DIY Colorado Elk

[SoNevada Archer]

Thanks for all the info guys...I have wanted to hunt Colorado for years. Maybe someday I'll get to do it!

[Bill Kissner]

Sorry for the misinformation John Berger, the PM was to John Krause.

[JDice]

While still leaning towards a guided hunt - the info in this thread has me considering a DIY hunt. I know the experienced elk hunters here already know the following - I am posting this for those (like me) that are working on our first elk hunt. As part of planning for success - lining up a processor and a taxidermist before killing your elk strikes me as important. Obviously, good processors and taxidermists are going to be busy during the season. I won't pretend to know how to select a good one of either right now.

Processing the meat - expect the processed meat to weigh roughly 40% of the live weight of the elk. Getting it home might be interesting - especially if you are flying. Per the Colorado meat processing regs I just read - if the meat isn't handled properly before it gets to the processor - the processor might reject it. The "gutless" field butchering approach seems to make a lot of sense. I plan to use it on my next whitetail - after that my opinion might change.

While I have never wanted a whitetail mount - should I get a reasonable (or better!) sized bull - I suspect I am going to want it mounted. The cost for an elk mount appears to start around $900 and goes up from there. Like the meat - if the elk isn't handled properly before you get to the taxidermist - you might be SOL on getting your mount. This means ensuring that you know how to handle it - per your taxidermist. It appears to take months to get your mount done - with a lot of that taken up by getting the cape tanned.

[rtherber]

I'm leaving out Sunday for CO and will be taking my trailer. I'm loading it with the wall tent,wood stove,kitchen gear, hunting clothes,etc.. But the back of the truck will be almost empty. 4x8 sheets of the 1 inch strofoam at $10.00 a sheet converts the trailer into a meat locker. Cut the styrofoam into sections and sandwich one on top and bottom. Then pack around meat with newspapers and add adequate dry ice. I can sleep under the topper(or use my TentCot) going out and while I'm "playing" around out there before the season opener. I'll park the trailer at a storage facility in the small town just south of where I hunt and retrieve it just before hunting season starts.
   

[rtherber]

[rtherber]

I was amazed how much gear I could get in the trailer and it towed behind so easy I forgot it was back there a time or two. I had everything I needed for the month and a half trek. Of course, it has been "tweaked" after some trial and error trips in the past. It still makes it nice to be rid of it while running the mountains and on some of the Forest roads while not in the hunting mode. The storage facility quoted me 25 dollars a month to leave my Airstream Bambi out there so I'm figuring the same price or less for this little gal.

[rtherber]

These little fellows can be hunted starting August 16th with a small game license. I saw quite a few north of where I hunt last year. I'm wondering how many extra arrows I need to take out for this type hunt?

[Kingwouldbe]

This is a solo trip last year, 11,500 Man did it kick my but.
 

As herdbull said: you tell your self, I will never do this again, then the next thing you know, your planing your next trip.

I will say this: do it, do it now, do it now before you cant do it at all.
 

[Kingwouldbe]

We got one buck, I have it boned out in my pack and Vance has all of our gear.
 
 

Hard work is what is required, but the rewords last a life time.

That's an Indian arrow head in my hand, I found it as I was stocking this buck, don't get cooler than that, to know there was a real trad-bowhunter here doing the same thing I was doing but years, maybe centuries apart.

[Kingwouldbe]

Three days and 7 trips to get this bull out.
 

[Kingwouldbe]

We almost got stoned in the High Sierra's

 

[John Krause]

Those are some great pics. How far was each pack out? How much weight in each pack do you estimate?Was it ALL uphill  

[Kingwouldbe]

John, it was all up hill and only about 3 miles, I started out with 110 lb, then I ran out of steam, so I cared less and less with each load.

I saved the horns for the last trip to make sure I got all of the meat first.

I thank God I have done lots of DIY hunts, as you get older you know some day you will not have the strength to do this type of hard core, self reliance hunts.

That's when I'll become a tree stand hunter, but not until then.

[Gary Logsdon]

Love the photos. Post more if ya got-em!:^)