Colorado Winter

[nrpate05]

I bet elk didn't too bad last winter. Mule Deer and Antelope took it on the chin. You could call the biologist in the area as well.

 

[tormenter]

What did JD say about elk numbers around Meeker? I know a couple of outfitters in the Steamboat/ Craig area that seen a small fraction of the normal elk compared to prior years and hunter success was dismal to say the least.
On top of this, I was with a couple of hunters that had late season cow tags in the Hayden area and we never did see the normal thousands of elk or big herds. We did see a couple hundred but there were so few calves and spikes that next year will have to be tough. Any spike you would see now, most likely would be a legal bull this coming fall.

The good news is the winter has been mild so far, thus the winter kill should be way down if things continue. The cows that were shot in late December had a great layer of fat on them.

It is going to take a few years to get the numbers back up if the winters cooperate.

 

[Grover4360]

What we learned and was told back then was it effected the pronghorn more than the elk. Both my buddy and I tagged out by the third day of the hunt. We had JD as a guide. If you can ask for him he was fantastic. He walked me dead but we got the job done.

Thank you so much for the awesome info!!! So camp was good and hunting decent?

 

[markwilks]

Thank you so much for the awesome info!!! So camp was good and hunting decent?

Yes it was. The cook and guide crew was all fantastic.

 

[markwilks]

What did JD say about elk numbers around Meeker? I know a couple of outfitters in the Steamboat/ Craig area that seen a small fraction of the normal elk compared to prior years and hunter success was dismal to say the least.
On top of this, I was with a couple of hunters that had late season cow tags in the Hayden area and we never did see the normal thousands of elk or big herds. We did see a couple hundred but there were so few calves and spikes that next year will have to be tough. Any spike you would see now, most likely would be a legal bull this coming fall.

The good news is the winter has been mild so far, thus the winter kill should be way down if things continue. The cows that were shot in late December had a great layer of fat on them.

It is going to take a few years to get the numbers back up if the winters cooperate.

He didn’t say anything about that area specifically. Just said it was a bad winter obviously but it was the pronghorn that really got hit hard. We had 8 in camp and everyone tagged out. Heard a lot of bull bugles and we saw Elk every trip out. Group in the week before us only had one guy tag out. We hit it in the right week where they were getting very vocal. I can’t afford to do that trip every year but I’ll be back. I’m 57 and thought it might be my only trip but I have to do it again. Had a 78 year old gentleman in camp and he tagged out last evening of the trip.

 

[pawhitetail]

Dude he folded. What was ya shooting? Bet camp was a hoot with everyone tagging out. Congrats on an awesome hunt

 

[markwilks]

Dude he folded. What was ya shooting? Bet camp was a hoot with everyone tagging out. Congrats on an awesome hunt

Thank you. It was the best hunt ever for me. Traditionally I’m a Midwest whitetail hunter so this was incredible. I was shooting a Weatherby vanguard 7mm rem mag with Nosler Partition 160’s