Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Late season colorado cow hunt (pics)

Nov 22 left for area 37 colorado late season cow tag. Get to the area and there is no snow, (normally we have 2ft of snow this time of year up there) Hike to my spot, no elk, no sign of elk. Temps are 50-60�F discouraged with the temps I take a drive and find a road that goes way up the mountain. I run into a dozen or so hunters all with the same story old elk sign but no sightings or fresh sign. So saturday night I decide to go home becuase the weather for sunday is supposed to be 60-70� but they are forcasting snow coming by thanksgiving. So I figure I will hit it hard fri sat sun after thanksgiving.

On the way home a medium sized doe runs into the side of my truck and busts the fender flare, she is dead and only hit in the head, so I call and get permission to take her. Yeeee haaaaw at least I got some meat. And I had traded the truck in on friday and the dealer let me use it for the weekend- lol.

Thanksgiving day we have a nice smoked turkey dinner with a lot of the family coming to my house. After dinner everyone leaves including the wife (going to sisters to shop black friday). I finish making some suasage out of the road kill and plan on getting some sleep and going hunting. Either I caught a stomach virus or the Egg Nog was bad and I spend all thursday night praying to the porcelin goddess. No sleep and still feeling crappy I don't make it hunting friday. I head out saturday morning at 3:00am get up to the lake and it is a whole different world 6 inches of new snow and still snowing Yeeeeee Haaaawwww.

I get on my knoll and the elk are not in the 200yd spot, or the 300yd spot or the 400yd spot. But I do see some about a mile away. So I get as close as I can in line of sight 647yds with wind across the valley (I cant make that shot) So I see a rock outcropping that looks like it is 300yds from the elk, I head to it. When I get there turns out the hillside curves so I have no view of where the elk where. So I head up the ridge getting to the backside and going up, I peak over and move a little up the front and see 2 elk but with trees and them moving I dont get a shot. So I go back on the backside of the ridge and make my way as fast as I can without getting my heart going to crazy for a shot. As I work my way up I see the Elk again on the top of the last ridge before the timber there is a 300yd saddle just before the ridge I get to it and it gives me a 250-300yd shot with not much trees in the way. Out come the bi-pods extended all the way. I cant get a head shot the trees and the elk eating wont allow it but there is a perfect broadside shot so I take it. I see the tell tale shoulder flinch of a hit in the vitals. I put the gun on my shoulder and slowly make my way up when I get to the top there is 50-100 elk yelling at me I think of taking another shot but let them walk into the timber. I continue my search I have found no blood or hair, my heart is pounding, thoughts racing through my head, "It was a good shot" "it looked like she was hit" "what could have went wrong" then I find her she droppend and slid on the other side of a small draw. YEEEE HAAAAWWWW man is she fat. OH yeah cant forget 300 win mag 75 grains r19 180gr nosler partition



O.K. let me explain the BMW instead of the truck - lol
I went to trade the BMW in and get my wife a new car but decided to get rid of my $900 a month truck payment instead then pick up a hunting truck later. My hunting partner was supposed to come with his truck but couldn't make it so I said screw it the Beemer is all wheel drive. I did have to quarter her and put her in cheese cloth and a cooler and drive with the windows open to let the meat cool off.


OK now the fun part I was 2 miles up the mountain by myself and she was stuck between 2 aspens on a steep incline down from the trail. I tried my darndest to pull her up to gut her but could not budge her(broke my rope twice). So I had to gut her right there stuck between the trees. She was on her back so the guts would not roll out I had to pull them out. I had them 90% out when the backside toward me popped and sprayed me from shoulder to knee cap but I could not let go and have it get on the meat or cavity so I had to finish the pulling and get them out. Man where they huge I would say her guts and vitals where at least 200# but at least after they where out I was able to pull her to the trail and other than half a dozen spots where I had to stand over her and push her a little at a time to keep her from sliding off the trail I was able to drag her all the way to the bottom so I did not have to take 4 trips back up. Thanks god for snow and my stubborness. I stopped in Frisco and went into walmart covered in elk blood and guts stinking like sin and bought a new pair of pants and shirt. for the ride home. I was the messiest I ever got gutting an animal but hey you only live once.

Congrats! Great job. Havent' shot an elk yet but have been in that wally world a few times....

Good job! It's always nice to see pictures of dead elk.

I have heard it all now. Broncolope yuppie going elk hunting in a BMW( grin)

I'm sure glad you got to thin out some of these thousands of elk have.I have hunted Area 36 quite a bit.

My image is ruined........ Bronco, you gonna change the handle to beamer boy now?......

Some good eatin there----Good Job. CB

Yeah I know I will never live down the Beemer!!
Its for sale if you want it - its a great hunting vehicle - lmao
next year hopefully I will have my broncolope back.

Congrats on the elk and a great story and pics. Plus, that's a nice ride.

Perfect!

Broncolope, did you notice much snowshoe hare sign in the area and if so would you mind PMing me with a general location? I want to get a snowshoe or two this year.

A big snowshoe ran out in front of me on the road. But I am trying to rememeber where? I didn't see any tracks where I shot the elk but my eyes and mind where 100% on the elk.

It did seem like an good spot for the hare's there is some good brushy areas next to rocks and the creek and lake.

Thanx. I'm always looking for places to hunt hares.

hunterbug. Try Buffalo Peaks area. The head of Brushy Park if you can get in there. I have also seen some north of Vail near the Piney Lake Lodge,but doubt if you can get in there now, except by snowmobile