Opening Morning,
-2 degrees, no wind, 10 minutes after legal shooting light.
4 cows standing 125 yds broadside, head down getting grass.
We put her on the shooting stix.
She aimed, and shot......
CLEAN MISS!!
We watched 30 or so cows and yearlings run for the hillside, and we gave chase on foot ( in 6+ inches of snow )and they just always seemed to be on the next ridge top going over to the other side.
Got about 50 yds shy of the next shot ( after 2 miles of chasing ), and had a pack of coyotes chase em off as we were getting ready to line her up again.
We saw them stop in a sage flat ~ 2 to 3 miles from us and it was back in the jeep to chase em. oops I think that rut may be a bit deep, YEP, an hour and 30 minutes later and alot of digging and we were back to camp for lunch.
I should have had the picture with the jeep still stuck in it, but i was too busy cursing our luck.
That night we went back to the same area and only saw a lone 5x5 and a cow, and they were on there way out of dodge.
She and her uncle watching the sun set.
Sunday morning we tried a new area, and within 30 minutes of shooting light we were on another herd, but while setting up on the rim rock to get her in position, a 2nd herd came from across the valley funneling out of a draw, and proceeded to run like the devil himself was on their tail, and our herd decided to run off with em. ( I have never seen near 100 elk hauling the mail, what a cool sight, though it meant no shot. )
We chased these elk north over 2 miles and 4 or 5 draws and they NEVER slowed down, no chance for shots at all, but we did find the trail they had carved almost 12" into the ground and we thought we would sit this trail that night. We did, but no dice.
Woke up today to a dead battery in the 5th wheel, and a generator that would not start, and since my bro-in-law had to be back to work, my daughter and I went off on our own, so he could pack up the trailer and get it home, while we hunted.
We saw 3 more cows this morning but they all seemed to have something much more important to attend to in southern colorado, and they were late.
Due to life getting in the way, we put this hunt in the books, as a learning experience for her and headed home this afternoon.
I am SOOO PROUD of this young lady, after missing, she NEVER gave up, she chased those elk harder than some men I have hunted with, and was up sat/sun/mon at 5 AM no complaints, and sat rimrock ridges as the sun came up, and the thermometer went down.
We will get em next year dear!!!!!!
Thanks for letting me share our experience with you all.
NMYB and Daughter #2
Sorry, no pics. Too long fumbling around trying to pull out the camera. I think we found some great areas to hunt and have a good plan for the hunt! More snow up in the mountains then we expected but they are in the lower stuff. Saw 9 cows with 1 or 2 calves! Looking forward to hunting with my niece after Christmas!
