(So far)

Day one, Oct 17th, I picked Zach up at 06:00 and we went for a short drive out by Hamilton to some BLM ground where strangely no one hunts. My boys and I hunted it  quite a bit and I got to know a secret way to the top of the cliffs. We were 3/4 way to the top when we heard some dogs barking ang there were FIVE great Pirenies dogs following our tracks up the side of the dang cliff, They blew through a herd of deer and scattered them than chased them right through where the elk usually come down the hill when pushed by other hunters. I had a few choice words for the mangy mutts as we sat concealed in a tangle of junipers. About 5 minutes later they returned to our trail and were about 100 yards away when I decided that our hunting was ruined for the day. I hollered at them, but they kept coming in our direction so I put a bullet from Zach's '06 in front of the leader and they all decided it was time to leave.

With nothing to look forward to but the hike back to the truck we decided to have a bit of fun rolling rocks down the hill.







After the fun we went scouting in the Axial basin where we saw several other hunters, fourwheelers (ptooey) and what could have passed for a KOA campground. I had to be to work at 15:00 that afternoon so we bagged it for the weekend and made plans for the following weekend.

Day 2, Oct 24th. It rained a good bit overnight and things were a bit wet when we left my house at 06:00. I decided to check out some state land on the Knez Divide road that borders BLM and Trapper Mine property. I've also hunted this in the past ans always saw elk in the area so our luck was sure to change. When we got to the  gate onto the state land some other hunters were already parked there, but we took off hiking anyway and not long after we left the truck the other hunters decided to leave. (yea!) The grass and brush was very wet and soon after we reached the top we were rewarded by spooking a "herd" of elk out of the oak brush below us and they soon showed themselves on a ridge about 300 yards away. Just turned out to be a cow and calf, but we sat tight in hopes that there were more hiding below us in the tangle of oak brush.



Surely there are some elk in there somewhere!!! After watching for a good hour, we hiked on a bit farther but couldn't cut any sign. No fresh tracks or elk poo. So we decided to test our fire making skills and built a small fire to dry out by and watch for elk.



Along about 11:00 we agreed to head back to the truck in the middle of a rain/sleet squall. We arrived back at the truck wetter than before and covered with burrs. As we were cleaning the burrs off a DOW truck pulled up and we spent about half an hour jawin' with the game warden. He proceded to ell us that there had been 3 cows and a "nice" bull taken out of where we were hunting the weekend before but according to "their radio tracking" the elk had moved over by Indian Run. I quizzed him as to why there were so few elk in the area compared to years past and he did a very good job "explaining" that "from aerial tracking of collared elk that most of the elk herd had moved into the White River country". I asked if that included the 1000 or so elk that used to live on Hammil's and Trapper Mine and assured us that this was so. I politely told him he was full of **** and that he needed to get his information straight as to the bad winter kill of two years before. He kinda agreed that that bad winter may have had a significant impact on the elk population in the area. It's funny how DOW officials change their tune when confronted with the truth by someone who isn't afraid to push the right buttons as it were.
 
He did however let us in on where there could be a few elk in the California Park area east of Bears Ears and that hunters in that area had "done pretty well" so we decided that it might not be a bad idea to head that way the next day.

When we got back to the house I got out my maps and began "scouting".

Day 3, Oct 25th. We were on the road to California Park at 06:00 and passed through some BLM and state trust land on the way there hoping to "catch" some elk moving. Fortunately the roads were still frozen and travel was pretty easy. As we climbed higher in elevation the mud turned to snowpack and we did see where a few elk had crossed the road but due to near blizzard conditions we were obliged to just look at the tracks and creep on over to Slater then back over the top to Lost Park and Sawmill. The weather cleared enough for us to stop and glass Angel Springs but in the 4-6" of fresh snow we saw nothing moving and no fresh tracks crossing the road. All the vehicle we encountered were heading for the low country as fast as possible.

Reminds me of hunting in Montana in the 70's. A butt load of hunters, but no elk.

Zach's deer tag is for third season as is my elk tag so plans were made for the coming weekend when we'll be out again. We'll go back to the BLM by Hamilton where we spotted a couple nice bucks and with all the snow we're getting now the elk, if there are any, might be moving by this weekend.

More of our little saga later

RJ

Cool. Great right-up!
 
HB, his uncles, "Charlie", and I hunted Axial Basin last year. You pretty well described it. We did some some does, but they were a LONG way off.
 
I'm confident you guys will find something.
 
Paul

Always good to see photo's from the other side of the lake R.J, good luck for next time out.

I was out sun for the opener, and just got home from a 2 day hunt.  We didnt see anything on the opener, but a ton of hunters.  Wed morning i got on to 3 different bulls, but couldnt get them out of the thick stuff, everytime we saw them there was no time to shoot, by the time you realized that they were there they were already gone.   This morning i didnt see any elk, but i did jump one out of its bed, the bed was still steaming.  I followed the tracks, and the elk went through the center of a clearing, but i didnt get out of the thick trees fast enough.  If i could have gotten out faster, i probably would have had a bull today.

I was just happy to get a glimpse of something, sometimes i start to doubt their existence.  

