1st day of elk season..

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09-02-2020, 20:51
def90

1st day of elk season..

Well, I made it out today, winds were gusty and constantly changing directions, just when you would make a gameplan and get half way through the execution the wind would do a 180 and blow it out of the water.

Had an interesting encounter at 10,000 ft though. Took a break around noon along the edge of a small cluster of trees overlooking an open meadow that stretched down the hillside. Ate some lunch and then the sun hit me and I decided to lay down, rest my head on my pack and take a brief nap. Was in that in between lucid dream and awake state when I suddenly woke for whatever reason so I sat up and did a big stretch and yawn. Right at that moment something moved to my right about 20 feet away and I turned and looked, and it turned and looked, and it spun around and took off running as fast as it could across the meadow at which point I said to myself, ?huh, there?s a bear!? His fur had a silver gray glint to it from the sun as it ran, Pretty cool experience, my 6th sense was working today.
09-02-2020, 23:08
hunterhawk

That's pretty neat, and at least you got to get out... good news was it didn't have a hump on his back :-)
09-02-2020, 23:18
.455_Hunter

Archery?
09-03-2020, 06:29
Planner

Quote:

Originally Posted by def90

Well, I made it out today, winds were gusty and constantly changing directions, just when you would make a gameplan and get half way through the execution the wind would do a 180 and blow it out of the water.

Had an interesting encounter at 10,000 ft though. Took a break around noon along the edge of a small cluster of trees overlooking an open meadow that stretched down the hillside. Ate some lunch and then the sun hit me and I decided to lay down, rest my head on my pack and take a brief nap. Was in that in between lucid dream and awake state when I suddenly woke for whatever reason so I sat up and did a big stretch and yawn. Right at that moment something moved to my right about 20 feet away and I turned and looked, and it turned and looked, and it spun around and took off running as fast as it could across the meadow at which point I said to myself, ?huh, there?s a bear!? His fur had a silver gray glint to it from the sun as it ran, Pretty cool experience, my 6th sense was working today.

CPW added a bear add-on tag option this year. I grabbed one to accompany my archery elk tag for just such a reason.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
09-03-2020, 06:36
def90

Quote:

Originally Posted by .455_Hunter

Archery?

Archery, just went up to the James Peak Wilderness area because it’s close. The elk up there are slim pickings though and they move a lot.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Planner

CPW added a bear add-on tag option this year. I grabbed one to accompany my archery elk tag for just such a reason.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Yeah, thought about that afterwards but it happened so fast that I didn’t even have time to reach for my bow. That guy covered a lot of ground fast, he wasn’t having anything to do with me that’s for sure.

Was pretty surprised to see him up there as well, I never see bear sign up there and things are the driest I’ve ever seen.
09-03-2020, 08:20
.455_Hunter

Quote:

Originally Posted by def90

Archery, just went up to the James Peak Wilderness area because it?s close. The elk up there are slim pickings though and they move a lot.

Yup- I have hunted that area for rifle quite a bit over the years and the concentration is low.
09-03-2020, 17:42
Hummer

Quote:

Originally Posted by def90

Archery, just went up to the James Peak Wilderness area because it?s close. The elk up there are slim pickings though and they move a lot.

Yeah, thought about that afterwards but it happened so fast that I didn?t even have time to reach for my bow. That guy covered a lot of ground fast, he wasn?t having anything to do with me that?s for sure.

Was pretty surprised to see him up there as well, I never see bear sign up there and things are the driest I?ve ever seen.

Good luck to you! What areas can you hunt elk with your archery license now?

I don't know the James Peak area but have explored most of the Indian Peaks. I took my first elk a mile from our cabin in Peaceful Valley, my first deer down canyon, and a first moose a few miles SW of home. Elk numbers are slim here but there are fine bulls closer to RMNP. Next year I might cash in my preference points and hunt bull elk in area 20. I'll hunt buck deer in 20, 3rd season. This will be my 35th consecutive year hunting elk in the Flat Tops. 30 elk so far. Hungry for one more.
09-16-2020, 19:16
def90

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hummer

Good luck to you! What areas can you hunt elk with your archery license now?

I just have an OTC archery tag so unit 38 is the only OTC unit along the front range, otherwise most of the central units north to south through the state are OTC and some down in the southwest corner, would love to get in to a unit where I would actually have a chance of seeing something.

Hunted up in unit 371 in the Eagles Nest Wilderness Area last weekend and camped on a friends property on the west side of Green Mountain Res. No elk spotted nor heard all weekend (Friday evening, Saturday all day, and Sunday morning), left Sunday afternoon, my friends mother in law sends me a text around 7:00 saying that there were 2 small herds of elk just walking along Cataract Creek on her way out of the property.

Took the day off of work today and went back up to the James peak area and no elk but saw several deer and ran in to 2 really nice bull moose that were about 20yds away from me, they didn't want to wait around for me to get my cell phone camera out so I only got the second moose as they were exiting the scene.

https://scontent.fapa1-1.fna.fbcdn.n...87&oe=5F889694
09-21-2020, 00:34
jhood001

Quote:

Originally Posted by def90

I just have an OTC archery tag so unit 38 is the only OTC unit along the front range, otherwise most of the central units north to south through the state are OTC and some down in the southwest corner, would love to get in to a unit where I would actually have a chance of seeing something.

Hunted up in unit 371 in the Eagles Nest Wilderness Area last weekend and camped on a friends property on the west side of Green Mountain Res. No elk spotted nor heard all weekend (Friday evening, Saturday all day, and Sunday morning), left Sunday afternoon, my friends mother in law sends me a text around 7:00 saying that there were 2 small herds of elk just walking along Cataract Creek on her way out of the property.

Took the day off of work today and went back up to the James peak area and no elk but saw several deer and ran in to 2 really nice bull moose that were about 20yds away from me, they didn't want to wait around for me to get my cell phone camera out so I only got the second moose as they were exiting the scene.

https://scontent.fapa1-1.fna.fbcdn.n...87&oe=5F889694

Great photo! They get the blood pumping even when you aren't after them, don't they?