Colorado with my son......what a ride.

[TxAg]

cool!

[rastaman]

Lucky Dad, lucky son! Thanks for taking us along! Beautiful country...

[slivrslingr]

Just reading that from the other side of the world was an emotional roller coaster.  Thank you for sharing.

[Lone Ranger]

great read- tough country for sure!

[LONGSTYKES]

John, Sounds like you and Alex had a great Father/Son couple of weeks. Thanks for the great Pics and read. Sorry for your loss.

[Autumnarcher]

There were a lot of things I learned along the way on this trip.

First- the area we hunted was recommended to me by a friend who lives in the area. He doesnt hunt it as he guides for an outfitter in a different area of the same unit, but had heard through some of his friends it was a good area.
When we arrived I didnt expect the amount of grazing going on in that area. LESSON- when choosing an area of National Forest/Wilderness Area, contact the local forest service office for info on grazing- heavy grazing can negatively influence elk movements. Ditto for recreational use such as horseback tours,hikers etc. Any wilderness will probably have some of this, but this area seemed to be a particular hotspot.

Heres a tip that worked great for us. Our boots got soaked hunting the real rainy day. even though they are "waterproof", water wicking in around the tops and walking through wet grass all day had them squishing water out of every pore. To dry them, I packed them with newspaper for a couple hours, then before we went to bed I filled them with white rice. By morning, they were barely damp inside, and perfectly wearable.
A 5# bag of rice worked great for one pr of boots.

we took a lot of odds and ends gear along we never used. Keep it very very simple and basic.

We use GFA quivers. While I usually wear it with the feathered end of my arrows up, water getting into the hood caused my Woodsmans to rust a little, which dulled them. Make sure to have the means to touch your broadheads up, and check them often. I like the Woodsman heads, but they sure sseem to dull easily.

String wax- snagging on branches and flowers beats your string up. If you forget string wax, chapstick makes a fair substitute. Keep 'em waxed!

With the amount of time we were out there, I was expecting we would beat our feet up pretty bad. Neither of us had so much as a single hot spot or blister. Good insoles, and good boots are worth their weight in gold. We used Asolo hiker boots,very comfortable boots. Highly recommend them. Along with good boots, good socks! We used Vermont Darn tough wool socks in Med weight. Well worth the cost.

We did not wear any cotton clothing, other than around base camp at night. Im sold on Merino wool base layers. Absolutely the best I've ever worn.

We used Big Agnes Air core inflatable sleeping pads. They are comfy and easy to use. The only problem we had was those, with a nylon sleeping bag was like a slippy=slide. It was tough staying on the pad while sleeping. Need to come up with something to correct that.

As far as our gear, everything performed as expected, with no problems. The only disaapointemnt was the Kifaru Paratipi. Its a quality tent for sure, but its just too small for 2 men, 2 backpacks, bows and quivers. For one person it would be perfect. I'll probably upgrade it to either a sawtooth, or the 6 man tipi. As far as weight, the paratipi is light and easy to pack, but I wouldnt use it for 2 again.

I would also make sure I have topo maps for the surrounding areas. I had a couple, but learning of other areass nearby, I could have used a couple more maps. Im a firm believer in carrying topo maps. The maps on the GPS are helpful, but the screen is too small to use them for more advanced scouting/planning.

[cacciatore]

Great adventure with your son!

[elknutz]

I really enjoyed your hunt.  God's peace to you and your son.

[Carcajou]

Fantastic pictorial and story telling...sometimes, not killing any critters enables you to take in everything around you just a little bit more..awesome country, that Colorado...and thanks for the pointers, I like the white rice idea. Best of luck with the grieving process also.

[agross1]

Wow, really enjoyed this thread, amazing photos and storytelling.  I hope to one day be able to do a hunt in Colorado.

[LV2HUNT]

Great stuff! Lifetime memories right there.

[Izzy]

Purely epic. That story will probably be told for many generations of your family.

[LoweBow]

Great wrap up summary Ron!  Alot of great help here.  I'm jealous as I can only hope to take my boy on a trip like this someday..  God Bless!
Mike

[hayslope]

Great adventure in CO.  Thanks for sharing.

Very sorry to hear about your young friend.

It is always valuable to document your lessons learned!  It will make the next hunt all the better.

[huntnmuleys]

wow, what a ride.  sounds like a great trip until the end.  im gonna remember the rice trick as well...

[grizz]

Ron, I enjoyed your account immensely. I live right down the valley from where you hunted, an awesome country for sure. I often go up there to do some fishing, my wife loves it for the photo opps. We hunted nearby, my sons and I (four men that I am so proud of!) We managed two bears and two elk with our traditional longbows. Thanks for putting such an adventure in words. Grizz

[ishoot4thrills]

Great read. Thanks for the details, I felt like I was there with you both!

I am so sorry you had to endure the tragic news of your friend Robert.

I would love to someday do what you and your son did. Elk hunting in CO would be a dream come true. I just hope I am in good enough shape by the time it comes for me to give it a go.

[maxfit]

Great story //great adventure. sounds like a dream hunt  game or not!..i am sure although it may not seem so now.something good somehow will result from your tragedy..my prayers are with you and your son as you deal with your loss.

[Talondale]

Sorry for your loss.  It was a great story and a treasured memory I'm sure.

[KentuckyTJ]

Awesome trip, thanks for the picts and story.