My First Colorado Experience

publichunter1

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As a lot of you know I moved to Fort Collins for the year. I was blessed enough to have a archery either sex OTC elk tag and a third rifle mule deer tag around Fort Collins. I only was able to hunt four weekends and a couple of day hunts of the archery elk season due to work but had a great time. My gps shows I walked a total of 101.2 miles over that time and ranged in elevations from 7500 to 12000ft. It was a blast and saw a lot of great country.





 
Only had four encounters with bulls and a couple passed chances at cows but learned a lot this season. Sadly, the last day of season ended with a bugling 5x4 walking straight at me at 80 yards and a guy comes out of nowhere to run him off. He basically told me if he wasn't getting him no one was. I am glad to say this is the only bad person I run into up in the mountains. Most everyone else was extremely nice and helpful. However, my season still ended with no kill.





 
Had one 8" snowfall that led to some slick conditions and sightings of a mountain lion and a sow black bear with two cubs.



 
Fast forward to second rifle, I met a guy through school that had never been hunting and wanted to get into it so I told him to buy a cow elk tag and I would take him. We go out opening morning and run into a herd of 50-60 elk with a monster 5x5 bugling at 50 yards with no bull tag. After a few shots my buddy had a small cow down and we were happy to say the least. Had a four mile pack out but was well worth it knowing we had gotten one. Most elk I have ever seen by the way with four legal bulls in the group.



 
Third rifle season rolled around and I had found one pocket of deer on public ground the week prior to season. I go in opening morning and they are nowhere to be found with several people in the area. So me being a little crazy and I guess liking hard work packed on in another mile or two and started glassing. It wasn't long and I saw a couple does and then a good rack with high forks. They were probably 600 yards off so I bust it down and up a few ridges to cut the distance. I pop up about 200 yards from where the deer were with no deer to be seen. I start glassing again and notice the does coming up a ridge about 300 yards out. I see a tall rack coming up behind them so I range an opening at 305 yards and shoot when the buck steps into it. He acts like he's not hit and runs up about 10 yards and stops. I shoot again and he goes down. I was very excited as this was the longest shot I have ever taken at an animal. I'm use to hunting public land in MS with your long shots being 200 yards. Just then another buck pops up on the ridge and it's the buck I thought I had shot. Not knowing if it was the same buck or not I decided to take the ethical route and go over and see if I had shot another buck. After crossing another valley and back up the other ridge I found my buck. It wasn't the one I was planning to shoot but was still happy with my first ever mule deer.
 
LAST EDITED ON Nov-25-16 AT 11:44PM (MST)[p]





It has definitely been a time crunched few months but the times that I have gotten to spend in the outdoors has been incredible. Have also caught a 24? brown and 24?rainbow trout, killed a blue grouse, a few squirrels, etc. Looking forward to hopefully killing at least one pheasant.

Always want to say thanks to the good Lord for making all this possible and for all the help and advice given on this sight.

Sorry for the broken up post but only way I could figure out to post everything.
 
Great story and pictures to go with it. Too bad for the 1 as$ hole you ran into on the bull elk. Glad you got a guy into hunting, hopefully you made a good hunting partner for future hunts. Good job.
 
Congrats. You had a great time, learned a lot and was successful. Great memories made there. Thanks for sharing. Love seeing success from newer hunters willing to put in the work.
 
Nice post. it's obvious it was about the whole experience for you not just how much you killed or how big it was.

With that attitude you can't go wrong.














Stay Thirsty My Friends
 
Congrats on your success. You did great.
As for the a$$ hat you ran across, if there is any karma in this world he wont get any elk until he changes his attitude!
 
Thanks guys. I had a blast. It was something I've dreamed of doing all my life. Can't wait to do it again next year if the good Lord allows it.
 
>Fast forward to second rifle, I
>met a guy through school
>that had never been hunting
>and wanted to get into
>it so I told him
>to buy a cow elk
>tag and I would take
>him. We go out opening
>morning and run into a
>herd of 50-60 elk with
>a monster 5x5 bugling at
>50 yards with no bull
>tag. After a few shots
>my buddy had a small
>cow down and we were
>happy to say the least.
>Had a four mile pack
>out but was well worth
>it knowing we had gotten
>one. Most elk I have
>ever seen by the way
>with four legal bulls in
>the group.
>
>
>
>

Looks like you covered a lot of great country ! I bet you are glad that cow elk wasn't any bigger ! :)
 

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