There's a nervous energy settling over the game species in the San Juan Mountains...for they know it's almost time for me to appear, and that it spells danger for them! The elk are nervous; leaving the meadows and heading for the black timber, and hoping that I won't be on their trail.

No grouse is safe either! See how this one cowers, as he watches me put down the camera and string an arrow. He knows that the end is near.

Even the marmots are nervous, for they know that I will shoot, and eat, almost anything. See the fear in his eyes--it's time to dive for the burrow!

Yes, it's time once again--time to throw a gob of money and vacation time to the wind, as my stepson and I head out for the archery elk season in Colorado. Alex came with me two years ago, and had a great time. When I invited him to tag along again this year, he jumped at the chance. We have been planning some epic hunts and hikes for the upcoming 10-day trip.

There's a new bow going with me this year as well. It's a Tice & Watts Spartan Hunter, 62" and 55# draw. I plan to climb up on some pinnacle and see what it feels like to launch an arrow into low earth orbit, aimed at Frisky's house in Minnesota. He will regret that he declined my offer to join me on this hunt.

Best of arrow flight to you.

Frisky will miss out on the beautiful scenery, like this aspen-covered hillside on the way up to my secret camp.

He will miss the panoramic vistas as I climb up, up, and up; past the timberline, on my way to Elk Valhalla.

He will never know the joy of reaching the talus slope where my secret camp lies waiting, with bull elk bugling me to sleep every night.

Nor will he know the joy of opening the crypt where the medicinal whiskey lies hidden, waiting all year for me to return. Perhaps I will have a tiny sip right now, to celebrate another year of pursuing the wily elk--the Einstein of North American game animals!

My tag this year is for a bull, so I will have to find one with four tines or more on at least one of its antlers. Last year, Pdiddly and I almost sealed the deal on a nice 6 x 6 bull...but something scared it off.

I've tried everything I can think of to get Joe to join us, for the hunt of a lifetime. I even offered to buy him a special "elk camo" outfit, so he could help me hunt...but still he refuses to come.

"the wily elk--the Einstein of North American game animals!"

More like the great bull elk, stupider than a whitetail fawn.

Joe

Thanks, Craig. My normal practice routine is a five station walkback drill, shooting five arrows from 22, then 27, 32, 37, and finally 42 yards. This is what I'm shooting at--I give myself 2 points for anything in the big yellow circle, 1 point for anything in the target, and -1 point for anything that misses the target. I think this group was from 32 yards out the other day.

Kerry, You’re a generous and kind individual to invite Frisky and also to offer him the benefit of that wonderful, priceless, camo outfit for the journey of a lifetime. His commitment to the crafting of the tools of the trade in order tag the new state record whitetail can be the only reason he declined such a special invite. Best of skill out there my friend and we have faith in your abilities to get the job done. Stay Safe/Shoot Straight. MT

Lol.

Part of the problem last year was having Pdiddly around the camp. Every morning he would insist on climbing up on a stump and singing "O Canada!" at the top of his lungs, which I'm sure must have scared away any elk within earshot. My stepson Alex is a lot quieter; he's content to sit around the camp and just listen to my stories.

This thread is always fun. Looking forward to your adventure.

Bugle-up, I suspect the real nail-biter will be actually having the airlines get us out there on schedule. Everything else is stuff that I can try to control, but the airplane stuff is a total crapshoot these days. We took the earliest flights we could get both going and returning, figuring that early morning flights are less subject to weather and other delays. We leave Boston at 5:20 AM just 12 days from now, fly to Albuquerque, and then drive five hours to the San Juans. With luck, we will arrive at my campsite about 12 hours before the season opens.

Craig, the video link you PM'ed me was amazing! Thanks for sending...and yes, I guess I'd better practice a couple of those three-yard shots, just in case.

I'm feeling lucky this year; tell Lori to have the guest bedroom ready. I'll bring an air freshener this time. I can still see those turkey vultures perched in your tree, right above my Subaru with the elk in the back!

I'm glad Frisky's not coming. If he were, I'd have look at that crappy Bear takedown of his, and hear him blather about how great it is. Instead, I'll be sitting in silence, and gazing at the mesmerizing woodgrain in the tigerwood riser of the T&W. At least I think it's tigerwood.

Pdiddly is not only a poor shot and hunter, he's also a jinx. Getting rid of him gives you half a chance. The bow should be up to it. It's not a Bear TD, but it should suffice. I'm a little bothered that if you do actually score a hit, it'll be with a dull broadhead. Now, your problem is, like Pdiddly and MTQuiver, you're not a natural hunter. In fact, I'd put you in the same league as the late RymanCat (may the Lord have mercy on his soul. May he rest in peace) You spend your time chasing elk and never quite catching up. A pure hunter, like me, positions himself so the elk spend their time parading in front of him at 9 yards. Same as whitetails. So, you have to look beyond the vastness of the place and narrow it down to a tiny point, where you can lie in ambush and maybe actually get an elk. I have my doubts, but I'll be watching.

Joe

I’m looking forward to joining you via the internet once again on your yearly pilgrimage to the San Juans. I still think of my time there with you and Pdiddly as some of the fondest memories of my life! Go get one! Lance

PS: I have a T&W identical to yours. Great bow!

Where would you position yourself here, o great one? There's a lot of places to choose from out there!

If you can't read sign, stay on the porch! I know EXACTLY where I'd go!

Joe

Fiddle back is a perfect wood for his bow. All he does is spend his time boozing it up and fiddling around, pushing stones up the mountain with his nose. He doesn't hunt.

Joe

Let the hunt begin! I always enjoy this thread!

Been looking forward to this. Good luck Kerry.

Humorous

Awesome looking country

My favorite thread every year, even with Frisky butting in :).

