Khunter
Well-known member
OK so, I went back to go for broke till the end of the season on the afternoon of the 17th. Staying through the end on the 26th if needed. Obviously, by now it seems I needs every minute.
!st stop was some scrubby wasteland area that is supposed to be amazing and cram full of bulls coming out of the monument. Two dependable guys hunted it late season and said it was incredible. Big build up with lots of air let out of that bubble upon arrival and hunting it.
Here is what it looked like (notice the lack of elk in the picture?!). I was 90 degrees the day I hunted it.
I glass up one bull that might be OK, but it is too late to say for sure. Glass up another couple elk I think are bulls miles away. Hop in the truck just at dark and drive within a mile of the first bull to sleep under the stars and await morning.
Just getting the baloney soufflé simmering when along comes to ATVs generally from where the 'other' two elk were.
Nice guys, one has a tag and is a longbow hunter. They have been hunting this elk mecca of a spot for 4 days (it was there #1 spot and they started their hunt there based on scouting, and had hardly seen anything, nothing big. They sound honest:hump: and I am gullible. I told them I saw 3 bulls in 2 groups and they were "You saw elk!?" Um yeah, sitting on that tall hill and glassing thisaway I found a few. I told them where I was headed in the morning and asked if that was OK with them. No problem.
(An aside) A guy I was camped with at times ran into the longbow hunter with only 2 days left in the season. Longbow reported they had not seen many elk in 12 days and had not yet been in bow range of a bull. Granted bow range for a longbow is like 27 inches, but still... How did he burn 18 preference points and not show up with 'a sound plan'. He did say proudly and appreciatively his buddy (whose ATV had a severe limp when I saw them) did almost all the scouting. Umm.. get me Dinkshooter or Buschy or at least a blind guy if someone is going to 'do' my hunt prep in the best unit in Colo. I am kidding around, and do really feel for the guy knowing he was not having much of a hunt leading right up to the end. My friend pointed him to a couple spots (that I was not hunting) so he could at least see and chase some bulls. He did that somewhat insensitively perhaps since upon hearing the guy was just looking for any 300 bull he told him.. : "Yesterday Kirby saw 17 bulls, got in on 6 of them and I think he said 5 of them were 300-320...Not exactly true but that might not have been the best morale booster to throw at the guy. (Aside over)
So at 2 am, 2 bulls turn my camp upside down. Bugling/sparring/stomping and crapping all over the place for 20 minutes at what sounds like 100 feet (was 200 yards away). Maybe it was the 2 elk I saw but could not ID. Do not know as I did not try to track them.
In the am I hoofed it the mile over to where I saw the one bull. sure enough there he is just heading into the trees from a vast open area and I hit the right spot, he is 300-400 yards out. I give him a little time to work up toward me then do some cow calling. I am, unfortunately in thick PJ with little other option for set up. Called him in to about 40 yards and saw enough of him to know he was not what I was looking for. Maybe a 280 bull with small backs and who cares what sort of fronts.
I let him go on his way and looped around him and end up hiking 5 miles through this elk mecca trying to nail down if it is worth spending time in. Answer is NO, so why did I just drag you guys through there?
One of the waterholes in the area that I checked ended up having Longbow's blind sitting on it. I can only imagine how boring and steamy it would have been to sit, elk-less in 90 temps. Saw one fresh elk track at the waterhole. But the Frogging would have been stellar.
Headed for greener pastures, specifically this burn area (much larger area than the pic shows, and where I had seen plenty of elk when scouting or glassing from above during the hunt. I found some bulls bugling in there but did not do well, if you discount calling in an entire family unit that can troting in with a camera as big as a volkswagon. Dinkshooter knows of this lovely family that owns 7.4 acres amidst giant ranches and gives me the an inquisition every time I get within a mile of theere 'spread'. when scouting, shedding, whatever. I asked them "are you recreating? YEah, well there is a real bull over there and I am headed that way. I waitied on you so I could tell you that and avoid having you chasing me down as I close in. Feel free to chase all the elk you find anywhere but over there?"
