Hello to all, we just came down to town after our first four days of hunting. We'e seen elk eery day; the last one was a raghorn we jumped less than an hour ago.The best I've seen so far was a 5 x 5 in some thick stuff at about 50 yards.

Not much bugling going on, and way too many guys calling--par for the course these days. Every hunter we meet has way more gear than we do...and they all call our recurves "longbows", LOL! There's no hope for this sport...talked to a guy with a smokepole who had hit a 7 x 7 at 7 AM yesterday morning; it was 11:30 and he and his buddy were giving up the search. Seemed like a pretty feeble effort to me.

Last night was the first rain here so far this month; it was badly needed. Temps were in the mid-60's for highs each day, and the air has been bone dry. We'll get some pix up ASAP.

Thanks for the update.

First things first...we got to our base camp, and Pdiddly checked "the crypt" to see if the goods were still hidden there. Canadian whiskey is like mother's milk to a Canuck like him, of course. We gave each other a tiny toast, then made a small offering to the elk gods, and camped here for the first night. The following day, we moved in another two miles to our high camp.

Thanks also, and best of luck on the rest of your hunt.

This was the view as I hunted Thursday morning... I think if you squint you can see a small wallow in this alpine meadow, at about 11,000'.

And here's a beautiful spot I found yesterday; a hidden pond at about 11,500' with plenty of elk sign in the surrounding woods. We have to leave town now to make it back up the hill before dark; sorry to say it will be radio silence for a few days now. We are hoping to get a blue grouse for the pot; there aren't as many this year as usual, but we see 5-6 a day as we hunt...and we always have a judo point close at hand.

We found our high camp just as we left it, with the cast-iron frying pan ready to make us bacon and eggs each morning. There are a few more hunters than usual this year, but it's still far from crowded. One group of four from Ohio; another group of four from PA...I asked them if they knew Stout, and they said "Who?" So obiously they aren't trad archers!

Beautiful country. Makes me want to make another trip to Colorado and bow hunt some elk.

No shot ops for us yet btw; the c losest one was a cow at about 40 yards in thick stuff. The raghorn today was even closer, but we were packing stuff down and didn't have a bow atthe ready.

Nice pics. Good luck

Your seeing elk, keep after them it'll happen! Good luck!

Thanks for the tag a long. Great pics and good luck!!!

Deno

Nice pictures. Good luck to you both.

I don't want to see tourist pics. I want to see action shots!

Joe

Very nice

Good luck!

Good times for sure.

Good luck feels stay safe and thanks for the update!

Thanks for the pictures! Best of luck to you guys sounds like y’all are in them. Just a matter of time now!

Good luck!

Brokenstix and Po-Diddly are in the zone. The smokepolers and wannabe's can move those wapiti around , the gals at the Last Dollar will reveal the time. Literally a walk in the park.

Great looking country, have a great time.

Keep your "hook in the water", things will turn your way.

Nice.

Good luck on your hunts.

I can smell the success this year for you. The pond area looks like a possibility if you saw sign. Good hunting. Lance

I was curious as to how yall was getting along, Thanks for the update, and good luck!

nice

Nice pics guys. Best of luck and stay safe.

Great. Always enjoy it. Good luck

Great pictures. I miss them mountains. I used to guide up in the Selway in Idaho. Get paid to hunt, I was in my element.

Awesome stuff fellas- thanks!

Glad to see y'all after the wapiti. But ya'll need to really consider something other than Canadian mouth wash! LOL

Good Luck!!!!

I envy you guys. Have fun and good luck.

I envy y’all too. Best of luck.

Good luck guys, great pictures

Keep Crookedstix and Pdiddly in your prayers that they survive their adventure and avoid something more dangerous than their own adventurous inclinations. due to COVID, there's lots of folks meant-hunting these days ; a 67 yo smokepole hunter from PA shot and killed a bowhunter from Texas last Friday less than five miles from where the interepid LW'ers are camping and hunting. The blackpowder hunter and his hunting partner were calling for elk and thought the bowhunter was an elk responding to their calling The bowhunter probably thought the calling was a real bull and was trying to sneak up on it. A recipe for disaster.

https://www.the-journal.com/articles/arrest-affidavit-reveals- details-of-fatal-hunting-incident-in-dolores-county/

https://www.the-journal.com/articles/arrest-affidavit-reveals-details-of-fatal-hunting-incident-in-dolores-county/

This link doesn't have a break in it. Tragic accident, but you have to be sure of your target before you shoot!

Joe

We have encountered guys who were calling like crazy; it's easy to see the potential for disaster.

Here's a view from above 13,000 feet on Mount Sunshine; I ventured up there the other day to get a look at Wilson Peak in the background, with the Bilk Creek Basin below it. Muley sign at this elevation, but the elk tend to stay down closer to timberline.

We had a very close call this morning! Opinions may vary, but it's my belief that I pushed a nice 6 x 6 bull to within 75 yards of where Pdiddly had stationed himself. Sadly, he failed to convert on this golden opportunity--he saw the bull, but something caused it to run off. Nonetheless, we know that we're getting close!

Here's another view from my high perch, showing the general area that we hunt. The elk have been sticking to the black timber, given the hunting pressure and the warm temps. No vocalizing whatsoever for about the past week; it's just a matter of going through all these woods and looking for fresh sign...so we're getting lots of great exercise, at least.

