Early Success at Flat Top Adventures
Contributors to this thread:Elk
From: Charlie Rehor
07-Sep-23
2022 success
2022 success
Last year many of you followed my hunt with Dennis Razza and Lenny Wood at Flat Top Adventures in Colorado. Well, I’m back this year and will be helping Forest with his first group of hunters. This post will be (pic heavy). First pic is Dennis, Lenny and me with last years success.
From: Charlie Rehor
07-Sep-23
7 cabins and a big lodge.
7 cabins and a big lodge.
Forest and Kelly bought “Coulter Lake Guest Ranch” a year ago and the hunters are gathering here before the hunt. This is a really beautiful place to visit and offers a great spot to shoot the bows and acclimate to the altitude.
From: Charlie Rehor
07-Sep-23
The lake with lots of trout.
The lake with lots of trout.
From: Charlie Rehor
07-Sep-23
A little fishing is calming before the elk hunt.
From: KHNC
07-Sep-23
Flat Tops has some rough country. I hunted with a buddy, DIY , in 2013 in 34.
From: Charlie Rehor
07-Sep-23
Base Camp
Base Camp
The next morning we gather to travel around 6 miles to base camp.
From: Charlie Rehor
07-Sep-23
Forest is guiding Billy Deftos (handle “BillyD”) and I’ll be helping Ken Arthur (handle “Ken”). Both are looking for their first archery bull. Also along with us is Jardine from South Africa.
From: Coop
07-Sep-23
Awesome
From: Charlie Rehor
07-Sep-23
View of camp from trail above.
View of camp from trail above.
We arrived around noon on the Friday before the Saturday opener. Ken and I head out to the area I’ve had good luck in the past to do a bit of scouting. There is always some brush that’s needed to be cleared from the trail and we wanted to check a few tanks to see if they had water.
From: buckeye
07-Sep-23
Looks like heaven on earth Charlie .
From: Charlie Rehor
07-Sep-23
We checked three tanks and a wallow and only one tank had water. We will start here tomorrow. Forest, Jardine and Billy went another direction to scout and saw a good bunch of elk. We’re pretty stoked.
From: Charlie Rehor
07-Sep-23
Saturday am arrives and we head out to a ground blind on the tank. We arrive a half hour before light and wait for some action. Nothing comes and we hear no bugles. At 8:30 we do a big loop and don’t see or hear a beast.
From: BOWNBIRDHNTR
07-Sep-23
I'm so glad hunting season has started. Keep it up Charlie!
From: Charlie Rehor
07-Sep-23
Big herd
Big herd
Forest and Billy got into them hot and heavy. Bugling until 8 am but no shot. Here’s one of the two herds they encountered.
From: Rut Nut
07-Sep-23
Holy Crap Charlie! Yeah, I’d say they were “into elk!” LOL! : )
Thanks for posting! I’m HOOKED...................
From: Charlie Rehor
07-Sep-23
Ken’s 5x5
Ken’s 5x5
Fell in sight.
Fell in sight.
Ken and I head back to the tank for the pm hunt. At 6:20 we hear elk coming. The first elk to water was a nice 5x5 and Ken takes aim and shoots. 60 yard dash and he’s down!!!. Ken has his first archery bull.
From: Knifeman
07-Sep-23
Awesome, Ill be there in a few weeks. Getting pumped!
From: jordanathome
07-Sep-23
WTG Team Forest!!!!
From: WapitiBob
07-Sep-23
Congrats!
From: BOHNTR
07-Sep-23
Awesome stuff!
From: Charlie Rehor
07-Sep-23
Billy at full draw.
Billy at full draw.
Ken’s shot was at 6:20 pm. Just so happens BillyD has his opportunity at 6:45 pm. Both guys tag out with their first archery bull on the opening day.
