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I hiked in Weds night to camp, checked the close by cams, nothing much to get excited about. Dozed but could not sleep, not excited just adjusting to hammock life. Next morning is cool nor cold. Not bad. I head out to hunt the drainage next to camp. Right off O find a nice heavy matched pair of elk sheds, 6x6. Score! One was pretty chewed up. Lots of thick mass but not overly long tines. I put in 8+ miles hiking and calling, no bueno. Back to camp for lunch and a nap. My new buddy from Michigan shows up and I show him around the area.
Camp after readjusting my tarps. Thank goodness as not long after and it rained as hard as it could rain......this set up held up and provided my hammock, myself and my gear ample dry space.
Camp after readjusting my tarps. Thank goodness as not long after and it rained as hard as it could rain......this set up held up and provided my hammock, myself and my gear ample dry space.
Some of the forest I hunted, tons of rubs and tracks but no elk responding to calling.
Some of the forest I hunted, tons of rubs and tracks but no elk responding to calling.
Posted from phone and it won't let me do squat to fix the pic. Oh well. Another view. So Andy and I head out a bit before 4pm. Its mid/late afternoon. I don't expect to see anything out and about, and we head over towards a drainage to check for wallows. To get there we have to decend a short patch of 100-150 yards of pretty thick dead fall. I think, I hope we don't bust an elk in here, but then there are so many trees down it is not very shady for the most part and its like 4pm....so surely.......and I take a step, look right and 35 yards away is a nice 280+ 6x6 looking our way. He is in a thick patch of standing timber (of course) and I can see his big body and his right antlers but not his face and not his vitals. The wind is HORRIBLE...its been blowing his direction for the last 5 minutes and now it is right into his face from the back of my neck. He never blows.....he stands there for what seems like forever (why didn't I nock and arrow and draw to make sure there was no shot into his vitals?????? arrggggg story of my life) the wheels the the left and crashes off 20 yards to the drainage meadow and off up the other side to safety. He never really spooked like he smelled us....just like he heard something, couldn't figure out what it was so he bailed. I am going to spend some quality time in this patch of timber by the wallows to hope he comes back........
Ok...so BS image tools suck. So be it. Can't fix my pics.
Anyway.....pics are going to be a pain today apparently. On to the wallows. I have seen as many as 5-6 wallows in this drainage before.....this year there are in excess of a dozen spread over about 400 yards long. The one at the top had a 3 foot deep hole they had been rolling around in. It was impressive. Now......when are they using them???
We will see if wallow pics can post normally. Seems I have to open each photo on my laptop, rotate it sideways, save, then open and rotate it back, then save, before BS will allow it to post correctly. Wow..... Anyway here is a sampling of the wallows. Supposed to get warm again this coming week so I hope that translates into elk hitting this area and I plan to be set up and waiting for them.
There were plenty of rubs too....I am sure all a year old.......wink wink.......LOL The one with the shredded bard at the base was my fav.
A two'fer! He could rub two tress at one time. LOL
A two'fer! He could rub two tress at one time. LOL
So the 6x6 on opening afternoon was the only elk I saw this trip. I covered alot of ground with good sign, called and listened.......no bugling. No nothing. Hoping they get to moving around here when I go back in Monday. We did get several showers on Friday, one was torrential. I have video but BS (of course) won't let me post it....too big. I will try to shrink it down.
Love a good tree to hang gear in camp.
Love a good tree to hang gear in camp.
I found a chippy friend sitting and calling next to the wallow drainage. I also managed to scratch my big fat forehead on a tree limb holding my gravity feed water filter as I bent down to use it.....dork! All in all the normal ups and downs. Oh and I came out yesterday because as I was cooking up lunch and thinking of a nap I heard a vehicle below and then pistol shots. There was 2 guys and a gal in a blue grey 2 door Jeep who had violated the FS rules (closing these old fire roads back there) and they had driven back over private land to get here. I walked down (in my camp clothes, shorts, flip flops and a September is almost here t-shirt) and shared that the roads where closed. They said, we didn't see no signs. I said, well no because the FS doesn't have money or manpower to post all the closed roads so they post the MVUM motor vehicle use map and you are supposed to know what is and ain't open. Anyway, Colton (I think was his name...you on here dude?) got all hot and bothered and claimed he was an adjacent landowner (none found in public records by that name) and it was his god given american right to drive those roads in his national forest and shoot his guns. Had done so for 20 years. Threatened that somebody better quit dragging logs over the road, as if he was going to do something if they did. Who knows. I admit I did it in the past but I don't have time or energy to engage in such activity when hunting.
