iccyman001
New member
- Apr 30, 2014
- 5,489
Glad you had a great hunt on your final hunt!\"Lark Bunting\" said:
2016 ELK update thread!
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iccyman001
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- Apr 30, 2014
- 5,489
\"midwest\" said:Just back from solo, ll days, hunting in CO in a unit I\'ve hunted twice before...2008 and 2012. Big changes with beetle kill and intensive logging going on in one end of the unit since I was last there. Lots more people down in the area I normally hunt....assuming they were pushed from the other end due to the aforementioned. I put in a ton of miles through some very good looking drainages for very few elk seen or heard.
Finally got into a big herd at last light on the last evening. Satellite bull runs out into the middle of the park to tear up a wallow while the herd bull and his cows are still up in the aspens on their way down. Lots of bugling, growling, mewing....I\'m trying to hustle around to get below them before dark but having a hard time going through black timber to get there. The big herd bull and all the cows start filing out before I can get in position so I decide to back out and plan to return in the a.m.
Thermals were coming down hard while I was trying to sneak back quickly through the deadfall with no light. I snagged a stick with my foot that made a pretty loud \"pop\" but I thought I was far enough away it wouldn\'t concern them. Apparently, it concerned them or they got a whiff of my stinky ass because the next thing I hear is a stampede back up through the timber they came out of, then total silence. I was crushed! At least I got a heck of a good rut fest show before I left. Never heard a bugle my last morning.
Can\'t wait till next year!
DANG STICKS!!!
Sorry to hear about the extra crowd, but sounds like you still got into them and still had fun!
\"Ol\' Arky\" said:Good try, Nick... :upthumb:
I remember the year they were cutting the oak bottom I killed my 1st buck with a bow.... I had killed several deer there and was in one of my stands as the trees were falling in sight of it... Saw a lot of deer on the move and a few that were going toward the logging operation... I found out after the logging was don\'t what was going on... I killed 3 doe that year feeding on the acorns of the fallen oaks tops... Always remember that when I see timber being cut now but most all the oak is gone and it\'s pine.... But deer still LOVE a fresh cut-over even now...
I wonder how elk feel about then???? :?: :?:
You always got next year to look forward to...
Phil, I learned that the elk will put up with the logging before they will increased hunting pressure. That last hunt was up at the end with all the logging. There were only a couple camps up at that end of the unit and I shared a campfire beer a couple of nights with a resident and his son up in there. They had had an epic day as well with so many bugles that morning and evening, they didn\'t know which way to go. The son had called in 3 bulls for his dad but they had all come sneaking in and busted him every time!
Back from the elk woods. Had a long great hunt. Seemed to be quite a few more hunters in the area so we did a lot of moving around trying to find the elk. Sunday monrning we got into a bull and 4 cows, snuck with in 100 yards before we started calling to see if we could bring him a little closer. The bull had other ideas and rounded up his ladies and into the woods they went. With nothing to showing Monday we decided to head to some old stomping grounds and see what we could find. After a 2 mile hike we got to the spot that we wanted to start calling. First set brought in three cows but no shot opportunities. We moved up the hill a and set up and did some more calling, with nothing showing we moved to the top of the ridge a that over looked a small bowl. I let out a couple cow calls and a bugle and two bulls answered. We quickly set up and I started calling we could tell that the bulls were not coming any closer. I looked at my wife and said we need to get closer when all of the sudden another bull sounded off and he was close. Just then my wife spots him working his way right for us with a couple more soft mews he was hooked. He stopped broadside at 50 yrds to my wife and I, my shot was blocked by a tree and the shot was out of my wife\'s comfort zone. He then turned straight on to us I drew and and as he turned to go down hill I let out a cow call and stopped him in my shooting lane and sent an arrow his way. He only made it 40yrds before he piled up.
cohunter14
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- Jul 10, 2017
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Way to go Jarod!
huntography
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- Dec 29, 2012
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cohunter14
Administrator
- Jul 10, 2017
- 5,341
Well, my first every archery season came to an end with only one punched tag...but it was a turkey tag! :tease:
[attachment=1]<!-- ia1 -->IMG_0603.JPG<!-- ia1 -->[/attachment]
Covered a bunch of ground from Thursday afternoon through yesterday morning and came to the realization that the area I had targeted is probably just a transition area during the archery season. The elk showed up occasionally on our game cameras, but were definitely not staying in the area. I covered every nook and cranny I could in the area, with nothing to show for it except some phenomenal deer sheds as well as two complete heads from what were probably mountain lion kills. As you can see from the sheds, this area definitely has potential for future deer hunts!
