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Second Colorado Elk Hunting Trip
By PK | September 12, 2008
I am finally back to civilization after spending two days in the woods, climbing over fallen trees, over the tallest mountains, and ridges (and might I add to that, I’ll have the best looking buttocks in Steamboat),
tiptoeing on rocks to cross creeks (and cow patties) up one holler (yes I said holler, I am southern) and down another, through sunshine, rain, wind, and of all things, sleet, I made it through two more days of elk hunting.
I’ve learned a new fashion statement, consisting of camouflage. I am this year’s best dressed, best outfitted, head huntress. My cow calls go undetected as to where I’m hiding, bringing in the biggest, best bulls of the season. My Cabella’s boots secretly glide me through all terrain, over pine needles crunching with their autumn snappiness, over numerous logs, twigs, and sidestep every cow pattie and elk dookie in my path. My camo disguises my every movement from those pesky range cattle who inevitably try to stampede in the opposite direction (sending the elk scattering), and of course, from the very elusive elk whom we have been trying to hunt. But before I go into that last statement…’trying to hunt’ I want to show you my newest fashion statement….
Head Huntress
Never in a million years would I ever, ever thought I would be dressed in camo, climbing all over God’s creative, beautiful mountains in Colorado hunting for elk. What an experience!!
The sites are, of course, beautiful and awe-inspiring UNTIL I get tired, my back aching from carrying my gear, my buttocks and legs sore from all the climbing, sliding downhill, and my feet screaming for relief and all I want to see is the pickup truck which unfortunately is still miles away.
I don’t want to hear any more lies, such as, “Oh, it’s all downhill from here.” I’m tempted to actually print my colorful language after discovering ‘it wasn’t all downhill’. Now don’t get me wrong here, I’m not a whining bawl-baby when out in this wilderness and I’ve raised a few eyebrows of male hunters to see a woman so far out in this vast, wooded desolate area. I deserve a medal for this uncommon achievement. *grins*
Now on to the actual hunting trip number two….
To hear an elk bugle…click here. Or here.
To hear cow elks and calf elks ‘talking’, click here.
To hear a cow elk in estrous with the Hoochie Momma Cow Caller by Primos, click on video below.
Day One
We waited for rain, seems stupid I know, but elk love nasty weather. So once again, we’re up at 4am and in the field by 6am. We hiked through a large pasture and into the woods, following cow/elk paths, an easy transverse into the woods.
We bugled (the guys using bull bugles) several times, me using my Hoochie Momma cow call. No return answer, until around noon. We had hiked up to the side of a sloping ridge, partially wooded with pine trees. Gerry bugled. We all had our Motorolla Walk-About Walkie Talkies with earplugs so we could quietly talk to each other. Dalton bugled next, and since I’m a newbie and ‘in training’, I received my cue to give an cow elk call. I decided to do one that is in rut, higher pitched and longer than a normal ‘lost’ cow or cow ‘talk’ call.
We received an answer off the ridge across from us, a loud, long bugle from a bull obviously in rut. It was the first time I heard one in person, live…. The guys still tease me about my animations, because even if I wanted to try to duplicate my facial expressions, I wouldn’t be able to do it. This wasn’t an ordinary bull, this was from a very big bull and at that moment I realized I had to pee. Okay, chalk it up to excitement on my part, but it was awesome to hear this majestic bull bugle, his echo sounding off down the holler. I knew I was in predicament number one….I couldn’t go relieve myself in such a situation. The chips were down, things falling into place, and calling this big bull in would be difficult if he already had a herd of cows with him. I couldn’t screw it up for the guys, I just had to bear it!
We moved off into position, Gerry moved to about 75 yards from me, Dalton was about 100 feet away, while I took cover behind a pine tree (actually this is where I froze after hearing that gigantic bull bugle, face frozen in animation as well as body), all three of us spread out in a line along the ridge with the creek and surrounding willows visible below us and part of the heavily, wooded ridge in view across from us.
I heard Gerry bugle again, then Dalton, then Gerry again. It was quiet. No answer from this big bull. What we didn’t know since we couldn’t see him, was he was coming towards us.
Dalton cued me again to call….again I used the cow in heat call, three calls in all. I made her sound desperate.
Then Dalton bugled again….sounding like a young bull. From what I understand, this makes a big bull mad. He wants the cow for himself and will come fight for this cow in heat. Mind you, Dalton sprayed the cow elk essence on me before we positioned ourselves. I was open bait and knew it, my only advantage was the wind was in my favor, blowing away from the approaching monster bull.
It was then predicament number two presented itself. A second answer from another bull behind me. I could tell it wasn’t as big as the one approaching us and was quite a bit farther away.
