Colorado Elk 2017

[coxy]

good thing you didn't just put your pic up with out a name I would have never recognized you with all your gray scruff  :D  hope you keep the cold there 

[Magicman]

 
Here is proof that the Sun will rise......


  
And set on you and you will still be in Texas!   


 
We had a very nice Elk Camp setup, and "john" also needed a special place.   


 


 
Some of the mountain country where we hunted.


 
A Colorado Sunrise.


 
We are above 10,000 feet here.   


 
Brisket with gravy over mashed potatoes with green beans.


 
Shrimp Fettuccini.  Roughing it ain't we?

Before the season opened on Saturday morning we had seen about 30 Elk which included 5 bulls; two spikes, a spindly 4 or 5 point (one side), and two nice shooter bulls having 5 and 6 points to the side.  We went to two different places and cleared brush and decided exactly where we would be opening morning and evening.


 
Little did we know that this would move in Friday evening to one of our chosen places.   :-\  Opening morning would find us scrambling and we decided to go to a place that we had never been to and saw nothing.  We also did not hear a single shot.  Same for that evening hunt.  The "scouters" had put enough pressure on the Elk that they had vacated the area.  We would resort to our maps and decided to go higher into the country pictured above.  We found tracks but all track look fresh in dry dirt/dust.  We needed snow, but none came.


 
I did find a perfectly round rock with a hand on it for PatD, but it was too heavy to carry out.  She would have to settle for a picture.  (Ain't I thoughtful?)

More pictures and narrative later.

[Magicman]

The second morning we decided to take the long walk behind a locked gate in the National Forest where Marty killed his bull 2013.  We knew that the area had been logged and the logs staged and sold to firewood buyers.  Surely in 4 years all of the logs would be gone and we would have the area to ourselves.  WRONG!!   :-\


 
After walking over a mile in we found this.  Firewood cutters.


  
Logs staged for removal.


 
And many more tree length firewood logs yet to buck and haul.  Notice the tops piled on the left.


 


 
Two loads pass by us on the way out.  We stayed and watched until dark, but at this time our confidence in this particular area was not too high.  We walked in from a completely different direction the next day, but again struck out.  Back to the maps.


 
I called this old dead soldier "Mr. Twister".


 
The rising Sun touching the Aspen tops on an early morning.


 
An old long ago abandoned log cabin.  You wonder what the story was and why on earth a cabin was ever built in this location??

[Autocar]

Maybe you should trade your rifle in for a metal detector and see what treasures might be around the cabin  ;D

[Magicman]

Day five found us driving and scouting out an area to our North.


   
Da road goes where??


 
Hey, stop that driver!  That's my truck!  
IMG 3329 - YouTube
Actually the two water crossings were not bad, but the first look at them was daunting.

The road beyond the water crossings was rough with many huge rocks and we did not know where we were going anyway.  I made the decision to turn around and we would go back to the maps.

We got back to the camp about 4:00, so we make a trip to town to get gas, milk, and bread.  While there we also got a Subway sandwich, so supper was easy.  After eating we still had a couple of hours of sunlight/shooting time, so we took a walk behind the camp.  We found what looked like fresh Elk tracks, plus Bear, and Coyote tracks.

We would go back into that area the next morning.

[Magicman]

Day 6 found us at the trailhead a full hour before shooting hours.  The stars were bright and seemingly you could reach up and touch them.  A large shooting star came from behind and fell downward in front of the windshield.  Marty asked if I had made a wish but that I could not tell.  He said that he made a wish too, and I wondered if the two wishes were the same?   ;)

We waited until shooting light not wanting to spook any animals, but I must admit that our hopes were not too high because we now had 5 days of hunting behind us and had not seen the first Elk.  No bulls, cows, nor calves.  Nothing.  30 before the season and now nothing.

We had walked about ¾ mile when I looked to my right, dropped to my knees, looked with my binocular, used my shooting stick for a rest, and sent a Nosler Custom 165 gr Accubond on it's way.  The bull sorta lurched when the bullet hit, turned and traveled about 30 yards and stopped.  My second bullet went high and hit the dirt bank behind the bull.  He immediately turned and headed toward the mountain and dark timber to my right.  My first shot was at about 175 yards.  I can only blame myself for not folding him with the second shot.

We ran (well sorta) to where he had been standing, followed his tracks, and found blood where he entered the timber and started climbing.  Twice we heard loud crashing when he either fell or broke fallen timbers, etc.  Marty followed the blood trail and I climbed to where I figured that I would be above him.  I then started moving around the mountain in the direction that Marty indicated that he had gone.

