The adventure begins

[Btaylor]

Got settled in CO today about noon and took the afternoon to drive to the entries into 2 of the spots I have been dissecting via the web. The place I feared might have people issues just that. 9 trucks and a couple horse trailers. May check it mid week if the other spot doesn't pan out. The second spot is actually the closest to where we are staying and there were no trucks in there. Understandable too considering the freaking climb to get up where I want to be. Good news is the first quarter to half mile is dang near vertical and then it should be side billing into the area. Only other way I could sort out on the web is a lot longer hike with more gain. Opting to take my medicine right out of the gate and get it over with. Plus side too is that sane people would never opt for this route in. Hoping that plays in my favor that if folks come up there from the other side I may be able to use that to my benefit. Second elk hunt, first solo, and wife is tagging along for the hiking and see if she might like to get a ML tag in the future. I think have done about everything I can to stack the odds firmly against success so odds shmods we gonna go get after em in the morning. Will update along the way. Y'all get after em and good hunting everyone.

 

[Hunter6]

Good luck


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[Ross]

Good luck

 

[big44a4]

Good luck!


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[Btaylor]

Made it in and my thoughts about no sane people using my route in was correct. Got up to the spot and landed right square in the mother load of fresh sign. Was way later than needed to be for hunting but opted to way for first light since this was the first trip in. Did a quick survey of the area and opted to come out the only other route to access the spot and it was way worse and 2.5 times further.

Problem now is now is I have a spot with food water and cover, not a single trace of human presence and elk but I seriously doubt if I could get one out without loosing some meat hunting solo. And my pack mule, I mean my wife, said she was not going back up there. Something about that whole sanity thing. Lol.

We did see one cow but missed the shot opp trying to get wife in position to see it. Cow didn't have a clue we were there but the way she left did not provide for a opp to pursue and I didn't feel like pressing the envelope on day one. May regret that decision but that is hunting.

 

[ElkNut1]

Sounds like fun, good luck bud!

ElkNut/Paul

 

[Jjamesdean]

Good luck!

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[plumber1969]

BTaylor
That's a win in my book. You saw an elk and you got your wife to tag along. I am in the same boat but mine loves to hunt. We are headed out to South Central Colorado in two weeks and I hope to make a pack mule out of my wife shortly. Best of luck to you and your wife and be safe out there.

 

[durangobrad]

Made it in and my thoughts about no sane people using my route in was correct. Got up to the spot and landed right square in the mother load of fresh sign. Was way later than needed to be for hunting but opted to way for first light since this was the first trip in. Did a quick survey of the area and opted to come out the only other route to access the spot and it was way worse and 2.5 times further.

Problem now is now is I have a spot with food water and cover, not a single trace of human presence and elk but I seriously doubt if I could get one out without loosing some meat hunting solo. And my pack mule, I mean my wife, said she was not going back up there. Something about that whole sanity thing. Lol.

We did see one cow but missed the shot opp trying to get wife in position to see it. Cow didn't have a clue we were there but the way she left did not provide for a opp to pursue and I didn't feel like pressing the envelope on day one. May regret that decision but that is hunting.

If your in the Southwest Colorado area Id probably be willing to give you a hand packing out of some nasty hole. Might even be able to find some friends and get it out in one trip.

 

[Btaylor]

BTaylor
That's a win in my book. You saw an elk and you got your wife to tag along. I am in the same boat but mine loves to hunt. We are headed out to South Central Colorado in two weeks and I hope to make a pack mule out of my wife shortly. Best of luck to you and your wife and be safe out there.

My wife loves to fish and duck hunt. Not being a deer hunter much lass an elk hunter she questioned the need to climb into the area we went too. After the fact though she completely understood the need to be prepared to pack in and stay a while rather than trying to day hunt the area. Might get a raise in my allowance for some new gear. Woohoo!!

 

[Btaylor]

If your in the Southwest Colorado area Id probably be willing to give you a hand packing out of some nasty hole. Might even be able to find some friends and get it out in one trip.

Appreciate the offer.

 

[Btaylor]

Went back today for round two and decided to make a circle around and above where we were yesterday and check some other meadows and such. Bumped two singles that saw me or heard me before I spotted them. Creepin in the dark stuff was bad crunchy and not enough wind to cover the sound and I wasn't making much. Tough slipping conditions. But then I caught a cow and calf where I could make a really stealthy move and got to the point where I was about to clip the string and where in the crap did that other cow come from. Busted again but was very happy with the hunt and the stalk. Came out today the way I went in and took a couple of pretty good slides. Last one was pretty rough as it was the last 20 feet or so before hitting the trail. Landed on my feet but it was a pretty solid jolt. think I am going to go check a couple other spots tomorrow that are or at least should be significantly easier to get in and out of and let my sore ass recover a little. It certainly goes against the grain for me to leave a spot with great sign and sightings but I am looking at this from a long game perspective and want to learn a couple other areas close by so I will have more baskets for eggs next year and beyond.

 

[WV Mountaineer]

Its your choice but, I'd cook the eggs in the basket I had and, do more basket searching once I killed what I went to kill. Good luck and God Bless

 

[sneaky]

My .02... don't ever leave elk where you find them on public land.

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[durangobrad]

Yeah I would NEVER leave elk once I found them to search out another potential spot. Your hunting a tag that likely has less than 10% success rates get on em and kill one before they move on.

 

[sodaksooner]

now you see why folks pack in and stay! Good luck and have a great hunt.

 

[Btaylor]

now you see why folks pack in and stay! Good luck and have a great hunt.

For sure but that wasn't an option this year for multiple reasons. My physical ability to handle the mountains is drastically better than last year but I still way underestimated the severity of that climb. But the best way to improve is go do it, learn from it and adapt for the next go round.

 

[sodaksooner]

Took us a few tries too. Now we have gear......lol

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[Btaylor]

Guys I get the whole leaving elk thing. Like I said, not in my nature either. But part of this trip was having my wife along for the hunt too as she has never expressed any real interest in deer hunting at home but did want to go on an elk hunt. She was not comfortable with the climb in and for sure getting back out as the downhill is pretty sketchy. So, I went to see how many folks were at a couple of spots that go into an area I hunted year before last. It is not as treacherous to get in and there are elk there too. This year the hunt is not just about what I want do where I want to do it. While that is a sacrifice, there is no need to not attempt to make the most of learning as much ground as I can while also making it an enjoyable trip for my wife. Considering the virtual free reign I have to hunt and fish, this is a small price I am happy to pay.

Fortunately, there were only a couple of rigs at the main trailhead I was interested in so we will prolly make an excursion there tomorrow but I fully intend to have another go or two at the first spot.

 

[sodaksooner]

Guys I get the whole leaving elk thing. Like I said, not in my nature either. But part of this trip was having my wife along for the hunt too as she has never expressed any real interest in deer hunting at home but did want to go on an elk hunt. She was not comfortable with the climb in and for sure getting back out as the downhill is pretty sketchy. So, I went to see how many folks were at a couple of spots that go into an area I hunted year before last. It is not as treacherous to get in and there are elk there too. This year the hunt is not just about what I want do where I want to do it. While that is a sacrifice, there is no need to not attempt to make the most of learning as much ground as I can while also making it an enjoyable trip for my wife. Considering the virtual free reign I have to hunt and fish, this is a small price I am happy to pay.

Fortunately, there were only a couple of rigs at the main trailhead I was interested in so we will prolly make an excursion there tomorrow but I fully intend to have another go or two at the first spot.

Gotta keep the little lady happy.

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