cohunter14\'s 2015 hunt

[cohunter14]

Alright, let\'s at least get this thing started! Once again, sorry for the delay. I didn\'t mean to tease everyone...I just didn\'t realize how far behind I was on things.

OKAY, so we arrive in camp early Thursday afternoon. The colors were absolutely phenomenal this year and the weather was extremely warm. First time most of our group showed up to camp in shorts...and kept them on!

Here\'s a quick glimpse of camp. It was a lot more comfortable this year with only four of us there:

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[cohunter14]

Friday morning found us finishing organizing camp. I also went out to check my trail cameras. I got some really cool photos on one of my cameras:

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Unfortunately, one of my cameras only got pictures of cattle and a bear. This is in the area I planned to hunt opening morning. Another concerning thing was that the last picture of an elk I got on my cameras was September 3rd. And I got no pictures of cows the entire time I had my cameras out... Hmmmmm :think:

 

[iccyman001]

Awesome trail cam pics!

 

[cohunter14]

After pulling cameras on Friday and with the lack of sign in the area, I decided to check out one other area after lunch Friday afternoon. I found a new water source that I hadn\'t seen before that had a little bit of sign around the area, but nothing to write home about. Friday evening was spent glassing from one of the only high points in the area. We stayed until dark, but nothing showed.

With my findings on the game camera from Friday, or lack thereof, I decided to switch up my plans a bit. Saturday morning, the opener, found me making a wide loop through another area that we have seen elk in before and included checking out more of the new water source I found on Friday. Similar to the area where I had my game cameras, there was very little sign. After meeting up with one of my buddies from camp, we headed back for lunch and a quick nap.

While in camp, we did have a few hunters swing by and chat for a bit. From everything we were hearing, there was little to no sign anywhere in the near vacinity. The only shots heard opening morning were two shots from a lower area.

Two side notes on this: first of all, it amazes me how much hunters will divulge in their conversations. Where they hunt, what they see, etc. I took very good notes of each and every one of these encounters. I also warned our camp, again, of this. While it is awesome seeing the camaraderie and sheer niceness of hunters, there is a point where you can go way too far.

The second side note: on Friday, after pulling cameras and checking out that other area, I made a quick trip down the hill with my father to get cell service and check in with the wife. On our way down, we ran into a genuinely nice, complete redneck, of a hunter. I couldn\'t say a bad thing about this guy, but it was a fun encounter. He was from Missouri and was cruising around on his ATV checking out the area. This would be his first elk hunt ever. Decked out in his denim overalls, this guy easily tipped the scales at 350lbs. We chatted for a bit and he asked us quite a few questions about elk hunting in general. Toward the end of our conversation, he told us he would be hunting \'down that way\' which I knew wouldn\'t be very far from the road. There was no way this guy was going to get very deep in the woods, but hey, good on him for making the trip! And again, what a great guy!

As we drove away, I looked at my dad and said, \"watch, that guy will shoot an elk this week.\" Well, those two shots we heard opening morning? Those came from that guy, who took a solid 6x6. Good things happen to good people :upthumb: And it\'s proof once again that you don\'t have to be miles off the road to shoot an elk and you don\'t have to be in elite shape to hunt either...although I\'m not saying it doesn\'t help.

 

[cohunter14]

Saturday evening found me back towards the area of my game cameras. After hearing where my father and another member of our camp went Saturday morning and the little sign they saw, I figured what the heck. At least I had seen bulls in that area. Why not give it a shot? Well, I sat until dark with nothing, although I do think I heard a cow call from the same area. I gave it a few minutes after hearing it and returned the call with a couple of mews...nothing.

Again, stories of seeing little to no sign was all I heard in camp and what our other camp members were hearing from other hunters.

By the way, did I mention it was HOT! This is, by far, the warmest I ever remember hunting elk during the rifle seasons in Colorado. Every day was over 60 degrees with no precip whatsoever.

More tomorrow...

 

[bnsafe]

always follow the mo boys, we get er dun. lol.

 

[Zpd307]

wheres steve? im sure he would love to comment

 

[cohunter14]

Because of the lack of sign, I decided to make another long loop to a different area on Sunday morning. This took me up to an area where I could glass another drainage as well as glass back into the same one we were in. I also went down and took a peak in a saddle. Again, not a whole lot for sign at all, let alone fresh sign. This was starting to get a little discouraging to say the least...

 

[WW]

I wonder if the guy on the ATV that shot the 6x6 might have been Ole Arkey! LOL!

 

[cohunter14]

So, after much discussion and a mid day nap back at camp, Sunday afternoon\'s plan was to make another loop through one of the only areas we hadn\'t covered. If that didn\'t turn anything up, it was time to come up with a Plan D, E, and F. As I was walking out from camp, an ATV came pulling up. I kept walking even though he pulled in to talk to the rest of our group, thinking I don\'t need to BS with another hunter right now. All of a sudden, it dawned on me that the guy wasn\'t wearing Orange...the CPW officer. I quickly turned around and headed back to camp as there was a lot I wanted to chat with him about.

I have spoken with this gentleman over the phone multiple times, but it\'s amazing how much more forthcoming they seem to be when in person. He was able to tell us that we were now the only camp left in this area and the only hunters. Pretty amazing considering there were five other camps before opening morning along with others who would drive in from elsewhere to hunt. Everyone else was noticing the little amount of sign as well apparently.

As we got to talking to the CPW officer and asking him about the little amount of sign, he shed some light on why that was: there were some \'illegal activities\' that had been ongoing for quite some time. He couldn\'t tell us much more than that, but there were two agencies involved in the investigation and meanwhile, the majority of the elk that were normally up in this area were now down on the private land. He did say there were still some scattered elk in our area, but not near what there should be, especially considering the temps were still as warm as they were and we hadn\'t had any weather that should have pushed them down.

