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Thanks Lars! And good luck on your goat hunt!Quote:
Originally Posted by Lars
I wish I had the spare $$$ when I was younger to apply for sheep and goat hunts and let the state hold my money for four months with nothing to show for it. I went for moose because there was more meat in it.
Go for it Stu, you gotta start sometime. I hope it doesn't take you so long.Quote:
Originally Posted by Irving
You fellows send me your phone numbers and I'll call you to pack out some steaks. :)
I think this year is the first year I've put in for a point. Not sure why I didn't in years past.
Congrats Hummer! That's huge. Best of luck to you.
That’s some awesome news Hummer! What season are you going to pick to hunt in? Archery muzzleloader or rifle?
Ha! You made me look, I didn't realize I could pick a method or season. But I'm a rifleman, and prefer the later season, Oct. 1-14, when the animals begin moving to lower elevation.Quote:
Originally Posted by sniper7
Will you be hiring a guide or do you feel pretty confident with local know-how?
I've always hunted solo and that's my plan so far. But I'll call up the cavalry, friends and CPW officers in the field for tips on sightings. Although I worked for an outfitter for a decade I've never hired a guide. Not opposed to it but they're awfully pricey. I will look into renting a horse for a few days but they can beat me up as much as backpacking. My limitation is my age (67), and lumbar issues that limit distance and speed of travel. Also the population of good bull moose from Coal Creek Canyon to the Poudre River is very small, maybe 40 animals. Drawing a tag after 19 years was the easy part.Quote:
Originally Posted by CavSct1983
Unit 69, not a great unit by any means. However drawing a deer tag that’s non whitetail only is getting tougher these days.Quote:
Originally Posted by CavSct1983
12 points and still can't draw my bear tag. 14 points for deer and drawing blanks. Up to 10 for elk and 14 for moose and bighorn. The good news is that I can focus 100% on my mountain goat tag. Best if luck to all of you guys.
12 points for bear, wow! Curious what area. You'd think that with the abundance of bears and bear problems throughout the state that tags would be easier to get. It's not like there's a high success rate on harvest. Wildlife officers everywhere are spending are spending a huge amount of time on it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lars
http://kdvr.com/2018/06/06/bear-atta...er-lakes-area/
I didn't draw a bear tag on the Front Range but I've always gotten one without using points for the Flat Tops region and will hunt them again during elk season.
I just buy OTC Bear every year during muzzleloader.
Hummer,. I've been putting in for 851 in the Bosque SWA. I got to a point that I had to many just to burn on most areas so I figured I would chase this unit down. There are only 3 units in the state that I don't have enough bear points for, while most of the state doesn't take more than 0-2 points to draw.
Ah, that makes sense. The mountains SW and SE of Trinidad are reputed to be the best bear hunting areas in the state. Good luck!
I drew a Pronghorn buck license for NW CO but have to return it for refund as it conflicts with moose season. Oh well, I knew it was a possibility and at least I won't lose the points. Next year....
I put in same 851 1st season unit for bear and have same points, didn’t draw as well.
I’m honestly not interested in bear hunting in CO. This will be a one and done when I draw, then will hunt in AK with my buddy who has bait stations, a plane, a boat, etc.
If they really want bear harvest they need to allow baiting like they used to and like a lot of states allow.
Hummer, as for moose, I’m 11 points deep already and would be more than happy to help you out (I’m 33 and have lots of toys and access to a couple horses to help pack out as well-although those 2 will be predicated I’m actually working them this summer). If you need help I’d be happy to help and learn a few things on moose along the way. I’ve helped on a unit 17 and unit 18 moose hunt which were both successful although I was only really around for the post kill portion.
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Originally Posted by sniper7
I agree about the baiting and while the powers at CPW would like to have that management option they aren't willing to weather the storm of opposition from the anti hunting groups and their friends in the media.
Your offer to help is really appreciated and it would be worth some steaks and more. And if you can work it around your job schedule you could accompany me on some of the hunt. If I were to down one near a road I'd be okay, but it's always good to have plans for backup. I'll develop a hunt plan as I do more scouting and make more contacts for the Oct. 1-14 hunt. I'll pm you with my phone, etc., and we can talk. As the season approaches I'll know better where the bulls are and how to get one home.
With 11 points now you could get lucky and draw a tag any time, maybe even next year. And you'll have a contact here that might help you locate a trophy.
Last evening I was at the kitchen window and watched as a yearling cow walked by the corner of the house. She looked in the dining room window at us and checked out the bird feeder tray.Then I went outside and had a friendly conversation as she was munching on aspens.
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Definitely happy to help out, my schedule is usually pretty nice that time of year and I know I have vacation during that time because I was counting on drawing my rifle elk tag and that didn’t pan out.
So now I just found out some more amazing news, my elk hunting partner drew an archery bull moose tag for unit 20 and his son got a cow moose for unit 17 rifle. So I’ll probably have some good intel for you come rifle season as I plan on taking a week or so to help on his archery hunt.