Good luck Kerry & Alex, safe travels & hunting!!

It's true that Frisky does clutter up this thread every year. The good thing is that, like a vampire, he spends most of the daylight hours sleeping; which allows me to repair the thread and offer some serious thoughts on elk hunting. Come evening, he will emerge and try again to suck the life out of the thread. If any of you are preachers of the Catholic faith, you might consider helping me defend myself against him once the sun sets.

Now--some more about that "new" Tice & Watts bow I'll be carrying this year. As many of you know, Lovell Tice and Bill Watts both worked for NASA back in the days when we were landing men on the moon...but these bows that they made are far greater achievements. It's true that they siphoned some time away from NASA's giant computers in order to design the perfect recurve bow; that's why when a spaceship got to the moon, or back to Earth, they would stick it in orbit for a few hours while they cranked through multiple limb configurations, looking for the best possible layup. Once they had it, then they would switch the computers back to steering the spaceship.

Their one flaw is that they always seemed to leave a lot of surplus wood on the tips--perhaps the computers didn't know that the string was nocked an inch lower. For this reason, I always have to grab the rasp and sandpaper, and get rid of roughly half a cord of surplus wood, as shown in this "before & after" photo.

Having a Frisky there would be like the old stories with Maggy McGee along for the ride. I would wish you luck, but you have all you need for the trip; a good friend and a good old bow. Memories to be made.

Here's another view of the tip, before and after. Hmmm...the camera angle doesn't really do this one justice; the "after" looks fatter than the "before"! But I can assure you that I took away a lot of wood.

I didn't make this decision lightly; in fact, I went right to the head of the class and asked Skookum himself if he thought it was a good idea; way back six or seven years ago when I got my first T&W. He agreed wholeheartedly that it was a lot of dead weight, so I took the plunge...and that phrase "dead weight" has just given me a new insight: the NASA computer was set up to design for objects in space, which of course is a "weightless" environment. Mass wouldn't "matter," so to speak. Heheh...that's why the tips were overdesigned!

Here's a bit more information about my hunting companion. In truth, Alex won't actually be hunting; he's there for the hiking, camping, and a lot of stump shooting to help me keep my aim sharp.

I knew when he came two years ago that I had a lot of teaching to do, as well as a lot of "un-teaching." He had been watching way too many Lars Anderson videos, and thought that archery was a sport that combined martial arts and dance. I had to show him the right way to hunt up an elk.

I began with the basics, teaching him about our quarry. This is not an elk, Alex--they are smaller, but pointier on top of their head.

These are not elk, though they are tasty and easily hunted.

I taught him in the time-honored tradition; the same way that fathers (and stepfathers) have been training sons for generations: "Now sit there against that tree, and don't make a sound or move a muscle. I'll be back for you in six or eight hours!"

Keep your eyes on that wallow over there; that's where the bull will come when he gets hot.

And of course when you come back to retrieve them at the end of the day, they will have forgotten your instructions and wandered off somewhere. I found him standing at the top of a nearby ridge, gazing at Mt. Wilson in the distance and wishing he could run up to the top of it. But we have more important things to do, I'm afraid--now go out and find me some more wallows like the one I showed you!

He follows instructions pretty well, and in short order he managed to scout up this very promising location...

Great comrade torcher an man predator hits the timber agin, Good Luck, beware of the beast

Naturally, he deserved some praise for this. I promoted him to the first level of elk trainees--the Blue Grouse Club, which was quite a feather in his cap for his first day afield.

You better stop all the shenanigans and kill one this year :)

Good luck on your elk hunt this year. That's a nice looking Tice and Watts bow, I still kick myself for not buying one back in the 70's. Safe travels, Mike.

What’s in that brown bottle?

I think it's something called Black Velvet. Whatever it is, it's like mother's milk to a certain Canadian I know...

Crookedstix thinks he's Stone Age man. He spends his time hauling rocks and trying to improve living conditions when real Stone Age man hunted. A real hunter doesn't haul in food and drink. A real hunter successfully hunts or goes hungry. Since I'm being forced to get up early, to give Teddy his insulin, I'll be keeping a close eye on this thread, day and night!

Joe

Craig, I haven't watched the video yet, so don't what it is. Just thought I would mention a couple of South Cox videos while we are all thinking about our up coming bow seasons. If you haven't seen "Five Foot Bull" and I a more recent one, "In Self Defense", you might check these out, good elk hunting videos. Hope everyone has a great season !!!

Charlie-- "stop all the shenanigans"?? No one would ever read this thread if I did, lol! But I can assure you and Craig that I'm feeling quite lucky this year, and that I fully expect to be bringing home the horns and bacon come Sept. 10th.

One of these years I hope to see Charlie and his little critters (named CMF_4 and CMF_5, I believe) join me up above timberline--how old are they now?

Yep, South Cox does some real good videos. I've had opportunity to talk to him a couple of times, seems like a great guy and he makes some nice bows.

I'll be rooting for ya to get that bull, as I have in the past. Now just don't give any of those bad habits of yours to the young-un...in other words, hunt, hunt, HUNT! Lay off the bars, booze and broads.....at least til you fill that tag.;))

Nice bow and job on the tips!

Best of luck, may the gods of the hunt be with you.

I have none of those vices you just named; "moderation" is my middle name. If I wasn't a historian, I'd probably be a monk.

The only lush Alex will see is the lush of the alpine meadows, which the gods have already seen fit to bless with a two-month long monsoon season this year. The only bars will be protein bars in our pockets as we hike, and the only broads will be the broadheads on the end of my arrows. As in past years, my only trips into Telluride will be for the purpose of posting to the Leatherwall, and I'll be sure to avoid the ginmills and other dens of iniquity while I'm there.