From: Charlie Rehor
07-Sep-23
Another beautiful 5x5
Another beautiful 5x5
Billy’s bull was called in by Forest. His cows caught them and while at full draw the bull froze and locked in on them. Forest whispers hold until he moves and he’ll stop him. After around 30 seconds he takes a step, Forest stops him and Billy double lungs the bull. Whoo hoo…
From: Charlie Rehor
07-Sep-23
An archery bull is magic
An archery bull is magic
Forest and Billy.
From: Charlie Rehor
07-Sep-23
Forest and Jardine breaking down the elk.
From: Charlie Rehor
07-Sep-23
Two almost identical 5x5’s
Two almost identical 5x5’s
Forest calls down to base camp and in the am two wranglers on horses and four mules show up to pack out the bulls and bring the meat to the processor.
From: TMac
07-Sep-23
Fantastic! Nice work guys!
From: Charlie Rehor
07-Sep-23
Took this pic before the wranglers left.
Took this pic before the wranglers left.
Colorado offers an add on bear tag to NR’s for $100. Both Billy and Ken have bear tags.
Ken and I head back to the tank for the pm hunt. Ken is looking for his first archery bear. After a strong rain storm everything quiets down and in comes a nice bear for a drink. He gets a bit nervous and there is no shot. We’ll be back in the am.
From: brettpsu
07-Sep-23
Congrats to all involved.
From: Charlie Rehor
07-Sep-23
What a beauty.
What a beauty.
The next morning we head back again to the tank and nothing shows until 8:30 when this old cinnamon dry sow shows up to drink. Ken draws back shoots and the bear was dead in seconds.
From: Charlie Rehor
07-Sep-23
Forest and I each have an InReach Mini and I’ve attached our conversation. I’m in green and Forest is in white. How blessed are we??
From: Charlie Rehor
07-Sep-23
Packin out the bear
Packin out the bear
Forest and Billy arrive just after we get the bear broken down. The four of us will pack it out.
From: Jasper
07-Sep-23
Simply awesome Charlie! Continued wonderful luck and enjoyment!
From: Charlie Rehor
07-Sep-23
Shade all day
Shade all day
Back at camp and hanging the bear meat, cape and skull. This sow has very worn teeth.
From: Charlie Rehor
07-Sep-23
Elk steaks and all the fixin’s
Elk steaks and all the fixin’s
A day later we decide to pull out a bit early and return to Coulter Lake Guest Ranch. Maddy from New Zealand cooks us an unreal dinner that evening at the lodge. Elk steaks with cream cheese wrapped in bacon. Maddy and her husband Mike run Realkiwi hunting in New Zealand and are here in the off-season for them to help. Fantastic meal.
From: Charlie Rehor
07-Sep-23
In the sky tonight. Does anyone know what this is? Single file stars? Elon?
From: Charlie Rehor
07-Sep-23
Young moose
Young moose
Young Moose in some young Willows
From: Charlie Rehor
07-Sep-23
Elk euro
Elk euro
Ken and me with his two day turnaround Elk euro.
From: Zbone
07-Sep-23
Wow Charlie, brings back memories, I hunted out of Trapper's Lake during the decade of the 90's,,, before the fires...
Thanks for sharing...
From: Charlie Rehor
07-Sep-23
Jardine from South Africa with Billy’s rack.
Jardine from South Africa with Billy’s rack.
Forest’s other Hunters are coming out today and next weeks hunters coming in tomorrow so all is busy here.
Tomorrow I’m off to Arizona for my elk hunt which begins 9/15. Roy Grace (BOHNTR) will be helping/hosting me and his wife also has a tag.
Everything comes from Bowsite. Big thanks to Pat for his creation.
From: midwest
07-Sep-23
Outstanding all around! Love the full draw pic. That would mean more to me than the mount. Nice work, Charlie!
From: LUNG$HOT
07-Sep-23
Amazing! Congrats to the new elk hunters. Great job Charlie and Forest! Yes Charlie. Definitely Elon’s Star link satellites. Great photo.
From: Native Okie
07-Sep-23
Love it! Way to go fellas!