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Being able to punch the turkey tag was definitely cool. I\'ve never actually shot a turkey before, so being able to do that and doing it with the bow was pretty cool. Shot was 31 yards and the thing never left the spot...flopped around for a few seconds and that was it.
Now the 17 day wait starts until I head back to the woods for the first rifle season.
[attachment=1]<!-- ia1 -->IMG_0603.JPG<!-- ia1 -->[/attachment]
Covered a bunch of ground from Thursday afternoon through yesterday morning and came to the realization that the area I had targeted is probably just a transition area during the archery season. The elk showed up occasionally on our game cameras, but were definitely not staying in the area. I covered every nook and cranny I could in the area, with nothing to show for it except some phenomenal deer sheds as well as two complete heads from what were probably mountain lion kills. As you can see from the sheds, this area definitely has potential for future deer hunts!
[attachment=0]<!-- ia0 -->IMG_0615.JPG<!-- ia0 -->[/attachment]
Being able to punch the turkey tag was definitely cool. I\'ve never actually shot a turkey before, so being able to do that and doing it with the bow was pretty cool. Shot was 31 yards and the thing never left the spot...flopped around for a few seconds and that was it.
Now the 17 day wait starts until I head back to the woods for the first rifle season.
Well, I ended this archery season ... hunted Saturday, Sunday, and this morning.
Hunt 1: Scouted a new ridge, and finally found elk ... a 5x5, two spikes, and 8 cows/calves were coming to water. I had a good path in the willows to intercept them but then ... I heard two loud female voices coming down the trail right between us! The hikers were having a great day and never even saw the elk -- or me.
Hunt 2: Walked a long ridge and found nothing -- not a sign of elk except old rubs. But I did find some hunters coming off the trail near my camp. I spoke with them, and it turns out they busted a 5x5 not a couple hundred yards from camp, and more about a 1/2 mile away. They were done hunting, and shared information freely.
Hunt 3: I woke up early and walked to where they said they saw elk. I stopped to listen and heard a bugle just 100-150 yards away. I answered with a cow call and he bugled again, this time closer, probably 75. Then ... I was busted by a cow. :crazy:
I went on and soon heard another bugle. Game on. I bugled back and he bugled to me. We both closed the considerable distance ... I\'m guessing 400-800 yards. I got to the edge of a clear cut and could see him on the other side. We bugled, but we were both leery of showing ourselves in the open. This went on for a bit and then I started raking a tree. He advanced. He was in the middle of the clear cut -- but I couldn\'t see him with all the slash and remaining trees and a small hill, but he was coming. Then ... he stopped, still 150 yards out. After some more bugles, I could tell he wasn\'t interested. What\'s up? I watched him and his cows drift off.
I went out to see what\'s up and ... there were two hunters in the clear cut. I had called that bull right to them, and the hunter with a broken arm missed him at 20 yards with a cross-bow. Limb on the bow hit a tree!
Hunt 4: I went back to where I saw the first elk in the morning, where I got busted by the cow. No elk. I hiked way up hill only to ... hear him bugle right in the same spot he busted me down low in the morning. Game back on ... I got down the hill fast, and he was bugling every 2 minutes. I thought I knew where he\'d show, but at the last minute, he changed course. I followed him over a few knolls, got to within 100 yards, and, with about 20 minutes left in the day, cow called. He bugled. I bugled. He bugled. I raked a tree. This was working ... wind in my favor. But then ... his bugle was farther away. The farther still. The cows were leading him back uphill. At dark. Game over.
Hunt 5: I got up early, thinking I knew where they\'d be in the morning. I drove up high, and started walking a 4x4 road, just listening. Nothing. I bugled. I got an answer about where I thought they\'d be. I thought it was a half mile away. I started to pick up my pace, and in a minute rounded a corner and ... walked right into the herd in the dark. Seriously misjudged how far away they were. I cow talked to the bull again in 20 minutes, but his cows were having nothing of it, and they were on their way to a swamp. Game over.
Oh well ... it was an area I had never hunted, or scouted seriously, and got into elk almost every time I went out.
Some things just happen ... hikers walking into a setup ... other hunters hunting the same bull ... busting elk in the dark. The bull last night (Hunt 4) should\'ve been dead and I\'m still not sure what I\'d have done differently.
Great fun, though.