Good retort Kerry....but a monk?! Lol.

I started to say "Boy Scout leader," but that brings up other issues. Ditto "priest"...so I went with monk instead. The point is, I have no bad habits and my behavior is usually unimpeachable.

Alex informs me that he has just acquired a USB battery pack that will give us up to 40 extra hours of phone charge. If all goes well, this will be the year that I find a high spot with good satellite reception, and will be able to post to the forum from right up among the elk. This will be a huge savings of time, and will help me avoid the temptations lurking in the fleshpots of Telluride.

Haha!!

Mine are 8 & 11 now. Won't be long. I know I've been talking crap about going for years now. This year myself and my brother planned to go around new years, come hell or high water. Got a FaceTime from he and his wife around April informing us that she was 4 months pregnant. While I'm happy for him, our planned trip was torpedoed. The best plan for me at this point is to go with an outfitter the first time. If this goes well, can go unguided in successive years. I have a good off-the- grid camper now that can get drug any places that a stock 4x4 truck can. I'll pull it until the dirt road stops for a basecamp, then hike in for 2-3 days at a time to take care of business.

Love the Stalker videos.. a lot goes into those videos

Can’t wait for this thread!

Best of luck and stay safe!

Good luck!! Shoot straight and be safe.

Looking forward to it!

I knew of a guy from Maryland several decades ago that shot the heck out of Tice and Watt bows. Bill Fowlkes was his name and he said it was the best bow he ever shot.

Sadly for me never could find at the time and now they are all too heavy. Oh well, enjoy it Kerry. That sure looks like Tigerwood or many called it, Brazilian Rosewood.

Good luck Kerry, lots of rain up here this year, so hunting will be a little more difficult, but you can handle it! Shoot 'em straight & be safe! Wyatt

I enjoy this thread each year -glad to see its new iteration. You have a keen sense of humor Kerry! Safe travels and good luck.

Good luck Kerry! I can’t wait to follow your adventure!

Good luck Kerry! I can’t wait to follow your adventure!

Woohoo! I'm up on top of a mountain here on the coast of Maine, and I'm using my phone for an Internet hotspot. Here's the view from where I'll be camping tonight; a nice little spot that's basically on the side of a cliff. About this time of day the sea breeze kicks up, and turns this place into heaven on earth. It's high 70's right now, and the air is dry...no bugs, no snakes; just the sound of wind coming through pine needles.

If it works here, there's no reason it shouldn't work in Colorado--provided I can just find a half-decent signal somewhere up above timberline there. This will bring Leatherwallers closer to the action--or lack of it--than ever before. It may also save me the need to make trips into town, which really cost me the better part of a whole day of hunting.

With this new technology, i'll be able to torment the forum like never before. Who knows--maybe I'll even figure out how to post videos, and send in a few panoramas from the top of the world. Or I could even have Alex film me shooting, and email it to Frisky for some pointers on his form. The possibilities are making me giddy!

If you weren't so giddy, maybe you could close the deal on a bull elk. I have my doubts.

Joe

The downside of this new technology is that if we stay right up on the mountain and don't visit town, we'll have to pack in extra rehydration supplies on our initial trip up the mountain; probably a couple of six-packs at least. That's when it's good to have a strapping young assistant like Alex. He's been contemplating getting himself a bigger backpack; I believe I'll urge him to do just that.

The amazing tech tryout continues. Around 6 PM I left my campsite and prowled around a bit higher up the mountain, hoping that Imight find myself a chicken mushroom to go with my dinner...and luck was with me! Just the size you want them to be...

Got back to camp just as tyhe sun was setting, so I couldn't resist the golden light on an orange mushroom...photo time.

Now, here's a recipe worth taking note of. I had brought a can of baked beans with me, and a nice andouille sausage. Despite it being a very young mushroom, the weather has been quite dry here, and I could tell it was going to be a bit chewy.

I already had a little gas stove stashed up here, so I put about two fingers of water in a little saucepan and started it cooking. I cut the sausage up in one-inch chunks, and threw that in. Then I tore the mushroom into bite-sized pieces, and tossed them in as well. As the sausage cooked, it released lots of yummy fat into the wather. The mushroom soaked it up, and got more and more tender as it cooked. When the water was just about cooked off, I opened the can of beans (yellow eyes; my favorite), and gave it all another five minutes, then shut off the flame and let it sit for five minutes more.

I honestly can't remember the last thing I've eaten that tasted as good as this concoction; kind of like a heartier version of a good minestrone soup. The pack basket not only carried my gear up the hill, it also made a nice windbreak for the cooking setup.Now this is living the high life!

Nice camp site with a beautiful view, gourmet meal, it don't get no better than that !! Thanks for sharing, enjoy !!

By the time I finished dinner, the sun had set and all taht remained was an orange rim in the western sky. Now, the stars are out and the temp has dropped to about 65, and the sea breeze is still blowing. No tent tonight; just an air mattress and a summer-weight bag to sleep in. Still no bugs--a fine night on the mountain is in store, I think.

Mmmm...chocolate zucchini cake...that would make the perfect end to my day! But at least I have an orange for dessert. I will sign off for now; station WSTX is ending transmissions for the day, to save myself some battery in my "transmitter." I'll check in when I brew the morning coffee tomorrow.

"I honestly can't remember the last thing I've eaten that tasted as good as this concoction"

What about the flea infested ground squirrel you picked up off the road and grilled on the hubcap?

Joe

Lol. Elk meat is good too

Lol. Elk meat is good too

This was lots better than the ground squirrel in the hubcap; it tasted a lot less chrome-y.

Good morning all, the night was cool and clear, and the day here began the way every day should--with coffee. The breeze kept up all night, but the end of my campsite is in a nice lee from a ledge; a perfect place to fire up the java.

