Colorado DIY Archery Elk Hunt

[Spencie]

Finally made it home and got things settled down. What a couple weeks! The first week with my wife was a great vacation. I highly recommend going to Rocky Mountain National Park if you are into wildlife or hiking.. We wished that we had more time there. We then headed to Colorado Springs and The Garden of the Gods. What an amazing area...beautiful and stunning. We also saw 4 full curl Big Horn rams there. We finished up at Pikes Peak, an incredible view but I won't go back.

On Friday I met my son and his buddies in Denver and headed for our base camp near Red Cliff. We arrived in late evening, set up camp and went to bed. Saturday morning we got up at daylight on a frosty morning and gathered our gear.. Jason and Kaley had Muzzy tags and were going to hunt the mountain across the road. Me, Tyler and Ethan were planning to take a 2.5 mile trail to a lake and then make our own way to another lake 1 mile fartther hoping to get away from the crowds. We took a quick team photo and took off.
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It was clear and crisp when we took off around 9000'. It didn't take long to warm up. The hike up the mountain with a 50# pack was the most physically demanding thing I have done. I tried to prepare but honestly nothing around here can prepare you for that. There aren't enough hours in the day! The boys were very good to me and stopped frequently. Tyler was fine to be honest but dad needed some breaks. About 2/3 of the way to the lake an elderly couple caught us and passed us on the trail...they were only carrying water though...still humbling. Some pics from the hike in:

 

[Spencie]

It took 5 hours to get to the lake and we took over an hour for lunch there. There were 2 muzzy hunters sitting at the lake and they were the only hunters we encountered all week. We thought we gave ourselves enough time to get to our planned destination. In reality it was a nearly unattainable goal. Once we left the trail the going got real tough! Google maps and Topo maps don't prepare you for reality. I can't describe what the terrain became but after 2 hours we had only gone another half mile. I may have stroked out because I don't remember much about it. Ethan started getting leg cramps and Tyler could have kept going but was willing to stop. We found a flat spot on a point and there were some rubs there...the first elk sign we had found. We decided to set up camp there and scout the next morning and move if needed. Pics around camp:

 

[Spencie]

The next morning I felt surprisingly good. I decided to hunt straight above camp. The boys were going to hunt/scout towards our original destination. I took off just before light and the boys decided to wait until light. They heard a cow below camp and tried calling to her but she didn't come in. That would be the only cow encounter all week. I found sign all over the point above camp, rubs and droppings. The boys crossed a deep ravine and found 2 flats that were tore up. So they sat there most of the day. Around 3:00 a bull answered Tyler in a steep rugged cove between us about 300 yards away. He cut the distance and called again. It had cut the distance too and was possibly in range but behind a hog back. Tyler tried to range some things quickly but said he was shaking real bad. But, it didn't matter. The theme of the week quickly reared it's ugly head. He felt a light breeze hit the back of his neck and the bull busted off. Shortly after I had one answer me twice in the cove. Even though he was within 200 yards I knew my chances were slim because there was no way he could get to me from where he was. I really can't describe what that cove was like....steep, rocky, deadfalls, trails that led to cliffs, dens anywhere and everywhere. Apparently the bulls liked it though. Since we found so much sign and had 2 encounters we decided to stick it out for a couple days there. Pics of some sign:



Here is a pic of Tyler that best describes where the bulls were.

 

[Spencie]

Monday morning the boys went back to their flats coming out of the cove and I went back up my point. My day was slow but I did see some incredible scenery.



The boys got together later in the morning and Ethan bugled and got a response within 100 yards on the flat above them. They got ready and heard the bull walking above them. He was at the end of their range but they could never see him. Then the wind swirled and they heard him run off. After that they decided to try to get to our original destination and lit it up on the fish. They caught cutthroats, rainbows, brookies and cutbows. We ate good that night.

 

[Spencie]

Tuesday I went on a walkabout towards where we had originally wanted to hunt. I never got there. The Rockies are a VAST area. It's not easy to just walk anywhere especially in that type of terrain. What you see on TV shows is NOT this. I really didn't see much sign on my hike. The boys had some responses but never got on anything. But they did get some pics.

 

[Spencie]

Wednesday Ethan decided to hike as high as he could with timber and see what he could find...there was also 2 small lakes he hadn't fished yet. He got to 11,800' and sat down on a rock. Immediately he heard something walking and hit the cow call. A 4x4 walked straight to him to 30 yards but was behind a tree with no shot. It stood there a while and didn't see the cow so it turned and walked away. So, Ethan did what Ethan does...he caught fish. Tyler heard some bugling but got on nothing. We met up late in the day and discussed how fortunate we had been with all the action considering we were going in blind on public land. I still expressed my frustration because there were bulls there but I hadn't had any real action since our first day. He told me to change it up...not bugle and switch cow calls. Classic "the student becoming the teacher" moment.

