Anyone ever notice....

[Coloradoboy]

Been watching bowhunters pile into town the last few days (Gunnison) and for some odd reason it seems that just about every single out of state rig (for ex. Texas, Missouri, PA, Georgia) has a pile of ATV's on a trailer and a tree stand strapped on the back of every one of them.... The day I can ride a quad to my tree stand in the wilderness and stick a bull elk out of it, I know I will have it made. Good luck.
Coloradoboy

 

[EVILNR]

Aint it wonderful? To be able to hunt all over the country
no matter where you call home? And to do it the way you want(legally). So many options from wilderness backpack hunts to "get away". Or you can use an ATV, Treestands, Spot/Stalk, Man Drives, Feeders, Crop fields,its endless.
Dang I love this country!!!God Bless America, it's THAT TIME
of year again!!!!!!!

 

[okiehunter]

ColoradoBOY I cannot speak for others but I have been known to haul my ATV into your state and I have also been guilty of having a tree-stand somewhere in the mix. I do not, nor have I ever, had any expectation of driving that ?quad to my tree stand in the wilderness and stick a bull elk out of it? as you suggest the expectation of these out-of-state hunters must be.

I am not sure what generates your rant. My reasoning for bringing a tree-stand are simple, even for a Colorado resident to understand (yes that is a joke);

1). I have one,

2) I have room for it,

3) I do not always know the conditions I might encounter where having a tree-stand makes perfect sense

4) Because I wanted to bring it ? just in case.

I am headed up there in 9 days and I will very likely throw in a climber. Knowing that I will NOT likely take it out of the truck. However, in the event I run across a place that is conducive to using it I will have it with me. Out of state hunters do not have the luxury of running home to fetch a needed and forgotten item like a tree-stand, dry pair of socks or a warmer coat.

I just do not get why many hunters take pleasure in jabbing hunters from other cultures. If someone wants to hunt the way they want to hunt, within the limits of the law, should we not embrace and welcome them to the woods? If you don't like tree-stands, work through your great states law makers to outlaw them. But to openly criticize and ridicule them seems to be a bit counterproductive to this out of state guy that is going to haul a tree-stand to Colorado this year and hopefully for years to come.

Now I will get off my soap box and go cook bacon for my trip.



Rick Nolan

 

[txhunter58]

Excuse my ignorance since I am from Texas, but I have always just sat on my tree stand while it was still strapped to my ATV sitting next to a tree in the wilderness. Is that not right? I tried driving the ATV up the tree, but it never seems to work.

All kidding aside, can't wait to leave (Wed.)! Hope everyone bags a big-un!

txhunter58

venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)

 

[Conrad8899]

I am from NW Pa. And we hunt in one of the Gunnison GMU. And we all ways bring our atvs. We hunt in the wilderness area. But we all ways ride our atvs to the trail head base camp. Why would any one wont to tear up there truck getting in.

 

[jbunn]

I live in Colorado and have ran into other residents that use tree stands over water holes and active trails. They also use atv's where permitted. They are not tools collectively attributed to methods used by out of state hunters only. I'm sure we all know the saying about assumptions!

 

[contender]

I am a CO resident and I use a Rokon to get to the trail head rather than tearing up my new truck. I also have one hunting location (for deer) that I have used the rokon with. It is a legal motorcycle trail. I actually bought a tree stand just for that location. The majority of the hunting I do is on foot and I use a game cart to haul out meat. I do think most people that come here to hunt do intend to use them to hunt off of.

 

[bonedaddy]

>I am a CO resident and
>I use a Rokon to
>get to the trail head
>rather than tearing up my
>new truck. I also
>have one hunting location (for
>deer) that I have used
>the rokon with. It
>is a legal motorcycle trail.
>I actually bought a tree
>stand just for that location.
> The majority of the
>hunting I do is on
>foot and I use a
>game cart to haul out
>meat. I do think most
>people that come here to
>hunt do intend to use
>them to hunt off of.
>

That's awesome! I use one too. Those things are crazy useful. Which model do you have?

 

[mtnmayhem]

I sometimes joke that an ATV will guarantee that a hunter has no success. They CAN be very useful when used legally and let us also not forget that coming to Colorado for a hunting trip is a once in a lifetime experience for many. As long as they are law abiding we should embrace the economic boost that they bring to our state. Tree stands are quieter than ATVs so I'm cool with them.

Coloradoboy, I see where you are coming from. I once encountered 3 guys from Florida who bought $1200 worth of groceries (for 3 of them and one was a kid) for a week long hunting trip to unit 38. I saw the receipt with my own eyes! Some guys bring the kitchen sink. I'm a minimalist myself.

 

[contender]

Bonedaddy, the one I use for trail riding is an old 70's trailbreaker, I gutted out the 2 stroke and installed a 110 honda clone engine. I think it is a better system than what you can buy new and its on the cheap. They are very useful and don't take up very much room. They don't go fast enough for most of the guys. I didn't take it along last year and just walked to the trailhead, I didn't mind the walk in the morning but it was a long walk back to the camper at night.

