Elk Hunt Round 2 and High Country Mulies

Saturday morning started like any other day for me in my Lakewood home, except that it began about 2.5 hours earlier than normal. The plan was to meet Brett and Jaime in Georgetown at 5:30. I woke at 4:00 shower, dressed and ate and was on my way by a quarter of 5.
Arriving in Georgetown it was much colder than I had expected, and planned for. We left and made a short rainy drive to the top of a nearby pass, dropping a vehicle at a lower trailhead in the process. As we ascended the pass Jaime's Tundra read 33 degrees. It was snowing heavily and the wind was intense. Hopping out of the truck we quickly added layers and geared up. Brett with his bow and either sex elk tag, Jaime with a muzzleloader buck tag and myself with my camera and the ability to shoot all I please.
We began our hike off the grid by climbing a local 13ner in order to gain a vantage into a remote basin, wear Brett and I had an encounter with elk earlier that season. We climbed with heavy snowfall and blistering wind. At times it was hard to remain standing on the ridgeline. At one point Brett and I joked that this wasn't hunting anymore, we were training for the Ridge at Loveland Ski Area. Jaime made the comment that what we were doing was "life training."

Photo: Cory Arola



Photo: Cory Arola

 We eventually gained the position we had in mind and began glassing. Immediately two deer were located then lost. We saw elk galore! Three separate groups, one consisting of 4 bulls. It was brutally cold as we glassed, it reached a point that even though we were not ready to stalk anything we needed to hike to warm up and see shelter from the wind. Later when I was home I looked at a windchill table, we were sitting in 0-10 degree exposed at about 12,800.


Photo: Cory Arola



Photo: Cory Arola

As we descended we saw a buck and doe in the distance Jaime and watched an area hoping to see them again. Brett called back and forth with a bull for a shortwhile.

Brett had a short day since he had evening plans in Fort Collins, so he headed out about 12:30. In the process of him leaving and us traveling, we bumped the buck and does. Jaime and I attempted to sneak in a cirlce an hopefully catch them looking back for us. We never found them again. On Brett's way out he had elk within 40 yards of him but never presenting a shooting opportunity. Jaime and I ended out hunt mid afternoon because we were tired of being rained and snowed on while sitting in the wind. Overall we put in about 6.5 miles that day, ending at my truck lower down and taking it back up to Jaime's on the pass.

While driving down the pass we saw three deer in a slide path, hopping out of our trucks thinking we could only be so lucky. It was three does.... It did however add more excitement back in our day.

I went back down to my home in Lakewood that night to get some chores done because I wanted to hunt Sunday with Jaime again. Same plan, meet in Georgetown at 5:30 and go to the trailhead. We chose to hunt a different area where Jaime had see a couple "magazine bucks", bucks that make it on magazine covers.

Starting up the trail in the dark we climbed until we hit the base of a slide path, climbing the slide path was strenous. We eventually gained the ridge giving us a great view into the basin. We hunkered down in some trees to break the fridgid wind. As the sun rose the warm rays were welcomed.

Photo: Cory Arola

Photo: Cory Arola

Photo: Cory Arola

At least 4 groups of deer were picked out through our binoculars. Six bucks in total, one great specimen. We kept tabs on all of them especially the big guy. Eventually they bedded down. The stalk was on, we decided to climb up and around behind him and descend onto him and his two does. Part of our route was crossing and exposed scree field. After getting above him we snuck through the tree picking out other deer as we steathly crept forward.

Photo: Cory Arola

Photo: Cory Arola

The wind was perfect. We had made it right to where they were bedded, it would be an easy shot for Jaime with his .50 cal muzzleloader.

However that group was no where to be found. In the process of sneaking in on the big guy, we bumped the other groups of deer with the smaller bucks in them. No more back up plan. I think our demise was crossing the screefield. Although we were 6oo yards away, the bedded buck had a clear view of us travelling. I feel he waited until we were out of site then got up and relocated. It was exciting none the less, a great day in the field and exciting season for Jaime even though there was no harvest made. There was certainly a lot of "life training" this season with many miles put in for a wilderness hunt.



