Enjoy the posts of other hunts here, so I thought I would share.
Spent 6 days chasing them again and came home empty handed. This was by far one of the best hunts I have been on. Arrived late Friday, grabbed a bite and headed to the cabin. Dark of the moon, last week and a decent forcast had our hopes up.
The next morning we checked our gear and prepared for the pack in. Had a little time to fish. My good friend Les got lucky and pulled one out. Les, by the way, worked a deal and made this trip possible for me, otherwise I could have never made it. Thanks again bud!
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Our guide came down the mountain that afternoon and we were ready to head in. 1000ft climb, few miles and we would be in camp. I lost track of time as I was thinking what it would feel like to have a horse roll on you if we missed a step, the pucker factor was there a few times. As we rode into camp a bull was in the meadow, let out a bugle and faded into the timber, a good sign. Our rides...
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Home for the week..
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The next morning did not come too soon. Breakfast of pork chops, eggs, potatoes and coffee. Loaded my pack and pockets with all the stuff bowhunters carry and we were ready.
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We headed for a canyon about two hours away. Crossed some big meadows and a couple of alpine lakes on the way. Our guide stayed at the head of the canyon and would wait for us to return.
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A few hundred yards in we were moving slowly cow calling and I caught movement above me. I readied an arrow as the 5x5 appeared like a ghost just 30 yds out. He stopped short of the opening looking for the cow he had heard, just two more steps. The wind hit me in the back and he was gone.
We moved further down and set up calling a couple times. A bull was answering sparingly down in the bottom. Looked like a storm was coming from the east, we headed down and came to out on some small cliffs and could see the a small meadow in the bottom. My bugle was answered immediately as the wind, freezing rain and hail hit us. The bull was coming and showed himself before we could find a way down. He stayed for 30 minutes or so, bugling and feeding. We sat and enjoyed the show....
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The heavy snow started so we began the climb out. Definitely a good first day.
I think the altitude got to me a little and did not fell well that evening, so I stayed in camp the next day. Les and our guide set off on foot in the morning. I felt better after breakfast, but took it easy. I spent the day shooting my bow, eating and looking at the trout in the nearby creek (my fishing license was not good until the next day).
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Les returned early and had three different bulls respond but could not close the deal.
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2am I was disturbed by chuckles I thought I heard. I lay there wondering if I was dreaming, then the bull ripped off a full bugle and everyone in the tent heard it. He was no more than 2-300yds moving across the pasture where the horses were tied, a few more bugles and he was over the ridge. Day three we headed to where we had seen the big bull the first day. We rode down in a ways and tied the horses. We called and slip hunted near the meadow with no response. There were trees torn up everywhere, fresh tracks, scat but they were not talking.
Where the bull had been the first day, we were up above on the rocks..
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We moved further down the canyon. These 'canyons' I am referring to are huge, covering thousands of acres with fields, benches, smaller drainages and heavy timber. The further we went, the rougher it got.
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I opted to stay at the meadow while Les worked further down. A couple hours later we called in a cow and calf, but that was it. We took our time climbing back out that afternoon, giving a few cow calls every few hundred yards. Les caught movement in front us, a bull slipping uphill I assume to get our wind. Never could make out his rack, he dissappeared.
Rolled into camp after dark to a dinner of homemade mexican lasagna, soapapillas and cheesecake.
Day four, breakfast of bacon, eggs, potatoes, coffee. Filled my pack with candy bars, sandwich and two bottles of water. Helped catch the horses and feed them and we were off. George was to take us to a drainage up near the divide. We never made it, rounding a bend we spotted a big bull a mile away in the edge of the timber feeding, a big 5x5. Tied the horses and started towards him.
Ran into this guy and got his picture...
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Hour and a half later we were above where the bull had been. We moved slowly glassing the timber. On the third set up a cow came in, but no bull. We moved on past and climbed to a ridge and ate lunch. We decided to stay in the area and try to get on this bull. The wind picked up and a storm was moving in from the east. We let out a bulge and the bull answered right where we had been..
He is right in the timber below us..
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We hurried to beat the storm. He bugled twice more as we moved in, the last time no more than 200 yds. The snow came and shut everything down, he never showed...
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It never let up and at times you could not see more than 100yds. We packed it in early. Good horse, good country, nothing better...
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Day five, woke up to this....not good for sneaking up on elk..
