We've done a decent amount of scouting this year, not so much to find the elk but just to get outside. Last week I planned on helping a friend get our camp all set up but one of his best horses freaked out on the way up the trail for no apparant reason. We spent the whole day looking for a horse instead of getting a camp spot prepared. It was still an adventure.
I don't like teasers so I'll put the best pics up first. My brother took the pictures of this elk. He was by himself backpacking when he saw it. Good thing he had a camera...nobody would have believed him if he didn't! ;) I have personally never seen a 7X7 in the woods and don't think I ever will. The chances of seeing a bull of this magnitude on public land in a heavily pressured area are minuscule. I doubt we'll find him again once the season opens anyway...but hey, a guy can dream.
(http://rmsgear.com/Images/webpics/2010elk14.JPG)
The light was pretty poor for taking pictures, this is the only side view he got of him, but it's better than nothing.
(http://rmsgear.com/Images/webpics/2010elk15.JPG)
Columbines, the Colorado State Flower.
(http://rmsgear.com/Images/webpics/2010elk13.JPG)
Beautiful brookies and cutthroats live in this little lake.
(http://rmsgear.com/Images/webpics/2010elk.JPG)
(http://rmsgear.com/Images/webpics/2010elk5.JPG)
Silvery Lupines
(http://rmsgear.com/Images/webpics/2010elk6.JPG)
Indian Paintbrush
(http://rmsgear.com/Images/webpics/2010elk10.JPG)
Alpine Sunflowers
(http://rmsgear.com/Images/webpics/2010elk11.JPG)
(http://rmsgear.com/Images/webpics/2010elk12.JPG)
And a bear hanging out in the middle of the sage flats.
(http://rmsgear.com/Images/webpics/2010elk7.JPG)
that is one great bull and beautiful looking brookie haven. you are a lucky man to live in and near such beauty
Lots of these waterfalls way back there.
(http://rmsgear.com/Images/webpics/2010elk2.JPG)
What better place for lunch?
(http://rmsgear.com/Images/webpics/2010elk9.JPG)
(http://rmsgear.com/Images/webpics/2010elk8.JPG)
Crazy looking tree.
(http://rmsgear.com/Images/webpics/2010elk4.JPG)
My brother and his dog.
(http://rmsgear.com/Images/webpics/2010elk3.JPG)
Wow guys!!!! You could not ask for a more beautiful place to spend time in!
Thank you very much for taking us along. That bull is some kind of impressive! Hope ya get a crack at him!
Nice Pics. BT
That is one amazing bull and what beautiful country.I really hope you guys get in on him.
That bull is a stud! Hope you get an opportunity on him when the season starts!
WHOA! Awesome pics. Thanks for sharing
Great photos. Hope you get the bull. Looks like a bead head prince nymph. Sure great to live in Colo.
Great pitcures! I sure do miss the mountains. But not the lack of oxygen. :)
Is that an English Springer? I have two of them at home. Great dogs.
Great Photos, great bull, great fish....well great everything. Nice dog to!!! Thanks for share'n!
That is a huge Colorado bull.Not so easy to find one like that on PL.Good luck and thanks for sharing.
Ahhhh.... refreshing!
i shouldn't be, but i am "jealous" ! great stuff!!
Thanks for the pics.. Beautiful !!!
Awesome pics.Man i'm jealous.Hope you get that huge bull.Thanks for sharing.
Gorgeous country for sure! Never hunted Elk but that thing is huge!!
That looks just like the bull I lassoed and tied to a tree last weekend. Guess I should of taken another dally around the tree...
I enjoyed the other pictures a lot too. Appreciation of all that is out there is a big part of archery. (and life).
Joshua
Tommy it looks like this is the year for you good luck man. What awesome pictures buddy.
Jealous....did I say "Jealous".... Awesome :notworthy:
Your photos make me want to try a trip to Colorado again, but my bad knees tell me they won't work well enough. Enjoy it while you can and good luck.
Nice beadhead prince. Did you tie that? I tie flies, so just a ?
Beautiful pics! Makes me wish I was making another trip to CO again this year. My freezer is just about empty from last years elk, guess I should have hoarded more for myself.
Good luck! hope you have an encounter with that "Big Boy"
Shoot Straight!
Great looking bull would be a amazing trophy if you can find him again. I love springers my parents have one he is 14 years old. He has never been hunting but when ever me and my brothers did/do take out any kind of weapon (pellet gun, airsoft, paintball, bow) he comes running and we have to try to sneak past him to keep him from chasing our shots (usually at a tire swing or a can or bottle. It is just in there genes he would have made a great hunting dog if any of us hunted.
Can you tell i love that dog?
It is refreshing to see someone else who loves to see "the rest of the story". Awesome pix. I just love that time of the year when the flowers are blooming up high. I have some photos from up high in some of the Utah mountains. A field of wild flowers right over there and a snow bank, just right for a snowball fight, over here.
Thanks
ChuckC
Thanks guys. He is in a totally isolated drainage, all by himself, and he is bedding in cliffs that you would expect to find bighorns hanging in.
Cohutta my brother tied that prince. I'm a worthless flyfisherman without him. The dog is a springer spaniel. She is a sweetheart.
I will try to get some more scenery pics up later. I have a bunch more on the blog on my website in my signature.
This is my second favorite time of the year. The only thing close to the excitement of the hunting season is the anticipation of it being right around the corner!
Beautiful landscape! Nice pictures.
Great pics! I'm looking at cameras right now...what camera did you use for these?
That old bull looks like he is thinking "oh geez, now I have to find a different hiding place before the season opens"....haha
Hope you can find him later on!
Thank you for taking us along.
God bless,Mudd
I could think of a few worse places to be ;) :thumbsup:
It would be a nice gesture to scare that elk up towards my elk area in the Bighorns.
Tommy, beautiful country and pic's. What camera are you using to shoot those shots?
Cool pics- Thanks
About half these pictures are from my brother and half from me. My camera is a Panasonic FZ20. My brother's is also a Panasonic in that FZ family but I'm not sure which one exactly. I have had it for about 5 years and I am very pleased with it. My brother's is newer and even better.
Breathtaking! Would love to hunt in Colorado some day.
very cool!
you guys are killing me i just made it final today we are moving there i got a promotion at work and it's in colorado and i can't wait thanks for shareing
That is a bull elk hunters dream about...what a magnificent animal! :eek: Thanks for sharing the pictures...Colorado sure has some beautiful country too.
Very nice, thanks for sharing.
Hey Tommy I would like to see those antlers in person. MAYBE they can be in the shop next time I make it down there.
What a great bull Tommy. Hope you guys get a crack at him. Best of luck to ya!
Great pictures Tommy! Had to clear my keyboard of drool though after seeing that bull. What a majestic beast!
Good luck this fall :thumbsup:
Tommy, as others have said, count yourself among the lucky ones. To have a brother who can find elk like that, who ties your flies, and who hikes in to share that beautiful country with you is really cool. Throw in his springer spaniel to tag along as you two scout those mountains, and you cannot do much better than that. Thanks for posting the pics, and I hope you and your brother have a great hunting season up where the air is thin!
Jake let me know when you get here and I'll take you to a range. Do you know what part of the state you're coming to?
JEJ, my brother is like my own personal guide. I would not be half the hunter I am without him pushing me. My two best "trophies" came on evenings I only hunted because he convinced me to go. But when I'm hiking behind him I'm usually saying not so nice things about him under my breath...that is until it's time to pack something out! ;)
Randy if those antlers ever made it to Denver you'll know! But like I said...I doubt we'll ever find him again. Lots and lots of country out there.
Great pics,thanks for posting.
I bet that knarly old tree is a thousand years old! growing real slow, clinging to life up there.
I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for you on that Elk!!
you're a damn lucky man!!!!