From: maxracx
07-Sep-23
Congrats to the happy elk hunters. Thank you for sharing.
From: bowhunt
07-Sep-23
Sounds like a great trip Thanks for sharing!
From: Scoot
07-Sep-23
Outstanding! Congrats on a great trip Charlie!
Charlie, your pic captured a shooting star- but the shutter speed on your phone-camera was slow so it showed it as a line.
From: jordanathome
07-Sep-23
Why am I sitting here at home this year.....????? sigh Awesome to live this vicariously anyway! Thanks for sharing!
From: Charlie Rehor
07-Sep-23
Scoot: It was StarLink, 23 in a single file.
From: boothill
07-Sep-23
Watched the Starlink satellites travel west to east off my Colorado deck last Saturday evening. Pretty cool to finally see them after hearing about them. Good luck on your hunt and seems that Forest and Kelly have it dialed in again this year.
From: Scoot
07-Sep-23
Charlie, gotcha. Sorry for the misinfo- I thought I nailed that one. Looking at the pic closer I can see I was definitely wrong- no streaking effect to the pic. Lesson to learn here folks- never listen to Scoot.
From: BOWNBIRDHNTR
07-Sep-23
Awesome report Charlie. Say HI to Roy for me. Our wives will be hunting Coues together in January. Roy and I will be on standby for packing duty!
From: jordanathome
07-Sep-23
Dammit Charlie and Forest.....and Paul.......now I'm going through my gear tempting myself with a last minute weekend kamakazi elk hunt in 34. LOL
From: Buglemaster
07-Sep-23
Another great episode here on Bowsite! Thanks for the ride along Charlie!
From: ElkNut1
07-Sep-23
Charlie, great stuff there, love all your photos! Looks like you're having a blast, very cool!
ElkNut
From: Nick Muche
07-Sep-23
How awesome! Congrats you guys!
From: Native Okie
07-Sep-23
Love it! Way to go fellas!
From: t-roy
07-Sep-23
How disappointing to be tagged out so early! ;-) Congrats to Ken and Billy on their success!
Charlie……Did Ken kill his bear at the same waterhole that you killed your’s last year?
From: Bake
07-Sep-23
Congrats!
From: Charlie Rehor
07-Sep-23
t-roy: No, but close. Mine was at a wallow and this was at a tank.
Thx everyone for your kind words. C
From: FORESTBOWS
07-Sep-23
Hopefully we can get the video of Bill's shot uploaded
From: WV Mountaineer
07-Sep-23
I love it!!!! Blessed indeed. Awesome. Just awesome.
I’ll say it now, if I ever take an official elk guided trip, it’ll be with Forest. Dudes a straight up killin’ machine.
From: Supernaut
07-Sep-23
Wow, excellent pictures and recaps, thanks Charlie! Outstanding!
Congrats to you and all the successful hunters and guides.
From: scentman
07-Sep-23
Thanks for sharing, congrats!
From: Willieboat
07-Sep-23
Thanks for sharing
From: Ron Niziolek
07-Sep-23
Excellent all around. Well done guys! Good luck in AZ Charlie!
From: FORESTBOWS
07-Sep-23
God blesses us for sure! Its so fun calling in and killing elk with a arrow.
From: EmptyFreezer
07-Sep-23
Very nice Forest. I'll be seein ya next year. Hope Charlie will be back. Congrats
From: Quinn @work
07-Sep-23
Great job guys! Congrats on the hunter’s first elk.
Thanks for the photos and hunt recap Charlie.
From: drycreek
07-Sep-23
Appreciate the thread and the great pics Charlie !
From: Charlie Rehor
07-Sep-23
Charlie Rehor's Link
Watch Billy’s kill shot video. A must see coordination between Forest calling and Billy Shooting
From: FORESTBOWS
07-Sep-23
The cows got our wind and spooked. That was the first call to stop them. Then 2nd to stop the bull in the shot window. We almost got caught!!!
