Had a dress rehearsal

[FTTPOW]

This weekend we had everyone bring their gear so we could see if we had everything covered and how it would all pack in the trailer. Two of the guys let us know that they'd have to back out on going. We're 4 weeks away from heading to Colorado and went from 6 to 4 people. It's a shame for them since they've never been out West or elk hunting. They had to make a choice and this was it.
The upside is that now we're a leaner, more managable number and only need to take one vehicle versus two. It also gives us a little more leeway on what gear we can take, since there's more room in the trailer we can pack some of the items we were cutting back on before we got the extra room. Being able to pack extra socks and underwear will now be possible! JK. We now have the option of using our cook tent for storing the tack and protecting the gear by moving all cooking operations inside the sleeping tent. I think 4 can sleep and cook in a 14x20 wall tent.

 

[Aught-SixGuy]

Good luck!

 

[mtnsammy]

A thought to consider, if you cook sleep and dress in the same tent you will smell like what you eat and cook. The elk may notice the extra scents.

I used a portable carport/tent for our kitchen last year and it was perfect. 8X20 with plenty room for all to dry out. If it were to snow I know the carport could also hold 4-5 feet of snow as I normally park my jeep under it. It does snow a bit where I live.

If the carport is not available or too expensive consider a second tent setup.

When I am all setup I will take some pics and sneak back into town to post them here. I am going solo this year and will not need the extra tents but still it should be fun. I plan to spend a few weeks prior to see where the archers are having luck. With a few cases of good beer and some good whiskey and rum I can talk most anyone into giving up success and sometimes where the atm card is with a pin number. If my brothers come out we use good cigars too. It's all about the harvest once you get there. I am on 6 years of tag stew and need some meat real soon.

 

[FTTPOW]

A thought to consider, if you cook sleep and dress in the same tent you will smell like what you eat and cook. The elk may notice the extra scents.

I used a portable carport/tent for our kitchen last year and it was perfect. 8X20 with plenty room for all to dry out. If it were to snow I know the carport could also hold 4-5 feet of snow as I normally park my jeep under it. It does snow a bit where I live.

If the carport is not available or too expensive consider a second tent setup.

When I am all setup I will take some pics and sneak back into town to post them here. I am going solo this year and will not need the extra tents but still it should be fun. I plan to spend a few weeks prior to see where the archers are having luck. With a few cases of good beer and some good whiskey and rum I can talk most anyone into giving up success and sometimes where the atm card is with a pin number. If my brothers come out we use good cigars too. It's all about the harvest once you get there. I am on 6 years of tag stew and need some meat real soon.[/QUOTE

I thought of this before. If the elk wind you, it doesn't matter if you smell like cooking odors, sweat, horses or human. You're already busted. That's why I don't believe in Scentloc, either. Still good advise, though.

 

[mtnsammy]

I agree kinda. Last year the first elk was taken by a guy who worked on his tractor all night looked and smelt of diesel. Obviously the elk did not care enough to move. I could smell him 20 feet away like a leaky fuel cell. Still I would like to think I do everything possible to get my harvest. We will see this year I am putting more into footing the turf early with the archers to see where the game is. At least I will have a better idea where they were the weeks before????

The carport also was great for drying out and warming up last year. If I had thought of it I could have brought a mid shelter wall and parked the quads under cover too. I liked the speed the shelter setup and the snow load it can hold. Lets all take pics of our base camps and post after the hunts. Ideas are always good when things change the game.

 

[FTTPOW]

Our base camp will be close to the truck. If the need arises we're prepared to spike out. Caring for the horses during spike camp is our biggest concern. Both base and spike camps should look rather primitive. Comfortable, but primitive. We can't haul everything plus the kitchen sink on this trip. I figure we're going to look pretty modern just by having propane heat and cooking stoves.

 

[CA Karen]

Sounds like you have all the bases covered well, and a few comforts too. Good luck with the horses... nothing like an escape artist with an attitude. my Appy could send me in to a fit at times with his antics.

 

[FTTPOW]

Wow, we just got some more bad news. We've already lost 2 of the original 6 that got tags. Monday night one of the remaining members of the group was unloading hay and one of the bales (aprox 4'x4'x8') pinned him, breaking a bunch of ribs and punjcuring a lung. He had to be LifeFlighted out. He's in stable condition, but his first elk hunt is out the window. That now leaves us with 3 with less than 3 weeks before departure. Licenses aren't transferable and there's nothing OTC for this Unit, so we can't pick up another hunter for the group. Rather than try to hunt in a group of 3, we may be able to take another guy along as a non-hunter just so that we can cover more ground and not have a solo hunter fighting a horse that doesn't want to be separated from the others.
He'll be getting a sweet deal because he'll get to travel for free and just for the price of food can go "hunting" even though he can't hunt. Did I mention he's a good camp cook as well?

 

[mtnsammy]

I would jump at it if I didn't have tags too. They can get hardship refunds with letter form doctor. That aside best of luck and I will still try to hook up while we are next door to each other in Colorado.

 

[Sigma]

As long as the season hasn't started, they should be able to get refunds. They need to be sent in now. Go here and download License Refund Application: http://wildlife.state.co.us/ShopDOW/AppsAndLicenses/Pages/totallicensing.aspx

 

[FTTPOW]

They're aware that they can get refunds up until shortly before the season begins. The issue is in the fact that 2 chose to and one HAS to. We'll make the best of it, though.

 

[mtnsammy]

Next year invite me. I never back out of any hunt opportunity. I even have great food, sometimes. Horseback is scheduled near Montrose in 3 years. Make the best of it at least you still get to go hunt. I had my entire hunt team back out but my wife either loves me a lot or thinks she is getting rid of me finally after 30 years and is letting me still go. Make it work and brag about the fun.