The above statement by my hunting " buddy" is a succinct ( and highly inaccurate) version of an elk hunting train wreck!!

I had stolen out of camp at dawn, bow in hand, to go sit at a spot where elk pass through coming up from a feeding and watering spot to bed down. Crookedstix had gone down to sit in a meadow where they also pass through, saying he would be there for (2) (deux) two hours before coming to meet me.

About one hour into my sit I heard a noise and spotted a dandy bull making his way toward me. All seems good, but I glance at the time and see that it was still 30 minutes before Kerry's expected arrival. All good.

At that point I hear ANOTHER noise and who do I see but " itchyfeet" ( Kerry's new LW handle if I have anything to say) coming at me and the bull, looking as happy as Gomer Pyle unexpectedly meeting Sergeant Carter at the base bar!! My reaction was what one would expect from Sergeant Carter...

"HARDY!!!!!!"

"What? Did you see an elk or something? Why are you so excited and why is your face all red?"

I pointed out he was early and I had seen a bull that was now headed for the county line,, thanks to his arrival.

He told me he was, of course, hungry! Understandable as It had been a whole three hours since he inhaled half a pig, a pan full of eggs and a half dozen bagels with cream cheese. (See photo of part of his first course that morning!)

Anyway...my chance of a lifetime ruined. I already had the butcher on alert and was trying to remember that taxidermist!!

That is my opinion. There may be some truth in the middle!

Ya know, I had a partner on an elk hunt that had his pants down giving something to nature and I unfortunately had to stand and wait for him to get done. I had just called when he informed me of the situation that his body was telling him. Of coarse, mid dump a bull comes into 25 yards clear to him sitting there with his pants to his ankles and me trying to get a clear shot!!! Perhaps that's what happened to Pdiddly?

Another panoramic view of our area, from way up high. I've been covering lots of ground so far this trip, whereas Pete seems to prefer poking slowly through the woods, or even sitting still!

It's hard to know why Peter didn't get a shot off; he hasn't been very talkative since the event...kind of morose, or even angry about something...

Here's a pic of a nice wallow I found while hunting ( not sitting)!

I am now fantasizing about throwing someone in it!

I just saw the drivel that Pdiddly just posted, as if it had somehow been MY fault that the bull spooked out of range. It's a lie...the result of a disappointed hunter trying to shift the blame from himself. Plus, he had stationed himself in a veritable brush pile; there was no way I could get to him without breaking a few twigs.

Just prior to that, I had seen a very large coyote at about twenty yards, moving at a dog trot along an elk trail. Maybe the coyote pushed the elk.

Time to sign off again; we are in town and he's insisting that I owe him a big lunch and enough beer to drown his sorrows. I wonder if all Canadians are this moody!

We'll update you as soon as we can and reveal the actual story behind the bull elk encounter! We are off to have a beer!

I did get a glimpse of the bull as it ran away, and said "What a rack!" Peter, on the contrary, just kept muttering "What an ass..."

I suspect that last comment was all bull and the conversation actually transpired whilst day-drinking in the Last Dollar Saloon. Keep up the reports and the pics! I have the Rent-A- Center in Montrose on speed-dial to deliver a small chest (wait for it!) freezer to haul all that elk meat cross country.

Too much beer drinking not enough hunting. You gotta hunt them bastards. Let's see some meat on the meat pole.

No, the beer drinking has just begun…but Mangonboat has correctly identified the Last Dollar Saloon as the scene of the crime . I think the the barmaid here has a crush on Peter… we will keep reorting as our time and sobriety allows.

Watch out those Mountain Gals are more dangerous than Mountain Lions. : )

Truly enjoy our posts. Keep it up.

We are prepared to defend ourselves against cougars of any kind, have no fears. And as for “too much beer”… nothing could be truther from the far. We are sharp as tacks.

Business and supper are all done. Quick stop for groceries and then back to the trailhead and up the hill to camp!

What is “ too much” beer drinking?

It’s as foreign a concept to this Canuck as “ leftover wine” for use in a recipe!

Yes, groceries. That’s why we came into town, after all!

I like my beer as much as anybody...get your asses to hunting ...HARD...you're out there, earn those beers! And crookedstix, you quit hitting on the barmaids...waitresses too. don't lose focus...hunt hard and report back some kills ....times running out! I want butts!! Elk butts that is, now get after it.

Now those are some beautiful pics of great Elk country. Pretty pond.. mountain lake ..ok, and no fish to fry?! Come on you guys!

I just got in from my first hunt of the year. Nothing came around, but I like my new chair. I open this thread and see more of the same old tourist pics. These guys need to learn to hunt and drop the tourist mentality!

Joe

You 2 are a HOOT !

You guys let me know next year if you need another driver, I’m seriously contemplating working remotely for the month of Elktember next year. I’ll share with you as far as Denver or Dillon.

Keep us posted!

Of course we all want to see you get an elk or 2. But whether you do or not, you ol' bowhunter bums are having a great adventure. Beer and bar maids included. And taking the time and effort to entertain us all. Thank you.