From: jordanathome
07-Sep-23
NICE!
From: bowhunt
07-Sep-23
It’s time for a Jordanathome-FORESTBOWS elk hunt!
From: ND String Puller
08-Sep-23
Heck yeah fellas, congrats!
From: Goelk
08-Sep-23
Congrats! Awesome!
From: BULELK1
08-Sep-23
Way to much fun----->
Congrats to All,
Robb
From: MA-PAdeerslayer
08-Sep-23
Awesome guys! Forest your a machine man. Keep piling em up!
From: midwest
08-Sep-23
From: longspeak74
08-Sep-23
Great stuff! Hoping to experience this first hand soon!
From: Altitude Sickness
08-Sep-23
The bow hunter kept it together with a great shot. Even after drawing too soon and a long hold. Great job everyone congrats.
From: tobywon
08-Sep-23
Awesome stuff all around!! Congrats to all!!
From: hdaman
08-Sep-23
Thanks for sharing your successes with us! Forest sure has a first class operation there in Colorado!
From: Smtn10PT
08-Sep-23
very nice! congrats
From: njbuck
08-Sep-23
Great week of hunting, congrats!
From: Treeline
08-Sep-23
Spectacular! Good luck in AZ, Charlie! That should be a good one:-)
From: Pop-r
08-Sep-23
That Forest is a pretty damn good hand.
From: Jethro
08-Sep-23
NIce job by shooter and caller. Tough, long hold for first archery bull. Billy did good. Forest, how far was the shot?
From: FORESTBOWS
08-Sep-23
29 yards.
From: Alexis Desjardins
08-Sep-23
Good job all congrats nice country.
From: darralld
08-Sep-23
I need to get out there and do some hunting with Forest!
From: Cheesehead Mike
08-Sep-23
Awesome, thanks for sharing! Good luck on AZ!
From: TREESTANDWOLF
08-Sep-23
Great job all the way around.
What a memory and hunt!
From: JohnMC
08-Sep-23
Congrats to all. Forest sure seems to run a good outfit and Ken should have to pay extra for Charlie as a guide!
From: Buffalo1
08-Sep-23
Great post- nice trophies- Congrats !!
From: sticksender
08-Sep-23
Excellent report, congrats to all!
From: HUNT MAN
08-Sep-23
Thanks for the post!! The good stuff!! Hunt
From: Grunt-N-Gobble
08-Sep-23
Congrats fellas. Sure wish I was out there this year.
From: LWood
08-Sep-23
Thanks for sharing, Charlie! Good luck in Arizona!!
From: Mike Ukrainetz
08-Sep-23
That was great Charlie! Thanks for sharing!!
From: Rgiesey
08-Sep-23
Great job guys! Just a normal everyday elk -bear hunt. Not. Good luck in Az Charlie!
From: BillyD
09-Sep-23
Thanks all - appreciate the kind comments. Many of you have played a part in my quest to harvest a Rocky Mountain elk and I am grateful for the support & fellowship. I also want to extend my sincere gratitude to Forest & Charlie. This thread does a great job capturing the success of our hunt, yet the friendships forged & fond memories made highlight our time spent together afield. Looking fwd to the updates on Forest’s upcoming hunts and how things unfold for Charlie in AZ. Best of luck to those of you chasing the elusive wapiti. Have fun & be safe out there.
From: Quinn @work
09-Sep-23
Congrats BillyD on your first bull elk!
From: Treeline
09-Sep-23
Congratulations on your first elk, BillyD! They can get addictive…
From: Boreal
09-Sep-23
That's great! Congrats!
From: Heat
09-Sep-23
Great stuff guys! Good luck here in AZ Charlie!
From: Ken
10-Sep-23
Great thread Charlie.
This was my second hunt with Forest. I hunted with Forest his first year after he bought Flat Top Adventures and had a great hunt. He has really honed his operation and this hunt was even better. Additionally, Coulter Lake Guest Ranch is a great way to start and end the hunt.
