2020 Hunting season recap

[Mudranger1]

Well we started off the year OTC archery elk hunting and for the first time since I've lived out here didnt even see an elk. We heard a couple of weak bugles down low on private late one night but that is all. The first four days we backpacked in 6 miles to an area I had previously hunted with great encounters but all sign indicated we were a week or two behind the elk. We bounced around the rest of the week with the same results.

 

[Mudranger1]

Next up was Colorado Muzzleloader Antelope. Which for some reason was an abomination for myself. Lots of bucks with lots of missing. I will just leave it at that.
The rifle Antelope opened and I took my friend John out were he had 1 down in about 15 minutes

 

[Mudranger1]

We then headed out for John's first rifle elk hunt in Colorado. We got there on Friday and set up camp and drove around to where we had planned to start only to find a truck already there. Next 2 stops... trucks...so we head back and just make the plan to head in to an unknown. We hike a couple miles that morning with nothing seen. Some sign but nothing that said we needed to stay. Took a lunch break and then decided to drive around and do some spot checking. Trucks parked everywhere, camps set up at every open spot. We go rogue and hike about 8 miles with nothing at all spotted.

Sunday morning the plan is made to just go on a walkathon and see if we can find anything. The wind is howling as a front is moving in. We hike until about 1030am with some decent sign found and end up in a meadow for our mid day nap. Around 200 I decide we need to go check out some more areas above us and about the time I stand up here comes a guy from that direction packing meat. We stand there for a minute or two talking as he rested (he shot his bull 6 miles in on opening morning) so as we are talking in regular voices a bugle rings out up above us. In shock a few more ring out. He explains the elk were rutting hard when he shot his and then he goes on his way. I figure if they are rutting that calling should work. I give a few cow calls and get responses like he is walking back and forth above us. He then begins to come down and bugles down in the meadow but a little bit farther up. We adjust about 20 yards just in time to see a beautiful bull headed back up into the timber. There were multiple elk but he was the only 1 I could verify. He continued to bugle on his way back up the mountain. After a few minutes we made the decision to try and shadow him up the mountain. Eventually he went silent and the weather started to deteriorate. We walked about a 2 mile circle and were pretty close to where we had last heard the elk. I let out a cow call and a light bugle came from below us . A couple more back and forth and all of a sudden he was coming fast. He popped up at 53 yards and a frontal shot from the 7mmHT dropped him in his tracks. Johns first elk was down We were 4 miles from the truck but could drive to within 2 miles so we got him cut up and hung him and packed him out the next day. *this was not the bull we had seen previously

 

[Mudranger1]

On Wednesday of that week We headed to Wyoming for antelope. My Father in Law on his first western hunt and I both had tags. Thursday was our first day hunting and get on a nice buck pretty early. My FiL whiffs and not being truly prepared to shoot I barely overshoot him when he stops to look back. I guesstimated him to be at around 420 but obviously he was a tad closer. And although I don't get really upset at antelope screw ups this 1 was probably the biggest 1 I have seen in this area so it ate at me a little. A couple hours later and we are on another couple bucks. They spook but circle and stop and I knock 1 down. The wind was screaming the 5 days we were there but my wife came with us on this stalk so we did get some sketchy video

 

[Mudranger1]

Friday we decide on looking over some new country but find nothing but beautiful landscape. We head back to known hangouts and spot a buck running out in the open. He eventually beds and we make a long stalk crawl that some how worked out and the FiL shot his buck at about 50 yards

 

[Mudranger1]

Saturday we spent hiking around Curt Gowdy State park and came home Sunday.
The following week was plains deer season. My wife had decided she was holding out for a monster buck this year. 24 hours later She had a nice big ol doe on the ground. It was rain/snowing and windy Sunday and we had set up about noon just to be ready. Around 3pm we were both freezing when she finally asked if we could go get more clothes for the evening. I said we better leave now so we can get back. We walk about 200 yards when I spot 2 deer headed straight to where we had been. She finds an opening in the trees and as the first doe walks by I whistle, it stops and bang. A very sketchy ride home in the snow but we got home around midnight.

 

[Mudranger1]

The last 9 days was spent chasing mule deer. Had 1 friend shoot a doe on Sunday but other than that the deer found it necessary to stay just on private most of the week.

Now we are done until a January doe hunt so we can relax and enjoy the holidays

 

[1_pointer]

Lots of hunting, success and memories, congrats!!

 

[fallfreak]

That's hunting. Wat to get out and get after it.

 

[JohnCushman]

Awesome!!

 

[Sask hunter]

Congrats!