1st elk hunt/I need a psychiatrist

[HuntTalk Freak]

So I’m on my first ever elk hunt and second western hunt. I’ve wanted to hunt 1st rifle season ever since I discovered western hunting, so this year I burnt three points on a tag.
It’s been quite a learning experience even though season only opened today, I’m three days in to the trip so far. I’m posting from a hotel tonight as I’ve been dealing with some altitude sickness and it finally caught up with me.
I’ll be updating when I can but for now I’ll post some pics and get some much needed sleep/rest.

 

[HuntTalk Freak]

Day one, Wednesday . Driving from east TX, I stopped and camped for the night at Palo Duro Canyon. I hate camping in state parks but it was cheap. I was back on the road at 0400 on Thursday.

 

[HuntTalk Freak]

Day two, Thursday. I enjoyed seeing all the pronghorn in New Mexico, lost count at around 200. After a white knuckle drive through Monarch Pass this flat lander arrived in the Gunnison. I settled on camp location two from my e-scouting. I live at roughy 300’ about sea level and this camp is around 9200. Just setting up camp had me winded. Bonus was the table and double bonus was the toilet!
I don’t know much about bears but I planned on a clean camp anyway. Something else I’m not use to but it hasn’t been a big deal.

 

[rwc101]

That's a lot of elevation gain. Keep well hydrated.

 

[HuntTalk Freak]

Day three, Friday and my first real scouting day. I’ve proven to myself yet again that when e-scouting if it looks steep and hunters won’t go there, then yeah it’s steep and hunters won’t go there, including me. Luckily I had three “hunt areas” marked along with some random waypoints to check. It was all still pretty steep but I found where they were in September.

 

[Farmerj]

I’ve found to take 24-hours around 4000’, again at every 1000’ after if your going to be staying at elevation for extended periods of time.

Going over some of those 11,000’ passes have been hell on my just going up and over until I get under 8500’ again.

 

[millerkiller77]

Day two, Thursday. I enjoyed seeing all the pronghorn in New Mexico, lost count at around 200. After a white knuckle drive through Monarch Pass this flat lander arrived in the Gunnison. I settled on camp location two from my e-scouting. I live at roughy 300’ about sea level and this camp is around 9200. Just setting up camp had me winded. Bonus was the table and double bonus was the toilet!
I don’t know much about bears but I planned on a clean camp anyway. Something else I’m not use to but it hasn’t been a big deal.

That spark arrestor is going to need monitoring. Fine mesh like that will choke your stove really fast if you don't have dry wood

 

[HuntTalk Freak]

Day three afternoon, I decided to go look at my third hunt area in a logging zone at the southern edge of the unit. More benches and areas for me to glass with a flatter elevation up on top. Ran across a few mule deer including a nice 150-160 class buck.
I wasn’t sure about this area because the road info I found from various sources was contradictory. But I did find the coveted closed road and checked it out…..tracks everywhere! I could also glass about eight different clear cuts from one spot. Also the normal prevailing wind was in my face. I went back to camp with visions of opening day success.

 

[HuntTalk Freak]

That's a lot of elevation gain. Keep well hydrated.

I’ve been drinking water and electrolytes like crazy. Having to get up and pee every hour or two through the night. Still have pounding headaches and leg cramps.

 

[rwc101]

I’ve been drinking water and electrolytes like crazy. Having to get up and pee every hour or two through the night. Still have pounding headaches and leg cramps.

Descend if you have to. Better taking a day to accumulate than lose the trip. Best of luck.

 

[HuntTalk Freak]

That spark arrestor is going to need monitoring. Fine mesh like that will choke your stove really fast if you don't have dry wood

This stove has been a headache. First of all the chimney sections didn’t want to assemble and I’ve had to bend them in with channel locks, but the final section is still unstable so I don’t use it. The wind has blown it over twice and also blew it into the canvas that rolls away from the stove jack and burnt it up at some point last night. I cut a cedar branch to use as a chimney sweep and have cleaned the spark arrestor every day.

 

[HuntTalk Freak]

Descend if you have to. Better taking a day to accumulate than lose the trip. Best of luck.

That’s why I threw in the towel and came to town tonight. I realized I was on the verge of failure/quitting/danger.

 

[millerkiller77]

This stove has been a headache. First of all the chimney sections didn’t want to assemble and I’ve had to bend them in with channel locks, but the final section is still unstable so I don’t use it. The wind has blown it over twice and also blew it into the canvas that rolls away from the stove jack and burnt it up at some point last night. I cut a cedar branch to use as a chimney sweep and have cleaned the spark arrestor every day.

I'm really sorry to hear that, I hope you will look back a few years from now and laugh it off..... My experiences with nesting stove pipes was a learning curve also. ...

 

[Kiwi]

That’s why I threw in the towel and came to town tonight. I realized I was on the verge of failure/quitting/danger.

Thats a good call. Rest up and plan part 2.

 

[HuntTalk Freak]

I'm really sorry to hear that, I hope you will look back a few years from now and laugh it off..... My experiences with nesting stove pipes was a learning curve also. ...

It’s been and adventure for sure. Lol

 

[JLS]

Get some big hose clamps for your stove pipe.

 

[JLS]

And pull the screen off the arrestor. I hate those.

 

[millerkiller77]

Go eat a hot meal, take a shower, have a cold one. It will definitely revitalize your spirits,Get back in the field tomorrow or the day after. You're mental condition is so much more important than your physical condition. Been there. Hated it, still come back every year. Good luck bud

 

[jpcoll01]

Sounds like you are hyper-hydrating. That’s about all that has ever helped me. Good call pulling out for a rest, your body will tell you what it needs.

 

[HuntTalk Freak]

Day four, opening morning. Afternoon visions of bull elk running though my dreams I got up and was making the 1.5 hour drive to spot 3 at 0400. I parked about 1.5 miles from the closed road as there was a bunch of huntable area leading up to the gate and I also didn’t want to make a bunch of noise close to my hunting spot. I start hiking in along the logging road listening for bugles or cow calls, I get to my glassing location just after day break and set up.
Also I need to mention that at this point I realized I don’t have the tripod adapter for my spotting scope. Ooops.
I used my binos for a while as I had a tripod adapter for those. Didn’t turn anything up. So decided to walk down the closed road some more as there where other cuts and meadows to check out.
All in all I did a six mile loop down into and out of the drainage. I bumped at least one elk at the bottom of a beautiful meadow.