The Death of a Life-Long Dream
09-07-2008, 06:57 PM
#1
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Southwest Ohio
Posts: 2,849
The Death of a Life-Long Dream
This is unedited and raw. I am completely worn out from an extremely long and tough (mentally and physically) week so bear with me...
I have stated before that one of my first hunting related memories is of me trying to stowaway in my father’s duffel bag in an effort to join him for his annual elk and mule deer hunting trip to Montrose, Colorado. That was 25 years ago. Although I visited the mountain a few times as a young child on summer vacation, it was 14 years ago that was my first hunting trip to Horsefly Peak and the fulfillment of my near lifelong desire to chase elk with my father. The camp and people that have made up the adventures that I have had and the stories that I have listened to nearly all of my life have filled my dreams into the greatest depths and recesses of the empty cavern that I call my brain. These and many other reasons are why it is with actual sorrow that I tell you that I will not be returning to this mountain.
Last week my father, two of his friends, and I drove the 1400 mile trip from Lewisburg, Ohio to Montrose, Colorado filled with excitement and hope. What follows is directly out of my daily journal…
Day 1: Saturday August 30, 2008
Went up top today. The entire area was filled with promising sign. Elk beds and droppings littered the entire upper aspen patch and dad and I were quite excited as we settled into the ridgetop site we had found the previous trip for the morning. We saw nothing. Not even one mule deer all day. It was quite surprising but we knew that they would be back soon. Went to the ponds and over the top in the afternoon and did not see a thing. I then sat by the pond up top for the evening until a major thunderstorm blew in and drove me off.
Day 2: Sunday
Went up top again today and again to our surprise we were surrounded by zero elk. Still not one sighting. I did watch a doe with her fawn eat cow bones off of the ground which I have never heard of before. It rained all morning despite the “30% chance of showers”. Went to the “mud springs” that evening and spotted a lone bull (small 5X5). I closed the distance to 80 yards, had only to sneak around the last bunch of willows to be in range, and a mule deer doe came out of nowhere, busted me, and spooked the bull.
Day 3: Monday
Started up top again. Again saw only “bonecrusher” and her fawn. I then walked back up to the ponds and saw only a single doe. I spent the evening below the “steel tank”. I saw a doe and a fawn all evening and it rained continuously again. Thunderstorms rolled in and I had to ride them out on the hill.
Day 4: Tuesday
Went to the “Meyers’ Ground” this morning. Since there was no game anywhere on Horsefly I figured Meyers would be teeming with animals… I was wrong. We saw a half of a dozen of deer and one elk. He was running so fast when we saw him we couldn’t even tell if he was legal. I spent the evening sitting over the “Fresno Pond” figuring the warm dry weather (finally) would bring them to water. Wrong again. I saw 3 does and 2 coyotes.
Day 5: Wednesday
Started up top again figuring that in the history of Horsefly the elk have never gone 5 days without being up top… until now. Saw nothing until about 0930 when a small mule deer buck bedded roughly 150 yards from my stand. I made the best stalk of my life to get within 40 yards, waited for him to stand, drew my bow and he never would stop where I could shoot him. He stopped 3 times behind aspen trees and eventually I just had to let down. Around noon dad went up top and stalked and shot a great buck. I spent the afternoon down on Sagehen ridge. I saw a really nice 6X6 but he stayed off of the property and would not respond to any calling no matter how whorish I made it sound.
Day 6: Thursday (last day)
Went down Horsefly again with dad. We saw one group of elk near the NW corner of the property jump the west fence headed east, turn north, and jump the north fence just as fast as you can say it. Didn’t have any chance to hunt them whatsoever. That was all we saw all morning. Spent the evening still hunting up top. Saw a few does. Figured at 1930 it was time to call it a week (daylight was dwildelling and it was the last night). Took my arrow off of my string, put it back in my quiver, took two or three steps and a buck jumped up out of his bed and stood broadside at 40 yards. IT JUST WASN’T MY WEEK!!!
All in all it was a great vacation, yet the worst hunt of my life. My father and I had a good time together and he was able to take a terrific buck, but I saw a grand total of 22 elk on the property all week and that includes the group of 20 that were on it for less than 5 minutes and were completely unhuntable. Perhaps I just take hunting too seriously, but I was severely disappointed overall and although this camp is great for having a good time, it just has fallen victim to too much urban sprawl and an unbelievable explosion of the coyote population. After dreaming of it for 25 of the 28 years of my life, it is time to cut it loose and move on to what I hope will be better hunting somewhere else. Still, it is rather sad all in all. It is hard to just try to disregard all of the good times and good people. I truly feel as though I am losing something, yet I can’t determine whether that loss is for the best or not. Only time will tell I reckon. Thanks for reading.
I have stated before that one of my first hunting related memories is of me trying to stowaway in my father’s duffel bag in an effort to join him for his annual elk and mule deer hunting trip to Montrose, Colorado. That was 25 years ago. Although I visited the mountain a few times as a young child on summer vacation, it was 14 years ago that was my first hunting trip to Horsefly Peak and the fulfillment of my near lifelong desire to chase elk with my father. The camp and people that have made up the adventures that I have had and the stories that I have listened to nearly all of my life have filled my dreams into the greatest depths and recesses of the empty cavern that I call my brain. These and many other reasons are why it is with actual sorrow that I tell you that I will not be returning to this mountain.
