Post hunt recap - second guessing myself

[PredatorX]

First solo backpack hunt is in the books. I wanted to throw this out there as I sit here with empty coolers and second guess my tactics a bit.

I arrived on wed. Afternoon before Colorado first rifle.

Plan A was to glass on high above treeline. I was expecting warmer weather. High country seemed to get a bit of snow...4 wheel drive snow. Anyways, I hiked up to around 11k feet and found myself in more of a survival situation with the cold that I decided to move to lower elevation. Never got to my glassing spot.

At lower elevation I found a large herd out in the open on wintering grounds. I was then able to backdoor them. I knew they weren't going to stay in the wide open long at around 11:30.

As luck would have it I started to run into some cows on their way back up around 2 pm. I dropped my hilleberg and laid low. That night elk talk broke loose and rose my excitement. Heard grunting, chuckling, bugling. Man it was awesome. Did not hear any talk Friday morning but I continued to lay low. Early Fri evening, I hear a bull rip a bugle over my headphones as I listened to a kifarucast podcast. As the sun is setting I hear some more bulging / noise and peek out. I eventually notice movement about 100 yards away and see a spike, 3 cows and a decent bull bringing up the rear. Only 12 or 13 hours before season opens. Yes my rifle was next to me and no I did not pick it up!

Of course I couldn't sleep Friday night before opener. I got up on the ridge and waited for them to come back up. They never showed up.

The weather started to get a little warmer before the cold came on. I suspect two things happened. 1. The big herd got broken up and the bull I saw was just taking off with the cows he was able to acquire.

2. The elk just moved up to higher country. Snow was melting and it was getting warmer.

On Sunday, got around 3-4". No bugling and all I could do was some 2 mile perimiter checks trying to cut tracks. All I ever found were a couple cow tracks coming off the mountain heading lower.

I basically was slowly skirting the open and clear cut areas at dusk and dawn.

I woke up to about 0 degrees on Monday morning and it drained the life meter right out of me. I put on one last perimiter check and found no fresh tracks so I headed home.

So here I am sitting in concrete land where it is noisy as heck. I feel like I have ptsd of sorts. It is quiet and peaceful in the mountains but i missed my chaotic family. I am second guessing my tactics and now I wish I would have extended my range to 5+ miles to try and pick them up again. I also wish I would have grinded it out at least one more day.

0 degree bag for me next time vs 20 and maybe should have tried harder to find them again. (Hike more miles). Is this how elk hunting goes and is there anything I should have done differently? I feel like I missed a good opportunity with the snow. Hiking in the snow isn't the easiest however.

I have elk hunted a few years now and I find it is easy to get close to them...after you locate them. I never want to leave anything on the table again, because this is misery knowing that I left early a hunt I had been planing all year.

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

 

[elkduds]

Some years ago I was awakened early opening morning of CO's 1st rifle season by elk talk near my tent. I did my stealthy best to follow them through dense aspens. it was an hour before shooting light when they winded me and beat feet, never saw them after that. In fact, I saw 0 elk for the next 3 days while the orange pressure was on. It was the 4th day of the 5-day 1st season before I saw elk again. That pattern has repeated enough times that I plan on it. Anyone else had this experience?

The 1st elk I ever got crossed the road in front of me while I was driving off the mountain, heading for home. It was not the last day of season, but I was tired and frustrated after missing an elk first thing that morning, the only one I had seen during the 3 days I had hunted The solution is to keep hunting until the last minute of the last day, if you possibly can.

 

[tlowell02]

The solution is to keep hunting until the last minute of the last day, if you possibly can.

This! Maintaining a good attitude in the face of extreme frustration is a must.

We just successfully tagged a bull last week in the last hour of the last day after five days of frustration. We could have thrown in the towel that afternoon when we watched the dense fog roll over the valley but it "only takes one."

 

[PredatorX]

Man guys, you are absolutely right. I should know better too. This here is one of the best pieces of advice you will find.

Now I sit here and really miss the mountains. What a magical place.

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

 

[Yooper]

I've been on far too many trips where the last hour of the last day paid off. Keeping that mindset in the face of adversity is the hardest part, though. Especially when you're solo and the only one you have to push you is yourself. Our group killed a nice bull the last morning of our Wyoming archery hunt this year. It would have been easy to sleep in that morning and pack up early and leave, but we work too hard and dream about elk hunting in the off season to short ourselves.

 

[md126]

Solo backpack in snow and zero degree weather is about as extreme as it gets. Over extending yourself is a lot easier said than done and very dangerous in those conditions. Sounds like you had a great experience either way. I wouldn’t be too hard on yourself

 

[cnelk]

So many times Ive seen guys arrive too early before season and blow their wad in a couple days and leave early.

 

[rayporter]

or blow the game out scouting

 

[HighVoltageHunter]

That’s just hunting. There are times I’ve left early out of frustration from not seeing anything but am back at it when I get my head right. During extended seasons you can do that but when you’ve planned all year for one hunt and your time or season is limited, you’ve got to stick it out.
But don’t be negligent and put your life in jeapardy concerning the weather. Know your limits.
Sounds like you learned you need gear that will keep you warmer (more comfortable) so you can stay longer. If you miss home so much, get an Inreach or some other way to keep in contact with your family.
As you continue to hunt you’ll figure out if solo huntings for you or not.
Don’t give up and remember, “Fire is your friend.”

 

[OFFHNTN]

Sounds like you did most things right....except for only hunting 3 days.
Also, be careful to extend your search area too far.....you mentioned 5 miles. 5 miles is a LONG way to pack an animal out alone.
Congrats on "doing it" though and getting home safe!

 

[muddydogs]

From your description it sounds like you camped out in the middle of the elk instead of moving away from the group you found, kind of seems like you probably pushed the group away by camping were you did.

Not sure what a perimeter check is when elk hunting but it sounds like you decided on an area to hunt and if the elk weren't in the area then so be it instead of picking up camp and actually hunting for the elk. If the only tracks you found in fresh snow were headed down then it would have been worth a look down.

The whole get up high and spend all day glassing deal that's talked about on the forums and showed in video's is only accomplished in small areas. It just don't work in a lot of places or if the elk aren't above tree line. Most of the elk country I have set foot in your time is better spent still hunting the elkey looking areas and spending a few minutes glassing any openings you happen to come across.