33 days in Colorado..

[SAM E. STEPHENS]

I will try and keep this as short as possible but 33 days is a long time and I’m sure I will miss some stuff but here it is. I have hunted Colorado 2 times for OTC elk and was lucky enough to get an elk both years. I did not go last season and had heard that the elk numbers were down and the hunting pressure was up but figured I could get it figured out. Many months were spent getting gear in order and new gear tested , bows ready and wood arrows made. So with everything ready I headed for Colorado , picked up a elk and bear tag and got my camp packed in a few days before season started. Saw a few other hunters around but no one around where I was. My friends Felix and Paul came in the day before season started and we got everything in order and went out and did a little scouting around. Upon returning to our backcountry camp we found that 5 other hunters had moved in and set a camp up about 100yds below us. Turns out one of the guys was the owner of RMSG , we talked with them for a while and parted ways. We saw a few elk the first week but with hot weather and the hunting pressure in the valley made for a tough time....

,,Sam,,

[SAM E. STEPHENS]

I tend to jump around so , on this hunt I carried my Galaxy Ember longbow 56@30 , Dug fir arrows with 200gr Grizzlies , 680gr total weight. So me and Paul and Felix had a good week saw some elk caught some fish. Had a bunch of quality camp talk , could not ask for better guys to hunt with. But with time up for them they had to leave after a week of hard hunting and then I was all alone. And to say it got frustrating after they left would be an understatement. The hunting pressure increased 10x when the muzzleloader season started. I had been lucky in the past and not seen the hunting pressure like this. I had people all over the place but it’s public land and they are there for the same reasons as me. But that being said a little common curtesy would go a long way with some of these guys..

,,Sam,,

[BMN]

 

[Soonerlongbow]

    

[SAM E. STEPHENS]

Anyway after so many others in the area I moved on farther back to get away from the pressure. And it worked I saw elk and got close on a few , up to this point I haven’t seen any bear sign. But not giving up and pressing on was the way for a week or more. Every now and then I would go change gear out to test it out and even at one point I hiked out and drove a few hours to buy a light weight bivy tarp. I tried 2 different pairs of boots and both were outstanding ( one pair was Scarpa boots given to me as a gift by my buddy Paul). Also used at one time or another 2 different tents , 2 tarps , 2 bivy shelters. To be honest the elk hunting was not going great so it was a good time to test stuff. Also I have some great friends down in town that I had met on my previous hunts in the area. Greatest people in the world and will be lifelong friends that I would do anything for at the drop of a hat. Anyway the hunting is slow and after I drove and got my new tarp I had stopped at the gas station and saw a guy that had a Trad Archery sticker on the back of his truck. So naturally I went over and started talking with him and he was having the same issues as me. I told him how to find my camp and we parted ways ( he is also a Tradgang member ). Oh yea I found a note on my truck when I had packed out from yet another Tradgang member that saw my name on a big icechest that was sitting at my truck.

So where were we the hunting is slow and I’m packed back in now again all alone , I hunt a few days close to camp with no luck. Then Matt the guy from the gas station shows up he found my camp witch was a good thing. But he had not brought a few key items in his pack and we are miles from the trucks. I will let him tell that story if he wishes to , turns out he is a great guy and a new friend. We hunted pretty hard together for several days with no luck but had a good time , told a lot of stories and learned some new things as well. Oh yea like I said I jump around a lot this was my 7th elk hunt and I had never killed a grouse but up to this point in the story I had killed 2 the week before. They sure are good to eat..

,,,Sam,,

[SAM E. STEPHENS]

Just noticed I did not take many pics the first few weeks but ended up taking a good bit the last half of the hunt. So the fishing with the tenkara fly rod was also good so the trout and grouse meals were a nice change now and then. Anyway me and Matt hunted hard without getting into anything but finally found my first bear poop of the trip. Matt had to leave so I packed out of the area also to move on to new ground. Met up with my friend that is a local and his son was in town hunting but his guys had also left so me and Jess hunted several days together and I was shown the area by locals and boy what a difference that made. Definitely in more fresh sign and seeing more elk now so getting the ( Research ) done now. So in my past years of hunting the area I did not have all the hunting pressure I saw this year , now all the stories I have heard make since about a hunter behind every tree. But like I have said get off your butt and go find a area with no pressure so that’s what I did. I ended up hunting 5 different units and doing a lot of driving and walking but it was all worth it.

So where were we , ok I was hunting with my friends Larry and his son Jess and learning from the locals and what an educational experience it was. But after a few close encounters no arrows were shot and Jess had to leave. But before he left I said I wanted to get a crack at a bear and have had no luck even finding and sign. He showed me an area so we went and glassed it from the top of a ridge with a small pond of water in the bottom. He said go down in there if you want a bear ,  but dam it looks like a pretty nasty little place very steep and not a very easy place to get to. Probably 700 - 800 drop down into blowdowns , rock walls , just a little piece of hell , looks like my kind of place. So plans were made for Larry to drop me off the next day with 5-6 days of gear on my back for my last week of hunting....