Last week my father, two of his friends, and I drove the 1400 mile trip from Lewisburg, Ohio to Montrose, Colorado filled with excitement and hope. What follows is directly out of my daily journal…
Day 1: Saturday August 30, 2008
Went up top today. The entire area was filled with promising sign. Elk beds and droppings littered the entire upper aspen patch and dad and I were quite excited as we settled into the ridgetop site we had found the previous trip for the morning. We saw nothing. Not even one mule deer all day. It was quite surprising but we knew that they would be back soon. Went to the ponds and over the top in the afternoon and did not see a thing. I then sat by the pond up top for the evening until a major thunderstorm blew in and drove me off.
Day 2: Sunday
Went up top again today and again to our surprise we were surrounded by zero elk. Still not one sighting. I did watch a doe with her fawn eat cow bones off of the ground which I have never heard of before. It rained all morning despite the “30% chance of showers”. Went to the “mud springs” that evening and spotted a lone bull (small 5X5). I closed the distance to 80 yards, had only to sneak around the last bunch of willows to be in range, and a mule deer doe came out of nowhere, busted me, and spooked the bull.
Day 3: Monday
Started up top again. Again saw only “bonecrusher” and her fawn. I then walked back up to the ponds and saw only a single doe. I spent the evening below the “steel tank”. I saw a doe and a fawn all evening and it rained continuously again. Thunderstorms rolled in and I had to ride them out on the hill.
Day 4: Tuesday
Went to the “Meyers’ Ground” this morning. Since there was no game anywhere on Horsefly I figured Meyers would be teeming with animals… I was wrong. We saw a half of a dozen of deer and one elk. He was running so fast when we saw him we couldn’t even tell if he was legal. I spent the evening sitting over the “Fresno Pond” figuring the warm dry weather (finally) would bring them to water. Wrong again. I saw 3 does and 2 coyotes.
Day 5: Wednesday
Started up top again figuring that in the history of Horsefly the elk have never gone 5 days without being up top… until now. Saw nothing until about 0930 when a small mule deer buck bedded roughly 150 yards from my stand. I made the best stalk of my life to get within 40 yards, waited for him to stand, drew my bow and he never would stop where I could shoot him. He stopped 3 times behind aspen trees and eventually I just had to let down. Around noon dad went up top and stalked and shot a great buck. I spent the afternoon down on Sagehen ridge. I saw a really nice 6X6 but he stayed off of the property and would not respond to any calling no matter how whorish I made it sound.
Day 6: Thursday (last day)
Went down Horsefly again with dad. We saw one group of elk near the NW corner of the property jump the west fence headed east, turn north, and jump the north fence just as fast as you can say it. Didn’t have any chance to hunt them whatsoever. That was all we saw all morning. Spent the evening still hunting up top. Saw a few does. Figured at 1930 it was time to call it a week (daylight was dwildelling and it was the last night). Took my arrow off of my string, put it back in my quiver, took two or three steps and a buck jumped up out of his bed and stood broadside at 40 yards. IT JUST WASN’T MY WEEK!!!
All in all it was a great vacation, yet the worst hunt of my life. My father and I had a good time together and he was able to take a terrific buck, but I saw a grand total of 22 elk on the property all week and that includes the group of 20 that were on it for less than 5 minutes and were completely unhuntable. Perhaps I just take hunting too seriously, but I was severely disappointed overall and although this camp is great for having a good time, it just has fallen victim to too much urban sprawl and an unbelievable explosion of the coyote population. After dreaming of it for 25 of the 28 years of my life, it is time to cut it loose and move on to what I hope will be better hunting somewhere else. Still, it is rather sad all in all. It is hard to just try to disregard all of the good times and good people. I truly feel as though I am losing something, yet I can’t determine whether that loss is for the best or not. Only time will tell I reckon. Thanks for reading.
09-07-2008, 07:01 PM
#3
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 6,867
RE: The Death of a Life-Long Dream
thats sucks man atleast you got to spend some time with dad. I am lucky and have great relationship with my dad. We spend 6 months togather traveling from florida to michigan to mexico (mexico not newmexico)
up to nevada.
We had many proplem throught the way and it made us real close.
up to nevada.
We had many proplem throught the way and it made us real close.
09-07-2008, 07:08 PM
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location:
Posts: 3,465
RE: The Death of a Life-Long Dream
Nice daily log. Atleast your pops scored, have any pics?
Sounds like the animals werent cooperating there, so hopefully next year pans out better somewhere else.
Im betting all in all, you still had a great time with your dad though.
Sounds like the animals werent cooperating there, so hopefully next year pans out better somewhere else.
Im betting all in all, you still had a great time with your dad though.
09-07-2008, 07:09 PM
#7
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location:
Posts: 21,043
RE: The Death of a Life-Long Dream
Hey Jim.....
One day you'll look back at this a little differently, maybe. You experienced something many of us never "got to".....and I I'll bet you'll think of this line (I HOPE) a long time from now.
Welcome back.
One day you'll look back at this a little differently, maybe. You experienced something many of us never "got to".....and I I'll bet you'll think of this line (I HOPE) a long time from now.
My father and I had a good time together and he was able to take a terrific buck,
09-07-2008, 07:09 PM
#8
Typical Buck
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Mifflin Co. Pa
Posts: 829
RE: The Death of a Life-Long Dream
Although not killing one is dissapointing, you were able to experience something that millions of hunters will never be able to do. Hell i hunt weeks on end here in PAand dont even see any deer atleast you had great scenery.
