Well hunting has not been that great this year for me. No elk myself, and only a little 2 point mulley that I walked over 30 miles to find. At work a fellow teacher has been hunting elk for 6 years himself without having any luck. With Colorado regs his 12 year old son got to hunt during the regular season then is able to hunt late season if he does not fill his tag. So I worked hard to convince him to let me take him and his son out for a hunt. I am considered by many who know me to be an elk magnet and have unreal luck at hunting elk where others struggle to find animals.
At any rate I did my part and the kid did his. I picked the 2 up at 5:15am. both were bright eyed and bushy tailed. My father was hunting the same area that day so we wanted to beat them up the mountain. As we left town the roads got really bad, solid sheet of ice for about 20 miles due to fresh snow. The entire trip up we talked etc. the kids stayed awake and all was good. As we entered the hunting area the plan was to drive around in the many canyons and cover as much ground as possible looking for tracks or for elk. We went up the first canyon and found some tracks from night before. Knowing where the elk headed I decided to hold off and save the area for an evening hunt when they might come out of the trees. So we moved to a second canyon...
By this time if was nearing 8:00 am the boy had fallen in and out of sleep. Jumping to attention each time I hit the brakes or stopped for a gate. As we entered the canyon it was easy to recognize that no one had driven up it in a couple days. I told my buddy and his son to be ready at any point since no one had been there it is likely the elk were still in the bottom feeding.
Then it happened a single cow elk was spotted in the bottom of the canyon and had not realized we were there, so we closed some ground and then got out to stalk her... The stalk was quick because once we exited the vehicle she turned and ran down the canyon right at us and the truck. In fact we only made it about 10 feet from the truck when she stopped at about 70 yards. The kid threw the gun up on the sticks, but could not get her in the scope. So she began running up the hill, and it was straight up. She stopped again broadside at about 120 yards and the kid found her just as she began to move. The elk was just about out of sight when I cow chirped and stopped her at 170 yards. This time the boy found her, told he had the shot and let one fly. The cow dropped in her tracks. Needless to say dad and I were all excited. I could not believe that it had happened so easily and so fast. Not to mention that hte 12 year old had the poise to take a good shot, not get rushed and make a shot that ultimately took out the lungs and broke her back. All in all it was great. We followed the hunt with a couple dead bunnies and a lot of phone calls to his family.
I just hope he does not expect all elks hunts to like this, it was one of the easiest hunts for an elk I have ever had... Of course I do have some very good luck with elk!
Here we are approaching the elk. Notice the steep hill lean.
A view up to where she was, almost all the way to the top.
At any rate I did my part and the kid did his. I picked the 2 up at 5:15am. both were bright eyed and bushy tailed. My father was hunting the same area that day so we wanted to beat them up the mountain. As we left town the roads got really bad, solid sheet of ice for about 20 miles due to fresh snow. The entire trip up we talked etc. the kids stayed awake and all was good. As we entered the hunting area the plan was to drive around in the many canyons and cover as much ground as possible looking for tracks or for elk. We went up the first canyon and found some tracks from night before. Knowing where the elk headed I decided to hold off and save the area for an evening hunt when they might come out of the trees. So we moved to a second canyon...
By this time if was nearing 8:00 am the boy had fallen in and out of sleep. Jumping to attention each time I hit the brakes or stopped for a gate. As we entered the canyon it was easy to recognize that no one had driven up it in a couple days. I told my buddy and his son to be ready at any point since no one had been there it is likely the elk were still in the bottom feeding.
Then it happened a single cow elk was spotted in the bottom of the canyon and had not realized we were there, so we closed some ground and then got out to stalk her... The stalk was quick because once we exited the vehicle she turned and ran down the canyon right at us and the truck. In fact we only made it about 10 feet from the truck when she stopped at about 70 yards. The kid threw the gun up on the sticks, but could not get her in the scope. So she began running up the hill, and it was straight up. She stopped again broadside at about 120 yards and the kid found her just as she began to move. The elk was just about out of sight when I cow chirped and stopped her at 170 yards. This time the boy found her, told he had the shot and let one fly. The cow dropped in her tracks. Needless to say dad and I were all excited. I could not believe that it had happened so easily and so fast. Not to mention that hte 12 year old had the poise to take a good shot, not get rushed and make a shot that ultimately took out the lungs and broke her back. All in all it was great. We followed the hunt with a couple dead bunnies and a lot of phone calls to his family.
I just hope he does not expect all elks hunts to like this, it was one of the easiest hunts for an elk I have ever had... Of course I do have some very good luck with elk!
Here we are approaching the elk. Notice the steep hill lean.
A view up to where she was, almost all the way to the top.
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