Mmmm...coffee...let the day begin. That's my official Colorado cup; on the back side it says "Salida, Colorado 1880". If I didn't live here in Maine, I'd probably be in Salida--great little town on the Arkansas River.

The temp is about 60º and there's a nice 7-8 mph sea breeze right at sunup--just cool enough to make the coffee smell and taste even better. Lots to look at from up here as the daylight hits the land.

And here's one last pic from yesterday, with that crazy orange sunlight hitting the crazy orange mushroom. Looks almost radioactive!

Great pics!! So jealous of you guys who get to chase wapiti!

Sounds and looks like you had a good practice run. Beautiful scenery.

Just about the same time you were eating that great meal Kerry I was eating my freshly picked lobster sandwich :).

Picked up a couple of 2 1/4 selects fresh out of our Maine waters, steamed them then picked the meat for sandwiches.

I could almost taste your meal, great stuff!

good luck don't forget the blade!

This is great...thanks Crooked.

Awesome thread ..... " thumbs up " . God bless ! ........

I thought you were elk hunting

Soon enough! The preparation is the key, lol. You'll be thanking me when I'm broadcasting my tall tales and excuses from 11,000' in the San Juans two weeks from now.

The blade is ready to go Todd; let's hope I get to use it on something other than salami and bagels.

yep needs some blood on it.

I don't know. It looks a little dull to me. Plus, that bump on the bottom of the handle will have to be removed before serious work can ensue.

Joe

Oh ok. Sorry. Thought you were there now

I assure you Frisky you can shave your face with it. Or Kerry can use it to whittle on the Drake for kindling

If I had any sense at all, I would have figured out how to join you this year, but alas…

Looking forward to following along just the same….

No rocks are safe from displacement...Lol! Have a great time Kerry, and bring home a bull! Cal

"Fleshpots of Telluride"

Dude, you are hilarious....

Awsome photos..good luck

Just don’t go hiking through any of Oprah's property!!

I think I've found us a good spot to camp this year; there seems to be lots of wildlife all around...if I can use those musk oxen for cover, I can get a good crack at the bull elk over in the camping department.

Good luck and safe travels. Enjoy the hunt Kerry, I'll be following along !!

Thank you--my trip begins now, with a bus ride ahead of my flight tomorrow. I have a layover in Chicago, which means that once again I will have the pleasure of flying high above Austin, MN and looking down my nose at Frisky.

My ex-wife Kristina will pick us up at the airport, and then we will have the use of her car for the entire trip. This is just one more example of why it's always best to part amicably!

Good luck Kerry. Looking forward to your reports.

Wishing you the best of luck Kerry on your Colorado Elk hunt, and will be as Always waiting on the story to follow. Good luck. Kurt

Good luck, Kerry!

Kerry, my initial reaction to your suggesting the possibility of harvesting a nice bull by hiding behind a herd of musk ox (amidst the wolves) and arching an arrow over the back of a grizzly bear looking the other way was intrigue, but that soon shifted to dismay at the very notion you would do such a thing. An uphill shot on a quartering-to elk??? That would be unacceptable to many, nay most, LW ers. But then I remembered two important facts: 1) your last elk was a quartering-to shot of a cow who dropped in sight due to very precise arrow placement and 2) the boney mass of femur, scapula and ribs that typically prohibit this shot with a bow are less of a contraindication given that this particular trophy specimen has had his internal organs, skeletal parts and various connective tissues replaced with lightweight fiberglass and urethane foam. I am now convinced that you could harvest that bull with the 55# T&W engineering wonder, your perfectly-tuned arrow penetrating upward through what used to be the upper femur, the scapula, upper rib cage, pass through the previous locations of every vital organ and most likely lodge in the offside fiberglass pelvis. Clearly an opportunity for a clean harvest. I believe you and Alex could tag then bring that bull down off the mountain in one piece, proceed directly to checkout in the BassMaster section and be posting your exploits on LW before misinformed witch-hunting LE stop by for coffee and a chat.

Good luck Kerry! hope you and Alex have a safe successful trip. I will be following along again this year with, it looks like, a bus load of other Leatherwallers!

Almost showtime! Good luck. Looking forward to living vicariously through your hunt.

Good luck!

Stay out of those bars and quit hanging with those women and go up on top and get after them. That is the way to kill a bull elk

Best of luck Kerry. will be following along

Hugh

Kerry, Once again, The Beasts of the Field will say a Prayer. Stay Safe, my friend. Best of skill out there. MTQuiver

Best of luck!

Keep your face to the wind...and go get'em! Safe travels.

We're in Chicago now...I've decided to host an impromptu teaching session on how to hunt elk with a bow. There's a good-sized crowd gathering to hear it, and their interest seems high...no doubt some of them will want an autograph when I finish speaking.

Boy, you sure get some avid looking hunters there coming to hear your seminar. I'm sure they will come out of there knowing what they did when they came in. Hey, is that Frisky in the red shoes by the piller?

I'm having trouble holding their attention; this guy on a PA system keeps interrupting me saying stuff about baggage and boarding passes. I wish he'd give it a rest and let me teach.

I'm not sure all of these folks will be able to handle the rigors of timberline hunting...and they don't seem to be taking very good notes either. They keep jabbing at their phones...probably trying to record what I'm saying.

The best part of LW...bowhunters offering to share their knowledge ,experience and USB charging-bench.

Hahahahaha...great to see your view of the world Kerry.

A real hunter would have driven out there in a hunting truck. Only modern fakes take planes.

Joe

Last time we drove out there we stopped in to see some “legend “ in Minnesota…he ended up searching our vehicle for game, accused us of stealing one of his many crappy bows and bored us to tears with his tall tales

If BS was brass he’d have his own band!

