Just got back several days ago from a two week stint in NW Colorado for the first rifle (elk only) season (Oct 9-13). 6x8? Eight hunters took 6 elk and our 13 year old lady from California got her elk! She was on top of the world, and that part was quite rewarding.

We used a larger and heated spike camp this year about 4 miles back in in addition to the Hilton like base camp set up by the forest service road. The spike camp put us right in the thick of the action. We were up by 330 a.m. and out by 430 a.m. The elk were in full rut during this early season high power rifle hunt – bulls bugling everywhere. It was a lot of fun listening to them while waiting for red eastern skies and the sunrise.

This year we had our "picket line" well spaced out and strategically placed. Once pressured, the herd bolted straight for our positions. Their hooves made a sound of thunder akin to that of a rumbling freight train. Direct frontal assault, aye? If y'all insist! We had 4 elk down in minutes and two more in a couple hours as the busted up herd kept bouncing around in disarray. Since it was going to be a warm day and since the elk were laying on a south facing slope in scattered quakies we suspended further "harvesting operations" and focused on field dressing (thank God for the Alaskan method), moving meat into the shade, and then started packing the meat to spike camp.

We used three horses with panniers and got all six packed out to the main camp the following day! Though we had plenty more elk licenses we decided our "tribe" had all the meat we needed and so we set about butchering them in camp and got all six wrapped and sharp frozen in a single day. We went back in and packed out the spike camp to the main camp and loaded up the next day after dividing the frozen meat amongst our group.

Personally, I took on the lead cow --- one of the biggest I've ever seen; she yielded more meat than a 5x5 bull that was taken. Gave her a "little shot of Rigby" and she stacked up in a crash. My son and I each had a secondary "either sex" tags (read bull tag) unused in our pockets, but since our group had done so well and harvesting more elk seemed unethical; we passed on any further shots including an opportunity on a group of bulls that went by while we were field dressing what we had. Nice to have choices.

As usual, there were some high points and some low points. Interesting stories. Lots of fun. Good comeraderie. Wonderful easy weather. Mother nature at her best.... very nice.
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[Just a thought…. having a herd of Cape Buffalo “charging” through ones position instead of a herd of elk would have to be a wee bit more "interesting." A little more "character exploration and definition" would be more likely to take place in a situation when the quarry can fight back instead of ALWAYS having to flee. Don’t get too hung up on it, it is just a thought.]

EKM