Calif_Mike
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We (my wife Robin, my dad and I) left Calif on Monday, Oct 26 and after a long day we spent the nite in Keyanta , AZ. Tuesday found us setting up camp in a lite snow at about 10,000 feet in Colorado?s unit 71. We were done setting up camp just before dark and Robin and I walked over to watch a series of meadows for the last half hour of light. We spotted a half dozen deer but no elk.
Wednesday we awoke to snow.
It snowed pretty much all day Wednesday and Thursday. We did some scouting but didn't see any animals as they were hunkered down. We had about 18? on the ground.
Friday dawned clear and cold but pretty windy.
Most of the nite Friday and into the early morning of Saturday we listened to bulls bugle and cows mew while on the move. Saturday we left camp well before daylight to head to one of our hunting areas . On the way we drove right into a heard of elk on the move. Hindsight being what it is, we should have pulled over and waited for day light and to see if the elk would have waited around. We hunted the morning but didn't see anything.
After a little lunch we all piled in the truck and headed down an old four wheel drive road to another hunting area. There is a marshy area that you have to drive around but due to the snow I lost my bearings and dropped my truck right into the bog. The three of use spent a couple of hours working to get the truck out but we needed help. I walked several miles out to the main road but wasn?t able to find any help. As it turns out my truck sat in that hole until Tuesday afternoon when a local rancher walked his dozer up the road and pulled me out.
We hunted mornings and evenings around camp and I glassed elk way back in the back country every morning and evening but without a truck, they were way out of reach. My wife trained the local wildlife.
Tuesday nite we finally got out to seriously hunt. We sat a meadow that evening that was full of fresh tracks but nothing came out before dark. Wednesday morning dad and I went in and sat one of our favorite spots. While walking in, in the dark, there was a bull bulging. He kept at it until daylight. I cow called to him several times but he wouldn't directly respond to me so I shut up. He got quiet about daylight. By 7:30 the sun was up high and it was getting warm. I figured things were over for the day but decided I would wait there until 10 or so. A few minutes later I heard my dad?s rifle bark twice and then he called me on the radio that he had a bull down. Dad was a pretty happy camper. He is 74 and this was his second elk.
We spent the rest of the day getting his elk out and back to camp. My wife helped us skin the elk. We decided to take it to town Thursday morning early to have it cut and wrapped so it would be done by the weekend. Thursday morning we hit town early and I called the butcher to see if he could have it done by the weekend. He said no problem and to bring it by in about half an hour. We had some time to kill so we ran to the store to get some supplies. Upon getting back in the truck I realized we had a new problem when it wouldn't turn over. We tried all the usual things to no avail. An older gentleman (Tom) pulled up in his car and offered to help. He took my dad down to a local mechanic to see if they thought they could get us in. They came back in the few minutes saying the mechanic was sending a tow. Tom said he would take me back to his house to get his pickup and we could use it to take the elk to the butcher. By the time we got back with his truck the mechanic had found and replaced a bad starter relay. How many mechanics will get you in and done that quickly?
We dropped the elk off and the butcher said he would have it done by Friday morning so we decided to wrap up our trip and head home Friday, quite happy with the result.
Calif_Mike
Wednesday we awoke to snow.
It snowed pretty much all day Wednesday and Thursday. We did some scouting but didn't see any animals as they were hunkered down. We had about 18? on the ground.
Friday dawned clear and cold but pretty windy.
Most of the nite Friday and into the early morning of Saturday we listened to bulls bugle and cows mew while on the move. Saturday we left camp well before daylight to head to one of our hunting areas . On the way we drove right into a heard of elk on the move. Hindsight being what it is, we should have pulled over and waited for day light and to see if the elk would have waited around. We hunted the morning but didn't see anything.
After a little lunch we all piled in the truck and headed down an old four wheel drive road to another hunting area. There is a marshy area that you have to drive around but due to the snow I lost my bearings and dropped my truck right into the bog. The three of use spent a couple of hours working to get the truck out but we needed help. I walked several miles out to the main road but wasn?t able to find any help. As it turns out my truck sat in that hole until Tuesday afternoon when a local rancher walked his dozer up the road and pulled me out.
We hunted mornings and evenings around camp and I glassed elk way back in the back country every morning and evening but without a truck, they were way out of reach. My wife trained the local wildlife.
Tuesday nite we finally got out to seriously hunt. We sat a meadow that evening that was full of fresh tracks but nothing came out before dark. Wednesday morning dad and I went in and sat one of our favorite spots. While walking in, in the dark, there was a bull bulging. He kept at it until daylight. I cow called to him several times but he wouldn't directly respond to me so I shut up. He got quiet about daylight. By 7:30 the sun was up high and it was getting warm. I figured things were over for the day but decided I would wait there until 10 or so. A few minutes later I heard my dad?s rifle bark twice and then he called me on the radio that he had a bull down. Dad was a pretty happy camper. He is 74 and this was his second elk.
We spent the rest of the day getting his elk out and back to camp. My wife helped us skin the elk. We decided to take it to town Thursday morning early to have it cut and wrapped so it would be done by the weekend. Thursday morning we hit town early and I called the butcher to see if he could have it done by the weekend. He said no problem and to bring it by in about half an hour. We had some time to kill so we ran to the store to get some supplies. Upon getting back in the truck I realized we had a new problem when it wouldn't turn over. We tried all the usual things to no avail. An older gentleman (Tom) pulled up in his car and offered to help. He took my dad down to a local mechanic to see if they thought they could get us in. They came back in the few minutes saying the mechanic was sending a tow. Tom said he would take me back to his house to get his pickup and we could use it to take the elk to the butcher. By the time we got back with his truck the mechanic had found and replaced a bad starter relay. How many mechanics will get you in and done that quickly?
We dropped the elk off and the butcher said he would have it done by Friday morning so we decided to wrap up our trip and head home Friday, quite happy with the result.
Calif_Mike