I quickly did my math….one big bull approaching from the opposite ridge, the two guys between it and me, and another bull approaching from the ridge we were on, behind me. In front of me was the medium-sized pine tree, behind me….nothing. Not a good math equation.
The guys bugled, I called, the big bull answered, and so did the smaller bull behind me. Only this time, I knew he was closer and approaching faster than the big bull. He was younger and less experienced, and he was excited which made me excited because my back was unprotected and the wind was in HIS favor, meaning he probably smelt the cow elk essence.
What was I going to do? I didn’t like the idea of a bull coming up behind me, all excited, being inexperienced as obviously as I was. One solution quickly entered my mind….MOVE.
So, quietly as I could, keeping low to the ground and using other trees and bushes to hide, I slipped down to a group of pine trees and low ground brush and wedged myself between two trees. I still had to pee, was holding my own, but knew at least if the second bull popped up somewhere behind me, I wouldn’t disgrace myself.
It was then that we heard something totally unexpected. We heard the big bull elk bugle, loud and long, then immediately following and overlapping his bugle, we heard another bull, angry and snorting, only this bull was from cattle ranging in the area, which we couldn’t see and didn’t know at the time. Then the bull elk bugled again, which was to be his last bugle. I heard Gerry on the radio, ‘That wasn’t normal!’ after hearing the ranging cattle bull.
The guys bugled several more times, I called my cow elk call, but no answers. It was quiet once again in the forest. Whatever happened down there between the two ridges, the ranging cattle won and to our dissappointment, the elk moved on.
Our next excursion took us down to the creek between the two ridges, past the ranging cattle and one angry bull still snorting. We skirted around him quite gingerly and headed up the ridge where the big bull elk had descended. We located a wallow, which is where bulls congregate to do various disgusting male things when in rut. Of course, the guys had a different opinion of this area.
It wasn’t long, as we sat discussing our options past the wallow, that three small bulls wandered into our view. Two of them were spikes, the third had nice sized antlers, but was still below the limits for the area where we were hunting. Besides, they came and went so quickly, no one had time to react. A total surprise on our part.
We hiked up over another ridge, trying to guess where the huge bull elk relocated, and called, bugled again numerous times. Still no answer. It was then the peak of the day when elk usually rest, so we followed suit.
We each took about a 20-30 minute nap, the sun warming us against the cool, damp climate. I listened for awhile hoping to hear that massive bull elk, but the sun finally won as I leaned against this dead, aged aspen tree and snoozed.
We ended our day hiking back over different ridges towards our pickup and Gerry’s campsite. We surprised several cow elks laying low in the willows along a different creek, but they soon sprinted up over the nearest ridge and were gone.
We drove to Kremmling for a steak dinner, although I was really too tired for a heavy meal and gave most of my steak to Dalton, nibbled my fries, and was ready to call it a day.
On the way to Kremmling
Our first day was done, we could only hope for better luck on our second day.
Day Two
As we drove to our hunting location on the second day, which by the way, I’m still sworn to secrecy, we noticed there were quite a few more hunters out. That diminished my hope that today would be successful. Elk spook easily and can escape with rapid speed to another area, most likely another county, at the least many miles away, making them unattainable for your average hunter. Smells, sounds, movement, even bumping range cattle into another area, can drive elk away from where you’re hunting.
Since Gerry was going to be leaving us at noon, we decided to try again for the big bull elk. We called and bugled several times, in several locations, and not once did we get an answer. We hiked back into the wilderness about 5 miles, to a place that is known to us but not typical hunters, local or out of state, and still no answer. My theory is that the elk were bumped and they ran, far and away. Time to let it cool down, but with other hunters that’s impossible and with muzzle loading season starting Saturday, it’s time to go to another secret place, where the elk are known to run. Again, I’m sworn to a lifetime of secrecy. I respect Gerry and his wishes, he’s been hunting in this secret place for 30 years with a high success rate.
Average elk hunter’s success rate is only 22 percent. Elk can see or smell you long before you can see them, making them even more elusive.
Our 10 mile hike on the second day proved unfruitful. We did see wonderful scenery, met a couple of other hunters moving their camp farther up the mountain after acclimating to the elevation as they were from Florida but no elk.
For the first time, I tried my luck with bull bugling. Dalton said he didn’t think he’d let me bugle if there were any elk present. I had to laugh with him at my own lack of achievement with a elk bugle. It looks easy, but definitely isn’t. I apologize to any hunter who heard me. *grin*
So, with that in mind, I’ll leave you with some views of the mountains….
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Topics: "Post Cards From the West", Colorado, Wildlife and Hunting |