Hunt 1: Scouted a new ridge, and finally found elk ... a 5x5, two spikes, and 8 cows/calves were coming to water. I had a good path in the willows to intercept them but then ... I heard two loud female voices coming down the trail right between us! The hikers were having a great day and never even saw the elk -- or me.
Hunt 2: Walked a long ridge and found nothing -- not a sign of elk except old rubs. But I did find some hunters coming off the trail near my camp. I spoke with them, and it turns out they busted a 5x5 not a couple hundred yards from camp, and more about a 1/2 mile away. They were done hunting, and shared information freely.
Hunt 3: I woke up early and walked to where they said they saw elk. I stopped to listen and heard a bugle just 100-150 yards away. I answered with a cow call and he bugled again, this time closer, probably 75. Then ... I was busted by a cow. :crazy:
I went on and soon heard another bugle. Game on. I bugled back and he bugled to me. We both closed the considerable distance ... I\'m guessing 400-800 yards. I got to the edge of a clear cut and could see him on the other side. We bugled, but we were both leery of showing ourselves in the open. This went on for a bit and then I started raking a tree. He advanced. He was in the middle of the clear cut -- but I couldn\'t see him with all the slash and remaining trees and a small hill, but he was coming. Then ... he stopped, still 150 yards out. After some more bugles, I could tell he wasn\'t interested. What\'s up? I watched him and his cows drift off.
I went out to see what\'s up and ... there were two hunters in the clear cut. I had called that bull right to them, and the hunter with a broken arm missed him at 20 yards with a cross-bow. Limb on the bow hit a tree!
Hunt 4: I went back to where I saw the first elk in the morning, where I got busted by the cow. No elk. I hiked way up hill only to ... hear him bugle right in the same spot he busted me down low in the morning. Game back on ... I got down the hill fast, and he was bugling every 2 minutes. I thought I knew where he\'d show, but at the last minute, he changed course. I followed him over a few knolls, got to within 100 yards, and, with about 20 minutes left in the day, cow called. He bugled. I bugled. He bugled. I raked a tree. This was working ... wind in my favor. But then ... his bugle was farther away. The farther still. The cows were leading him back uphill. At dark. Game over.
Hunt 5: I got up early, thinking I knew where they\'d be in the morning. I drove up high, and started walking a 4x4 road, just listening. Nothing. I bugled. I got an answer about where I thought they\'d be. I thought it was a half mile away. I started to pick up my pace, and in a minute rounded a corner and ... walked right into the herd in the dark. Seriously misjudged how far away they were. I cow talked to the bull again in 20 minutes, but his cows were having nothing of it, and they were on their way to a swamp. Game over.
Oh well ... it was an area I had never hunted, or scouted seriously, and got into elk almost every time I went out.
Some things just happen ... hikers walking into a setup ... other hunters hunting the same bull ... busting elk in the dark. The bull last night (Hunt 4) should\'ve been dead and I\'m still not sure what I\'d have done differently.
Great fun, though.
iccyman001
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- Apr 30, 2014
- 5,489
\"cohunter14\" said:
A turkey with the bow is no easy task! Congrats Derek!!!!
Great finds as well. :upthumb:
iccyman001
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- Apr 30, 2014
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\"Deertick\" said:
Well you definitely went down swinging, John! Thanks for the write up. :upthumb:
colorado russ
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- Aug 10, 2017
- 1,083
Heading out Friday afternoon to sit a haystack hoping to fill a cow rifle tag. Supposed to be 22 degrees Saturday morning in Alamosa so hope I fill it Friday! Tag is good until 2/27/2017 should get other opportunities. Challenge this time of year are the duck and then geese hunters. Expect to have some shooting around me first light but figure the elk are used to it.
Nice write-up deertick!
Nice write-up deertick!
cohunter14
Administrator
- Jul 10, 2017
- 5,341
Heading out on Thursday to head up to camp. Isn\'t it amazing how stuff just spirals out of control right before you go on a hunt? My last couple of days have been completely nuts work-wise. Add onto that I had to take my wife into the urgent care facility tonight because she was having such severe stomach pain (she\'s fine) and my dad threw out his back over the weekend, MRI tonight and might not be able to make the trip...just complete chaos! I swear it happens every year, but it\'s almost like its a reminder to enjoy the time up hunting even more. Life is chaotic and this is the one time of year where you get to escape it. Can\'t wait!!!!
iccyman001
New member
- Apr 30, 2014
- 5,489
\"cohunter14\" said:
Good luck, Derek!
Im glad your wife and dad are ok. :upthumb:
