So I was embarrassed to post until I read LTDAN. Sounds real good quality hunting. I went to Colorado November 2011. We bought and got 1st rifle in zone 23. My brother had been telling me stories of all the game and the amazing kills for years. Worst part was he refused to tell me where he was hunting. After my dad's passing the brothers decided a family hunt was in order. With little planning and frequent changes we all made it to camp one day before the season.
I am known for my overkill and over planning. Colorado has amazing facts and updated info for hunting. THe free online mapping and topo was the best I have ever seen. I knew the terrain before I was 100 miles away. The fact my brothers and I agreed we can hunt let alone camp and eat together in the wilderness was amazing. Last minute changes took away the 37 foot toyhauler for base camp, lost 1 of 3 quads for the hunt, and no idea of what anyone was bringing to the hunt until we arrived. My brothers waited until the day we drove in to buy foor, maps,tags for quads fuel................. boy did this list grow. I changed my plans and drove out in my old diesel 4x4 chuggin along at 45-50 the whole way. I brought enough chains tools tarps safety equipment and a first aid kit the US Army would be amazed with. I had enough food to feed 3 of us for 3 weeks fuel for cooking to last 4 weeks heaters wool blankets extra clothes and boots even an extra rifle and ammo. We all arrive and set up camp to realize we had too much stuff and too little time. My little bro had to leave 2 days early, my older bro forgot to tell anyone the plans, we had enough fire wood for 3 nights but were supposed to cook 7 days with it. We are brothers so we did what was best, we set the foundations for a good fight later when we were too tired to do anything else.
Day one we set out to learn the terrain. My oldest bro took us everywhere showing landmarks and we set gps points and marked the maps. We found the runs and all the campers around us. I could see living at 7200 feet gave me some advantage but I am a bit worn out for this beautiful mountain. By the end of the day I knew I was a 3rd leg and ridding on the back of bro's quad would not last. Rifle mounts behind the rear wheels would be real bad later. The lack of equipment we loaded on the quads for packing and carving would be a problem. More over planning would remedy this but added 10 pounds to my pack. I felt the next morning would be the best day the Lord ever showed me.
Day two we head out 2 hours before sunrise. No one is moving and we were the first down the trials. We got the sights we wanted and only had a few minor issues walking in the dark. I was set in a meadow with a good 270 degree view and 3 heavy trails. Later I found out this was the best spot for the valley by every hunter I met. I saw a gorgeous sunrise and hear shots going off within minutes. THe first hour 3 elks were taken. I even heard my lil bro shoot off a few. I was excited. Soon the elk would be running past me and I would have my kill. The light was getting better and I was crushed with a new sight. 75 yards away another hunter was squatting in a bush. As soon as he saw me it was like a toddler in a carseat. Up and Down pissing in the wind making enough noise and motion nothing would walk by that I could legally shoot. But my lil brother got a shot off I know it.
As it turns out bro got too excited and shot off several rounds maybe hitting something in the butt however it ran off before he could track it. WHAT?????? several rounds didn't know what he hit, was it male or female????? Still the best day ever hunting with my bros. Bro Sr. kept running in circles around us looking for elk to heard or shoot. He was truly dedicated with making the hunt good. As we hiked out we met an old man happy as a lark with the ugliest bull ever, 3x5 twisted almost 30 degrees on the top of the most deformed head ever. Meat is Meat!! He was thrilled but confused at how he shot the bull in the ass. "Back in the day I could call every shot out the end of my rifle." He was still one up on me. THe others were a clean 4x4 and 3 cows. What a first day. Elk shot everywhere around me and mostly within 200 yards. The next day I will move to higher elevation where the elk were.
Day three we left later but had a great breakfast and best of all hot coffee roasted not made in some counter machine, mmmmmmm. We moved to different locations and were more mobile. We agreed we could not play htis area with so many hunters by sitting and waiting for the game to come in our little clearings. As we worked the area again shots rang out over the valley. Another half dozen taken. This time tho I did hear one close by and tracked it to a nearby clearing. Much more signs here and many were fresh. I even found one that was still steaming and soft. But I lost the trail. THe thrill and the overwelming movement of game was more than I could hope for. Today we also learned cell phones worked real well if we text each other like teens. By now I was real familiar with the game trails and the elevations for the main clearings. My GPS was working well for me and I could move around well keeping good bearings on the quads and the main camp. More hunters met and shared ideas of how we all were working the valley. I helped cut some meat and loaded their truck. Treasured day for sure. I spent a lot of the day in silence stalking and trailing thinking of the hunts with my father, now shared with my brothers. We all went back to camp empty again but high in spirits. A toast at dinner to our father and we prepared for the next day.
Day four, SNOW, wet cold slimy ugly weather. I should have known the elk would bed down like we should have. Today I stayed with my lil bro as he continually saw elk just never shot one. "They move so quick." I still love him but hunting should be a skill not slow moving retards we get several chances to kill them. He will get better. By mid day I hear several shots again to the west so I text Bro Sr I want to get the 2nd chance at the elk. As I head his way he returns the shots were his. Really long pause..............." I need you guys over here." Bad kill I was sure and he would need help cutting to save the meat. After some argueing on GPS and where we were going we find my Bro elbow deep in the elk. Wasting no time he had almost half the boning done. We broke out the tarps and bags sorted and cut the elk. No one spoke for several minutes as we all stared at the 12 inch spikes. Finally it came out. Remember we planned for this moment.