The first year I hunted with Forest he asked me if I knew Charlie Rehor ( I hadn't met Charlie). He said he thought we would really get along. Forest must have been playing the long game because when I showed up this year Charlie was my guide.
Charlie was great to be around and really worked hard to get me my first elk and then a bonus first bear. I'm 61 and in decent shape but my new life goal is to be half as tough as Charlie when I'm 70.
From: Paul@thefort
10-Sep-23
How fun is all of this? Chasing elk with bow in hand. Nicely done by all hunters and guides. My best, Paul
From: Jaquomo
10-Sep-23
Excellent all around, Charlie! Thank you so much for sharing
From: SteveB
11-Sep-23
So awesome all the way around, and a terrific time! Thanks for sharing!
From: bowhunter24
11-Sep-23
I can relate to the heavy breathing waiting on the shot! Way to get it done!
From: Rut Nut
11-Sep-23
Guiding in Colorado and then off to hunt Arizona................WHO has it better than Charlie?! ;-)
From: FORESTBOWS
14-Sep-23
Couple more bulls in week 2. Jardine is awesome cant say enough good about this young lady. She will be a awesome guide!
From: FORESTBOWS
14-Sep-23
Both guys this week with first elk
From: TMac
14-Sep-23
Excellent! Way to get it done Forest.
From: FORESTBOWS
14-Sep-23
Both Bowsite guys
From: FORESTBOWS
14-Sep-23
Tanner is 26 and on his first guided hunt!
From: FORESTBOWS
14-Sep-23
Hunter is one of our very good young guides. He grew up in this part of Colorado and has been calling elk sence he could walk.
From: FORESTBOWS
14-Sep-23
Sam our new packer is very good! Works in California during the summer months packing the big trails in the Sierra Nevadas.
From: Shug
14-Sep-23
Congratulations
From: EmptyFreezer
14-Sep-23
Dang Forest, leave some for next year.. Congrats on a great year so far..
From: Rgiesey
14-Sep-23
Great to see Forest!
From: ki-ke
14-Sep-23
Congrats to all! Great hunt and fantastic write up and pics!
From: Shug
14-Sep-23
Congratulations
From: Ken
15-Sep-23
Jardine sure likes carrying heavy stuff with a smile on her face. Congratulations on another successful week.
From: Rut Nut
15-Sep-23
You’re having a GREAT season- CONGRATS! And CONGRATS to the hunters!
So WHO are the “Bowsite guys?!” ;-)
From: Inshart
15-Sep-23
That's one thing about BS, you may have never met some of these guys, but still think of them as friends, just from the posts here!
What a great hunt, thanks for posting.
From: Thornton
15-Sep-23
Beautiful country and great work as always guys!
From: Bou'bound
15-Sep-23
Amazing well done all
From: Livin’thedream
16-Sep-23
I haven’t had a lot of time lately to look on this site but came across this thread two days ago and got pretty pumped up! Congrats on the success so far and hopefully there’s an elk or two left! I am in route there now and really looking forward to my first guided elk hunt!
From: FORESTBOWS
17-Sep-23
Jhon from Australia shot his first elk last night. Jhon has trouble getting around so we hunted him out of the guest ranch.
From: FORESTBOWS
17-Sep-23
Guide Tommy on the left and assistant guide Gabe had Jhon this week.
From: FORESTBOWS
17-Sep-23
From: FORESTBOWS
17-Sep-23
Tommy had to go to his next hunt so Gabe took Jhon out on his last night. First solo hunt first kill!
From: FORESTBOWS
17-Sep-23
From: WV Mountaineer
17-Sep-23
I love it!! What a way to make a living. God bless you all.
From: Altitude Sickness
17-Sep-23
Nice !
From: pav
19-Sep-23
Impressive season for Flat Top Adventures! Congrats to all!!!
From: SBH
20-Sep-23
Great thread. Thanks Charlie
