2011 Colorado Elk Hunt

[John Scifres]

Thanks Tim!

Friday, 9/9/11:

After Tim and Bob's success we were stoked for our final day.  We were going up the same mountain and then head south along the hiking trail, hitting several bowls along the way.  I was especially interested in one area that seemed to have some meadows nested up top and plenty of north facing slope.  We made it up right at sunrise and the views were astonishing.

 

We made our way down to the first bowl area.  We tried a bit of gentle cow calling trying to get something to answer but nothing did.  There was definitely fresh poop and tracks in the area but no elk wanted to play.

Heading back down the trail, we found the spot I most wanted to visit and it was gorgeous.

[John Scifres]

 

We called a bit and looked a bit but again, we could not get any response or find any elk.  Still it was a magical place.  After spending considerable time here, we decided to cover a little ground and see what else we could find.  There weren't any really accessible spots from the top so we mostly just sightsaw.  It was awesome.  Some of the views literally took my breath away.

 

 

Darren had found a 40 foot rock outcropping last year that he bouldered up and was rewarded with not only great views but fresh raspberries.  He made me climb up there by bribing me with fresh fruit.

 

 

Darren is out on this little rock ledge, 40 foot from death and look at that smile!

[John Scifres]

We found an awesome spot for a high country nap, took our boots off and lit a cigar.  Nice.

As we made our way down to the apex of our trail for the day, I started to realize I wasn't really up for killing an elk too much anymore.  I wasn't bummed at all, just content.  Still we got to a couple wonderfull looking places and had to stop for some calling and looking.  One spot turned out to be real popular with the large felines in the area as several piles of cougar scat with deer and elk hair were apparent.

This was prime elk country and we could no believe we couldn't find one.  We made our way down to "No Idea" Lake and bumped into this "li'l" lady.

 

[John Scifres]

A little further on we found this young man and his much larger brother who was a bit camera shy.

 

A couple other bucks were spotte in the meadows along the creek we were following.  About the time we had given up on finding an elk, a bull bugled no more than 200 yards away.  We couldn't believe it.  Might we pull out a last minute miracle???

Darren and I planned that we would play this pretty aggressively.  I sent him ahead and bugled back at the bull.  He screamed back to me.  I started crahing around and grabbed a large branch, banging it on trees and crashing brush, raking it like I was a seriously pizzed off rival.  He screamed, I screamed.  I cow called like I was being ravaged.  He was seriously upset.  Finally, he got quiet and I wondered what had happened.  On elast tentaive bugle from me and then nothing.  Then a few minutes later, a plaintive cow call and whiny bugle.  And again, nothing.  A few minutes later, I see Darren rushing through the woods.  I was almost about to start the high fiving, thinking he had shot the bull.  But I saw all his arrows, and none were bloody.  But, he was smiling.

It turns out the bull, really ticked off, came straight into the calls.  Darren had positioned well if the bull had continued straight to me but the stupid guy decided to try to circle quietly downwind.  Undfortunately, this put him on a collision course with Darren.  As he closed to 30 yards, he offered nothing but a frontal shot.  As he tiptoed through the woods, he started turning broadside and Darren had to kneel for a shot.  The bull didn't exactly see him move as much as he noticed that the blob that was there was suddenly shorter.  He got nervous and then turned and walked out of our lives.

It was cool though.  Our very first calling sequence and our very last one we called bulls into eachother.  They were our Bookend Bulls.  It was a great close to the great hunting week!

[fnshtr]

Great story John. Thanks for sharing!!  

[Pat B]

Thanks for taking us along, John. I miss that beautiful high country.
...and Congrats to Tim and Bob on their bull.
  I still have hope!

[RM81]

Sounds like you had a great hunt.  Thanks for sharing your story.

[Hackbow]

Now you all know why I let John do our story tellin'. Thanks bro - great job! I think our only regret was not getting to spend more time with some high quality guys. Our schedules just didn't match-up this year.

I can't thank Doug enough for doing the leg-wok of organizing us or be happier for Tim & Bob for a great hunting success. I am still savoring the backstrap we had over the fire. NOTHING compares to that hard-won taste. Thanks for sharing!

[BobinTN]

See link below for another description of the successul hunt.

 http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=97;t=000502;p=1

[LeeNY]

John and Darren, Thanks for taking me along. It looks and sounds like you had a really good time and a really good hunt.Someday I'll get to hunt the west again. But for now I-Owe,I-Owe it's off to work I go.

Thanks,
Lee

[John Scifres]

Friday night was pretty great.  Bob had brought a backstrap into camp and cooked it on the fire for us.  There is absolutely nothing better than bloody, fresh meat after a week of rice and pasta.  I'm ashamed to say that Darren and I might have taken more than our fair share.  There were a couple pieces left over so maybe Tim and Bob were not quite as hungry as we were yet      

A shot of bourbon and a good cigar finished off the day, and really the hunt.

Saturday, 9/10/11:

I'm pretty sure Darren and I were not ready to leave but we were ready for a shower, a hot meal and a bed.  So we ate the remaining pieces of meat, packed up, took a few pics with Bob and Tim and headed down to the trailhead and then on to Ft. Collins.  The other Darren and John who were paired up for the trip showed up for camp as we were finishing up our prep for leaving.  It was a brief meeting that made me wish we were staying a few more days.


   

   

   

Alas, time to leave.  Darren goes faster than me downhill since I have one bad knee that resists speed.  So he forced the march down.  On the way we bumped into the remaining group, Barry and Rob, heading to camp.  It was a very brief conversation as they were 4+ miles into the uphill with camp on their backs.

There was a brutal uphill a couple miles from the trailhead that I took the charge on.  I was sick of packing so I just powered through the pain and got over it.  It felt good to have some thicker air down a little lower.

The drive out was incredible as we passed through a canyon that has to be the nicest single drive I have ever made.  Darren and I jammed our way out, happy with our efforts and anticipating a shower, giant cheeseburger, fries and a beer, followed by some real soft pillows.  I'll upload a video of the drive out maybe.

We found a cheap motel, got ur showers and heded out for a great buffalo burger and some microbrews at an over-the-top western style saloon      

The drive home was predictably long and tedious but we made it and I am happy with the trip.  There are always times during these trips where it is harder than I want where I generally proclaim that "I'll never do this again!".  But, in the end, I have to.  I love the Midwest and will never leave but something about the call of the Rockies brings me back.  Despite the discomfort, the work, the expense and the time away from family.

[hayslope]

Dead elk, fresh elk backstraps cooking over a campfire, a fine libation, a good cigar and the company of brothers of different mothers......how ya gonna beat that?

   

 

[Talondale]

Originally posted by skilonbw:
Also when out here hunting for elk there is bird who just sounds a lot like a cow elk so do not get taken in by there call

I hate that bird.  Heard it all week.  Heard a big elk bugle but never heard a cow calling.

[Gatekeeper]

It looks like you had a great adventure.      

[Terry Green]

Thanks for sharing!!!!


Great stuff!!!.........  

[Mudd]

[Bryan pinick]

:cool:  

Loved the story....Thanks

[Steve Kendrot]

John. Must be hard findin your way around with trail signs with no info on them! How we supposed to hone in on your spots?!

[Steve Kendrot]

Great story by the way. I've got three days left to SEE my first CO elk! Your stories have given me inspiration and helped keep my chin up!

[John Scifres]

Yea, all the signs around there were like that.  We got lost a lot!