We had only heard 3 bugles at night all week, which we thought to be odd and nothing after 4:00 in the afternoon. Also, the only bugles we heard at daylight were the first morning. Thursday at 12:45am I heard a close bugle. Then at 5:45 that morning one lit up over by the lake. He continued bugling and getting closer. Then at least 2 answered in the cove. We got out of the tent and discussed options. I gave the boys first choice. They decided to go to their flats so I told them I would start below the rocky cove. We always waited for daylight to head out because it was too risky and dangerous to try to get through the terrain in the dark. The boys headed off and I went about 30 yards from camp. One bull was on the point above camp. Another was in the cove. A third was high above him and sounded young. The 2 closer ones were really gutteral. The bull on the point moved slightly towards the cove. So I felt safe to move up the point a little. The wind was blowing up and across the point in my favor. He bugled again and had moved farther towards the cove. So I moved up some more and cow called with a different call. Both bulls responded. One about 100 yards and the other 150. I moved up the point another 20 yards to a more open area that I could see about 50 yards. The closer bull roared again and so did the one in the cove. They both shook the ground but the one in the cove was pouring out his guts. I think the closer one was a stranger and ticked him off. They both bugled again and then I heard the closer one walking and breaking brush. He crossed the open area just out of sight. Then I see him coming just below me. Just his rack. It looked to be sticking up above the trees. I scan below me and see one opening that was 23 yards away. He was heading right to it which was in direct line with my last call. He got to 25 yards...and 10 yards from opening and stopped. I was hooked up and waiting for him to start moving again to draw. I was remarkably calm for some reason. Maybe I couldn't believe it was happening. Then it happened. The wind that had been blowing up and across the point swirled. I felt it hit the back of my neck. My heart sank as he spun and crashed into the cove. I could hear him kicking up rocks but knew he was heading towards the boys. As he was running the other bull bugled again. I grabbed my cow call and gave it a shot. He responded. Then he bugled again closer. I could hear him walking above me now. Then he let out the deepest most gutteral bugle you could imagine straight above me maybe 50 yards.I ranged a fallen log in an open spot. 27 yards. Then I could see movement behind it but no shot at 35 yards or so. I couldn't see his rack but kept picking out his body through the brush. He was HUGE. Then he started down the point to my left. I dropped to my knees to try to shoot under a pine. He was about 40 yards away when he stopped. I don't know if he smelled me, saw me or didn't see a cow but he turned and quickly walked off. That's when I finally saw his rack...he was a stud too. I fell to my butt and started laughing. I just had the whole experience minus all the work and good eats. I looked up and gave thanks for a great hunt. I was 93 yards from camp.
The first bull never made it to the boys but they had one bugle on the other side of them. That was the last bugle we would hear. We had planned to hunt Friday and pack out Saturday morning but realized we wouldn't be able to get one out in that type of terrain and make it home in time for them to make it to work. We sat around Thursday evening reminiscing about our good fortune for the week. The next morning we packed up and headed to the lake. Trailmaster Tyler found a decent way to the lake. Ethan had been the camp master and did a great job. I will roll anywhere with those boys. At the lake Ethan caught a big rainbow and then we headed back down the mountain. The other 2 had seen 4 cows but could only shoot bulls. There was a bull with the cows but didn't offer a shot. They heard a lot of bugling too but also had hunters around them. One night they had a bull work a wallow and tear a tree out of the ground 38 yards from their tent.

It was a great time and some memories for a lifetime. Here are pics from the hike out.

 

[giles]

Damn! My contacts are dry, I couldn’t blink!!! Sounds like a great time was had.

 

[Dustinb80]

Great write up. Thanks for sharing it. Some beautiful scenery.

 

[Fletch]

Enjoyed your write up.... Thanks for sharing... Sounds like you had a great trip and created a lot of memories in the process...

 

[twireman]

Great write up. Thoroughly enjoyed it!!

 

[MoonLab]

Hell yeah. Sounded like a hell of a good time. Good read thanks for sharing

 

[OhioWhiteTails]

Sounds like a blast!

 

[aholdren]

As always a great read Mike. Its hard not to have fun when Tyler's around! Thanks for sharing the great pics also..

 

[Quantum673]

Sounds like an awesome trip. Thanks for sharing.

 

[bigten05]

ill have to say i was on the edge of my seat reading your hunts. on my list of things to do.

 

[Spencie]

ill have to say i was on the edge of my seat reading your hunts. on my list of things to do.

It can be done on your own. It’s a lot of planning and a lot of work. But if you are willing to go where others don’t want to you can have a great hunt. There is some luck involved too! We met a local when we came out that gave us some good info. He said we were a couple weeks early and told us some other areas to look into.

 

[Dannmann801]

Coolest thread of the year! Thanks for sharing the whole story.

 

[Spencie]

Coolest thread of the year! Thanks for sharing the whole story.

I hope everyone gets to experience an adventure like that. It was very soul cleansing.

 

[Bigslam51]

Heck of a right up, Spence!

 

[Fletch]

Now this would be one heck of a TOO get-together.....