What I want to know is, where do you crap? Hopefully not where someone can see your butts. I knew of a guy who got an arrow up his ass, b/c some dumb hunter thought the toilet paper was a whitetail. Of course, aside from it being dumb it doesn't make sense. Why would someone shoot a deer in the butt? But it happened. And a bare butt could easily be mistaken for the rump of an elk. So be careful!

Great update fellas, thanks for sharing with us and the pics are awesome as well!

Keep after those bulls and barmaids, have fun and stay safe! Best of luck on your quarry 4 or 2 legged.

Yes, I thank you for photos. I intend to make postcards out of some of them.

What??!! You tell us to cut back on the drinking, yet you intend to plagiarize our images to make yourself postcards? I'm sorry, but you can't have it both ways! Our trips to town are a necessary part of the creative process.

Look at this one: we had a very nice afterglow last night, hitting the slopes of Red Mountain, looming up over a wet meadow that the elk have been frequenting.

Yesterday's encounter was when I jumped a few elk, about sixty yards away in thick stuff. We are hunting hard, but the elk are remaining silent and are using the full moon to their advantage; feeding by night and moving very little by day. They are hunkered down, and the weather isn't cold enough to make them move.

Shandor, you raise a delicate subject; i.e. the art and science of wilderness crapping. Luckily, there aren't all that many other hunters here; maybe a dozen or so in ten square miles, so our chances of being the victims of a "Texas heart shot" are slim to none.

A much greater danger is the possibility of losing my grip, or having a branch break, while utilizing the "sidehill squat" method. Most seasoned outdoorsmen probably know what I'm referring to--you find a sapling growing on a sidehill, grab ahold and then it's bombs away. The ordinance lands well behind one's feet, and may even roll a bit further out of harm's way. But the danger is when you let go with one hand, in order to begin the paperwork. You'd better have a darn good grip on that sapling with your other hand, lest you go over backwards yourself.

Perhaps this is a bit too much information. Usually I like to illustrate my posts with a good photograph, but in this case I'll forgo that step.

Here's the wet meadow that I was hunting last night--elk beds everywhere in the grass, but no movement and no vocalizing for us to take advantage of.

Why don't you hunt them by moonlight like RymanCat did (may the Lord have mercy on his soul)?

Joe

That thought had occurred to us, lol. But neither of us is going to feel too badly if we come away elk-less; that's not the first priority of this trip--it's all about the adventure.

Witness the sheer joy in Pdiddly's face, as he stands cooking breakfast at my "mountain range," a sophisticated pile of rocks that serves as our kitchen and social center. Here is where we enjoy cooking over hot coals, planning the next hunt as we eat and sip, and make the morning coffee that propels us around these savage peaks.

Their is a lot of amusement in this adventure/Hunt, enjoy and good luck and thanks

And this is the view on the talus slope above our tents, as the quaking aspen are reaching their peak of fall color. This particular grove doesn't know that it's supposed to be golden yellow; there are always some nice rosy tones to it.

Because I'm always toting my camera case around with me, I hae to set it down before I can nock an arrow. This small delay has saved many a rabbit and grouse from my judo points; they usually are out of range before I'm ready to shoot. I don't have a problem with this, and neither do they.

Another big concern is that we are wasting away, from all the hard work of packing in groceries to our high camps. It's all we can do to keep body and soul together...and it's a challenge to get out of the sleeping bag every morning. It's a good thing we are both made of stern stuff.

Update…we’re trying to find this haven of lovely maidens somewhere in the San Juan’s to relocate our campsite to!!

Shandor…next time I feel the urge to grab a tree I’ll get Kerry to film a crap-a-long tutorial!

I only require a gentle slope and find it’s almost a sport for me to adjust for trajectory, adjusting for gravity and velocity to accurately hit the pre-dug hole with the payload!

Always have the TP properly folded and prepared…best place to keep it ready is between your lips…before use, of course!

Follow me for more helpful handy outdoors tips!!

Closing the bar now!! Time to crawl up the hill for an elk hunt!

Interesting adventure. Let's see, the Colorado archery elk season ends in 5 days! For one who lives here, hunts here and has been successful here, get back into the elk woods now.

Other than that, have fun and be safe. my best, Paul

Pulling for Ya - I hope Y’all can connect with one (be it Elk, bar maid, or mountain maiden) before this adventure ends!

We are down from the mountains now and on our way back to Denver, and happy with our hunt...even though we're unburdened by any elk meat this year.

My closest call came two days ago, when I followed an elk trail up an improbably steep slope and jumped two elk (a cow and a raghorn) at over 11,000'. They wobbled across a 45º talus slope about 200' above me and dove into an almost impenetrable aspen thicket. The blue circle in the photo shows where I was; the dotted black line is where they crossed as I watched.

It took me half an hour to get up to them, three-point climbing with bow, arrow, and camera case in hand. The closest I could get to them was 15 yards away in this jungle of young aspen; at that point they bolted straight uphill without me seeing even a flash of brown.

Thanks for taking us along Gents.

Thanks for a very entertaining thread. Great pics and write-ups!

Safe travels home gents.

Bar maid..crush on Peter?..American women are just naturally attracted to virile Canadian males. ! Jigger

Good trip. Good on you guys.

I've been trying to figure out some kind of a tally...we had something on the order of two dozen elk encountered at 100 yards or less, and maybe half a dozen instances of authentic bugling (as opposed to guys blowing on elk calls).