!st stop was some scrubby wasteland area that is supposed to be amazing and cram full of bulls coming out of the monument. Two dependable guys hunted it late season and said it was incredible. Big build up with lots of air let out of that bubble upon arrival and hunting it.
Here is what it looked like (notice the lack of elk in the picture?!). I was 90 degrees the day I hunted it.
I glass up one bull that might be OK, but it is too late to say for sure. Glass up another couple elk I think are bulls miles away. Hop in the truck just at dark and drive within a mile of the first bull to sleep under the stars and await morning.
Just getting the baloney soufflé simmering when along comes to ATVs generally from where the 'other' two elk were.
Nice guys, one has a tag and is a longbow hunter. They have been hunting this elk mecca of a spot for 4 days (it was there #1 spot and they started their hunt there based on scouting, and had hardly seen anything, nothing big. They sound honest:hump: and I am gullible. I told them I saw 3 bulls in 2 groups and they were "You saw elk!?" Um yeah, sitting on that tall hill and glassing thisaway I found a few. I told them where I was headed in the morning and asked if that was OK with them. No problem.
(An aside) A guy I was camped with at times ran into the longbow hunter with only 2 days left in the season. Longbow reported they had not seen many elk in 12 days and had not yet been in bow range of a bull. Granted bow range for a longbow is like 27 inches, but still... How did he burn 18 preference points and not show up with 'a sound plan'. He did say proudly and appreciatively his buddy (whose ATV had a severe limp when I saw them) did almost all the scouting. Umm.. get me Dinkshooter or Buschy or at least a blind guy if someone is going to 'do' my hunt prep in the best unit in Colo. I am kidding around, and do really feel for the guy knowing he was not having much of a hunt leading right up to the end. My friend pointed him to a couple spots (that I was not hunting) so he could at least see and chase some bulls. He did that somewhat insensitively perhaps since upon hearing the guy was just looking for any 300 bull he told him.. : "Yesterday Kirby saw 17 bulls, got in on 6 of them and I think he said 5 of them were 300-320...Not exactly true but that might not have been the best morale booster to throw at the guy. (Aside over)
So at 2 am, 2 bulls turn my camp upside down. Bugling/sparring/stomping and crapping all over the place for 20 minutes at what sounds like 100 feet (was 200 yards away). Maybe it was the 2 elk I saw but could not ID. Do not know as I did not try to track them.
In the am I hoofed it the mile over to where I saw the one bull. sure enough there he is just heading into the trees from a vast open area and I hit the right spot, he is 300-400 yards out. I give him a little time to work up toward me then do some cow calling. I am, unfortunately in thick PJ with little other option for set up. Called him in to about 40 yards and saw enough of him to know he was not what I was looking for. Maybe a 280 bull with small backs and who cares what sort of fronts.
I let him go on his way and looped around him and end up hiking 5 miles through this elk mecca trying to nail down if it is worth spending time in. Answer is NO, so why did I just drag you guys through there?
One of the waterholes in the area that I checked ended up having Longbow's blind sitting on it. I can only imagine how boring and steamy it would have been to sit, elk-less in 90 temps. Saw one fresh elk track at the waterhole. But the Frogging would have been stellar.
Headed for greener pastures, specifically this burn area (much larger area than the pic shows, and where I had seen plenty of elk when scouting or glassing from above during the hunt. I found some bulls bugling in there but did not do well, if you discount calling in an entire family unit that can troting in with a camera as big as a volkswagon. Dinkshooter knows of this lovely family that owns 7.4 acres amidst giant ranches and gives me the an inquisition every time I get within a mile of theere 'spread'. when scouting, shedding, whatever. I asked them "are you recreating? YEah, well there is a real bull over there and I am headed that way. I waitied on you so I could tell you that and avoid having you chasing me down as I close in. Feel free to chase all the elk you find anywhere but over there?"
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