So now we fly out and flush the toilet when we’re over Austin!

Anyway, was talking with Kerry, who ,unlike The Legend, actually gets out of his truck to hunt! Seems it’s warm in the San Juan’s so this is where he was going to park his butt today…I watched this wallow a lot last year! Was very close to where we saw that bull.

It has good mojo for crookedstix!

Hows it going Kerry?

Last year we were in the mountains for two weeks…his trip is much shorter this year (nine days) so doubt you will hear from him until he is out or he can grab an internet signal off the top of a mountain, which we were able to do once last year.

Well I hope he kills a big bull!

If Frisky were there, it’s a Lock that there would be a great deal of Shooting The Bull…. but precious little meat packed off The Hill….

Rumor has it that the REAL reason he’s staying outta town this year is that the in-town waterholes are still short-staffed and the Sheriff warned him not to show his face in town on account of three love-lorn waitresses who’ve made it plain that there’s liable to be some Old Tyme high-noon gun-play among them if he shows up again. Folks there are praying for an influx of marriage-minded young men to get these gals settled down in order to preserve the peace.

Fortunately. Alex has thus far avoided such temptations, so at least one of them can venture into town in search of vittles without setting off a blood feud among rival Cantinas….

Figured we’d get more frequent updates. Apparently his high mountain internet connection isn’t working?

Can’t imagine it would be a good idea to shoot a elk with the heat right now out there

It has definately been hot. Looks like some cooler weather for the next couple weeks, might be a little late for Kerry's 10 day hunt. Wishing him the best !!

Weather changes quick out west. 2020 Saturday before Labor Day 90,2 days later 26 with 3" of snow. I'm sure there are some cool pockets of dark timber too hang meat.

Yep Jim, my brother and I were in that snow storm on an elk hunt. The weather can change in minutes. I'm sure Kerry will have a plan for what ever the weather brings.

If he got one, we'd have heard about it by now. I can already tell we're going to hear nothing but excuses. Disgraceful!

Joe

Yup that is what we hear from you Joe all the time! Ha ha

lol

As Pdiddly predicted, there was no available signal for me to use while up on the mountain...except when we hiked all the way up to 13,000' one day, which at least allowed me to send a few text messages. Here's the view from that very narrow, rocky, and windy perch, right at the base of the spire of rock known as the Lizard Head. We are looking east across the San Juan Mountains, with dozens of peaks in excess of 13,000' in the viewshed.

I will talk about the hunting in a minute, but first I'll share some photos about the larger experience. After all, there's so much more to hunting than just filling a freezer!

To hold your attention, I will at least mention that the last elk we saw was a huge 6 x 6 bull at about 20 yards. But as I said, there's more to see than just elk.

For starters, think about how much drinking water you might need for eight days with dry air and temps in the low 80's each afternoon. This spring, near my so-called "Leatherwall" campsite, runs about 10 gallons a minute of ice-cold, gravel-filtered meltwater. No filtering needed; you just collect it and drink it. A similar nearby spring is at least twice that volume; and again, we collect it right where it runs out of the base of an avalanche chute.

We reckoned that, counting our morning coffee, we probably drank at least 25 gallons of this stuff. That would have been about 150 pounds to be carried in on our backs, if not for these springs.

“After all, there’s so much more to hunting than just filling a freezer…”

Yep. Especially the way frisky goes about it ;)

For now, I’m just happy to hear that all is well on your end. looking forward to the pics and the tale.

Then there's the alpine flora that you see. These gentians were still blooming up at 11,000' feet and above, and lots of fritillary butterflies were visiting the late-blooming alpine flowers to get nectar.

The elk were hanging lower than usual this year, owing to the abundant rainfall that provided lush forager at all elevations. That forced me to hunt way below my normal spots, in places like this aspen grove.

Of course, when you're looking for elk you always seem to see blue grouse. This clump of elderberries was where one such grouse exploded out of, almost at our feet. We had no more than just regained our composure and taken about five more steps, when three elk took off as well. The grouse spooking had made them jumpy, so they were on full alert and saw us first. Bad luck, and one more reason to shoot any grouse you can, lol.

By the end of Opening Day, we had seen six elk--two bulls,and four cows. The closest cow would have just about stepped on me if I hadn't made a noise to stop her, just fifteen feet away--an easy shot if I would have had a cow tag, but alas, I needed a bull.

The air finally cooled down to about 60 by 8:00 PM, and the deep blue dusk around the black silhouettes of spruce trees was a relief from the midday glare we had toiled through. The night was too hot to be good sleeping-- a pattern that would last all week.

The ample August rainfalls here have caused a wonderfujl fruiting of mushrooms. Chanterelles like these were everywhere, and occasionally a big old porcini (king bolete) could be found. Alas, if you look closely, you can see that the maggots had already tunneled their way through this particular specimen...but others were found in much better condition.

When you have a minute, you are going to have to explain requirement for a bull… Is that a draw only area where they don’t issue either-sex tags?

Good to hear from you. Yes, you bet...."much more to hunting than killing". Great pics as expected. Ain't nothing better than that pure cold water filtering thru those rocky mountains up high.

Mushrooms?...what a bonus! Elk right in there with ya...yah man! Get after them. I'm envious, I may never get out west again to hunt those elk...I'm with you in spirit.

Corax

Draw only and you need to pick bull or cow.

Where's the money shot? If you got to within 20 yards of a blind and half-dead bull, you should get it!

Joe

Patience, Frisky. I have a rich tale to tell in its entirety. I'm stuck in the Albuquerque airport all night long, and finally have an Internet connection with which to torment the Leatherwallers with my stories and photos. Now to resume...