NOTE: Just got a voicemail from Brett, he arrowed a bull Wednesday Sept. 21, 2011. Just dropping it off at the game processor last night. I have no details yet and can't wait to hear his story.

The Endless Winter: St. Mary's Full Moon Ride

With all the hunting I have been doing it was a struggle to find time to snowboard in September.  Then it hit me, why not use nights? I came up with the plan to hike up to St. Mary's glacier for the full moon. I figured with the reflection off of the snow it would plenty bright for some fun. We got started up the glacier a little later than we had anticipated because of happy hour at Smokin' Yard in Idaho Springs. Their sliders are incredible by the way, I highly recommend it.

Photo: Paul Bourdon

The anticipation was towards sunset glacier shots and rising moon shots. Like I said, we were too late for sunset and there was so much cloud cover we couldn't see the moon. We salvaged a few shots we had in mind and then continued to hike up.

Endless Winter  Photo: Cory Arola

St. Mary's Glacier  Photo: Paul Bourdon

While messing with the cameras and tripods, we could feel the chill in the air. Seasons were changing. From that point on we wore coats, gloves and hats. Amazingly two days later, at that altitude and higher it snowed.

Ascent and descent  Photo: Paul Bourdon

Paul making some turns.  Photo: Cory Arola

The snow was extremely suncupped and rock hard. It was a fight for every turn.

Photo: Paul Bourdon

Photo: Cory Arola

It wasn't one of our better ideas, and the lack of moon light made it even harder. Our visibility was very limited due to just the light of our head lamps.

Lucky Bunny  Photo: Cory Arola

It was quite and adventure, I was stoked just to be out doing it again and getting even more amped for this season to start.

Persistence

Photo: Kathy Arola

It's about the pounding you get in your chest.

The thump-thump-thump of your heart....

That is the feeling that make every outing so exciting. That once again I might get to have that emotion course through my body. Persistence is how I came to find it once again this fall. Generally persistence is thought of as unrelentless pursuit. However in my hunt persistence was persistent waiting and watching, as well as some pursuit.

As I left camp Saturday morning I was thrilled to find tracks on the sandy bend in the main field. Continuing to walk I found more sign, this was a key area to watch. I climbed up to a ridge point that divided the main valley in two. From my perch I could see a fair amount of realestate. The plan was see birds moving and then get out to them as fast as I could. I sat on that point on a rock from approximately 7:45 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. (Location 1, refer to below photo)

Photo: Cory Arola

The reason I sat until 5 was because that is when turkeys entered the field. I knew with only one and a half days to hunt, the second I went back to camp would be when the birds would walk out.

After seeing them down in the field feeding I grabbed my gear backed out of sight and ran up the ridge to circle and enter the valley out of sight. When in the valley floor I ditched my bag, advancing only with my rifle shooting sticks and binoculars. Sneaking slowing around the bend the birds were nowhere to be seen. I collected my gear and set up a new post at the sandy bend (Location 2). I sat still as a statue and watched intently waiting for them to re-enter. My expectation was that they would come down a natural funnel to my right. Not seeing them leave the field I was making a big assumption.

After sitting for about 15 minutes I saw a muzzleloader hunter cross the field. My first thought was gameover, but past experience with birds, I knew that sometimes, someone would cross the field, or the game warden would plow and the birds would come right back out. I sat tight.