,,Sam,,

[SAM E. STEPHENS]

Me on day one about to set up camp...






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[SAM E. STEPHENS]

A few notes here , I filmed a lot of the trip on the little camera on my hat and it really works great especially for $54 to your door. I got a lot of good footage also got one of the grouse kills on it and maybe another something bigger. Will prob do a thread on all the gear and how it worked out also. For the trip I also grew out the chin whiskers. Will post some pics now and keep this going...

,,Sam,,

[Basinboy]

Good stuff Sam!

[SAM E. STEPHENS]

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[SAM E. STEPHENS]

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[SAM E. STEPHENS]

Going to try and get this done tonight cause I have a lot to do tomorrow cause I’m heading out for the opener of whitetail Thursday to get stuff ready for Saturday morning. After a good night sleep with my gear ready for my last week we wake up at 3:30am and when hike in and I settle in the area it’s 10am. And already getting hot , on my trip down into the hell hole I saw some elk tracks and more bear poop and tracks than I have ever saw anywhere. Things are looking promising at this point , the plan was to get a look at what I was working with then go set my bivy tarp camp up and come back and hunt the water hole. But it looked so good I figured I would just stay and hunt then hike away at dark and set up camp. As the sun got higher and it got hotter I figure it’s just a matter of time before a critter got thirsty. As the sun and the wind changed throughout the day I had to change locations many times. The first customer for a drink was a grouse , I sent a blunt arrow his way and took a few feathers off him....

,,,Sam,,,

[SAM E. STEPHENS]

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[SAM E. STEPHENS]

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[KAZ]

Looking good Sam

[SAM E. STEPHENS]

g








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[snakebit40]

 

[SAM E. STEPHENS]

So I hear an elk walking in on the rocks and I get ready but when it steps out it’s a big mule deer doe so no shooting at her. Another move out of the sun was in order so I moved all my crap for about the 50th time but it was to be the last move of the day. The sun was now behind the mountain and the temperature started to fall with my hopes for the day. Sitting there thinking about the last 30 days of hunting with old and new friends I was a truly happy guy. The hunt had already been a success in my opinion and I still had 5 days I could hunt. About then I heard a noise and when I located it’s maker I about fell over with excitement. The small noise had been made by a very nice black bear , he was circling the little pond before he came in for a drink. I managed to get the camera on my hat on and made a move to get a shot , the angle he was slowly going was at a crosswind. I got to where I could get a shot before he would wind me and he slowly kept coming. He would stop and look around and sniff the air then take a few steps , he did this several times. His mistake was he did it right into my shooting lane , and when he did I was waiting. He was about 17yds or so and I had to make a fairly quick shot before he moved through. The heavy fir arrow hit its mark and went another 10yds past him and stuck in the ground covered end to end in good blood. The shot took him square and I knew the instant I released the string he was done. He made a short dash and was dead in seconds from where the arrow passed through him. I heard him let out his last breath and it was over , I about turned inside out. I tend to get excited after the fact and this was no exception I was strung pretty tight. About 30 days of hunting had just paid off with a Colorado bear and I just could not believe what just happened...

,,,Sam,,,

[SAM E. STEPHENS]

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[SAM E. STEPHENS]

So now I’m down in this hell hole with a 50lb pack with 6 days of gear and a dead bear also on the first day. I had a inreach satellite text device so I text Larry I had a bear down and would pack him out if he could pick me up in the morning. So he texts back he is coming now to help , I say no just pick me up in the morning. He says no I’m already on the way , this guy is killing me. He is a Vietnam veteran 70 years old and as tough a man as I have ever met in my life ( you dam sure ain’t going to tell him no about anything ) you just don’t find many like this guy. I get some pictures then get to work on the bear skinning and getting the meat cooled. About midnight I finishing up and here comes Larry down the trail with some water and a empty backpack and a big smile on his face. I tell the story while I eat a little food then we get to work hauling loads out. It takes until 3:30am so thats 24 hours ago we got up and started the hunt the day before..

Larry is one hell of a man and I’m a very proud man to call him my friend , I could never repay him for all he has done for our country and for me as a friend but you can bet your bottom dollar I’m going to try. Larry and his wife Mary K. and Jess are as good as they come...

So with that we get some sleep cause we still have a few days of elk season to hunt. We do hunt but no elk to be found so we spend the last afternoon of elk season fishing for trout. I believe this was one of my finest adventures ever and I owe it all to all my friends old and new , Thanks everyone.....

,,,,Sam,,,,