After much planning and research and with the help of a few good men here on MM,Uncle Bo,my son(JR.),and I left for Colorado in time to get up in the mountains and do some scouting prior to the opener.It didn't take us long to figure out that the deer had moved down from the high country.All we had to do was visit the first season Elk camps and the answers were almost unaminous,no deer!
Moving down below 9500 feet we started seeing does and getting reports from the Elk hunters of nice bucks.
We settled on a camp deep in a canyon at about 9000 feet.Scouting around we found plenty of deer and even had a little 3 point stay in camp with us for a few days.Good thing he left before the opener as my son likes jerky more than trophies and he may have been in grave danger.
Midnight before the opener my son was high on a knoll about a mile from camp(cell phone reception)with a fire blazing when he heard footsteps coming and said he was a little scared.We had reports of three bear in the canyon.He turned on his flashlight and there in front of him 10 yards was a huge buck!!
Opening morning found us on that same knoll and twenty minutes after sunup we spotted a nice big 4 point at about 450 yards.My son tried to get on him but didn't feel confident enough to try the shot and the buck disappeared into the pinons.In the evening we only saw does in the basin.
Monday found us back at that basin before first light and after nothing was spotted I told Jr.lets go to the next basin.As we topped the ridge 2 nice bucks spotted us and broke out in a dead run for the pinons.One was the buck we had been watching and the other was bigger!!!
I didn't hesitate to swing the crosshairs across the lead bucks chest and squeeze the trigger,twice!The lead buck stumbled and then lay down under a pinon out of site as the second buck crested the ridge to the next basin.
To our surprise the second buck then came back to the first who arose and they both walked over the ridge.After an hour wait we crested the ridge and the big boy stumbled to his feet at 100 yards and was promptly anchored with a final shot.The celebrating began as it was everything I had hoped for and to have my son there was icing on the cake.
We hunted hard for my son a buck and for Uncle Bo an Elk for the next couple of days with no luck.(uncle Bo missed a big 6x6 on day 5)
Day six found us moving down to a heated cabin at 8000 feet.It was a welcome respite after ten days in our Kifaru teepee.We saw lots of deer and on day six of the season we returned to the cabin and Jr. spotted 2 nice bucks on the rimrock above the cabin.He grabbed his rifle and the stalk was on.
Unfortunately as he approached the rimrock from the top a monster heard him coming and busted out at a dead run.He managed 2 offhand shots but to no avail.He chased him up the mountain for several miles but was never able to get another shot.He stayed after him til the end but never found him again.
On the last day of our hunt he spotted the original 2 bucks above the cabin and made a nice 400 yard shot on his first muley and the jerky he wanted so badly was his.
My buck was 28 1/2 wide outside 5x6 and we have decided to have a pedestal mount with his european mount placed at the bottom. hope the pics post.
Moving down below 9500 feet we started seeing does and getting reports from the Elk hunters of nice bucks.
We settled on a camp deep in a canyon at about 9000 feet.Scouting around we found plenty of deer and even had a little 3 point stay in camp with us for a few days.Good thing he left before the opener as my son likes jerky more than trophies and he may have been in grave danger.
Midnight before the opener my son was high on a knoll about a mile from camp(cell phone reception)with a fire blazing when he heard footsteps coming and said he was a little scared.We had reports of three bear in the canyon.He turned on his flashlight and there in front of him 10 yards was a huge buck!!
Opening morning found us on that same knoll and twenty minutes after sunup we spotted a nice big 4 point at about 450 yards.My son tried to get on him but didn't feel confident enough to try the shot and the buck disappeared into the pinons.In the evening we only saw does in the basin.
Monday found us back at that basin before first light and after nothing was spotted I told Jr.lets go to the next basin.As we topped the ridge 2 nice bucks spotted us and broke out in a dead run for the pinons.One was the buck we had been watching and the other was bigger!!!
I didn't hesitate to swing the crosshairs across the lead bucks chest and squeeze the trigger,twice!The lead buck stumbled and then lay down under a pinon out of site as the second buck crested the ridge to the next basin.
To our surprise the second buck then came back to the first who arose and they both walked over the ridge.After an hour wait we crested the ridge and the big boy stumbled to his feet at 100 yards and was promptly anchored with a final shot.The celebrating began as it was everything I had hoped for and to have my son there was icing on the cake.
We hunted hard for my son a buck and for Uncle Bo an Elk for the next couple of days with no luck.(uncle Bo missed a big 6x6 on day 5)
Day six found us moving down to a heated cabin at 8000 feet.It was a welcome respite after ten days in our Kifaru teepee.We saw lots of deer and on day six of the season we returned to the cabin and Jr. spotted 2 nice bucks on the rimrock above the cabin.He grabbed his rifle and the stalk was on.
Unfortunately as he approached the rimrock from the top a monster heard him coming and busted out at a dead run.He managed 2 offhand shots but to no avail.He chased him up the mountain for several miles but was never able to get another shot.He stayed after him til the end but never found him again.
On the last day of our hunt he spotted the original 2 bucks above the cabin and made a nice 400 yard shot on his first muley and the jerky he wanted so badly was his.
My buck was 28 1/2 wide outside 5x6 and we have decided to have a pedestal mount with his european mount placed at the bottom. hope the pics post.
