Some real nice bulls in this group...

Colorado Bachelor Party

Yes there is.
Some full bellies too!

WOW!!

Now Knick, could ya of poked a stick in one of those?

Totally phucking with ya, as I missed the biggest buck I've ever shot at with my muzzleloader years ago. Not as close as those Wapati, but probably 60 yards (head/neck shot at a full gallop). BUT I knew better than to shoot then anyway, but I thought I could pull it off but I lifted my head just as I fired and shot high. As the herd then stopped on a rise a little over 100 yards away, doing the mule deer "look-back", staring at the big funny looking sage brush frantically trying to reload (fumbling/jumbling/stumbling) before they strolled over the hog-back, never to be seen again until past rifle season. Stoopid, stoopid, stoopid! My cousin was just dying on the ground watching the chiat show!!

Why did you do that? Why didn't you just shoot him better?

My son was 4 or 5 at the time. We'd spotted the bucks a decent ways off, so the cousin decides to go check them out while the boy and I just hang out on a glacial erratic, talking about the old bull and the young bull. Cuz lets me know they're moving, and to get set up...PRONTO! So we hotfoot it down through the boulder patch, and I have the boy stay at the pickup, as there's almost no cover where I'm headed to intercept the bachelor party. Well...The Boy didn't understand any of that math, and he decides to throw one of the most ultimate riggin' fit's I've ever witnessed! And who can blame him? Dad's going off to maybe shoot (ultimately, flail!) at a very nice buck, I'd want to tag along too!

So, I had some added pressure on me to perform...and I totally "dropped it in the sand" as my dad used to say! LOL

Been close to big before, just never that close to that big.

Of course it had to be bi-cycle chicks that got the show.

Been that close more than a few times. Those bikers can be glad it was summer. That's the only way those types of folks are ever getting that close. Gotta be sneaky sneaky to get that close once they harden up.

Can't wait for September!

To be fair, I generally killed them before they got that close.

I think this year is your year Nick.

I certainly hope so. I'm having a hard time finding anyone crazy enough to join me in the back country for almost 3 weeks this year. I'm gonna have to go it alone, which....is fine I guess. Everything will only be 1000% harder than it already is, but whatever.

No it won't.
You will get to do what you want when you want.
That is priceless.

That is true. Since I'll be solo, I'm debating the merits of setting up my low impact camp a bit closer to the prime zones. Possibly within a mile or two max. No fires or silliness, so I think I might be able to get away with it. I don't want to have a main camp plus a spike camp - too much gear. So kinda like a "main spike camp" if you will. It would save me the morning commute and would put me on top of the action well before anyone else shows up.

Thoughts on that approach?

Sounds perfect.
Camp around the other side of a main ridge or over the top in a different basin from the action if possible.

Thanks - I think I can get away with it especially since I'm low key, solo and no fires. It seems these Elk don't bump out and go very far. I can always make a retreat if needed. Gonna be a LONG packout if'n I find some success though. I ain't skeered and I have some favors I can call in (you reading this Toof & Ike? Prepare thy selves.)

What's your plans this year WDFW?

You shoot me an elk, I'll come get it out with you.

Unless I'm busy, then I'll just swing by your house a week or two later and collect my half

Fish on...

Todd

Just for that you get to haul the rear qtrs. Better start your squats and lunges now.

My ladyfriends do the squats, that's why they have such nice asses.

I don't lunge.

Otherwise I'm ready to go.

I walked about 5 miles on a golf course yesterday holding a beer in one hand...it can't be much harder than that to carry an elk hind quarter out.

Fish on...

Todd

I met an older guy one year up in the Manatash. He came walking out carrying a small back pack and his traditional bow. We talked a bit and his approach was to pack a sleeping bag, some rations and head in for a few days. Once he found animals he would just try to stay on top of them. From what he stated, it was very effective. No hike in in the moring. If you find them in the evening, just curl up and be on them in the morning . Early season is usually nice enough you can get away without a tent, though I did get a white out one year in early september so some precaution is necessary. Good luck. No way the wife would let me get away with going in solo anymore, so you got that going.

Yep. I've put bulls to bed on single over night spike camps, but I've never just stayed in the general area for more than a night. In the area where I'll be, there's a couple of smaller tight areas where I can slip into for camp that the Elk simply don't use. There's water everywhere, so that's not a camp location constraint. I'm also getting off the ground and moving to a super engineered hammock system. There is almost no flat ground in this area for a ground tent and everything is soaking wet, so with the hammock system, I can sleep just about anywhere I want and stay high and dry.

Ah yea yes.
The bear burrito.
They love those things.