My wife said to me as I was packing up for my annual elk hunt.  I knew she was only kidding, but her message was serious.  Ironically, I had pulled the last two packages of elk meat out of our freezer to be used to make chili in camp during the hunt.  Ever since I introduced my wife to elk venison she almost refuses to eat store bought meat and this was her subtle way of telling me it was time to bring some more home, point taken.  It was also her way of telling me to enjoy myself and not worry about her or the kids. I told her I'd check in every night I could but let her know once I packed in I'd have no reception and not to wory if she didn't hear from me for 4 or 5 days. Yeah right   :rolleyes:  

It was 9:00 pm by the time we rolled into our old familiar camping spot in the beautiful San Juan mountains of Southern Colorado. As we stepped out of the truck, the cool mountain air was a pleasant change from the heat and humidity we had left at home. We were too beat from the 17 hr drive to fully set up camp so we quickly set up the wall tent, assembled our cots and piled everything else in the tent.  We'd set up a proper camp after tomorrow mornings hunt.  For now it was time to hit the sack.  



Gotta go for now, the kids are up and I need to spend some time with them. More to come.

Cool pic Good Luck

No pressure there.  LOL

Looking forward to reading the story.

Mike

Nice pic

Looking forward to your story. Always wanted to hunt the San Juans!

I'm up in the North Park area this year. Good luck!

AJ

Nice picture!  Good luck and have fun!    

Bernie Bjorklund

NC Iowa/SW Wisconsin

Kids come first, but don't forget about us when you're done!

Ahhh, I was wondering how you did.  I hope the package came before you left.

Sorry guys.  I don't intend to drag this out.  In fact my goal is to have it all done by 8:00 tomorrow morning because I know after that I'll be paying for taking 10 days off work.  

Steve O...I did get the package before I left.  Thanks  

It felt like I had barely closed my eyes when the alarm went off at 4:00 but I was quick out of bed, it was finaly hunting season for me!

I lit the Coleman stove and boiled some water for instant coffee and oatmeal.  We ate quickly and shoved a few snacks in our packs for later in the morning and jumped in the truck for a short drive to the area we planned to hunt.

My plan was to do shorter day hunts with my brother in spots that have been productive in the past for the first two days so I could get my "mountain legs" (and lungs).  Then on the third day I'd pack in for 4 days to an area I've had good luck in.  If that didn't pan out I'd come out, restock, and pack in for 4 more days to a new spot I'd mapped out.  My backpack was already loaded up and ready to go.



As my brother and I pulled up to the parking spot on the first morning the truck's thermometer read 31 degrees and the skies were crystal clear.  Perfect!  We shouldered our packs, grabbed our bows started hiking. The area we planned to hunt was about 3 miles in but the good news was it was all up hill.    

After about 2-1/2 miles of steady climbing I stopped for a blow.  Suddenly, through my rapid breathing I heard the faint wistle of a bugle.  I grinned and whispered to my brother, "hear that",  "hear what" he said.  Suddenly another bull bugled closer.  He returned the grin "I heard that one"  The bulls were up a drainage to our left and sounded to be about 500 yards up the drainage and several hundred yards above us.

I looked at my watch and we still had at least 45 minutes until shooting light.  I told my brother all we could do was move in to about 250 yds then stay with them until it was light enough to make a move.  We moved up the drainage several hundred yards and climbed up high enough to get away from the noise of the rushing water in the creek below.  

I counted 3 different bulls bugling in the group total.  We could quickly tell they were travelling away from us, up the drainage and up the mountain. We kept moving trying to stay within a couple of hundred yards of them and below them so the downward thermals would keep our sent away from them. If you've ever tried to keep up with an elk travelling up hill I don't have to tell you that it feels like you're fighting a loosing battle. I knew if we could just keep them in ear shot, eventually the cows would stop to feed or just hang out and we could move in.


Finally, about 10 minutes before daylight and maybe 1/2 a mile up the drainage they sounded like they finally stoped moving, or at least slowed down.  We moved in and waited for the sun.

         

waiting patiently!!  

You're off to a good start, now keep it coming!    

This is awesome!

THANKS

Once it was light enough to shoot, I moved to within about 100 yards while my brother hung back about 75 yards behind me.   I called a bull in for him on the last day of our hunt in Idaho last year so I was up to the plate this time.  Once I was in position I made a couple soft calls and two bulls immediately bugled back.  We went back and forth for a few minutes but I could tell they weren't coming down to me. The area I was set up in was open Aspens and the bulls knew they should be able to see any cow that was down there.  I shut up and let them drift up the hill.

As soon as I heard one of them bugle far enough away to allow me to move I began climbing.  After about 150 yards I could see a bench above me and the vegetation started to thicken. There were small Spruce mixed in with the Aspens and the ground cover was much thicker with shrubs and new growth Aspen.  I picked out a Spruce growing on the lip of the bench and using it for cover I quickly moved up to the bench while my brother stayed 75 - 100 yards behind me.   I eased around the Spruce and picked out a large Aspen to stand beside to block my form.  To my left was extremely thick young Aspen and ground cover and to my right about 40 yards the dark timber began.

This is an elk's view looking back down the bench. The Spruce in the middle is the one I use for cover and I set up in front of the large Aspen in front of it.





I stood there for a minute and let my heart rate calm back down from the climb,  or maybe it was the excitement, probaly a little of both!  I knew the bull wouldn't go down to my brothers calling in the open Aspens so I signaled to him that I'd take over the calling.  I cupped my hand to my mouth to send the call to my right and slightly down hill from and let out a soft, nasally mew.  A bull screamed back almost before I had finished the call, and he was close.  He was just above me, over the edge of the bench and to my left.  I made one more call and shut up.  It was the last week of archery season and I knew these bulls had been called to for 3 weeks. I didn't want to over do it, and they knew where I was now. The next move was theirs. A couple of minutes went by with no bugles. This meant one of two things: either he was drifting off or coming in silently.  

Just then I saw a small 2" diameter Aspen tree swaying about 40 yards above me and to the left, but the wind wasn't blowing. I scanned to find the movement and suddenly there he was like a ghost standing 35 yards in front of me.  It always amazes me how silent an animal their size can be when they want to, then at times they can sound like a heard of elephants coming through the woods.

This is fantastic!