RJ   did you ever hunt the highland mtns when you lived in MT?  Thats the only place that i elk hunt, you should have seen it on opener.  We got onto a good ridge, and as soon as the sun came up, we started seeing orange in every direction.  The area was completely surrounded, if there would have been elk in the clearing, there would have been bullets flyin everywhere.

I hope you guys are able to get one.  Goodluck

Brasco

Quote from: Brasco20;98924

Quoteas soon as the sun came up, we started seeing orange in every direction.  The area was completely surrounded,

Unbelievable Brasco, get yourself out here mate, the main property i shoot on is all of 13,000 acres, and the last time i was there i hunted the back blocks region, the owner informed me that no human had set foot in that area for six months at least.

However, i could see that happening here if all the state forests were opened up for hunting too, although not as crowded maybe, as we just don't have the numbers here.

Day 4, Oct 31: I picked Zach up at 06:00 and we headed out to the little patch of BLM out by Hamilton again. There were 3 pickups at the gate when we got there, so I told Zach to get his gear on and we'd head out to try to "beat the crowd". One feller was opening the gate as we got to it and I asked him which direction he was going.

"I been comin' hyar fer 25 yars!!" he said. (the movie "Deliverance" comes to mind)

 I told him "You really should get a medal for that, (It was actually something else, but due to THL rules I can't print what I actually said.) Might I remind you that this is public land and you have to share it with me?". He grumbled something else that I didn't stick around to hear, so Zach and I hiked to the base of the cliff and skirted it 'till we found a good place to sit.

About 2 hours into our hunt we heard the same 5 Pirenies dogs start barking and I knew that these hunters would soon be joined by the dogs and sure enough about 10 minutes later we heard a shot. Zach smirked and we decided it was time to head back for the truck. KNowing the deer wouldn't show was kind of satisfying

Here's the "hunters" where they were sitting not 100 yards from their trucks.



We drove back through Axial Basin on the way back to Zach's house for a nap and  saw even more vehicles and hunters than before.

After a bit of lunch and a nap we took off again and headed back to Hamilton again to set up on our little spot.



Have you ever tried to keep a 15 year old boy quiet? It's pretty tough isn't it. After a skirmish of throwing dried deer poo at each other he settled down and just about sunset a small 3X3 appeared out of nowhere about 100 yards away. The buck gave Zach a pristine broadside shot and by the deer's reaction I could tell he was hit, but not how well. As it was getting on to dark we didn't wait , but set out on his trail right away.

We found splayed tracks, blood and lung butter where the deer was hit and found the buck about 50 yards from where he was hit.





 After a quick evisceration we drug him to the truck (about 150 yards all downhill ) and headed to my house where we hung him overnight. In the lights in the back of my shop the autopsy showed that the 165 grain Hornady interlock entered between ribs 3 and 4 in front of the diaphragm and exited after hitting the 4th rib on the opposite side, probably turning both lungs into Jello.

Zach is pretty pleased with his buck and he should eat pretty good, judging by the fat on him. We had a great time and I wish he could go elk hunting with me this week but he has to go to school so we're done until next year.

I will continue my hunting saga here later.

RJ

Really nice looking buck and good story telling RJ. Good times you are a lucky man.
 
We moved my daughter this weekend from one side of Dallas (a very target rich environment) to Grapevine - much much better area. Little fella next door adopted us immediately and even helped move stuff in for two days. Single mom set up so I am hoping I might get to be a ductch uncle since none of my brats will bless me with grandchildren. Kid has a really good attitude.

OOOF DA !!   Good persistance there Recoil.  Sounds like ya had yourself a pretty good time barring the canine encounter and the other `hunters`.  We will be heading your way probably Sunday or Monday to set up camp and scout a bit.  We`re really hoping the `hunters` will be thinned out a bit.  `Course if there are no elk down below  it really does`nt matter, eh?  8-)   I`ll buzz ya in a day or two .   Cheers, JaDub

Way to go RJ! and Zach too! Nice buck.
 
I'm not 'getting' the dogs??? Isn't it illegal to run deer with dogs in your neck of the woods?
 
Paul
 
PS - What's Zach shootin'? Please tell me it isn't an '06
 
Paul

nice post like reading an outdoor life........Ron

Great post RJ!
These are to stories I like to hear.
It is nice of you to take a youngster out on a hunt and its even better when he bags a deer! Well done to you both.:smiley:

Tell the boy congrats, good buck!
Im also a bit confused why those dogs are out there?

I suspect the dogs are a loose pack of prarie maggot herder s` dogs.  That`s just WRONG.  8-(

Yup, they belong to some sheepherder someplace. They are quite protective and you really have to be careful around them. A friend of mine   had a couple of them but ended up "getting rid" of both of them. He couldn't trust them around  his or the the neighbor's kids.

Day 5, Nov 2. I spent the day in my usual spot on Trapper looking for elk. I didn't see any elk, but I did share my PBnJ with a couple chickadees and saw quite a few deer wandering in and out of the oakbrush and sage. A couple real dandy bucks came within about 200 yards of me but as I don't have a deer tag all I could do was look.

Elk are a real slim commodity this year all over Northwest Colorado. Hunter numbers are down and I haven't seen very many critters in the back of vehicles either.

RJ

I just got back from the eye Doc and he dilated my eyes, so todays upate will have to wait until tomorrow.

I've got videos and everthang!!!

Somewhat blind

RJ