I did the CO 1st season Elk hunt. It got a cold the first few nights. Got wind burn, then sun burn, cracked lips, took a couple hard falls, jacked up my knee and my gun. Had the whole experience. I went back in there with a couple llamas (@squirrel 's got some awesome animals). Saw elk everyday of the hunt, passed on some bulls.
Gray light of the 4th day i was out there i got a look at a good one. Him and his harem disappeared into an aspen jungle. I got across canyon from them and started picking apart the aspens. Had a shot at a solid 6 pt but i wasn't there for him. 45 minutes later the cows got up quickly and moved around like something wasn't right. That's when he showed. I settled in for the shot and took it. The shot felt really good, but didnt get a follow up chance. The elk went tearing through the thick stuff. I quickly re-found them with the binos and did not see the big guy running with them. I stayed up on the canyon edge looking to see if i could see an animal down, but no visual, it was just too thick.
I made my way down to where he was, no blood, no hair, just a few tracks in the dry grass. Did i hit him? Did i completely miss? Did i make a bad shot and he ran miles away? Did i walk by him? I spent the rest of the day looking for him. No sign anywhere. The next morning i glassed from the same point, saw the elk but no big bull with them. The day of the shot they weren't bugling, but that next morning they were bugling and smaller 6pts were pushing each other around; he wasn't around anymore. I spent the rest of the day looking and again no sign. Last day of the season i started the day the same, glassing. Since i didn't see him around the area the day i shot and didn't see him downhill from there, i spent the day still hunting from the top-down of that canyon and took a brief look atop the timbered saddle above. I never found any sign.
Ill take a peak in there again during 3rd season to satisfy my curiosity but who knows? He's probably alive and well.
Ill be doing a lot of shooting this offseason. And i know where ill be posted gray light of the opener next season.
Gray light of the 4th day i was out there i got a look at a good one. Him and his harem disappeared into an aspen jungle. I got across canyon from them and started picking apart the aspens. Had a shot at a solid 6 pt but i wasn't there for him. 45 minutes later the cows got up quickly and moved around like something wasn't right. That's when he showed. I settled in for the shot and took it. The shot felt really good, but didnt get a follow up chance. The elk went tearing through the thick stuff. I quickly re-found them with the binos and did not see the big guy running with them. I stayed up on the canyon edge looking to see if i could see an animal down, but no visual, it was just too thick.
I made my way down to where he was, no blood, no hair, just a few tracks in the dry grass. Did i hit him? Did i completely miss? Did i make a bad shot and he ran miles away? Did i walk by him? I spent the rest of the day looking for him. No sign anywhere. The next morning i glassed from the same point, saw the elk but no big bull with them. The day of the shot they weren't bugling, but that next morning they were bugling and smaller 6pts were pushing each other around; he wasn't around anymore. I spent the rest of the day looking and again no sign. Last day of the season i started the day the same, glassing. Since i didn't see him around the area the day i shot and didn't see him downhill from there, i spent the day still hunting from the top-down of that canyon and took a brief look atop the timbered saddle above. I never found any sign.
Ill take a peak in there again during 3rd season to satisfy my curiosity but who knows? He's probably alive and well.
Ill be doing a lot of shooting this offseason. And i know where ill be posted gray light of the opener next season.
