Colorado 3rd, Cow and Bull

Calif_Mike

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Dad, Keith and I left California on Monday, Oct. 29th heading for southwest Colorado. This was Keith?s first year to join us and his first time elk hunting. We arrived in Cortez, Co. on Tuesday and quickly picked up our tags and additional food/supplies. Dad had drawn a cow tag and Keith and I purchased bull tags. We headed up the hill and setup camp at about 10,000 feet in clear, 60 degree temps.
We spent the next three days scouting to see if there were even elk in our area, unfortunately the only elk we saw were on the side of this mountain at somewhere around 12,000 to 12,500 feet. The top of the mountain is over 13,000.
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We did find a way back into one of my old hunting spots and decided on where we would each sit opening morning but I had minimal hope with the weather being the way it was.
Opening morning (Saturday) we were up at 3:30 and off to our hunting area. We would get up at that time every day except for two. We left dad tucked into a spot under a tree watching a meadow and Keith and I dropped over the edge of the mountain into a couple spots dad and I have taken elk in the past. Daylight was just a little before 6AM. A little after 6:20 I heard a faint shot from the top of the mountain and thought it might have been dad. A few minutes later dad came over the radio and said he had a cow down. I congratulated him, gathered my gear, got Keith and we began the hike up the hill that we would hike every day for six days.
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We got to the top and found dad with his prize
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She had been with 15 other cows but no bulls. Keith and seen the same group right at the crack of day light before they went around the mountain and up to dad. We made pretty short work of the elk, stretched a rope to her and hauled her to the road then up a tree and into the back of the truck for the trip to camp where we skinned her. It was still early when we finished and with the weather the way it was we decided to take her to a butcher in town. We were done hunting for opening day.
Even though dad was tagged out he still went out every day with us. On Sunday morning he saw a small group of cows but again, no bulls. Monday we didn't see anything. Tuesday nite I was watching some meadows off the side of the mountain when I spotted an elk on another mountain a mile or two away by itself which looked to be a bull. I knew how to get to that elk but wanted to make sure he was staying in the area before I made the effort to go after him. So Wednesday nite I setup my spotting scope.
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If I saw him again, Keith and I would make a go of him on Thursday. He never came about but about a half hour before dark I heard my dad whistle at me which I knew meant there must be elk in the big meadow so I ran over to where he was and sure enough there were four cows and a world class bull. He was world class because he had the biggest spikes without any additional points I have ever seen. His beams were well over 3 feet in length. DAMN!
It began to snow Thursday nite and snowed on through Sunday. We changed our hunting spots to intercept elk migrating out of the wilderness and hunted every day except for Saturday morning when it was blowing in excess of 40mph. The elk didn't move the whole time due to the wind, which is typical. From past experience, the storms up there typically last 3 days and the elk will begin moving the nite after the wind quits. Saturday nite the wind laid down and I told Keith Sunday (the last day of the season, Nov 11th) would be our day.
Sunday morning found us in snowy but calm conditions so I put Keith in the spot dad shot his bull from last year under similar conditions. I sat down and behind him a couple hundred yards in case the elk tried to sneak in behind. I had told dad to sleep in and relax as he had worked hard all week and it was very cold, 6F. I had been sitting for about an hour when out stepped a nice 5x5 bull. I already had my rifle up on a set of shooting sticks so all I had to do was drop my eye to the scope and let fly. I got to the let fly part when the hood on my parka fell down over my face and blocked my view through the scope. I flipped the hood off as the bull walked into the trees. Arrrrggg!!!! I sat there for a minute trying to decide what to do next. I finally got up and made a run out into the meadow I was watching, to change my angle of view, and could see the bull standing up in the trees. I pulled down on him at about 150 yards and let fly. At the sound of the shot elk began running everywhere! There were cows, spikes, fork horns and calves running into each other in mass confusion.
I stood there watching elk run every which way when I saw a small four point bull step out of the trees. I held off on the shot since I still didn't know if I had connected with the bull I shot at. The small bull walked back the way he came when I heard Keith shoot. A few minutes later Keith shot again and called over the radio saying he had a bull down. I tracked my bull through the snow for a long way with no sign of blood, hair or a limp and concluded I had missed and headed back to help Keith with is first bull.
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It was so cold that I had to light a fire so we could warm our fingers while we gutted the elk. We easily drug Keith?s elk off the hill and down to the road where we found another hunter to help us load it in the bed of the pickup. We were back in camp by 9AM and surprised dad with the elk. We spent the rest of the day boning out the elk since there wasn?t any time to take it to a butcher before leaving for home the next day.
While disappointed that I missed the shot I took, I'm not at all disappointed in not getting an elk, two were more than enough. I'm thrilled that dad, at 75 years of age, got yet another elk and that Keith got his first elk. It was a great year and great hunt.
 
Congradulations and cool story. I remember your story and area from a earlier story. The pics look like the same area?
 
Congrats to all of you Mike on the hunt and great story of the hunt.

Brian
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Congrats Mike!! Sounds like you guys had a great hunt!!

Joey

"It's all about knowing what your firearms practical limitations are and combining that with your own personal limitations!"
 
Thanks guys. Oldmossback, yeah its the same general area we hunt each year. Took us 7 years but once we figured out how they move and when, it got easier.
 

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