cnelk\'s 2015 Colorado Archery Elk Hunt

[cnelk]

My 2015 Colorado Archery Elk Hunt is officially over.
I realize you all know the outcome, but I have many pics and stories to share.
Things that worked and stuff that didnt will be mentioned
Lessons learned too.

Please be patient, I have to finalize details and gear for my Wyoming elk hunt in 4 days too

So, pull up a stump around the campfire and enjoy

 

[cnelk]

WAIT!!!! Did I hear that Brad is going to a story?

 

[Zpd307]

and.......

 

[cnelk]

Opening weekend was spent hunting with Pikemaster. It was a nice \'tune-up\' with some elk encounters.

Saturday morning this calf came by my tree stand 5 times!

 

[cnelk]

WE had decide to get down from the stands at 9am.
Jarod made his way to my stand and I lowered my bow to the ground and got down.
We were standing there looking at some trail cam pics when Jarod whispers \'ELK\'!!!

Sure enough. Standing about 30 away was a cow and calf. Looking at us.
My bow was too far away and we were basically BUSTED. Off they went

 

[cnelk]

We made a loop around into another spot and standing there looking at us was a spike.
Not much other action that morning, but its always nice to see elk, when hunting elk

 

[cnelk]

Not much happens during the mid-day. We hung out, shot bows and took a nap.

Saturday evening we each went to different tree stands to call and listen.
Jarod Went to Tree Stand X and I went to Calvins Stand.

There wasnt much for vocalization but elk were responding to some light cow calling.

Right before dark, Jarod had an elk pass thru some thick stuff but no shot was presented

I saw/heard nothing

 

[cnelk]

Sunday morning we were back into the same stands as Saturday morning.

About 830 I hear a ruckus coming thru the timber and I knew it was elk coming!
I quickly got ready and here come 3 of them. A cow and 2 calves.

They ran right to my stand! I made the \'NAAAA\' sound to stop them because they were really hauling.
I drew my bow and swung to my left, but only the calf was there. I swung back to the right only to see the cow directly under my stand!
But she noticed something wasnt right and they all took off.

This is where they were
This is the \'Grassy Knoll\' stand

 

[cnelk]

Sunday night Jarod went to the Grassy Knoll and I went Tree Stand X. We each set a trail cam at each spot. Just about dark, Jarod had a spike come right under the stand and the camera got his pic.
The spikes don?t show up very well, but Jarod can confirm ?

 

[cnelk]

That was our opening weekend. We saw elk, had opportunities and had a good time!
Now back to work for a few days until the long Labor Day weekend.

 

[cnelk]

Working during elk season isn?t recommended?. In fact its highly over-rated!
I scurried thru my projects and paperwork only to find myself all wrapped up on Wednesday, so Hmmmmm?. I submitted a Time-Off Request and left home 3am Thursday morning to be hunting by daylight.

Made it to the Grassy Knoll by 6am. Checked the trail cam and saw a cow had gone by the evening before!

I also noticed that someone had opened and shut the camera case so I decided to relocate the unit to another tree close by

 

[cnelk]

I sat in the stand until 830am or so, and decided to go for a ?hike?? yeah right?.
I got into the nasty! It took me 4 hours to do a 1.5 mile loop. Down, up and over, under?
Never again.

Here is a chute I had to climb out of, it don?t look like much, but WOW it sucked.

 

[cnelk]

I got back to the truck right about noon, just when the rains started. I drove back down to camp and made some coffee and lunch. It rained for 3-4 hours. Heavy, heavy rain.

It lightened up enough about 430pm to head back out. I went back to the Grassy Knoll as that was where we were encountering the elk.
I checked the trail camera at its new location and it showed a cow had walked thru at 3pm! Right as the rain was letting up.

 

[cnelk]

The night proved uneventful but tomorrow is Friday and we all know what happened on Friday?. :thewave:

 

[cnelk]

Friday morning ? Sept 4th ? 2015
Solo hunt
I woke early to make a loop into an area that I hadn?t hunted yet. I walked a mile downhill just to get the wind right and then sweep back into the thermals.
But that effort didn?t pan out. Not a track, not a sound. So during that loop, I pulled a tree stand I had placed in 2011. It wasn?t a bad spot, but I had ?new and improved? plan for it.
I ?clanked? my way back to the truck and was somewhat disappointed in the short morning. Thinking my morning hunt was pretty much over, I decided to drive up to Stand X and check the trail camera.
I arrived at Stand X parking place to see an ATV parked there.
[Stand X is the same place where I called in 5 elk last year and got it on video]
Oh Well? I still went ahead with my plan.
I arrived at the stand and checked the camera. I set down my bow?.
I saw had some pics so I removed the SD card only to find out my digital camera wouldn?t read them!
Dang!
As I was messing with the camera, I thought I may as well give a few mews and see what was around.
Still messing around with both of my cameras, I see movement to my right.
20 yards away I see a cow elk coming to me!
I didn?t move ? she kept coming!
There was a spike following her?
She kept coming!
I stood perfectly still?
She stopped on the other side of the tree! SIX FEET AWAY!!!
Remember? my bow is on the ground?

 

[cnelk]

We had the stare down for a few seconds and then she bolted. I gave a quick mew on my Wapiti River Outdoors ?Black Widow? call and stopped her 20 yards away.

She turned and looked at me as I slowly reached down and picked up my bow, and nocked an arrow.
We had another stare down as no shot was presented.

As you may have noticed in my photos, I hunt some pretty thick stuff. Shot opportunities come and go very fast.
She took a step, quartering away now.

I took a small step to my left and leaned out a bit more to find an opening about 6 inches between two trees. I placed my 20 yd pin on her back rib and dropped the hammer.
The arrow flew to its mark and off she went.

There was some crashing, a couple death coughs and I knew she didn?t go far.

 

[cnelk]

I checked the time... it was 8:45am

I placed a ribbon on the tree and got ready to do my tracking.
I waited about 10 minutes, just to be sure.

I then proceeded to go where she was standing when I shot her.

Blood

 

[cnelk]

I put a bit of flagging tape and continued on...

More blood....

 

[cnelk]

I marked that too and pretty soon it was so obvious that Ray Charles could follow this blood trail...

 

[Lark Bunting]