Bro said the snow flurries were thick and he thought he was shooting at the cow he had been following. After the shot he saw it was a spikey and the shot was well placed and fatal. STOP I am proud to say Bro called and left 3 messages with the warden as to what had happened and that the meat was still being saved. Bro Sr told us early the meat from bad kills and illegal kills all went to shelters and orphan homes. Nothing was left to spoil in Colorado without a heavy fine. We took 2 hours of cutting and bagging. THe hike was about 1/3 mile up with about 500 foot elevation change. 4 bags of elk meat and very little talking.
Up to this point I had the time of my life. Meat or no meat, I was hunting and camping with my brothers and we were enjoying every minute. We ate meals we all planned individually, shared in our own favorite drinks with each other, played tricks and bailed each other out. A perfect hunt. The spikey blew it. Bro Sr felt slighted, lil bro anxious with travel plans and it all blew. Bickering started words exchanged. Hey we are brothers not martyrs. In the end camp was broken down and we went our own ways. The warden took all the meat even shared meat from other hunters, Bro Sr recieved a warning on his future tags, lil bro made his flight for his business meetings and I went home meatless.
What did I learn? Hunting is AWSOME. So what if my bros made some bad shots and we went home with no meat. We were together and enjoyed God's most beautiful country in it's most simplest form. Planning the hunt needed much more work. This year I will bring everything needed minus the vehicles, I even bought my own Grizzly 660 quad. I will make sure camp is set up with plenty of time to prepare for the hunt. Meals travel and extra supplies will be onsite and final. The terrain is already known but extra maps and GPS downloads will be ready so everyone can enjoy the hunt. Yes a little like a guided hunt but the blind leading the blind. Most important will be making sure the family cane make it to and from the hunt. If this was with my friends it would have ended a lot worst. Of all the bad that happened the worst was communication.
Hunt with family. THe memories are endless. I will be back out there 2012 hopefully 1st rifle again. I would post pics but since there are no elk in any of the pics why???
OK So I too messed up. Only fair my failings post too. I brought this great tent able to withstand climbing Everest or hunting Antartica. I set it up in record time. But when I went to get inside with my bag and clothes I could not. I am 4 inches longer than the tent. Fortunately I had a shell on my truck so I slept there and kept my gear in the tent. All my scent blocking was for nothing as most my clothes smelled of diesel from sitting in the back of the truck and blowing black smoke for some 600 miles. I did have 2 sets inside the cab for the ride home and used those for the hunting.
I am known for my overkill and over planning. Colorado has amazing facts and updated info for hunting. THe free online mapping and topo was the best I have ever seen. I knew the terrain before I was 100 miles away. The fact my brothers and I agreed we can hunt let alone camp and eat together in the wilderness was amazing. Last minute changes took away the 37 foot toyhauler for base camp, lost 1 of 3 quads for the hunt, and no idea of what anyone was bringing to the hunt until we arrived. My brothers waited until the day we drove in to buy foor, maps,tags for quads fuel................. boy did this list grow. I changed my plans and drove out in my old diesel 4x4 chuggin along at 45-50 the whole way. I brought enough chains tools tarps safety equipment and a first aid kit the US Army would be amazed with. I had enough food to feed 3 of us for 3 weeks fuel for cooking to last 4 weeks heaters wool blankets extra clothes and boots even an extra rifle and ammo. We all arrive and set up camp to realize we had too much stuff and too little time. My little bro had to leave 2 days early, my older bro forgot to tell anyone the plans, we had enough fire wood for 3 nights but were supposed to cook 7 days with it. We are brothers so we did what was best, we set the foundations for a good fight later when we were too tired to do anything else.
Day one we set out to learn the terrain. My oldest bro took us everywhere showing landmarks and we set gps points and marked the maps. We found the runs and all the campers around us. I could see living at 7200 feet gave me some advantage but I am a bit worn out for this beautiful mountain. By the end of the day I knew I was a 3rd leg and ridding on the back of bro's quad would not last. Rifle mounts behind the rear wheels would be real bad later. The lack of equipment we loaded on the quads for packing and carving would be a problem. More over planning would remedy this but added 10 pounds to my pack. I felt the next morning would be the best day the Lord ever showed me.
Day two we head out 2 hours before sunrise. No one is moving and we were the first down the trials. We got the sights we wanted and only had a few minor issues walking in the dark. I was set in a meadow with a good 270 degree view and 3 heavy trails. Later I found out this was the best spot for the valley by every hunter I met. I saw a gorgeous sunrise and hear shots going off within minutes. THe first hour 3 elks were taken. I even heard my lil bro shoot off a few. I was excited. Soon the elk would be running past me and I would have my kill. The light was getting better and I was crushed with a new sight. 75 yards away another hunter was squatting in a bush. As soon as he saw me it was like a toddler in a carseat. Up and Down pissing in the wind making enough noise and motion nothing would walk by that I could legally shoot. But my lil brother got a shot off I know it.
As it turns out bro got too excited and shot off several rounds maybe hitting something in the butt however it ran off before he could track it. WHAT?????? several rounds didn't know what he hit, was it male or female????? Still the best day ever hunting with my bros. Bro Sr. kept running in circles around us looking for elk to heard or shoot. He was truly dedicated with making the hunt good. As we hiked out we met an old man happy as a lark with the ugliest bull ever, 3x5 twisted almost 30 degrees on the top of the most deformed head ever. Meat is Meat!! He was thrilled but confused at how he shot the bull in the ass. "Back in the day I could call every shot out the end of my rifle." He was still one up on me. THe others were a clean 4x4 and 3 cows. What a first day. Elk shot everywhere around me and mostly within 200 yards. The next day I will move to higher elevation where the elk were.
Day three we left later but had a great breakfast and best of all hot coffee roasted not made in some counter machine, mmmmmmm. We moved to different locations and were more mobile. We agreed we could not play htis area with so many hunters by sitting and waiting for the game to come in our little clearings. As we worked the area again shots rang out over the valley. Another half dozen taken. This time tho I did hear one close by and tracked it to a nearby clearing. Much more signs here and many were fresh. I even found one that was still steaming and soft. But I lost the trail. THe thrill and the overwelming movement of game was more than I could hope for. Today we also learned cell phones worked real well if we text each other like teens. By now I was real familiar with the game trails and the elevations for the main clearings. My GPS was working well for me and I could move around well keeping good bearings on the quads and the main camp. More hunters met and shared ideas of how we all were working the valley. I helped cut some meat and loaded their truck. Treasured day for sure. I spent a lot of the day in silence stalking and trailing thinking of the hunts with my father, now shared with my brothers. We all went back to camp empty again but high in spirits. A toast at dinner to our father and we prepared for the next day.
Day four, SNOW, wet cold slimy ugly weather. I should have known the elk would bed down like we should have. Today I stayed with my lil bro as he continually saw elk just never shot one. "They move so quick." I still love him but hunting should be a skill not slow moving retards we get several chances to kill them. He will get better. By mid day I hear several shots again to the west so I text Bro Sr I want to get the 2nd chance at the elk. As I head his way he returns the shots were his. Really long pause..............." I need you guys over here." Bad kill I was sure and he would need help cutting to save the meat. After some argueing on GPS and where we were going we find my Bro elbow deep in the elk. Wasting no time he had almost half the boning done. We broke out the tarps and bags sorted and cut the elk. No one spoke for several minutes as we all stared at the 12 inch spikes. Finally it came out. Remember we planned for this moment.
Bro said the snow flurries were thick and he thought he was shooting at the cow he had been following. After the shot he saw it was a spikey and the shot was well placed and fatal. STOP I am proud to say Bro called and left 3 messages with the warden as to what had happened and that the meat was still being saved. Bro Sr told us early the meat from bad kills and illegal kills all went to shelters and orphan homes. Nothing was left to spoil in Colorado without a heavy fine. We took 2 hours of cutting and bagging. THe hike was about 1/3 mile up with about 500 foot elevation change. 4 bags of elk meat and very little talking.
Up to this point I had the time of my life. Meat or no meat, I was hunting and camping with my brothers and we were enjoying every minute. We ate meals we all planned individually, shared in our own favorite drinks with each other, played tricks and bailed each other out. A perfect hunt. The spikey blew it. Bro Sr felt slighted, lil bro anxious with travel plans and it all blew. Bickering started words exchanged. Hey we are brothers not martyrs. In the end camp was broken down and we went our own ways. The warden took all the meat even shared meat from other hunters, Bro Sr recieved a warning on his future tags, lil bro made his flight for his business meetings and I went home meatless.
What did I learn? Hunting is AWSOME. So what if my bros made some bad shots and we went home with no meat. We were together and enjoyed God's most beautiful country in it's most simplest form. Planning the hunt needed much more work. This year I will bring everything needed minus the vehicles, I even bought my own Grizzly 660 quad. I will make sure camp is set up with plenty of time to prepare for the hunt. Meals travel and extra supplies will be onsite and final. The terrain is already known but extra maps and GPS downloads will be ready so everyone can enjoy the hunt. Yes a little like a guided hunt but the blind leading the blind. Most important will be making sure the family cane make it to and from the hunt. If this was with my friends it would have ended a lot worst. Of all the bad that happened the worst was communication.
Hunt with family. THe memories are endless. I will be back out there 2012 hopefully 1st rifle again. I would post pics but since there are no elk in any of the pics why???
OK So I too messed up. Only fair my failings post too. I brought this great tent able to withstand climbing Everest or hunting Antartica. I set it up in record time. But when I went to get inside with my bag and clothes I could not. I am 4 inches longer than the tent. Fortunately I had a shell on my truck so I slept there and kept my gear in the tent. All my scent blocking was for nothing as most my clothes smelled of diesel from sitting in the back of the truck and blowing black smoke for some 600 miles. I did have 2 sets inside the cab for the ride home and used those for the hunting.
opcorn:
