a great hunt, schedule the meets and gather supplies. By Oct 1st 2013 I will be loaded and ready. I have plans for making low budget cabin tents with wood stoves, I am already putting together survival kits to sell ( I think this hunt is proof I know what is needed in the kits), and will work on shooting my 1968 30-06 for distance. Mtnsammy is just an old name from my building diesel Samurai's. Grumpy Joe is my real name I got from driving in LA traffic and dealing with rude people. Hopefully my business takes off this winter and I can become a sponsor here. That is another thread all together.
Due dates for 1st rifle draw is April 2nd 2013. Hunt dates are Oct 12-16th. Cow tags are $351 either sex $576. For the piece of mind I am trying for either sex. 3 times I had the opportunity to fill that tag but was in the right field with the wrong tag. Thanks again for all the positive comments and email. Grumpy Joe is looking to renew the true experience of hunting for all. From Hunter Safety to how to hunt classes I hope to bring out more positive ethical responsible hunters.
BassAssasin805
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Hey Joe,
It's a shame we didn't meet up. I was new to the area and was further away then anticipated. Cell service didn't help things. I have some good intel for next years hunt. We filled 4 of 5 tags, 3 cows and a bull. Give me a call when you get a chance and ill tell you all the details. I'm glad I got to experience my first Colorado hunt and will for sure be back next year.
Sean
It's a shame we didn't meet up. I was new to the area and was further away then anticipated. Cell service didn't help things. I have some good intel for next years hunt. We filled 4 of 5 tags, 3 cows and a bull. Give me a call when you get a chance and ill tell you all the details. I'm glad I got to experience my first Colorado hunt and will for sure be back next year.
Sean
hunterdoug
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.
Due dates for 1st rifle draw is April 2nd 2013. Hunt dates are Oct 12-16th. Cow tags are $351 either sex $576. For the piece of mind I am trying for either sex. 3 times I had the opportunity to fill that tag but was in the right field with the wrong tag. Thanks again for all the positive comments and email. Grumpy Joe is looking to renew the true experience of hunting for all. From Hunter Safety to how to hunt classes I hope to bring out more positive ethical responsible hunters.[/QUOTE]
may try to put in. sounds like a great area. price is right. my gf and I would be coming as a team and I'm a good camp cook. would love to talk and find more details to plan ahead. glad you made it home safe.
Due dates for 1st rifle draw is April 2nd 2013. Hunt dates are Oct 12-16th. Cow tags are $351 either sex $576. For the piece of mind I am trying for either sex. 3 times I had the opportunity to fill that tag but was in the right field with the wrong tag. Thanks again for all the positive comments and email. Grumpy Joe is looking to renew the true experience of hunting for all. From Hunter Safety to how to hunt classes I hope to bring out more positive ethical responsible hunters.[/QUOTE]
may try to put in. sounds like a great area. price is right. my gf and I would be coming as a team and I'm a good camp cook. would love to talk and find more details to plan ahead. glad you made it home safe.