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We took our time getting out of camp and headed for the divide. Spooked a nice bull and some cows out of the same meadow we saw the 5x5 in the day before, we kept moving on.
Tracked a bull and a couple of cows in the snow and pushed them out of their bed. We picked out a vantage point above timberline and sat in the sun and had lunch. Couple hours later a bull bugled to the west and we headed after him. As we chased him bulls started bugling down in the head of the drainage nearby. We got in close on him, I bugled and he took his cows over the divide. Les caught sight of him and said he was a big one.
Several bulls were answering down here.....
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It was too late to drop in after them. We knew where we would be the following day.
Day five headed back to where we had heard the bulls. Got there before lunch and rested while we glassed a little. We dropped in moving slowly than before, only two days left. Was real steep in places and we slid some of the way down.
Just before the bottom, caught this cow napping with two calves...
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Just as we reached the bottom heard a bugle. Slipped over a ridge and a spotted a 6x6 and could see one cow in the trees. We called and he answered several times, but followed the cow into the trees, we moved on.
Later in the afternoon the bugling started. The weather had cleared and I think maybe this helped. We staged ourselves above the timber hoping they would show before dark, but they didn't quite make it where we were. The wind shifted and we slowly backed out.
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Bulls bugled at us as we crossed the meadows under the stars, a ride not to forget. 2+ hours later, steak and homemade apple pie we crawled in our bags.
Wow... sounds like quite a trip... wish I was back there myself!
ak.
Last day we took our time and called here and there prospecting. We knew we were headed to same place and finally got there late afternoon. After discussing, Les decided to stay up top so I went down in alone. 2 hours later I was in position and the chorus of bugling started.
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Spotted cows with a big bull coming down a slide one the far side of the trees just before the sun dissappeared. He was better than the bull we had seen the first day, had long back points and was wide, he would do just fine. I waited for the wind and made my move across the open and into the timber. His raspy bulge was answered from two down below. I was moving slowly to the next tree and saw a cow coming, then the rest of them came. I made it to 20yds of where they were crossing as 15 or so cows filed by, wind in my face. This was textbook, herd bull, last day, last hour, chip shot. Minutes went by, he never showed. Finally he bugled down below me as the dark took over. It was over. Aside from not getting a shot I don't think the hunt could have been better. I thought about all the things I would have missed if I had tagged out early as I climbed out. Maybe next year is the year....
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'Dog; great job; I felt like I was right there with you. Excellent trip and story. Thanks...............Shick
Looks like a trip that dreams are made of. Some gorgous contry. Thanks for sharing!!
I thought that country looked familiar. Hunted the South San Juans two year ago. That is some rough country up there for sure. Thanks for sharing the pics with us!
Great hunt and a great story.
Super trip and storytellin!!
Did you have a journal? I probably couldn't remember half of the story by the time I got home!!
Thanks for sharing a great hunt!
:banghead: I can't wait until next year.. great story got me all pumped up. :jumper:
Thanks! Spectacular wilderness!
Thats one of the better hunts I've never been on. Thanks for the adventure.
Awesome hunt. Thanks for the adventure.
Really enjoyed your story and the pics....Thanks for sharing your hunt with us!
Sounds like you were into them the entire trip, and that's more than a guy can hope for. Sometimes it comes together, but more often not. Either way, success was your's! Thanks for taking the time to tell a great story and share the pictures - I enjoyed every minute!
Great hunt, thanks for sharing! Sounds like the Rockies in the Fall.
appreciate the story telling and pictures! thanks, dan
Awesome pic's, beautiful country. Thanks for sharing.
Blackdog,
I used to stomp around that area when I went to college in Alamosa (close to Antonito), great country as I long to return there. Your hunting trip reminds me of my own four days of hunting here in Idaho, lots of close encounters but no meat.
What I like to hear is that you still had a great time eventhough no elk were killed. This confirms to me that you have your priorities in order, the journey is more important than the destination.
Next year I hope you may savor the flavor of your well deserved Elk.
Bill
Congrats nice story beautyful country never been in South Colorado.Felix
Al Kidner, I read about your hunt and enjoyed it. Sounds like you had a good trip also.
Kenny M, you know I thought about taking something to write on, but didn't. I probably did leave out half the story, ha. Wouldn't have mattered anyway as we were always chasing elk, eating or sleeping. Not much down time.