We reckoned that we used closed to 35 gallons of spring water, which we were blessed to be able to get within three hundred yards of each of our two campsites. We drank it unfiltered, collecting it right where it bubbled out of the ground at above 11,000' of elevation. It sure felt like it was colder than 40º, and it tasted great.

We took our time and enjoyed the camping and the amazing mountain scenery, and there's no doubt that we could have hunted harder if we cared to--but the whole purpose of this was to enjoy ourselves and the mountain experience.

Thanks for taking us with you . . . enjoyed.

Michael

It has always been my experience that the memories of the scenery, the comradarie, the conversations, and the camp fires are the things that are truly meaningful and memorable about these types of adventures.

Great hunt and thanks for the pictures and narrative.

Frank, we feel the same way. This is a photo of Pete tending the breakfast. We had just found a 200-lb. rock that cradled his butt perfectly, and he occupied it it with distinction. Without moving from it, he could reach the firewood pile, the food stores, and the pots and pans that held our bacon, oatmeal, eggs, and so on.

Locating that rock in the talus slope and adding it to the "stove" was a good half-hour project; time that could have been spent chasing elk. But it was a wonderful project, and worth all the time it took. Little things like that are where a lot of our time went.

Thanks for taking us along. I think you guys had the right mind set and attitude. You guys had a successful hunt.

What a pair! I just got off the phone with the manager at Rent-A-Center in Montrose..he checked your last posts and couldnt stop laughing long enough to spit out what he was trying to say. Something about how you guys didnt need a chest freezer and that he didnt handle Lazy-Boy recliner rentals but would look into it for next year.

On the plus side, I do have a promising lead for a feauture article from uncovercolorado.com. Apparently the photo of your rock fireplace/kitchen/bar has gone viral with the luxe condo folks. Something about the photo of Pdiddly in his manly hunting garb pushing pots around with a stick, the French press coffee-maker and the caption about "a 200-lb. that rock cradled his butt perfectly" has lit a fire under folks and everybody in a 300 mile radius of Telluride is rying to get one of those set-ups by Thanksgiving. If you can change your return flights I may be able to line up some consulting fees.

Otherwise, I gotta admit that Trad Bowhunter magazine was a hard 'No' when they saw you posted photo of a hillside that looked like a fourth-grader had edited in black lines to show whre fictitional elk had trvelled and a red cicle to indicate where a fictional hunter had been located when said fictional elk were sighted. You could have at least lied and said it was a heavy 6 x 7 bull with a cougar trailing him. A cow and a raghorn?? In theory, the daily double of delectible dining but no self-respecting for-profit enterprise wants that on thier pages.

I can see that it was a mistake to send you two on this assignment without contstant on-the ground supervision and next year Lance and I will be joining you. LW-ers are going to see a lot of photos of you and Pdiddly hovering over that fancy outdoor kitchen while Lance and myself do the actual hunting, along with an actual trad elk bowhunter. (assuming we can close negotiations on the promo deals).

Looks like a blast guys. Hunting is the hunt and the trip, if you get something it is the bonus of hunting.

Well done guys. Better than a lot of articles I've read...by far.

Get any “pine chickens” for your Sunday dinners?

Thanks guys for the great hunt. I felt like I was right there with you again. 2017 was definitely the high light of my life long archery adventure! Time to start planning for next year! Lance

Ken, the grouse population was pretty low this year. We didn't see a one of them for the last ten days of the hunt, which seems almost unbelievable to me. I did miss one shot at about 25 yards at one that scuttled through a blowdown and took off as my arrow plowed the ground beneath his feet...but that was my only opportunity. Many snowshoe hares were seen, but they wasted no time in darting away without a backward glance.

Lots of coyote music most nights. We had a mulie doe and two fawns escort us most of the way through one meadow; easy shots at 25 yards away had we been so inclined and licensed. After we passed on the 6 x 6 at 55 yards, we took lots of 50+ yard stumping shots just for the sake of "what if"...and the consensus was that we probably would have hit somewhere in the vital area had we attempted it. No regrets about passing on him, of course.

Same old same old. I thought hunting was about hunting, not sitting around eating 1 minute oats. The problem is you guys don't know know to hunt. I say it every year. You don't know how to asses a situation, respond accordingly and close the deal. If you don't have meat to take back, the hunt was a failure, no matter how hard you try to sugar-coat it. If I was there, we would have gotten an elk, but I'm a hunter, not a tourist who takes pretty photos of the scenery. I'm disgusted with the debacle. It's a disgrace.

Joe

As I told Pdid, nothing screws up a perfectly fine wilderness hunt like having to deal with several hundred pounds of elk meat in 70 or 80 degree temperatures. Fortunately for him, this is something Frisky will never have to worry about!

The only thing that could have made this trip better is if Kerry and Peter had been camping by a high mountain lake filled with hungry cutthroat trout.

Eat your heart out Frisky, jealousy as usual, but hey, you're entitled to your opinion, haha.

Way back in the 80's, while a friend and I were trolling for salmon after a late May ice out in Northern Maine, on a gorgeous very early Maine sunrise, we talked about the true meaning of our adventure.

Simply put, it wasn't about catching fish, shooting deer or partridge during hunting season, on and on, but the entire experience of just "being" with nature, friends and the beauty of the outdoors.

