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CO Elk Muzzle loading hunt
Sorry, no dead elk from me or son #1, but excellent trip none the less.
Day after the 17 hour drive, groceries and lunch in Gunnison.
MHS's cousins place, excellent lodging.
MHS on first morning glassing for elk.
Tried a water trough for fresh sign, MHS and son #1.
Still searching for fresh sign, 4 wheeled up to Tomichi Pass on the continental divide and found a cemetary, me and the kid.
Close up of the grave marker.
Finally on some fresh sign and jumped one earlier, MHS glassing above the tree line at Marshall Pass and checking out 2 other hunters.
Same area, found some old cabins, me and the kid.
Full mount in Gunnison next to me, note the whitetail to the left.
Better look at the whitetail/elk size differential, this was a nice whitetail.
Hopefully MHS is on them still, the last night I could hunt he had one screaming back at his calls but did not step out into range at dusk, lots of Mule deer close encounters, I wish I could have stayed the whole week, another good elk hunt, can't wait for the next one.
Day after the 17 hour drive, groceries and lunch in Gunnison.
MHS's cousins place, excellent lodging.
MHS on first morning glassing for elk.
Tried a water trough for fresh sign, MHS and son #1.
Still searching for fresh sign, 4 wheeled up to Tomichi Pass on the continental divide and found a cemetary, me and the kid.
Close up of the grave marker.
Finally on some fresh sign and jumped one earlier, MHS glassing above the tree line at Marshall Pass and checking out 2 other hunters.
Same area, found some old cabins, me and the kid.
Full mount in Gunnison next to me, note the whitetail to the left.
Better look at the whitetail/elk size differential, this was a nice whitetail.
Hopefully MHS is on them still, the last night I could hunt he had one screaming back at his calls but did not step out into range at dusk, lots of Mule deer close encounters, I wish I could have stayed the whole week, another good elk hunt, can't wait for the next one.
I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn away from their ways and live. Eze 33:11
Replies
As for that bearded guy, it's a good thing you said who he was. Otherwise, I'd still be guessing. -:)
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Forgot to mention that I drew a cow tag for my home area. My season starts October 18 and runs for 9 days. I'm looking forward to it.
Gun control laws make about as much sense as taking ex-lax to cure a cough.
Son that's somebody with nothing to do with his time but keep me in trouble with mom.
I can tell you from experience that the weather in the high country of Colorado is very iffy during this time of year. I've made a number of early and mid-October hunts, and the most common experience weather wise is to have night time temps in the mid teens and day time highs in the low to mid 60s. More times than not, there is little or no snow.
I've started my day in a heavy coat, gloves, etc., only to be taking a nice quiet nap in a sunny spot later in the day.
Gun control laws make about as much sense as taking ex-lax to cure a cough.
He bought an orange skull cap thingy, made him look like he was on a jihad with the bull elk in the area, he was up for the picture, but I figured it would have gotten him on somebody's "list":tooth:
It was low to mid-thirty's in the AM and pushing 70 in the PM at 10,000'-10,500' , the air be thin up thar', the only time MHS was huffing and puffing was when he was blowing three different calls and moving around and thrashing the undergrowth trying to coax a bull into range, me and the kid did OK but we(mostly me) worked out pretty hard for 2 months just to keep up with him. Elk are up high in general, more so when it is warm. It is easy to stay warm elk hunting, just climb up the next hill.
Thanks, I should have taken more.
MHS is still working them, he found a wallow today, no pictures yet, fingers are crossed.
Kind of same/same, other than our good fortune a couple years ago, it still took us about the same amount of time scouting to get on them and some fresh sign. MHS was definitely beyond his normal hunting area and we still did not drive that far I didn't think. We saw more hunters on the road but still did not run into any in the woods and there were NO bunny hugging cross country skiers on this trip. We saw a couple elk briefly and MHS had 1-3 bulls whipped up calling, I have been bugging him for updates since we left, we had the benefit of his extended family and friends providing intel on what they were seeing in the area which was quite helpful, they are a bunch of Energizer Rabbits like MHS when it comes to elk/mule deer hunting, they were staying out in the field over night. I would not mind hunting either area again.
Hey, getting the wife to the beach in the first part of the year is a good plan, "visiting" the inlaws in the fall should be an easy sell to the wife after that.
JAY
True that, I am still glad to this day that I made this clear way before I married my wife.
Man, you guys are tempting me. And I can function fine in those temperatures. What caliber, style, and Make Muzzle Loader do you use there Chiro?
Man I love that country. I think Most men were born for it. I feel like a buck in rut when I'm up in those elevations. Of course I remember having to work out and then get acclimated for it, being as I live at about 18-20 feet above sea level.
Son that's somebody with nothing to do with his time but keep me in trouble with mom.