Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game 4th season blues

I just got back, Saturday morning, from my long expected elk hunt in CO. Two buddies and I hunted 4th season, unit 18 at 9000'. Snowed for the first 3 days, 2 feet of snow on the ground in most places. Didn't see a single elk. There were some tracks about, but I think they were all moving out. We were in a drop camp with the outfitter guiding hunts in the same area. The guides checked on us regularly and said they didn't know what to do, they weren't getting any bites either.
<br>This being my first elk hunt, I don't think that we were hunting them right. We tried tracking, sitting, glassing, everything we could think of. One buddy scared up a cow that was gone real quick. I did see the biggest muley buck I had ever laid eyes on though. Also got within spitting distance of a few cow moose. Followed tracks until we were dead. Up and down hills is hard for us smoking Texans used to 1000'.
<br>I learned alot, used alot of stuff I got from this board, especially regarding clothes, water and the like. However nobody told me to bring a beat up rifle. We were in tears watching our prized blued-walnut rifles get strapped into leather 30/30 scabbards and banged around the various mountains. After a while we didn't care how much snow they soaked up and grew to like the ducktape stuck on our muzzles.
<br>I personally learned alot just in case I ever get to go back again, like drinking leach water won't kill you, a 9 pound 338 is useless in heavy timber, and a bunch of other stuff I never even thought about.
<br>Thanks for the input you all have given me over the months, sorry I don't have any pictures to post. I hope everybody else's hunts went good this year.

CS where did they take you in from in 18? off of 125 or thru troublesome pass? tom

It ain't supposed to be about killing, so much as the hunting. Sounds like you had a good time anyway. Still, too bad you didn't get shooting, or seeing, anyway. I busted on my only elk hunt too (Idaho), but it was still one of the best hunts I've ever had. Learned a lot. Incidently, there was just an article in either OL or Petersen's Hunting, about "extreme rifles" ALL my rifles are such - we call them "beaters".
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<br>I'm not sure whether to laugh at this next guy, or fly down from Alaska and whup him upside the head....
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<br>A friend of mine called his 32 year old nephew in Michigan this morning. Yesterday was the first day of deer season down there. No, the nephew hadn't been out - temperature was in the single digits - "too cold, the deer just aren't moving." Right. No wonder he hasn't gotten one in the 12 or 14 years he has been "hunting", in a country in which you can take several deer per season, and landowners get 5 doe permits each (according to my friend). That means a husband and wife get 10 doe permits. they are overrun by deer, and want to knock the population back considerable because of CWD. And the guy can hunt out his back door, literally! Said he'd only seen two does run by, from his window!

During those snow storms the elk hole up in the thick timber and don't move much and by the 4th season , they are pretty spooky and stay inthe nasty stuff unless steped on. My observation is that the elk moved to lower elevations this year about the middle of the 3rd season when the snow got deep, since there wasn't much grass up higher anyway.
<br>you usually have to hunt elk a few years to get to know them before suceesful, so don't feel too bad. Just so you had a good time

I agree with Saddlesore, elk aren't easy. I firmly believe in the 80/20 rule with elk hunting. 80% of the elk are taken by 20% of the hunters. Once you get them figured out, they'll start falling. But, it takes a while!
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<br>I hunted elk a lot of years, before I broke the ice!

Well, although I didn't get anything the whole trip was alot of fun, the trip up there and back was just as enjoyable as the hunt itself. I saw alot of new country (had never been through eastern Colorado before) and met some good people.
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<br>Pumpgun, we packed out of a dude ranch type place that was off of 125. We were hunting close to Troublesome Creek.

cs
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<br>I don't know if this was your first Elk hunt, but would you share if there was anything you wished you would have had that you didn't or any thing you took that was just dead weight etc..Kinda help those of us who are still awaiting our first elk adventure!!
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<br>Another thread if you feel necessary!
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<br>Thanks
<br>Mike

was it king mountian ranch? or shadow mountian ranch? tom

CS.......sounds like you were hampered by being "locked in" on a certain area. That can be a toughy when the weather is so unpredictable. We too planned on hunting high, but the heavy snow sudden weather pushed the elk down just prior to our hunt....so we moved with them.......MANY MANY miles. We moved camp 3 times before settling in where the elk were..........that's a lot of moving in 10 days but it paid off with us filling all 4 elk tags. With a drop camp, your stuck pretty much to one area, so you best hope the elk are here when you are. Sounds like they weren't........too bad, but at least you enjoyed it anyway.
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<br>Your not the first Ive heard who was in with an outfitter up high in the later seasons with lots of snow that saw little or no elk.
<br>Better luck to you next time.....
<br>DS

not surprised you had 2 feet of snow at that time. there was 5-6 inches during 2nd season. of course we were not in as far as you were since we were on foot. tom

That's why I like hunting ,mule back, if you have to ride 5- mile to find the elk you can and your's not tired when you get ther form walking. Elk are crittes that you have to be mobile with.

I took a little too much stuff with me, we all did. I brought too many clothes, but that might have been a good thing if it would have been raining. A frame pack, that was due to lack of communication about what happens in case we actually killed one. I also brought a bunch of misc. items that really had nothing to do with hunting and just got in the way.
<br>A few things I forgot were some camp shoes, snack food (spam gets old after 6 cans), the above mentioned beater rifle, and a pillow. Alot of what we brought was heavy and in the way, but we also didn't kill anything, so some of that stuff could have very well been put to use if an elk went down (all those knives, extra batteries, baby wipes, burlap bags). I also brought my 357 that I carried with me the first day and it stayed in my bag after that until I got home. I guess the heaviest stuff that was uneeded was all the extra clothes and all the baby wipes. The wipes came in very handy, but I simply brought way too many of them. We didn't get into a first-aid type situation, and none of us got sick, but all the medical stuff I brought I would bring again just in case.
<br>What I thought was a real lifesaver snow wise was polypropeleyne (sp) thermals and wool pants. I had to borrow a coat, and it was too big. It was warm, but got in the way alot.
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<br>Pumgun, it was the King Mountain Ranch. Apeared to be a real nice place

next year we are going to take some of the cabelas 2 wheel carts and pack in just north of there, but not in 4th season been there done that. we are going 1st season figure we will go in 3-5 miles and setup taking dome tents and freeze dried food. tom

CS. I always take one can of Spam. If it gets down to where I have to eat it, I know I'm in real trouble. Yucccckkkk!
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<br>A small back pack stove like a Whisper lite is great. Lunches made up of Ramon noodles ( and they are light weight) and few snacks give a great energy boost and a hot cup of coffee od whatever is a good noon break
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<br>I always figure 4 baby wipes per day. I buy the individual wrapped, anti bacterial ones. Keeping your back side extra clean on an extended trip is prime importance. Especially if hemerhoids (sp) act up and your riding.
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<br>I find that on a 5-7 day hunt the average guy should be able to get by with a 40 lb duffel, not including ammo and guns.
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<br>For the people I have packed in,I weigh thier bag. If it weighs more than that, I have them go through it and take out the non essentials.
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<br>Good camp shoes are either a light weight pair of tennies or some rubber soled moccasins.
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<br>On pack in trips if you keep the same train of thought as if you were carrying it on your back, you can weed out a lot of the non essentilas.
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Sounds like you missed em by a season. I was up in that same country to fill a doe tag during the 3rd season and was nearly overun by elk. Saw more elk than deer, actually. And one young and dumb bull even bugled!
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<br>It all boils down to weather. Better luck next year!