Since I only drew a tag in MT i figured i had a bit of vacation to try on another hunt. I had some free fly miles to use so what the heck, i will try a little Colorado backpack hunt. Made it out there and hiked in the spot in the dark due to a terrible rental car company that took 2 hours from plane land to rental driving 
lucky i had a waypoint route all set up in the GPS.
Anyway, hiked in a couple miles and set up a little spike camp as best as i could in the dark. Morning came, saw a couple bulls but with the warm calm air they were in no mood to come to me and were headed for the dark timber. Too quite to do a sneak without any wind and they busted me i think anyway. I then poked around until around 10AM and found myself on the highest peak in the area and decided to sleep until the elk could be glassed up below coming out of the timber into the parks towards nightfall. Well it never happened nothing but deer to my surprise, must be the heat?. So i started down to camp slowly about 6:45 hoping to cut a bull feeding below out of glassing area but nothing. No bugles at night, or morning. Next day, one little 5pt, same thing as the first morning but he wasnt a shooter. The rest of the day was like the first, no more elk, no noise, no active wallows.
Now, you can call me impatient but i started thinking.... I had cell signal so called home for a weather report from the wife. Told her what city to type in the puter and she told me hot, getting hotter this week.... sunny mostly with a isoltaed thunder storm. Hmmmmmm, not good. So now i started thinking this isnt going to look good so what are my options? I called up the airline and found out i can fly back the next day for no extra fee. I figured i would cut my losses and boogie home to save 4 days of vacation for better rut activity and either tack it onto my archery MT hunt or do a second rifle hunt over Thanksgiving. Well, i did it, i pulled out after only 2 days. I guess i wasnt willing to waste vacation days to hunt 45 minutes of activity a day without any talking of any kind.
It may sound like pulling the plug too soon but I knew i was taking a chance going that early in the season but wanted a couple weeks between hunts to rest up. Sometimes a guy can tell pretty fast when it just isnt going to happen, even more when you see a weather report of a hurricane pushing hot air towards you. Other hunters i talked to never saw more than a cow and were thinking the same as me, wondering why they came this early.
I can say this, it was a good scouting trip for next years Muzz tag If i had a smoke pole i would be still packing a 290 bull out of the timber... or what was left of him after the maggots and heat left me
Oh well, better luck in 2 weeks.. that will be the full 7 days for sure. I at least will know that if i do not hear bugles at night i am in the wrong spot
The good thing is i was able to stop at Deerkings house and chat in person for a couple of hours and see his dead animal collection. Good to finnaly get together, have some plans for having him out for a turkey hunt next spring.
Bad thing is I was in such a hurry to hike in there in the dark i forgot my camera! sorry no pics this time. Looks like it was an good spot but the weather had them holed up in timber that i wasnt going to try and sneak in on them with all the dead falls. Better to wait until they are ready and willing to come to me a little or until they are more active and i can work on them a little.
Schmalts
lucky i had a waypoint route all set up in the GPS.Anyway, hiked in a couple miles and set up a little spike camp as best as i could in the dark. Morning came, saw a couple bulls but with the warm calm air they were in no mood to come to me and were headed for the dark timber. Too quite to do a sneak without any wind and they busted me i think anyway. I then poked around until around 10AM and found myself on the highest peak in the area and decided to sleep until the elk could be glassed up below coming out of the timber into the parks towards nightfall. Well it never happened
nothing but deer to my surprise, must be the heat?. So i started down to camp slowly about 6:45 hoping to cut a bull feeding below out of glassing area but nothing. No bugles at night, or morning. Next day, one little 5pt, same thing as the first morning but he wasnt a shooter. The rest of the day was like the first, no more elk, no noise, no active wallows.Now, you can call me impatient but i started thinking.... I had cell signal so called home for a weather report from the wife. Told her what city to type in the puter and she told me hot, getting hotter this week.... sunny mostly with a isoltaed thunder storm. Hmmmmmm, not good. So now i started thinking this isnt going to look good so what are my options? I called up the airline and found out i can fly back the next day for no extra fee. I figured i would cut my losses and boogie home to save 4 days of vacation for better rut activity and either tack it onto my archery MT hunt or do a second rifle hunt over Thanksgiving. Well, i did it, i pulled out after only 2 days. I guess i wasnt willing to waste vacation days to hunt 45 minutes of activity a day without any talking of any kind.
It may sound like pulling the plug too soon but I knew i was taking a chance going that early in the season but wanted a couple weeks between hunts to rest up. Sometimes a guy can tell pretty fast when it just isnt going to happen, even more when you see a weather report of a hurricane pushing hot air towards you. Other hunters i talked to never saw more than a cow and were thinking the same as me, wondering why they came this early.
I can say this, it was a good scouting trip for next years Muzz tag
If i had a smoke pole i would be still packing a 290 bull out of the timber... or what was left of him after the maggots and heat left me Oh well, better luck in 2 weeks.. that will be the full 7 days for sure. I at least will know that if i do not hear bugles at night i am in the wrong spot
The good thing is i was able to stop at Deerkings house and chat in person for a couple of hours and see his dead animal collection. Good to finnaly get together, have some plans for having him out for a turkey hunt next spring.
Bad thing is I was in such a hurry to hike in there in the dark i forgot my camera! sorry no pics this time. Looks like it was an good spot but the weather had them holed up in timber that i wasnt going to try and sneak in on them with all the dead falls. Better to wait until they are ready and willing to come to me a little or until they are more active and i can work on them a little.
Schmalts