Kerry & Peter's trip was and is a success, in all of these ways, and, at the end, this is what's most important. At least in my old, simple mind. Wolf

We will post a spirited defense against Frisky’s slanderous remarks…as soon as we finish eating dinner at this restaurant in Denver, and get back to our campsite at the Baymont Wyndham Hotel. How dare he suggest that we’re a couple of lily dippers! No one hunts any harder than we do.

If you didn't spend half your time rolling 200 pound rocks up the mountain, you might have gotten an elk. We should call you Sisyphus.

Joe

"lilly dippers" ? That's a new one on me.

My post above was a bit harsh I'll admit...but it's been a long time since I've been west and hunted those majestic Elk..and when I did, it was up the mountain an hour or so before sunrise and only headed back at sundown.

Just envious, I wanted to see you guys packing some Elk meat....was rooting for ya! But it's not the kill, it's that chance at it. The adventure of it all...and you two have some great memories no doubt.

Those pics of that gorgeous country are absolutely beautiful. And Kerry, I love your rock kitchens,,, building a couple permanent ones myself.

Thank you guys for sharing with us.

Maybe next time you can bring some women for a competition. My money is on the women. Just kidding of course. LOL Happy trails

Grab those soap bars from the Baymont..I hear they are excellent bait for freshwater drum, aka buffalo.

Speaking of soap, here's a little quiz: can you identify the function of this, the latest addition to the stone fireplace at our camp? We tried using it for divination, to help us find the elk...and of course when we gaze in it, we can see our ruggedly handsome reflections...

But its true purpose is to serve as a fingerbowl, lest we become grubby from all of the cooking over an open fire. Pdiddly is demonstrating its utility in this photo. Details like this are what separate gentlemen hunters from the common hordes. True, it took an hour or so to find the perfect rock and then install it at the end of the fireplace; but again, these things are well worth doing.

And any self-respecting primitive campsite ought to have fresh flowers. This avalanche lily a few yards from our tents wasn't blooming any more, but it was still quite handsome.These things must be noticed, and celebrated...all of which takes time.

And here's the jolly chef, sporting clean hands, a Pendleton shirt, Italian boots, and a jaunty wool toque. A worthy cover photo, if GQ ever decides to do a hunting issue.

Why is he jolly? As you can see, all the necessary ingredients can be reached from his catbird seat on the new rock we installed. I see bacon, eggs, oatmeal, raisins, and...some unidentified brown liquid in a plastic bottle. Perhaps it is maple syrup...

It is lonely work, being the camp cook. He reaches repeatedly for the purported maple syrup bottle, and sips it for encouragement.

When it's not heaped with food, the large flat rock at the hearth makes a fine place to display our classic recurves--to wit, the 1968 Groves Spitfire that I carry with the associated Montana Leather Co. "Ranger" hip quiver, and Pdiddly's 56# Chek-Mate Hunter.

Did Joe really make a "Freudian" slip and call the great adventurers "asses"? Nah...he's not that smart and just can't spell "assess". Next year they should take Frisky with them....now that would be epic! I can see the headlines 50 years from now... "Bowhunter stumbles upon half-century old remains from elk hunt. Feds see no sign of foul play even though body full of arrows of 3 different crestings....declare it a mercy killing instead"!

Frisky has been invited many times, but we've never managed to work out the logistics and get him out here. Of course he'd be quite helpless in the thin air at 11,000' for a week or so...and then quite helpless thereafter owing to just being Frisky. But it would be great fun for sure, and the stuff of legends. The 'Wall might never recover.

Here's an example: those two elk I was chasing the other day were laying on the steep sidehill at upper right in the photo, at about 11,100'. When I staggered up there, there wasn't enough oxygen in the atmosphere to strike a match even. Jets were going by at eye-level, and Jeff Bezos went by just a couple hundred feet higher. There's no way someone like Joe, whose only current exercise is sitting in a field waiting for deer, could ever stalk these legendary high-altitude wild cows without first collapsing himself.

Frisky has been invited many times, but we've never managed to work out the logistics and get him out here. Of course he'd be quite helpless in the thin air at 11,000' for a week or so...and then quite helpless thereafter owing to just being Frisky. But it would be great fun for sure, and the stuff of legends. The 'Wall might never recover.

Here's an example: those two elk I was chasing the other day were laying on the steep sidehill at upper right in the photo, at about 11,100'. When I staggered up there, there wasn't enough oxygen in the atmosphere to strike a match even. Jets were going by at eye-level, and Jeff Bezos went by just a couple hundred feet higher. There's no way someone like Joe, whose only current exercise is sitting in a field waiting for deer, could ever stalk these legendary high-altitude wild cows without first collapsing himself.

Makes sense to me that you have enough to carry up the hill with food and beverages and all that having to carry Frisky would be just too much. But you could always put him on a pack horse.

shoot him up there with one of his giant slingshots

Here's another look at my nearest encounter with the two elk that liked mountain climbing. I suspect they were up this high, where there's nothing but aspen and rocks, in response to hunting pressure down below.

