Successful elk hunt!

Elkbelch

FNG
Joined
Jan 15, 2022
Messages
52
Location
Pleasant Hill Mo
If you’re looking for pictures of giant elk or even a cow stop right here and move on. I hadn’t been on an elk hunt since 2012 when my father got old and quit going to the area we had hunted since 1994. I tried to satisfy my desire to be in the mountains by going on fishing trips with friends and such. Finally this year my youngest daughter (an avid deer hunter) expressed interest in going out to the area we had hunted for years and giving it a go.
My daughter is an accomplished through hiker so I knew she could handle it. We planned all year and this was to be her college graduation present from mom and I. She will be graduating in December with a degree in biology and wildlife management. We loaded up the gear and headed West the Tuesday prior to the opening Saturday.
When we got there I almost cried seeing the golden aspens in full color and a mountain I am very familiar with.
We spent the next two days preparing wood for the tent and camp fire. We hiked a bit and got just far enough in to remember where to head up from the trail.
Opening morning brought us to the North side of the previously mentioned mountain and as the sun came up I realized there was not much visibility due to the young aspen growth. By the second day we had not seen an elk and only a small amount of fresh sign. On day three we got into a few elk seeing a spike bull and three cows. I didn’t have a cow tag but my daughter did. I set her up in this area and she saw them on day four but couldn’t get a clean shot. She asked if that was her chance and I told her it might have been. We hunted the same location on day five but the gig was up. We broke camp and headed back that evening, empty handed like I had done so many times before.
This was a successful hunt to me because we have been planning and what-iffing since then. While we’re gone she registered for the PCT and depending on when she starts, we will be back for one of the seasons. We have points so next year is definitely going to happen.
If you got our camp site, enjoy the pile of split wood as we were too tired to have a camp fire every night.

Shawn
 

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GSPHUNTER

WKR
Joined
Jun 30, 2020
Messages
3,905
Super fantastic hunt. Never judge the success of a hunting trip, by the weight of the game bag at the end of the hunt.............
 
Joined
Jul 19, 2021
Messages
49
That is no doubt a very successful hunt. No better way to spend time with your daughter. Well done to both of you!
 

11boo

WKR
Joined
Feb 24, 2016
Messages
2,275
Location
Grand Jct, CO
Excellent. This is one of my fav memories with a nephew.

We both had cow tags, and opportunities, but no elk. Best hunt ever.

We were stripped down to our base layers at noon , then the front moved in.

Elk were running everywhere, but visibility was so bad you needed a really close shot.

DC2BD219-535C-4F39-BFAD-61C7D56943E1.jpeg
 

03mossy

WKR
Joined
Feb 25, 2020
Messages
403
Great memories were made for sure! I get to bring my boy with next year and can’t wait!
 
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