This absolutely frustrated the heck out of me. As some of you know, we moved out of our previous area due to \'illegal activities\' AKA a ranch owner using a plane to herd elk back onto his property. To have it happen again made me extremely angry.

What glimmer of hope we had for still punching tags was now thrown out the door. We had never been in any other locations within our unit and really didn\'t know where to start. The CPW officer was nice enough to give us a few ideas before he took off. With the conversation taking well over an hour, my initial plan of my evening hunt was now out the door as well. We all retired to the tent to try to figure out what to do for the rest of the evening and where in the heck we were going to hunt in the morning.

 

[cnelk]

Ruh Roh...

I think I would have \'pressed the issue\' about the illegal activities as you all were valid tag holders and still hunting the area.

 

[cohunter14]

Ruh Roh...

I think I would have \'pressed the issue\' about the illegal activities as you all were valid tag holders and still hunting the area.

I tried, believe me. I even asked a few locals that I met and I still have a little ongoing research as well.

 

[cohunter14]

So, Sunday evening\'s hunt was shot. We came up with an idea for Monday morning, but I still didn\'t want to completely give up on the day. I decided to go out to the glassing area on my own and glass until dark, just to see if I could turn anything up.

As a side note, I have always been a believer in working hard and that hard work pays off. I put in more effort every year than anyone else in our camp, simply because I feel that at SOME point, it will pay off. Although I have had my doubts...

Well, I walk into my glassing area, look out there, and HOLY CRAP! I see an elk with my naked eye. I grab the binocs and verify it and can tell it\'s a decent bull. I quickly drop to the ground and grab my range finder from my pack...800 yards. As I am trying to juggle everything going on in my mind, the elk walks around a corner behind some trees. I grab my pack and traverse across the meadow, trying to get an eye on the elk again. It works, but somehow the elk sees me, from 800 yards away, and takes off into back into the dark timber. What the heck just happened? I continue to glass the fringes of that area until dark, hoping the elk hadn\'t gone too far. Nothing turned up and I headed back to camp, both excited and disappointed in what had happened.

After sharing the story with the rest of the guys in camp, I could see the hope return in their eyes. At least there was AN elk in the area! We decided to change our plans for the morning. We would return to the meadow to glass and see if we could turn up that same bull.

 

[razorback]

I knew I should have packed my overalls :lolno:

 

[cohunter14]

Monday morning: we rise very early to make sure we can get into our glassing location before daybreak. We decide that I will sneak out and be the one glassing and everyone else will stay back in the woods out of sight. This would hopefully keep the elk from spotting us at 800 yards again and taking off. I also did my glassing from beside and behind a few smaller pine trees, trying to keep myself covered.

As the sun came up, I began covering the entire area. As I had thought, that bull was not going to be dumb enough to come feed in the same area again. I kept glassing the entire area when all of a sudden I catch movement...another elk! This elk was in a meadow that was higher and farther than the bull from last night. As a straight-shot, I would guess it to be just about a mile away.

We quickly hatched out a plan for one of the guys to stay and keep glassing and the other three to go in after the elk. The one left behind would have the most difficulty getting to the elk quickly based on physical ability, so he drew the short straw.

After the decision was made, I took off. I was covering ground as fast as I could and made it up the hill in about 20 minutes, covering about 1.5 miles in my half-loop up and around. As I neared where I expected the elk to be, I slowed down both to get my breathing in check and to make sure I stayed quiet.

 

[iccyman001]

You\'re enjoying this aren\'t you. :tease:



I WANT TO SEE HERO PICS!!!!!!!!! :dance2: :thewave:

 

[iccyman001]

And when will you all learn....


\"Camo shmamo\"-Lou



Overalls, white t shirt and jeans, carharts...... you don\'t need any other outfit. :wave:

 

[cohunter14]

And when will you all learn....


\"Camo shmamo\"-Lou



Overalls, white t shirt and jeans, carharts...... you don\'t need any other outfit. :wave:

Well, I\'m not sure if he hunted in that outfit. That was his scouting attire on Friday though! :upthumb:

 

[cohunter14]

You\'re enjoying this aren\'t you. :tease:



I WANT TO SEE HERO PICS!!!!!!!!! :dance2: :thewave:

Not enjoying it at all, just trying to squeeze out as much of the story as I can while trying to work. :shh:

 

[cohunter14]

So, I arrive at the water hole where I think this bull was heading. I pull my best Elmer Fudd and go tiptoeing around some trees to get a better view of the opening. I continue around the tree and my heart sinks...nothing there. I stop and look around, trying to figure out where he would have gone. The ground is still frozen so there is nothing for tracks anywhere. My mind is racing and I am trying to do my best to figure out which of three options the bull took: did he continue past the water hole and go into the dark timber to bed, did he continue on a game trail past the water hole that would run him into our other two hunters, or did he bail into some trees before getting to the water?

I continue to wander around the water hole looking for any sort of a sign that would give me a clue. All of a sudden, I catch a solid whiff of elk. I inhale again...THICK elk scent and it seems to be coming from the area before where the bull would have gotten to the water. I sneak over to the trees and begin maneuvering through, when all of a sudden there he is! A decent 5x5 standing about 100 yards away with his butt towards me. I drop to a knee and try to settle my crosshairs on him, waiting for him to move. He is not budging, so I crawl a few feet to my right to try to get a better angle. Again, I put the crosshairs up on him just in time to see him turn a little more to his right, opening up his vitals. I steadied the crosshairs as best as I could considering I was shooting off-hand and squeezed the trigger.