My first sight of the bull was of only his hind quarters and his head was still up.  I know from previous experience with deer that in such a situation that you shoot what you can see.  I did, which destroyed the top portion of a hind quarter, but it anchored the bull so that another shot could finish the job.


 
My first view of the bull.  You see him?


 
OK a closer look.  The stump prevented me from a lung shot, so you can see where I popped a hind quarter.


 
Marty said that I was emotional, but I have no idea where that idea came from.  Silly boy.


   
OK, a few of the traditional pictures.  He as a 5X4 with one of his Royal tines broken off.  He had very long brow tines but no bez on either side.  Only one side had a trey point.  Both sides forked in the back.


 


 


 
And finally the "together" shot.  


 
Of course the first cut was made with my John Neeman sheath knife.  The animal was completely boned out on site and only meat was packed out.  


 


 
Marty is carrying his normal day pack containing both loins and the head.  He had a heavy load.  I carried the hind quarter with the punched carcass tag and the "evidence of sex" attached.


 
Marty had to occasionally let the head/antlers rest.  


 


 


 
The last pack trip out.


 
Yea, we celebrated with sliced Brisket/gravy over rice, corn, and with peaches and cookies.


 
The coldest temperature that we had was 10°, and that ain't the hook angle on a saw blade.


 
Loaded up and ready for a long but happy trip home.


 
Yup, the "sheep" got sheared.

The actual success of this trip was not measured in how many pounds of meat we brought home nor how many points were on the Elk's antlers, or that we even got an Elk.  Marty and I spent 12 days together one on one and we never turned the radio on while traveling.  Yes, sometimes we may go many miles or a period of time without speaking, but we were always in tune with each other.  Thank You Marty for accompanying your Dad on this his last Elk hunt.

We both made the same wish on the Shooting Star.   ;)

[barbender]

Great story of a great hunt, Magic, and a fine bull as well!

[ToddsPoint]

Congrats MM.  You did it!  Did those 10 mi. bike rides pay off?  Gary

[Magicman]

Actually I had worked up to 12 miles and yes, I managed climbing and descending better/easier than I ever have.  I never had any leg muscle trouble whatsoever.

We had no altitude problem because we really guzzled the water.  We drank/used 61 bottles of water. 

I always have trouble with the dust being blown by the constant wind and this time seemed worse than ever before.  My "snotter" gave me fits.

[Chuck White]

That was some great "Father and Son" time!   8)    8)

Happy for both of you!

[coxy]

 your right Lynn it doesn't matter if you get something or not  ITS ALL ABOUT THE FUN AND SPENDING TIME WITH FAMILY  8) 8) 8) thanks for sharing your trip with us Lynn 

[rjwoelk]

Congratulations on the hunt. But more on a great time with your son. My son came with me on a 2 week trucking trip when he was 17. Best time ever.

[fishfighter]

Outstanding  ;D I'm so happy for y'all. I already miss past trips with my son and I don't think I will hunt anymore.

[nativewolf]

good time to take up fly fishing, pack out is easier and you are still in good ahape

[WV Sawmiller]

MM,

    Congrats to you and Marty and all the others along who helped and enjoyed the good times it is obvious you had. Yes, the meat and antlers are nice but not a drop in the bucket compared to the good times and memories shared with family and friends.

    Remember - For everything else there is Mastercard...

[ely]

wonderful story lynn, thanks for taking time to document and share with the rest of the family.

[Jeff]

I had a hard time keeping my keyboard quiet after getting a photo texted to me a few days ago. Congrats Lynn and Marty!

[LaneC]

   Great story and glad you made  it back in 1 piece.

[Ron Scott]

Well done! A great hunt.

[Logger RK]

Very nice to see

[Bruno of NH]

Mr Lynn
Glad you got to spend time with your son
Family time is priceless
Nice elk

[Magicman]

Yup Jeff, I knew that I put you on the spot by sharing a picture from the kill site, actually within minutes of us reaching the animal.  Maybe I was testing you??  :D  No actually I did want to share the story because it was much more to us than the kill.

I will be several days with the unpacking, cleaning, and storing job that lies ahead.  :-\  After that there is loading the truck back with sawing gear.    This would be a good time to quit sawing except that sawing is what pays for trips such as this.   ;D

[thecfarm]

Had a post all set to go this morning and lost power due to wind storm.
I am spending my lunch to tell you to point that truck towards warmer climate.  :D  Home!!!
Congrats on the hunt and family time.

[Autocar]

Great elk and a great time to spend with your son sounds like a good time. Maybe next year your say to Marty you know I think I my have one more elk hunt in me  ;)

[WDH]

And y'all ate very well to boot  ;D.  Some more good eating is to come.