Rocky Mountain Elk hunt, any body else going?

[moparguy]

Well, the truck and trailer is packed, guns are ready and expectations are high. I'll pick up little bro at about 12:30 AM Monday morning and we'll head out. To stay safe we drive a tank of fuel then change seats, do this for about 1,100 miles to Montrose, get a room for the nignt, then Tuesday morning buy tags, a few supplys and head up to camp for 12 days of the good life.



To anyone that has always wanted to make a Western hunt but just couldn't find time or money. Do it. You're not getting any younger, and it's not getting any cheaper. As our little buddy on the left coast, HVAC once said, "this ain't no practice life".



I guess the recient events make me appricate the freedom we have here to live and enjoy life. There are few other places in the world where one can hunt or just travel and see the sights I'll enjoy over the next coupla of weeks. This is a great country.



Now if only a coupla of feet of snow would fall at about 9,000 feet and move game down to the big valley below our camp at 8,000 feet the picture would be complete.



Here's to showing a few other rigs the quick way up the mountain.



Ronnie

 

[RonaldLarson]

Good luck!

May the Wapiti gods smile on your camp. I sure can tune in on your comments about how lucky we are. God bless America.

I have to travel about 22 miles to my spot. There is a VERY large B&C bull which beds in the draw where I hunt. Did manage to scare him out of his bed early last year, but could not get a shot. His hoof prints were the size of my outstretched hand! Also had a cow moose walk in on me on her way to bed down. She was 42 yards away and did not alert to me. What a sight.

Good hunting!

Ron

 

[Happy Camper]

Good Hunting!! I know you will enjoy it no matter what. The companionship and being out where you are the outsider and the Elk are the residents with the upper hand and breathing the crisp morning air (if you nostrals don't stick together). After 12 days I am sure you will not want to return. Good luck.

 

[yogibear]

Moparguy, I sent you an e-mail. I'm about 4hrs. west of K. C. Let me know so I can plan my day, or night. Thx.

Larry

 

[Okie-Go]

Hope you have a safe and fun hunt. Rifle season here in TX. opens in a couple of weeks. Gonna take the 5er to the farm next weekend. What rifle do you plan on using?

 

[jandtjil]

Sweet!

Moparguy

What area?

Big Bro (lives in GJ, CO) and I are headed to area 70-71 for late season. leave a couple cows for us if you don't mind.

I hear you, as much as I do care about what is happening day in and day out to America, it's citizens and my brothers (and sisters)in arms. I am really looking forward to getting away from street lights, the phone, the TV and concentrating on appreciating life and blessing we have been given.



Have a good (safe) hunt!



JJ

 

[merryman]

I am off to hunt the Rocky Mt. Elk mid week. Over near Happy Camper --Eastern Oregon(I will try to work in a stop to inspect his flag set up. :>)



A week or ten days in Elk Camp is the high light of my year-----camp has taken a real down turn the last two years though, the guys have started bringing sat. TV!! I hate it but all the others in camp think its great.

Much preferred the horse pack camps, but my partner quit on me so I gave up the animals and pack gear. I really miss that type of trip; heck, I even look back with fondness on some of the "wrecks" we had----little things like a pack animal fully loaded laying upside down in a white water creek. That was real exciting till we got her and the pack out of the water.

Went with a horse packing outfitter in Montana three times (last one three years ago), and really loved it but at near $4K per tirp..... If any of you want the name of a first class outfitter who is fun to go with--- Ronnie Wright of Beartooth Plateau Outfitters in Cook City Montana is good one.



Vaughn

 

[fmj]

moparguy, your going to have fun. I've hunted out of Montrose a few times and done ok on deer but not elk. Not that they weren't there, just luck. We were over by Little Cimeron and Silverjack up into Owl Creek pass. I just got back from Nevada after spending nine days deer hunting. Got a good 4X5. I was by myself and it took me a day and a half to pack it out. I'm leaving again for another nine days to the same area with the guy that normally goes with me to get him a good 4X4 at least. He couldn't make it the first part of the season as he fishes bass tournments. While up hunting I saw at least 4 B&C elk. Its really hard to draw an elk tag, but it still gets the heart pumping. I'm bringing a camera and telefoto lens to try and get some good pictures. I hope you have a safe and successful hunt. Let us know how you did.

 

[RHARVEY]

Some day I hope to do some out of state hunts. The first one I would like to do is for Elk. .



Rick

 

[moparguy]

We're back.

No, I didn't take any thing. But had a great time and trip. We hunt on public land and one of our strategies has been to let other hunters move game into our little canyon (it's about a mile or so wide, 6 miles long and deep). This has worked great the last few years, however, there was a very noticable drop in the number of camps this year. The game didn't move due to hunter pressure, and the temps were fairly warm. Hence, we saw less game than in the past



Colorado went up on it's elk permits this year, did anyone notice a drop in hunters? Don't know if that was the reason or not, but there was very evident drop of folks in our area.



Out of the 4 hunters in our camp, 3 mule deer were taken, little bro got a nice 22" 4X4, very heavy deer. We had to get him out of a finger off the main canyon that is about 600 vertical feet deep. I packed my elk out of that hole last year and knew that I didn't want to do that again. So we rounded up all the cable and nylon rope in camp, tied the deer to two 4whd. 4 wheelers (had about a 1,000' of rope and cable out) and started pulling. Little bro was at the bottem trying to keep things stright and he said the deer would not move for a while, the ropes would stretch for days, then the deer would shoot up the hill for 20' or so, then the process would repeat. He was rolling on the ground telling us about it when he finally got to the top.