So they didn't like what I had to say and I sure didn't like much that Colton had to say.....what a tool. Just another day in paradise. Since they were intent on violating federal regulations and dorking up my pristine hunting area I decided to let them have it for the weekend and go back after they returned to work. I also reported it to the FS office but I doubt they do anything either. Frustrating but I am putting it behind me and focused on finding an elk in this active area where the 6x6 was found opening day.
To the credit of the young gal (wife/girlfriend of Colton?) and the other fella, they were respectful, listened, agreed to look into my claims (I was wrong about firearms discharge prohibition as I did not know the fire ban was lifted in Larimer county). They shook my hand. Too bad they are saddled with the law breaking hot headed Jeep driver.....maybe he will see I am right and quit driving back there. Maybe Lllamas will fly out my arse.
As we parted ways another young hunter (Darren I think?) came down out of the woods after hearing the ruckus and we visited. He was after mulies. I gave him what intel I had observed as far as mule deer in the area and he took off on his merry way also wondering what possessed folks to want to just ignore the FS rules and fork up such a pristine and otherwise quiet area. Takes all kinds I guess. Fork 'em....I got my stuff to do and said my piece. Done with it...but packing my 10mm for protection.
Until Monday afternoon....dreaming of wallowing bulls.
Until Monday afternoon....dreaming of wallowing bulls.
You have some elk there. Stick one!
Go get em Jordan.. Make Bowsite proud.. :)
Jordan,
The world is full of idiots, don’t let ‘em get you down. Glad you’re on elk. This is your year, I feel it.
My new spot has turned out to be a pleasant surprise. Like you, I got up there on Wednesday, hunted Thursday and Friday, and let the weekend warriors have it until Monday.
It was my first time in this OTC area. To my surprise, I found elk each day, including getting 75 yards from this young 6x6 before I ran out of cover.
https://youtu.be/QbhY7gSN8KE
Matt
Thanks for the nice advice and the vid! What was the other elk? Cow? This does not look familiar.....glad you found help in a place that is good!!!!
There was a total of 2 cows, 1 spike, and the bull in that herd, but they all weren’t visible when I recorded the video.
I owe another Bowsiter for the tip on the spot. It’s certainly no secret by any means, but it has elk, at least for the first 2 days of the season. We’ll see what the impact of the weekend warriors has on it.
Matt
Following along. Go get’em fellas.
CO is full of spots that have elk on opening weekend. Literally. I can't believe locals don't know 100 spots or more.
Funny how a guy from Arkansas is an expert on CO elk hunting. The problem isn’t lack of spots that hold elk. It’s lack of spots that have more elk than hunters.
When I drove into my spot on Wednesday morning, I saw one other camp along the way. When I drove out Friday afternoon, I saw at least 30 camps.
Matt
Well probably 27 of those camps were people just out camping for the holiday weekend. I'm from Wisconsin and I know 100 spots that hold elk on opening weekend.
Rub a little wallow mud on that scratch, Jordan. It will heal up quicker, PLUS you’ll have a little cover scent to boot….Keep after it!
So you're saying you "used to" drag logs across roads and block other sportsmen from access to the forests we all pay for?
Glad you are ok after that head injury . That looks like it could have been bad. Good luck
Just a little input on hunting the wallows; in my experience bulls are more likely to hit wallows during daylight hours that are more secluded in the timber. I've seen them cross open meadows during daylight to hit water or wallows on a few occasions where they haven't had too much hunting pressure but it's fairly rare. Others may disagree but that has been my experience.
Sito I recommend you reread what he wrote. If MVUM says it's closed its no longer a road.
So, Brent, you're saying that Jordan works for the F&G Dept...and that this is their practice of "restricting" access? C'mon man
Who is he restricting access to? Not to you, if you are accessing the lands legally. The only access he is restricting is illegals.
As far as how the fish and game restrict access, they put up signs that guys tear down. And YES, I have seen fish and game push up blockages with dirt, rocks, and logs.
When you follow the law and Hike miles back into the forest to hunt, just to have a guy drive up there illegally, it makes you want to drag a couple logs. I might even come help him.
1) MVUM is USFS, not F&G.
2) I'm saying it doesn't matter if he drags a log from one spot in the forest to another if neither of those spots is legally recognized as a road.
3) Is your name Colton?
So you're a USFS vigilante then? OK, yea that makes sense. I'm all about rules, I'm not about you thinking you have any sort of authority...maybe I'm just different. My name is Kyle, say it three times and I'll haunt your dreams.
We return to the regular scheduled program....good luck on your return hunt Jordan!
Hopefully you make it happen during your next round Jordan. Stay positive.
