Colorado Trip Report

[Nathan C]

BT2:



I made a wide loop up into the aspens, checked out a couple wallows, and went to lead pipe cinch pinch point that elk absolutely would HAVE to travel through if they were using the area. Nothing.

No elk sign fresher than a month (or longer).

[Nathan C]

Absolutely nothing! I couldn't believe it. I bailed.

2000+ foot descent in 51 minutes. I trail ran all but the cliffy technical parts with full gear and bow in hand. I was acclimated and feeling good by this point.

[Nathan C]

Day 7:

To bed at 10:300 or 11, up at 4 to drive to the next trailhead. Park and start the 2000' climb. Everything around there begins with a 2000' climb.

Miss a turn at the top, backtrack a half mile, find the ridge I need to be on, glass............ELK! A cow leading a medium size 5 point in a meadow across the drainage. Another bull! a smallish but legal 4 pt.

I bail off the ridge, crawl up the creekbank on the other side to get the wind in my favor, then duck walk, bend over, crawl, knee walk, and crawl some more up through the thick oak brush.

I've got to be within 150 yards of where I last saw the elk. It's now nearly 9 am and the winds are very swirly. The oak brush is frustratingly loud. Having made a mistake earlier in the week being too aggressive with elk, I now try the passive approach.



I bed down for the day in some mature oak brush. I nap, watch the sky, and wait for the temps to drop and the wind to stabilize.



That afternoon I staked out a wonderful funnel in the end of the meadow the elk had left earlier that morning. I had great cover, several trails entering the meadow within bow range, even bushes that were at convenient 5 yard intervals. A perfect ambush point.



The best laid plans of mice and men....nothing showed. I waited till dark, no bugles.

[Nathan C]

I spent the night in the spot I spent the day, surrounded by these....\



Black bear poop is impressive. I mean really, some of them look like the bear just finished off a hippo. Fortunately they were filled with oak brush acorns, not elk hunters.

The next morning I was still hunting the edge of the meadow, then through the meadow along a large bench that runs for a mile or more. Scattered openings with mingled oak brush. An archers dream. I covered the entire bench by 10 am. Nothing.

That's it, time to pack out and go home.



I humped back up the ridge and met up with Kevin. We chatted and plotted, relived the trip, took a few pack photos, then headed out.



I started driving Saturday morning and slept in the front seat that night somewhere in Kansas for 3.5 hrs at a rest stop. I got up, drank a gallon of coffee at IHOP, and drove on home. I arrived around 7 pm.

[Shewie]

Great pics, lovely country

I need a goat, or two

[ScottH]

Thanks for the fantastic pics. Sorry you didn't get a chance at an elk, sounds like you were in plenty good shape to pack one out.

[JDZ]

Great report. Thanks for posting. Too bad you didn't get into more elk.

[alukban]

That's a great trip AND pics!

[Forager]

Great report, great posts, incredible pics!

Pack goats sound like almost more trouble than they are worth. I suspect I'll end up with a few.

[Rebel70438]

Thanks for sharing. Good stuff.