The second day was a bit less elky than the first; we covered quite a bit of the high ground and it soon became apparent that the elk were still in summer mode. There were no herds...there was NO bugling whatsoever, except for one hunter who gave one bad call and then packed it in. The highlight of the day was when a muley spikehorn passed broadside to me at 15 yards...and 30 seconds later, a young coyote came skulking along trying to sneak in on him. Either one would have been an easy shot. The muley soon caught sight of the coyote, and exploded away from there; the coyote gave up and came back right by me again. I gave a couple of mouse squeaks and got him to within ten yards of me, at which point he figured out that something was wrong, and scooted away like his feet were burning.

Here's the chanterelles and porcini all cooked up for dinner...

Each day seemed to get hotter, and the elk just sulked in the shade and didn't move a muscle or make a sound. Since I only hunt them by spotting and stalking, things were pretty much at a standstill. I spent hours sneaking through the dark timber, but could only get to within 50 yards or so before the bedded elk--usually singles--would see or hear or smell me, and off they would go without offering any shot opportunities.

I had promised Alex some mountain climbing, so we decided to climb right up to the Lizard Head itself, at about 13,000' high. Here's what it looks like from below...

And here's what it looks like once you get up there. It's hard to tell the scale from the photo, but Google Earth tells me that the stone tower is about 185' taller than the ridgeline where Alex is standing. The rock is very rotten and fissured; this is rated as one of the most dangerous summits in Colorado...and you couldn't pay me enough to even try it.

The view from up here was really spectacular. To the west, the three summits of Mt. Wilson, El Diente, and Wilson Peak all rise up over 14,000'. You can perhaps see the switchbacks in the trail that leads up to these peaks from the Bilk Creek Basin below them.

Wilson Peak, by the way, is the inspiration behind the Busch beer logo.

Alex posed for the hero photo on our way back down after climbing it. No big deal to climb up there...as long as you're 29 and skinny as a rail!

Once it was clear that the elk were in the doldrums, and that the weather was stuck in an early August pattern, we relaxed a bit in our pursuit of them and tended to other important tasks in the middle of the days. For starters, we needed a table in the shade where we could sit and eat grapes as we complained about the weather and the absence of elk activity. This made a good place to keep the butter, cheese, and chocolate as well; it was so hot out in the sun that it was all melting on us. The elk hunter's life is not always easy.

There were the usual glorious sunsets most evenings. Here's the view looking northeast at Red Mountain...

And then off to the south another evening...

Occasionally a thunderhead would be the only thing that the sun was still hitting, giving some crazy colors.

Another favorite midday pastime of ours is stump-shooting contests using judo points. One guy spots a good target, sometimes as far as 60 yards away, and calls the shot. The second guy tries to match or exceed the first guy's shot.

The "new" Tice & Watts that I was toting (54# draw) shoots such a flat trajectory that I was having good luck on the long downhill shots, allowing for very little curve in the arrow's path.

Here's a look at what we were shooting--mine is in the foreground, and that's Alex's 48# Colt Woodsman in the background. Gotta love that zebrawood and seafoam green look!

Where's the elk? Enough of the tourist photos.

Joe

Hey, frisk! Just because they you live in a state with no viable tourism economy doesn’t mean that the rest of us can’t enjoy a good thing when it’s placed in front of us…

Mall of America. That’s the best you can do???

That’s why I wanted plates for my truck that read MN-SKP!

Now you had best behave yourself, or Kerry’‘s gonna make it a point to flush while that plane he’s on is over Austin…. So whatever you do, don’t look up!

Quit hurrying me, lol! I still have to show you some more scenery.

We had planned that one day of our trip would be a hike up to the so-called Ice Lakes, about six miles east of us as the crow flies, but requiring a drive around to the town of Silverton to get to the traillhead for the four-mile hike up to the 12,300' elevation where the lakes are. The real showpiece is Ice Lake itself, with its almost shockingly blue color thanks to all of the "rock flour" in the water. Here's a view from space of Ice Lake and its companion Island Lake.

By this time, we had really gotten our legs and lungs acclimated. We charged up the trail in about two hours, and got there just in time to see the sun hitting Ice Lake. Quite a sight!

Here's another look from a nearby rise, just as a breeze was rippling the surface of the pond.

By the time we had climbed up this nearby hill to look down on the lake, a thunderstorm had begun to roll in, and the color was less intense...but this photo still gives you a good idea of the dramatic setting.

We had left our bows in the car...so of course a family of five grouse paraded across the trail just 20 feet in front of us, just before we got to the lake. We also got to see a small hawk--Cooper's maybe?-- swoop down and nail a ground squirrel. Lots going on at 12,000 feet!

Now, back to the hunting. We had some strange things happen, such as when a long-haired guy toting a brown paper bag wandered through the spot where we had been seeing elk each morning. We think he was a mushroom picker...and when I went over to say hello, he just glared at me and said, "you DO know that this is a wilderness area, right?"

I'm not sure what he was getting at. Granted, I was wearing shorts and a plaid shirt, and carrying a case with two laptop computers, as well as a blue plastic bag with groceries in it, and a box full of leftover pizza (we had just returned from a supply run to Telluride). His tone definitely suggested that my presence and appearance had somehow diminished his wilderness experience.

Another weird occurrence was when Alex spotted something blue under a log, and reached down and picked up a cell phone that someone had lost! Miraculously, when he hooked it up to his charger, it came back to life. He was even able to call the number of the owner--some guy from Massachusetts--who told him that it had been lost three years ago on a snowshoeing trip. Even weirder is that the guy's parents live in Maine, about two towns from where Alex lives, so the phone will be dropped with them when we get back to Maine. What are the odds??