The wind was blowing uphill at the time, and I mistakenly came out below them at the end of my stalk. A good hunter and physical specimen like Frisky probably would have climbed the necessary fifty yards higher and succeeded in shooting one or the other of them. But the whole stalk was on a slope so steep that I was using tree trunks to help pull myself up, trying all the while to be quiet and avoid rattling the many rocks underfoot--hard work for a 65-year-old flatlander.

When you elk hunt, you have two options. You sit and await the elk coming to you or you go after them. The problem here is these guys don't know how to sit and ambush an elk, so they go after them. Now, you must be silent, when stalking, and also need to know how to read mountain air currents. That's the sticking point. They can't close the gap on an elk, as dumb as elk are, as they can hear and smell these guys coming from a mile away. I move like a ghost through the aspens and smell like a whitetail fawn. I'm odorless. I literally become the wind! I become part of my surroundings. That's the difference between a hunter and a couple of bumbling buffoons.

Joe

This is the first hill one must climb after leaving the car at the trailhead parking lot. This is where Lance almost died in 2017, until Peter and I noticed that his face was the color of a deer's liver, and paused out of compassion. On this particular occasion, I immediately noticed the "bull elk!" at the top of the hill, which Pdiddly stubbornly maintained was a muley doe. When we got to the top of the hill, the bull was gone, but a muley doe had come in its place.

We could have shot that doe and her two rotten offspring a dozen times as we continued our climb through the large meadow above the hill. They taunted us, knowing that we only had elk licenses.

Here they are; Muley Mom and her two brats, escorting us up the hill. The wet weather in August had grown a tremendous crop of 6'-tall false hellebore plants in all the meadows, and the deer were quite aware that they were almost invisible in such cover...but not to the eyes of a trained hunter, of course.

Pdiddly is already airborne for Canada, and I'm about to board my flight for Maine. Still looking for elk, but not seeing many here in the Denver airport...I guess they've won again.

The real winner is me! I was worried you might stop by here and eat my venison. Glad you're boarding a plane instead!

Joe

I'm sure that Kerry would much rather eat airplane snacks/food than your deer meat contaminated with chrome from your bumper.

No need for stomach poisoning on his return to Maine. Wolf

"Bumbling Bafoons"

Now that is no way to speak of your mentors.

But it was funny. Hehe

Sticking up for him because you're in the same dump of a state.

Joe

Haha, good one Frisky. That aside, if you ever come to this dump of a state I'll personally steam you some fresh lobster minutes out of the ocean.

I know we'd get along great, your humor and arrogance is addicting. Wolf

Crookedstix and Pdiddly, I might be mistaken but isn't this the time of year when Frisky and Miss Cat Lady bakes cookies for the coming winter? Have enjoyed your pictures and stories. Thanks.

Kerry, you almost had it right: "There's no way someone like Joe, whose only current exercise is sitting in a field waiting for deer" From what I've read, Frisky sits behind the wheel and waits for a deer to get on the road.

Percy

You can bet the old clam eater won't be eating lobster when he returns to Maine. He'll go down to the lake and take his first bath in two weeks. Then, he'll look for clams for supper.

Joe

What a disgrace.

Joe

I'm in Baltimore now; perhaps I'll get crabs.

Now to continue with the educational function of this thread: one thing we've observed over the past six years is that small, shallow ponds like this one may look like the perfect spot to kill an elk, but don't actually get visited by elk all that much in hunting season. They seem to greatly prefer running water from brooks to drink, and they also seem to prefer smaller wallows on the benches in more secluded timber when they have the urge to wallow. Whenever I walk around ponds like this one, I don't really see very many fresh tracks leading to or into the water.

That's just my observation; I'm happy to ask if other elk hunters have seen the same pattern--or not?

A young man I met earlier this week was camped beside just such a pond, and he said that the water in it quickly clogged his filtering pump. I graciously showed him the bubbling spring that Pdiddly and I were using, and he wasted no time in using it to unclog his pump and fill his hydration bladders.

And here's another useful tip: these currants are really good to eat! Peter and I picked a bunch of them--in fact, I'm considering adding this photo to the 2021 Harvest thread.

Naturally, these fruits are also grouse magnets--or at least they would be, if there were any grouse around. One thing Peter and I considered was buying Joe a small game license, and inviting him to come with us--he could have concentrated on hunting grouse, and making fricassee to feed us all.

Ooops, forgot the photo!

Anyway, if we can ever convince Joe to join us, we will teach him these and many other tricks of the elk hunting trade.

I don't concentrate on flower picking. I can do that here. I'm a hunter and would like to see you post hunting photos, not flowers. I don't go hunting to smell the roses.

Joe

Very entertaining. All good sports.

Grouse flush too fast for Frisky to "bust'em in the grill". Having said that, for the sake of full disclosure I will confess I haven't seen a ruffed grouse on my "happy hunting grounds" in the Blue Ridge for many years. The last one I did see flushed from the side ditch outa nowhere on the ride up and I plastered it with my truck of all things. But I felt "dirty and evil"....sorta like Joe must feel when Batman calls in a wellness check on his starving cats!!

"I'm in Baltimore now; perhaps I'll get crabs."...I snorted and coughed a swallow of coffee all over my keyboard on that one...visions of modern Baltimore and how many different ways that line could play out.

Bless you for noticing, Mark!

I should have said "I'm chatting with a waitress at the airport in Baltimore now, perhaps I'll get crabs."