 

[DoeNob]

We are bringing a couple when we come up from texas for rifle season. Use them to get back up to the wilderness boundary on established roads or to get up a mountain before dark 30, then dismount and hunt on foot all day.

Sure makes it easier getting an elk out those last 8 miles with a bike!

 

[BugleUmIn7]

Two years ago I stuck a 5x5 bull after hiking a couple miles from camp, when I got back to camp there was a 300 inch bull standing right next to my atv, if only I had put a tree stand over my atv.

 

[marley]

LAST EDITED ON Sep-06-11 AT 08:44PM (MST)[p]I used a tree stand once and then this is how I got him out after I stuck an arrow in him.

P.S. 99% of my elk hunts are solo backpack hunts but I'm not ashamed of getting it done other ways!

Oh yeah.....I'm from Colorado.

 

[elkliver]

3 of us are headed there tomorrow and bringing three ATVs. Thats what we use for transportation as the truck has a camper on it and stays parked. we may only head 3 or 4 miles over to a different hunting spot but the Atv sure is handier than moving the camper

probably not bringing a tree stand though.

 

[K9]

Guess I should leave my Polaris at home. Might upset the resident I helped last time i hunted colorado. Helped him recover his elk, (with my Polaris).

 

[zekers]

Not quite the responses you were looking for ColoBOY? To each his own. Live it up while you're young. One day when your knees don't work and back hurts, you may start looking at other options instead of backcountry hunting. We live with elk, while lots of people only read about them and the mountains they call home. They spend all year looking forward to their hunt like Chrismas morning. Small towns all across the west see huge revenue's from those damn Texans and Southerners. I dont own a quad, and the beating my truck takes shows. Good luck to all this season.
BTW, treestand hunting is VERY effective on elk.

 

[Whiterock]

I don't own an ATV ,but havebeen in areas that I wish I had one.I can see when legally used they would be a good tool.

 

[elkhunter49]

>Not quite the responses you were
>looking for ColoBOY? To
>each his own. Live
>it up while you're young.
> One day when your
>knees don't work and back
>hurts, you may start looking
>at other options instead of
>backcountry hunting. We live
>with elk, while lots of
>people only read about them
>and the mountains they call
>home. They spend all
>year looking forward to their
>hunt like Chrismas morning.
>Small towns all across the
>west see huge revenue's from
>those damn Texans and Southerners.
> I dont own a
>quad, and the beating my
>truck takes shows. Good
>luck to all this season.
>
>BTW, treestand hunting is VERY effective
>on elk.


Well said Zekers. Thanks from a not so young anymore hunter!!!!
Baker

 

[nripepi]

I think Coloradoboy's comment was more about everyone bringing a tree stand. It is kind of funny and I have done that exact thing, came from PA with my treestand the first time I hunted Colorado! Almost shot a decent buck out if it as well at first light, but haven't brought one back since.

 

[SoleSearcher36]

>I think Coloradoboy's comment was more
>about everyone bringing a tree
>stand. It is kind
>of funny and I have
>done that exact thing, came
>from PA with my treestand
>the first time I hunted
>Colorado! Almost shot a
>decent buck out if it
>as well at first light,
>but haven't brought one back
>since.

I agree with the above that this is more what Coloradoboy was shootin' at so no need to crucify him. They all have a place here in CO........nonres hunters, atv's, treestands...etc. And as to the last two.....either one if used right can enhance your hunt without negatively impacting landscape, game or others' hunts. I am too lazy to carry a treestand all over but I can tell you firsthand that the elk you call to a treestand setup will be the easiest bull you will ever try to draw on and shoot.........they don't seem to know how to look up.

 

[tx_packmule]

Be sitting in town on Oct16th and watch the duallys with TX plates roll into town with float trailers loaded with rangers and jeeps. There will be no tree stands (though I have the summitt viper & goliath) but there will be deep freezers and a ton of coolers on the trailers to transport half the wildlife population back to Tx }>

 

[born_2_hunt]

Oh christ god forbid someone gives you out of staters some grief.
I too think its laughable when I see a trailer packed to the hilt with wheelers and the rest of the contents from the garage. It actually makes me happy because I know they'll be doing more camping than hunting. And let's not act like you guys are just slaying them from tree stands. It just don't work like that.

 

[tx_packmule]

Tree stands would work perfect!......if folks didn't frown at putting them on telephone poles in town.

 

[BeanMan]

I've used a treestand to take elk several times in true wilderness. I carried them in and out on my back. ATV's are pretty useful for legal trails.

 

[Waygoner]

Now I understand why Walmart was sold out of Deer-View mirrors and Butt-out tools!

