shannerdrake
Well-known member
Headed out to South Central Colorado for my first muzzleloader hunt. I have several posts in the ML section from the summer documenting my preparation for this trip. After three years of points, three years of waiting, and a spring and summer of prep, my hunting buddy and I pulled out of my Indiana driveway at 5:30AM EST on 9/11. The trip out was awesome and we were full of excitement. Many overpasses had proud American's waiving flags in honor and remembrance of those who fell on 9/11.
We pulled into our "camp" at about 10PM local time that night. There was still snow on the ground from a freak storm earlier in the week. It was chilly and we were full of anticipation. We had a an elk ML tag, mule deer ML tag, and a bear rifle tag. Hunting is always difficult, but we were optimistic and excited.
Opening day came and went as did the next morning hunt. We heard no bugles and saw no animals. Our enthusiasm was quickly curbed, but we had 6.5 days to hunt and nothing but time.
Our luck would quickly change Sunday night when my partner and I came across a bachelor group of six mule deer. I will post on the deer threads the full story, but the short of it is we managed to take two nice bucks out of the group. By the time we got the bucks out and back to camp, skinned, caped, and quartered, it was a very late night and we went to bed at about 2AM.
Up again the next morning at 5AM and dragging we decided to sit over and sleep at some watering holes and did not see anything.
That night we decided to hunt a new chunk of property that we had scouted midday on Sunday. There was some elk sign, but not much. Walking in that evening we discussed our standards and decided I should probably consider shooting a cow as my freezer was extremely low on elk meat. We went to the best sign we had seen, setup about 1.5 hours before dark and let out about four cow calls. Nothing. Three days into this prime rut hunt we had yet to hear a bugle. I allowed my mind to wander as I glassed a distant hill, when I heard my buddy whisper, "don't move....nice bull."
We pulled into our "camp" at about 10PM local time that night. There was still snow on the ground from a freak storm earlier in the week. It was chilly and we were full of anticipation. We had a an elk ML tag, mule deer ML tag, and a bear rifle tag. Hunting is always difficult, but we were optimistic and excited.
Opening day came and went as did the next morning hunt. We heard no bugles and saw no animals. Our enthusiasm was quickly curbed, but we had 6.5 days to hunt and nothing but time.
Our luck would quickly change Sunday night when my partner and I came across a bachelor group of six mule deer. I will post on the deer threads the full story, but the short of it is we managed to take two nice bucks out of the group. By the time we got the bucks out and back to camp, skinned, caped, and quartered, it was a very late night and we went to bed at about 2AM.
Up again the next morning at 5AM and dragging we decided to sit over and sleep at some watering holes and did not see anything.
That night we decided to hunt a new chunk of property that we had scouted midday on Sunday. There was some elk sign, but not much. Walking in that evening we discussed our standards and decided I should probably consider shooting a cow as my freezer was extremely low on elk meat. We went to the best sign we had seen, setup about 1.5 hours before dark and let out about four cow calls. Nothing. Three days into this prime rut hunt we had yet to hear a bugle. I allowed my mind to wander as I glassed a distant hill, when I heard my buddy whisper, "don't move....nice bull."
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