I'm home in one piece now and I think Pdiddly is as well. The airline has somehow managed to rip my sleeping bag off the bottom of my pack frame; I was too tired to notice its absence last night when I grabbed it and drove myself home at 2 AM. Probably not worth trying to track it down at this point, but I'll give them a call at least.

One result of the trip was that I need to punch a new hole in my belt now--two weeks at altitude, with lots of hiking every day, is a good way to shed a few pounds.

One thing I've neglected to mention thus far is the importance of planning each day's hunt. We spent a lot of time in planning sessions, like this one at Jimmer's BBQ in Montrose. It turns out that Jimmer's 25-oz. drafts are the perfect size to accompany a platter of ribs or brisket, as we pore over notes and maps. Actually, I think Peter is poring over assorted emails and phone messages, which he will subsequently ignore. Being on a wilderness trip allows one to use the excuse that "I didn't see your message; we have no reception up here on the mountain."

The foliage just kept getting better and better the whole time we were there. This patch of aspens on the rock slide above our lower campsite was practically on fire by the time we broke camp and headed down the hill.

We also found a better place to bathe this year. Much sunnier and warmer than Buttwash Brook, and lots of elk sign around as well.

Perfect bathing spot.

My bows almost beat me back to Maine! I mailed them Priority at 5 PM Wednesday from Denver; they showed up on my porch here in Maine at 3 PM today. I should have had Pdiddly put me in a box with a few snacks and mail me home.

Those currants are almost tasty enough to not notice the little stems that come with them. I snack on those and rose hips this time of year to get some micronutrients that is typically missing from our modern diets.

I suspect the native tribefolk knew this and added them to their superfood, pemmican, along with other nuts, berries, fats and meat such as bear, deer, and elk. But first ya gotta get an elk. Oh, wait...never mind.

Those currants are another way to say we didn't get meat. Same deal with bragging up oats.

Joe

Sooooo. Back home, no meat. Just another trip of nice pictures of woods and bar scenes. You sure y'all go out there to hunt? LOL

This beginning to look like book. A poorly written book with a bad ending . lol

Right after snapping the picture of "Peter and the Beer", did that "young lady" in the purple happen to come over to say "HI"! Just wondering?

I will only say that we had a cow tag and did not use it.

Harsh!

Understood. Enjoyed following along on your hunt, thanks for keeping us updated with photos and commentary. Some of the best hunts end with out any blood letting. Never been to the mountains but it looks like some nice country where you guys hunt.

Best part about any kind of hunting, and especially hunting elk in the mountains, is the people you hunt with and the places you go hunting.

Here is a meadow I sat and watched a couple of times and always marvelled at the spectacular view!

That East coaster I went hunting with seems to have gotten my brown bottles mixed up.

He posted several pictures of me making use of a brown bottle of maple syrup while cooking breakfast...the syrup was, of course, stored in a used whiskey bottle as the the alcohol left in the bottle before you add the syrup sterilizes the receptacle...every Canuck knows this from birth. My hunting partner seemed to be insinuating that I was having a nibble before lunch! Not the case!

HOWEVER....it seems Kerry wanted to have a sweet snort of syrup one afternoon while I was absent, and grabbed the wrong bottle from the hiding place in the "crypt" portion of the fireplace where the syrup is stored with the rye, and other treasures.

This is how I found that lightweight under the tree at the low camp when I returned!!

Just couldn't resist the siren song of good Canadian rye, even after he discovered his error!!

Every time I turned around while hunting another vista presented itself...

Elk hunting at 11,500 feet is difficult. Getting used to the altitude without having a heavy load is hard enough. Add in a 50 pound pack and near vertical terrain in some places and it is a real test of endurance.

Add into that the potential for rapidly changing temperatures, snow and rain and the difficulties increase. You have to have warm, dry clothing that can be compacted to carry in, a bulletproof tent in terms of wind, rain and snow load and weather and a lightweight but warm sleeping bag and pad that allow you to camp at timberline.

If things get sticky you can't just head out and go home...you need to be prepared to stay where you are because travel can be impossible in a storm.

Just being able to camp comfortably for 13 days straight was a significant accomplishment...what helped make it possible were two clear brooks near both our camps that provided all the fresh water was needed, albeit with a bit of effort to go get it as both water sources were around six minute walk one way, and downhill from the campsites.

We had lots of wood and Kerry's great fireplace design made the most of it.

I am glad I lost weight and got in shape. It was tough the first couple of days but we still made our objectives.

Nice summary of a terrific experience, Peter. Really makes me homesick for those lofty views and wild places.

It's not the scenery or the camaraderie that makes a successful hunt. It's meat on the table. Without that, you'd have been better off staying home, eating clam and oats. My suggestion is to get a .22 and go squirrel hunting.

Joe

I have found the same thing with our Amerrkan friends, Peter. They are so used to that weak stuff that they drink that when they discover quality Canadian whiskey it pacifies them right away,.like smoking a bee hive..tout DE suite!! Jigger

Looks like y’all had a really great hunt and a really good time. I envy you, I really do. I have a couple of real questions for youif you have the time.

1. What was your pack weight for getting to your camp site(s)? I mean generally speaking.

2. With the common clothing debates, what did y’all pack/wear on your hunt? Wool, Fleece, Hybrid, poly, denim, cotton, animal skins?