 

[tailchasers]

I'll remember to reference ya both as Ol'Zeker and Ol'elkhunter49 from now on.

"Courage is being scared to death but saddling
up anyway."

 

[gnatboy911]

I graduated from Western, lived there for 5 years. I live near Rifle now. I definitely remember the scene we're talkin about. TONS of trucks and trailers packed to the hilt with all sorts of gear.

Like some of you guys said...some need more gear, others need less. To each their own.

Good luck to all hittin the woods. I've got a muzzlelaoder cow tag startin this weekend, hope I can find 'em! Sure do miss the Gunnison basin though!

 

[tx_packmule]

We take everything except the kitchen sink. 100s of rounds of ammo and a wide assortment of rifles, optics, ATVs, UTVs, clothes, packs, extra people/eyes, computers, spare phones, and at least 2 coolers full of red diamond tea <--- can't kill a deer without that last'un.

 

[Coloradoboy]

Excuse me guys.. sorry its been so long to get in on this been up on the mountain the past week. But the point I was getting at is alot of first timers coming out west (as it appears to me) assume they will be able to hunt elk like the whitetails back home. As a guide I get calls, (as do the guys I work with) all the time asking if I can go set tree stands for them, pack tree stands into camp for them, if they can get their four wheeler in such and such drainage, how far from camp do they need to go from camp.. the list guys on. Sorry, I guess I was just seeing if others saw it as I do, in that so many out of state hunters come to Colorado each either naive to how physical and demanding archery elk hunting can be... but then again they get their taste of it and some adapt and others go on a week long camping trip.

 

[contender]

Not to be disrespectful but I have witnessed a small area that once the outfitters left it has been a great hunting area. I think the outfitters ran the elk out of range of foot traffic to access them by horseback. Or maybe not? Nothing wrong to have to hunt hard.

 

[Coloradoboy]

>Not to be disrespectful but I
>have witnessed a small area
>that once the outfitters left
>it has been a great
>hunting area. I think
>the outfitters ran the elk
>out of range of foot
>traffic to access them by
>horseback. Or maybe not?
>Nothing wrong to have to
>hunt hard.


Interesting... Never heard of someone pushing elk with horses so that foot traffic can't get to them? My opinion is you can get a lot more places on foot than you can on horseback. I have the option of using horses, but their purpose is to pack gear, elk/deer and get clients whom aren't blessed with good legs and lungs into hunting areas. Most clients aren't capable of even riding a horse into country elk hole up in... I think saying outfitters push elk away from foot traffic in WIlderness areas is a load... its not like theres a round pen up there to run them into in a secret cave no one knows about..

Coloradoboy
Tenderfoot Outfitters
tenderfoot-outfitters.com

 

[completesportsman]

Not in a wilderness area but I have personally witnessed elk being herded off public land and onto private land with horses the day before 1st rifle season opened in CO. I don't know if the guys on horses were outfitters or just the landowners.

 

[SoleSearcher36]

In the vast majority of circumstances it isn't feasible to intentionally try to "herd" elk anywhere especially for an outfitter who's best interest is in hunting unspooked animals his guides can pattern. That being said I have seen one particular landowner in western colorado intentionally and quite successfully attempt to disrupt public land hunters adjacent to his land. In this scenario(which I have witnessed several times), the elk feed at night in his hayfields but then at daylight they leave the fields and cross about a 1/4 mile stretch of blm on their way to bed on a big timbered hill which the rancher also owns. He charges $500 a point eastern count to shoot an elk on his land. So to prevent anyone from shooting an elk as they cross the blm(thus preventing him from "selling" that elk), he drives out in the field about an hour before first light and runs the elk out of the field so they cross the blm and head back to the timber long before shooting light. There are no beef cows he would be checking on and it is blatantly obvious what he is doing. A selfish, chitty thing to do....no doubt. Illegal.....not really. Just a firsthand example of how one guy will screw the next guy for the almighty dollar. In a perfect world this landowner should forfeit his right to get vouchers because to me vouchers are there to compensate a landowner for "crop damage" and this guy is obviously doing what he can to "keep" elk on his cropland. Funny thing is.....those elk really should get a private property boundary map because they continue to get out of their beds and come to my call from that adjacent blm.....year after year. At his prices I think we have called in and killed about $21,000 worth of bull elk that walked off his land and into an arrow.

 

[SanJuan]

>Aint it wonderful? To be able
>to hunt all over the
>country
>no matter where you call home?
>And to do it the
>way you want(legally). So many
>options from wilderness backpack hunts
>to "get away". Or you
>can use an ATV, Treestands,
>Spot/Stalk, Man Drives, Feeders,
>Crop fields,its endless.
>Dang I love this country!!!God Bless
>America, it's THAT TIME
>of year again!!!!!!!

Last time I checked man drives and feeders were illegal in CO.

 

[Gator]

Nice way to go Sole, always a different way to skin a cat.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".