I will admit, with shame, that I missed a 25-yard shot at a grouse on a branch about 25 feet up a spruce tree. Even worse, the judo point stuck in the tree, and the arrow is up there still. Even worse, it was one of Alex's arrows; which reduced his arsenal by 50%. I think he could have shinnied up there and retrieved it if he really wanted to. My shot must have trimmed the bird's toenails; it hit dead-center and just the thinnest of whiskers low. Two inches higher and we would have dined on grouse that night, but instead we were forced to use the last of our tortillas to make grilled cheese sandwiches.

Although Alex wasn't hunting, he was a very useful companion, insofar as he routinely would see the elk before I did--probably because I was doing all the work of navigating a quiet path for us, and all he had to do was follow me and keep his sharp youthful eyes peeled.

He also did pretty well as a camper. Here's a snapshot of his corner of the camp, taken the morning we were packing up to break camp. Everything neat as a pin and ready to travel...the little jerk.

I don't blame that guy with the brown bag. You had no right to ruin his hunt. If I want to see tourist pictures, I'll head to the Spam Museum and take a pic of the famous farmer and pigs sculpture, shown here with the long deceased guard who posed for me.

Joe

That statue, by the way, was a long bow shot from where I lived. I could also head out to the fair grounds and take a pic of Buffy the Cow. I want to see hunting pictures!

Joe

Here's MTQuiver posing with the doe I heart shot. This is called a hunting photo. Have any to show us?

Joe

Meanwhile, here's my side of the camp at the same time. The thing is, I did all the work of making coffee and breakfast, and didn't have time to fiddle around being a neatnik. Besides, it's a lot easier to find the stuff you need if you have it spread out so that you can see it.

Frisky, I will see what I can find. But I can certainly still see that big 6 x 6 very clearly in my mind's eye. It was only Alex's blunder that cost us getting it; he slammed on the brakes and hit the horn, which allowed it to just get across the road in time. You can bet if I'd have been the driver, that one would be at the butcher's now.

Damn! I knew you were going to blow it! You should have been driving, and it wasn't your car! It's the same old story every year! It crossed the road, you had a tag and weren't driving your own car, and you didn't take advantage of the situation.

Joe

The other problem is that my tag was for Colorado, and this bull was in New Mexico. I wasn't sure if we could get it back the seventy miles across the state line before daylight; especially since all our gear was also in the car at the time. Plus I would have had to string a bow and shoot an arrow or two into it.

These are the kind of snap decisions a seasoned hunter has to make on the spur of the moment, and Alex just doesn't have the experience yet to react properly under pressure. I took it easy on him, but I was disappointed.

Thanks for the updates Kerry, another trip of a lifetime!

My favorite thread every year even with Frisky's incessantly jealous babbling on and on :<).

Folks, another year, another failure. I'm going to post a hunting thread, this season, that will both entertain and instruct, unlike this same old same old.

Joe

where's the elk?? any trout in those waters. Mushrooms ain't all that filling need some sort of protein

Yep. Goes elk hunting and eats mushrooms with water. Then, he rationalizes it to be all about scenery.

Joe

Mission accomplished !

Jeremiah, this is a strictly non-harvest thread, lol.

I'm guessing that bull is dead, rather than sleeping...tell us about it!

Nice pics, Kerry. Kinda makes me homesick, though.

“Kinda makes me homesick….l

You ain’t kiddin’, Brother!! I was born on Colorado Boulevard not far from DU, and with the exception of the births of my boys and (some years prior to that) gettin’ hitched to their mother, I can honestly say that over 90% of the best things in my life have happened at above 8,000 feet, and at least half of the other 10% were at least 5280…..

Meanwhile Frisky’s got a coupla bronze pigs and a fiberglass cow. I don’t know how he can show his face in public for the shame of it, but ya know, that whole “Minnesota Nice” thing…. They’re all too polite to stage an Intervention, dontchaknow, so he still imagines that Buick is a brand of broadhead……

In those temperatures, stress and worry over the potential spoilage and waste of 400 pounds of elk meat would have turned Kerry’s fabulous adventure into a nightmare.

Instead of an elk, Kerry and Alex bagged some peak memories and photos... and escaped the heat without having that beautiful Tice and Watts delaminate!

A trip of a life time, enjoyed the the story and pic,

Hugh

He should give up on elk. Next year, he should drive out here. Its half the distance, and I'll put him up for a week. That's all the cats could stand of him. If he has fleas or lice, he can sleep out in the garage. If he shows up the first week in October, he'll have a great chance at a deer that's smarter than he is. At least it would be good training, and he could try for an elk in 2024.

Joe

I'm back home in Maine now, about to face the ritual of unpacking all the Colorado gear...though what I'd really like to do is go out on the lawn and shoot some arrows!

The real takeaway from this year's trip was that it was terrible weather for hunting, but nice enough weather to have fun camping out and hiking. Alex and I set up an old gnarly stump at one of our campsites; we called it "the Gremlin," and we had a great time nailing it with judo points and trash talking about who was the better shot.

Alex tagged along with me on every morning hunt, even though he wasn't carrying a bow since he had no license. But he was excellent at keeping stealthy walking ten feet behind me, and he was damn good at spotting elk! On at least four different occasions he spotted them before I did.

I knew well enough that we were facing long odds, especially given that I had applied for a bull tag; but that's why they call it hunting. I just prefer moving through the big woods in search of them, rather than sitting at a water hole or watching a game trail--especially when it's so hot that they just want to hunker down in the shade.

I would invite anyone to try what we were doing--two guys still-hunting, in tandem, to within shooting distance of bedded elk in hot, dry weather. I'm happy enough to say that we succeeded in getting within fifty yards of them on multiple occasions, even though the desired shot at a mature bull never quite materialized. The fact that we had a cow elk, muley buck, and a coyote all offer easy shots within fifty feet of us says that we were doing a pretty good job of sneaking around.