3. Footwear - Snake boots, rubber boots, hiking boots, leather, synthetic, insulated/non insulated, moccasins, flip flops?

4. Y’all may have touched on it, but on a typical day, how many miles did you cover?

Richard, It generally took two trips to get all the necessary stuff to our campsites--one site was three miles from the car; one was one mile. A typical trip for me was a pack frame with tent, sleeping bag, wool blanket, air mattress, and duffel bag of clothing on it; weighed about 30# I would guess. Bow and camera case in one hand, bag of groceries in the other; fanny pack (worn backwards) full of hunting gear and first aid stuff (including electrolyte packs) around my waist. Second trip would be more food, more clothes, cooking kit, whatever else was needed in an ash pack basket...and again, bow and camera case in hand the whole way.

I wore lightweight wool dress pants from Goodwill--a perfect weight for September hunting in CO! Usually a cotton tee shirt under a Pendleton wool shirt, and if it was cool a wickable camo knit cap on my head. Smartwool socks; no longies needed.

A pretty low-cut pair of Skechers hiking boots (leather) on my feet--I haven't yet seen a snake out there, in the six years I've been going. It's also a treat to have slippers or moccasins to wear around the campsite at day's end.

Our typical days were different--Peter tended to favor sitting in a likely spot, whereas I was usually on the move most of the time. I averaged about five miles a day, and my elevation fluctuated between 10,500' to about 12,000'. Throw in a couple of trips to get water, and the walking between bars in Telluride--maybe 6 miles a day in total.

And like W.C. Fields, we always keep a small quantity of whiskey on hand as snakebite medicine. We just haven't been able to find a snake yet...but we keep looking.

Lowcountry...my large pack weight was around 40-45#. I had a much lighter tent, smaller sleeping pad and a smaller fly this time so lighter load than 2017.

I used my Eberlestock daypack for second trips carrying food and extras that did not get in the big pack the first trip. That pack would end up being 15-20#.

My large pack and Kerry's pack frame are pictured...

For clothing I wore a long sleeve merino wool undershirt with a Pendleton wool shirt over it. Pants were a pair of Sitka Mountain pants. I could add merino wool long johns if needed. Insulating layer above the waist was down and I wore a Sitka Fanatic jacket when sitting. Used a light Cabela's fleece with a waterproof outer layer for warmer weather.

I also had a pair of Australian army wool pants and a heavy wool shirt if the weather got really cold. They were not needed.

Not much cotton except for a t-shirt and a bandanna. Risky clothing material.

As for distance when hunting, I walked around two miles a couple of days, moving very slowly...most days no more than a half mile. When moving camps we walked four to six miles in a day. Trips for water were once or twice daily.

Boots were a pair of Italian made Alico Talic's, similar to the Tahoe. Canadian native moccasins for night time around the fire.

I strongly believe in having a precautionary dose of snakebite medicine in the evening after supper in case a rattler crawls in my tent!

Reports are that to make sure the medicine was needed, WC would also bring along a snake!

Smart fellow! I need to pack a rubber one next year!

No one noticed the bottle was different eh? Had to buy a new one to slide into the crypt before we left, of course after sampling the contents to ensure there was adequate alcohol to prevent freezing over a harsh Colorado winter!

Sandy…truer words were never before spoken!

Once our friends from south of the 49th sip a fine rye they slip into a trance of joy and contentment! Look at the sleepy grin on crookedstix’ mug!

And of course, no archery pilgrimage to Colorado would be complete without a stop at Rocky Mountain Specialty Gear, just a few blocks off I-70 on Denver's west side. Both Tom Sr. and Jr. were off hunting, but we had a great chat with a "seasoned veteran" (old geezer like us) named Jerry.

I couldn't resist getting myself the RMSG T-shirt, whereas Pdiddly was much more practical and got himself some judo points and inserts that gave him exactly the weight he wanted. Now his judos will have the same weight as his hunting broadheads,making the stumping even more perfect as practice. We both probably averaged ten shots or more a day with judos throughout the whole hunt, to keep our shooting dialed in. We had plenty of fine kill shots on logs--if only we were termites, the hunt would have been a great success.

Found the actual quote by WCF:

“ Always carry a flagon of whiskey in case of snakebite and furthermore always carry a small snake.”

" WHO PUT ORANGE JUICE IN MY ORANGE JUICE? " WC

Brokenstix: “ who put maple syrup in my maple syrup bottle?!”

I'm sure our "elk hunters" were just trying to get another empty bottle to store more maple syrup in?

You can't have enough maple syrup receptacles...

The visit to RMS was a lot of fun.

Great facility, excellent selection of useful merchandise and very friendly staff. All this on top of a plethora of old bows to persuse.

And crookedstix unlocked the secret to making up a Zwickey judo point that weighs more than 125 grains. Combine a glue on judo with a tapered screw in insert! That's what's in the bag!

Yes...where else are you gonna find a gently-used, left-handed FASCO Phantom from 1960!

I was hoping for at least a closeup pic of a elk or the barmaid. Little disappointing. That hunt was something Ive never been able to do, pretty cool. Even without the pics I was hoping for, good hunt story! Thanks for sharing

Work of art! Great price too!

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