KC
New member
Three of us hunted Colorado's 3rd season from my second home in North Park. We had three bull tags, two cow tags and two buck tags.
Saturday was opening day and we started an hour before the sun came up. Did several sweeps at about 8,000' elevation and saw some encouraging sign but no animals. Someone had started hiking even before we got there and probably spooked them out of their beds.
Sunday we went high and drove about 20 miles through about 12" of new snow. Only one vehicle had driven ahead of us and they made no boot tracks. So we were the first to hunt that area during 3rd season. Hiked about 3 miles though knee deep snow and saw a small herd of cows but couldn't get a shot through the trees.
Monday we hunted some aspen groves in the foothills just three miles from the house. I got a nice fork-horn buck and could drive the truck through the sage right up to the buck. Had to pack him out about two feet but it was a two-man operation.
I was convinced that there were still elk hiding out up high, where we had hunted on Sunday. So on Tuesday we drove snowmobiles in about three miles and reached a spot about a mile below where we parked the truck on Sunday. The old logging road was washed out in several places and there were lots of deafall trees that had to be negotiated. So the ride was quite an adventure. Hiked about three miles through deep snow and it paid off. I got a 5x5 bull. He had been eating loco weed so his rack is non-typical and webbed. Very unique. I'm having it made into a skull mount. We spent Wednesday getting him out.
On Thursday we swept through some BLM land just three miles from the house and Pete and John each got respectable bulls. We were able to drive the truck on an unimproved road to a spot just 1/2 mile from the bulls and were able to drag them to the truck.
We did a short hunt on Friday morning but we quit early because a storm was rolling in we wanted to get out before the passes closed.
We still have two un-filled cow tags and the D.O.W. has extended the season because they think that poor forage caused by the drought will result in lots of winter kill and range damage. We will see if we can put them to use.
KC
Saturday was opening day and we started an hour before the sun came up. Did several sweeps at about 8,000' elevation and saw some encouraging sign but no animals. Someone had started hiking even before we got there and probably spooked them out of their beds.
Sunday we went high and drove about 20 miles through about 12" of new snow. Only one vehicle had driven ahead of us and they made no boot tracks. So we were the first to hunt that area during 3rd season. Hiked about 3 miles though knee deep snow and saw a small herd of cows but couldn't get a shot through the trees.
Monday we hunted some aspen groves in the foothills just three miles from the house. I got a nice fork-horn buck and could drive the truck through the sage right up to the buck. Had to pack him out about two feet but it was a two-man operation.
I was convinced that there were still elk hiding out up high, where we had hunted on Sunday. So on Tuesday we drove snowmobiles in about three miles and reached a spot about a mile below where we parked the truck on Sunday. The old logging road was washed out in several places and there were lots of deafall trees that had to be negotiated. So the ride was quite an adventure. Hiked about three miles through deep snow and it paid off. I got a 5x5 bull. He had been eating loco weed so his rack is non-typical and webbed. Very unique. I'm having it made into a skull mount. We spent Wednesday getting him out.
On Thursday we swept through some BLM land just three miles from the house and Pete and John each got respectable bulls. We were able to drive the truck on an unimproved road to a spot just 1/2 mile from the bulls and were able to drag them to the truck.
We did a short hunt on Friday morning but we quit early because a storm was rolling in we wanted to get out before the passes closed.
We still have two un-filled cow tags and the D.O.W. has extended the season because they think that poor forage caused by the drought will result in lots of winter kill and range damage. We will see if we can put them to use.
KC