Not ten minutes later they were back in the open feeding, I crawled toward them covering about 30 yards. However the flock was making its was to the opposite side of the field much too quickly and were vastly out of range for my .22 mag. I watched them, guessing they would feed into a draw up behind a guzzler. As soon as they were out of sight, I ran back to my bag grabbed everything and ran across the field. Sneaking within 30 yards of the draw, I kneeled, placed my rifle on my shooting stick (Location 3). I sat like that, mentally I had decided to wait until either the birds reappered or the sun set. I stared forward, the grass beign so tall this year it would be hard to pick birds out as they moved. Religiously I checked backwards every few min, knowing they may enter from a differernt location up the valley. Thirty minutes after laying my rifle into the shooting sticks I saw movement. The flock was back out into field. I picked a bird that was facing me at 45 yards aimed at the base of the neck and.... lifted my head off the stock as I pulled the trigger. Miss.

I remained composed, knowing this would likely be my only oppurtunity. I smoothly worked the bolt, welded my cheek to the walnut, picked a bird running, leading the base of the neck, swinging like it was a cottontail, and squeezed. I saw a puff of feathers through the scope and the bird momentum carry it forward but down.

I walked forwad after sliding another round into the chamber just in case. I saw the bird laying, motionless. I peaked around the corner up the draw and saw the rest of flock making their way away from me. Walking back to the bird I picked it up, thankful to having enjoyed such a great hunt and harvesting great table fare. I inspected the bird, a young hen, I had made a perfect spine shot damaging no meat. I set up the camera on my mini tripod to snap a quick self portrait. Turkey number 5 on 9/10/11!

Photo: Cory Arola

After returning back to camp I field dressed the bird and relaxed enjoying the beautiful evening. I reflected on how the hunt had went. Persistence paid off, not only was I persistence in waiting from first light to last light for birds to appear, but when they did I pursued them unrelentlessly and aggresively without forcing a situation where I would spook them.

My father and mother were coming to the SWA Sunday morning so my dad could hunt and my mom could observe. My mom and I were fortunate enough to set up and watch a flock of 5 birds for about 35-40 min. My dad put the sneak on them but was busted as he was trying to set up for the shot.

Photo: Cory Arola

No turkey in the bag for him but a great experience for my mom's first time out and a great hunt for both him and I having so much action going on.

Family portrait. Photo: Cory Arola

Mom goofing around while I am getting the camera ready. Photo: Cory Arola

This is video my of the birds my mom and I observed Sunday September 11, 2011

Currently I am getting ready to join Brett and his buddy for some archery and muzzleloader action this Saturday.

Fall Turkey Hunt

Friday September 2nd I drove away from work at about 4 p.m., stopped to fuel my truck up for the 3.5 hour drive to the Spanish Peaks State Wildlife Area (SWA). The drive was bitter sweet, while being stuck in rush hour traffic in Colorado Spring was no fun, as I got to the south of Pueblo I got to enjoy the wonderful view of a gorgeous sunset to the west accompanied by a lightning storm and double rainbow to the east.
Sorry there are no photos, driving and shooting is dangerous. After I arrived at the SWA I got up with a few hunting buddies I haven't seen from the spring season and set up camp.

Photo: Cory Arola

I spent all day Saturday and Sunday sitting and watching open areas or hiking around looking for sign.

Photo: Cory Arola

Retro function on the camera   Photo: Cory Arola

Marlin .22 Mag Photo: Cory Arola

Monday morning was spent the same way but I needed to make the drive back to Denver so I only hunted half the day. In 2.5 days no one saw a single turkey, or even fresh sign. All I saw myself was a couple of does and a horny toad.

Photo: Cory Arola

Photo: Cory Arola

Lucky Bunny! Photo: Cory Arola

Actually two days prior to the season Jim saw birds cross the field, which were nowhere to be found once Sept 1 hit.
After packing up Monday midday, I began my drive home, leaving my camera on the passenger seat. Which turned out to be fortunate. I saw three groups of bird, a group of 20, 8 and 12. The group of 20 allowed me to park, get out of my truck, sneak towards them and take photos. That would have never happened while hunting.

Photo: Cory Arola

Photo: Cory Arola

Photo: Cory Arola

My plan is to head back down there this weekend and see if the nomadic Merriam's turkeys have now moved onto the SWA.