By the end of all this I’m going to be a moose pro!
Man, I hope they're both successful!
That is amazing, and rare. I think collaboration will be good. I know area 20 well, grew up here, and have explored most all the drainages and willow carrs. May have to have you fellows up here for elk steaks and to look at maps, etc. I can show you moose poop.Quote:
Originally Posted by sniper7
You know, the Springs isn't so far that you couldn't be here for packout at 06:00 on the morning after I get one field dressed the night before. ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by CavSct1983
Sounds great to me. The guy (my best friends Dad pushing 60) got the bull archery and his son (my best bud growing up) got the cow tag.
I’m happy to bring some variety up as well! I just wish I had some sand hill crane steaks to bring up from this past season cause I ain’t gonna lie and it truly is like a great steak and very few people get to try it out.
I'm near the Sand Hill Crane capitol right now! Pretty good eating huh?
Headed up at 4:00 a.m. tomorrow for the first of many goat scouting trips. Hope you all enjoy your Sunday as well
Yeah Irving, sandhill is awesome. Whole different type of hunting but the meat is amazing
Exciting stuff!Quote:
Originally Posted by Lars
Quote:
Originally Posted by sniper7
I've wondered what the meat would taste like. Great birds! We see them in the thousands migrating over the Grand Valley, and for the first time I heard one flying over our mountain home this spring. Here's an adult pair and two young I saw yesterday in a field outside Heber City.
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Huh, I don't think I've ever seen one of those around here. They do look tasty....Quote:
Originally Posted by Hummer
Quote:
Originally Posted by Irving
Irving must have been in SW Nebraska where the Sandhill Cranes stage in spring migration by the thousands for the flight north to breeding areas in Idaho, Montana, British Columbia, and Alberta.Quote:
Originally Posted by GilpinGuy
In Colorado they breed in relatively small numbers in the mountain valleys of the western slope . I've seen them in the Colorado, Yampa and White River basins, and in meadows along the roads to Gateway and to Collbran. Sometime you can see or hear them flying over the Front Range corridor from Boulder and Denver to Greeley, but more in the east and north east along the South Platte.
They fly very high so you often hear them calling without seeing them, and then with binoculars you might spot them as they turn so their wings reflect sunlight. In most years during elk season I see small flocks very close up as they fly over the 10,000 ft. mountains in the Flat Tops. Grand birds with a 5 foot wingspan and a prehistoric awesomeness!
My photo is from Heber City, SE of Park City, UT, so they are breeding here too.
I've always noticed flocks of birds flying VERY high when I'm out at Pawnee. They fly much higher than geese, but you can hear them almost all day sometimes. I've asked other people, but they didn't know what I was talking about. I wonder if I was seeing those Cranes!
I think Grand Island, NE calls itself the Sand Crane Capitol. I was driving through when I posted that.
You most surely were hearing and seeing cranes. Next time, stop and scan the sky with binoculars. When you spot them you'll be amazed by how much more you can see, and their twists and turns in flight are like choreographed art.Quote:
Originally Posted by Irving
That's really exciting. I've noticed them for the last several years but could never be next to a person knowledgeable about birds at the same time.
They are amazing birds, hardly hunted and requires a bit more scouting but the meat is worth it.
And they are aggressive birds if wounded so be careful if you have a dog and try to hunt them. If they still have life in them they will get on their back and kick at you with their feet with super sharp nails, hiss and try to attack with their beak which is like a dang pterodactyl!
I've never hunted any birds. Do you hunt then with a dog and flush them like other birds, or do you hunt them more like fall turkey?
Watched this handsome fellow in velvet this evening feeding on willow and twin berry. I was thirty feet away. Silver Lake, UT.
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Depends on the type of bird but typically yes.Quote:
Originally Posted by Irving
Cranes are different and no dog needed
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Originally Posted by Hummer
Great looking young bull!
That looks like a damn postcard or something. Awesome!
Cell phone pic. Wish I had carried my real camera. I watched him for a good half hour up close. I was amazed by his perfect black coat. All the moose I've seen recently in CO have had rough coats with lots of white hair on the shoulder and sides. Need to learn more about that and how to judge Shiras bulls.
I received 11 emails for the leftover draw. I sure wish their link to the leftover tags would work. Their website is becoming closer to governmention standards. Have 11 workers for one task and it still doesn't get done properly.
I'm really getting sick of the confirm your info every fookin time you login. The lack of a user ID really sucks too, gotta login with CID# or DL# or ...Quote:
Originally Posted by encorehunter
It was bad enough they completely hosed the split from Reserve America.
Whomever was leading that whole fiasco was a moron and should be fired.
Stoopid (yes, it's a sarcastic misspelling)
Cranes are typically hunted like geese. Decoyed over fields or water.Quote:
Originally Posted by Irving
Anybody receive their tag(s) yet or know when suppose to mail out? Seems like the usually came fairly quickly after the draw.