My biggest heart thumper was being in a thicket of small spruce, with a elk about 30' away and not being able to see anything but legs, he was moving, undestrubed, from my left to right and I was moving parallel to him. I was finally able to get two or three steps or so steps on him and waited at a 6'wide opening. Had the Thompson Contender (35 Remington) up and the hammer back when a big spike steped into the opening and looked right at me. After about 10 seconds or so, he moved on, totally unaware that anything was strange about that funny looking tree. Man, I thought my heart was gonna jump out of my chest.



I passed on two forked horn muleys that would have been easy. Suffered a lot of ribbing for not scoring, but we put 3 or 4 white tails in the freezer every fall, so little horned muleys were safe from me.



The recient changes to the Lit'l Red Truck worked great. The combo of the BHAF, and 16cm turbo housing kept egt's in check nicely, even with the new (since last year) of the TST #5. With a GCVW of about 12,000lbs, we held a gas burner 4whl dr new Dodge 2500 (running empty) at bay while climbing LaVita pass just outside of Walsingburg on Hwy 160. Don't remember the hills details, but we pullled down to 73mph, and keep egts under 1250. Had to back out of it to stay safe, but saw a huge improvement over past years on that pass.



He passed us like we were backing up on the downhill side. Hope he felt a little better then.



Fuel milage was about what it had been. We didn't worry about fuel but concentrated on eating highway. Boosts on the flats ran from 10 to 20 lbs. , at 70 to 80 mph. We saw a best of 15. 4, and worst of 12. 9 mpg. The trip home took 19 hours, 8 min. , it's much closer to 1200 miles that 1000. We only stopped for fuel and managed to hold the personal needs in till the truck needed to stop. My son's 18th birthday was on Saturday and I wasn't gonna miss that (we hunted Friday AM and broke camp that evening and drove home).



Well, so much for the novel, gotta go to little bro's and unpack the trailer.



Good luck on all your hunts this year.



Ronnie

 

[DRR-24V]

Is That near Colbran?

Moparguy,

Sounds like a great hunt. I shoot the 357 Herret in a 14" contender. (great gun) Is this area in the White River NF out of Colbran?

 

[RamThatStroker]

Just returned from unsuccessful hunt

Well guys just returned from hunting in the southern colorado rockies (2nd season). Didn't see anything but track and no elk. I think we would've got something had it not been so dry. The elk could probably hear us from at least a mile a way. Oh, well got to spend quality time with dad, and some friends. Hopefully we'll have better luck next year.



Joe

 

[BRobertson]

Just returned from an all handgun (Freedom revolvers) hunt for Blacktail deer around the islands. Four guys took 3 deer total. We are allowed 5 deer each here. The weather was real bad and a couple of us were trophy hunting. We were on a 50' boat. It was a neat way to hunt!! I am used to tent hunting and carrying everything on my back after a flight into remote area in aircraft, so it was real nice to be dry each night and good meals!! I have until the end of Dec to hunt so hopefully will get out again!!

 

[Champane Flight]

One of

One of the largest herds in Colo are near the Sangres just west of Trinidad. Last year camping on my property they kept me up all night bugling. I will probably go back to hunting after I move up there.

 

[moparguy]

Bummer

I hate it when that happens. "KEPT ME UP ALL NIGHT BUGLING".



Now that's a problem I could enjoy, for a while at least.

 

[Champane Flight]

Pests

My cousin who already lives up near my property says they can be real pests at times.

 

[RamThatStroker]

Elk

Champagne Flight,



Your land is up by the Valentine's correct. I wish we would've of seen some elk we hunted Trujillo Creek by Gulnare and up by Long's canyon. The last time we hunted Trujllo Creek it was a zoo. When we woke up in morning to get started hunting the elk were wondering around our camp and needless to say everyone that was hunting got there elk. I just think since it so dry hunters are having a tough time everywhere unless they happen to luck out. I wished it would've of snowed because more than likely we would've came back with something



Joe

 

[Champane Flight]

Yeap

Yeap,Joe,It is not only dry,but still to warm,full moon ect,ect. Bad year for elk/deer hunters all in all. I saw two of the main herds up by the Tercio ranch one day last summer. About 250 head all together. Quite a site!



Got my septic in the other day,all is on schedule. Hope to be up there in a couple more years. Next summer the shop. How did you do in school last year?Last I heard from you,you were in finals... .....

 

[RamThatStroker]

School

Champane,



Your right it is sure a awesome sight to see over 200-500 elk in one area. I wish I could go hunting in there but then I wouldn't know which elk to shoot Glad to hear that your future home is going up well and by the way what kind of shop are you building? School last year went well and I will hopefully graduate this may . I hope to start working full time at my current job and pay back all my student loans. Then I hope to purchase some mountain land and run a couple of cattle on it. For one thing, since I'll be more available this summer (no school) maybe we can do lunch or if I'm not busy I wouldn't mind giving you a hand with your shop or something.



Joe

P. S. Have you spoken to Dan lately I haven't seen him since I graduated from H. S.