Managed to survive the Colorado High Country!

ArcticBowMan · 10-21-2003, 10:06 AM

And I even took an elk doing it. [8D]

I shot a nice 5X5 at 12000 feet on opening day of second season. My cousin was working the thick timber in mid afternoon and jumped 3 bulls, one nice 6X6 and two 5X5' s. I heard them crashing through the timber and set up in a draw about 50 yards from a main trail that crossed into the next group of pines. One of the 5X5' s branched off on the trail, but the others headed down in the timber. The bull came right on the trail and I whistled a mew at him, and he stopped dead in his tracks. I had the cross hairs right on him and squeezed off a round. I saw the impact right behind his shoulder, and he ran into the woods about 30 yards off, started stumbling and got into an opening so I took a second shot that put him down. He crashed down hill about 10 yards and got held up in some thick deadfall, but we were able to work around it.

He had two broken tines, but a decent little rack for my first elk. Took a couple days to get him down to camp at 8500 feet. Very steep terrain that kicked my butt! I' m in recovery and butchering mode today.

I should have pictures later today or tomorrow. It was a difficult hike up, so we went light, so the only pics I have are of the rack.

I' m bruised and scarred, but would do it again in a heart beat.

BareBack Jack · 10-21-2003, 10:12 AM

Congrats Artic,
Aint nothin like a well desevered first elk,my first elk I killed I swore I would never shoot another,but it' s addicting the pain,the hard work all that gose in to a pack of great elk steak.

txhunter58 · 10-21-2003, 12:15 PM

Way to go! What a thrill, in spite of the pack out. Lot' s of good eating too! Watch out, you may get addicted. Too late!

Howler · 10-21-2003, 02:21 PM

Congrats ABM, like the others said, it' s a lot of work, but well worth it!

Colorado Bob · 10-21-2003, 07:45 PM

Looks like an another elk hunter!! Conglads !! I' ll post a photo of mine also.

cardeer · 10-22-2003, 01:56 AM

What no grizzly bears?? Congrates

JeramyK · 10-22-2003, 07:05 AM

Congrats Arctic !

IL_BOW_MAN · 10-22-2003, 07:19 AM

You used a gun!! What a wimp!!![>:]

Congrats on your bull. 50 yards is a good enough to feel the ground rumble when they run by, so I will give you that!!

I want to see a picture though, hurry up. Was he bigger than mine?

ArcticBowMan · 10-22-2003, 01:35 PM

Mitch, not sure if he is bigger than yours. He wasn' t a beast, but I' m real happy with him for my first elk. Next year I' ll be bowhunting them, but this hunt was planned kind of late, and I only had a couple of days, so the bow stayed up in Alaska and my -06 drove north to Colorado with me.

Here' s a picture of the antlers. Didn' t get any photos of the whole animal unfortunately.

My cousin Jeff and I back at the campground:

Picture of trail to the slide we went up:

Wolf killer · 10-22-2003, 06:05 PM

Congrats ABM.

Glad to see you got one. You are going to be hook for life.

Tell us which meat you prefer elk, moose, bear or caribou.