Alex dropped off the cell phone he found with the in-laws of the guy who lost it; that whole connection was one of this year's most remarkable events. I guess it's a "ringing" endorsement for the Samsung S-8 Active model, made especially for hikers etc., that it survived three Colorado winters and still works.

Alex and I also agreed that our various experiences of hiking to memorable spots like the Lizard Head or the Ice Lakes were well worth the time they took away from hunting. Halfway up the trail to Ice Lakes, I bumped into a guy that I hadn't seen for probably ten years, since he and I had hiked ten miles down into the Grand Canyon together--and that event alone made my day.

The bottom line is that I don't really need to ever kill another deer or elk, even though I greatly enjoy hunting them. I even smile at myself when I stick an arrow into a tree right under the feet of a blue grouse, and watch it fly away. It's the fun of hunting through all that lovely wild country that keeps me coming back. I feel pretty lucky that my 66-year-old carcass can still make it up into that thin air and do pretty much whatever I need it to...and I'm not too proud to bend over and gasp for oxygen when I need to, which happens fairly often!

Sounds like a dang successful trip to me, Kerry.

Yup, wish I could still do that but those days are long past. Now pictures will have to do.

Thanks for taking us along!

Yup, wish I could still do that but those days are long past. Now pictures will have to do.

Thanks for taking us along!

Listen, it's not about any of the crap Crookedstix has posted. It's about meat in the freezer. That's what has kept the human race going for 200,000 years. The failures are weeded out, the hunters go on. Finding cell phones, running into old pests, missing grouse, not getting a shot at a bull, all of it is clutter in the way of a good hunter.

Joe

Am getting tired of all your negative crap, Frisky! Am done here!

Frisky talks big cause he s got a freezer full of spam that he and the cats live off of

atleast Crookidsticks got to breathe some fresh air instead of the exhaust from the spam factory :>)

Kerry, it sounds like it was a great trip, even though no elk were killed. Thanks for sharing the photos and your stories. I can't think of better place to spend a week or two.

Lol. I am with Frisky.

I guess what I need is a taxidermist buddy, so I can PRETEND I shot a big one, lol! Oh wait...that's been done...

Chasing elk with the bow , no easy accomplishment. Doing it at 66 isn't lucky it's work and determination! Sounds like a great trip to me.

lol

It's all about the hunt, a kill is a bonus...cliche to say but so true. You got to spend some quality time with your son Alex (most importantly) in some beautiful country, close encounters with some critters, did the hike, saw the sights and took the time to share with us. Kudos!

Great adventure! Thank you Kerry and Alex for the stories the photos and the walk (hike) along. Lance

Congratulations Kerry! Sounds like great trip.

Kerry, This! -> is special..."I just prefer moving through the big woods in search of them, rather than sitting at a water hole or watching a game trail". Glad you guys got to do it and had a great time. One of these years you and I are going to do a hunt like this. Both 66, both still able. Sounds like a great trip you had with your son. TK

Thinking Kerry needs to take a pill!!, Great thread, great comments, yearly go to thread. Thanks guys.

I always look forward to the annual No Elk is Safe thread. Thanks for taking the time to write it up this year!

What a great tale of adventure! Appreciate the chance to tag along from where I sit. Good luck next year! JW

Just caught up on this thread…great story buddy!

Weather was the same we had, it seems. I agree that it’s better to still hunt rather than sit, once the morning movement is over.

Guess Alex didn’t like my tent spot with the rock patio outside of the door eh?

He and I do share a proclivity for order that you do not! Haha! I got up one morning a and thought a bear had tore up your campsite and you in the dark, but then heard you snoring! LOL!

Hopefully we’ll pair up again next year if the stars align…

OH! Most important question!

How was the “ maple syrup? Survive the winter? Survive your visit?

A cagey veteran of these threads will know to look closely in the above photo, taken just as we were about to break camp...

A close-up reveals a goodly amount of maple syrup, just about to be placed in the crypt by its keepers, and sealed with a boulder. With any luck it will emerge in a year's time!

Seagrams VO....why you sneak....no wonder no tag was filled. Hmmm, so you set up in the same spot? ...cause you just had to fetch that pint eh!

Alright, I won't go "frisky on ya". I enjoy your mastery of making excuses...oops, that was a frisky...I apologize. Shoot, regardless, I find your posts about these Elk hunts entertaining, I was rooting for ya to get one. Eh...next year eh!?!

Best to ya and thanks for pics and posts.

Elk or no elk, the memories made on trips like this are worth the price of a tag !! Thanks for posting Kerry, gettem next year !!

I hate to say it but memories are NOT worth the price of a tag. Meat in the freezer is worth the price of a tag. Crookedstix will now have to start a deer hunting journal thread to try to redeem himself.

Joe

Ok Frisky, thats your opinion. Question for you: "Have you ever been on an Elk Hunt?" If you've never been you should try to make plans to go. If you don't kill one you'll still have those memories. LOL !!

No, I've never been on an elk hunt. I prefer to hunt the mighty whitetail deer! The king of all big game animals.

Joe

Good luck hunting those mighty white-tails this season Joe. Meat in the freezer is a good thing.

"No, I've never been on an elk hunt. I prefer to hunt the mighty whitetail deer! The king of all big game animals."

Sheesh...:/ There are alot of big WT in some elk country just to your west... in case you don't get into elk there, you can always catch up to a default WT. I love WT, but there is NOTHING that stirs me up like being close to an elk with the chanch to shoot it. You just don't know until you do it. Go...Joe...!

Put some kill photos on here which I can claim for my own.

Lol! Talk about a grouch!

Joe

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