I live in Maine, but about a month from now I'll be back in the San Juan Mountains for the eighth time in the last nine years. I'll be camping at timberline, toting a 55# Tice & Watts Spartan Hunter recurve, and looking for a bull elk.

I've been waiting to post this thread until I reached a specific milestone, and this morning it happened: the bathroom scales registered an even 200 pounds for the first time in a good many years. A lot of running and sit-ups over the last two summers has helped me scrape away close to fifty pounds that I didn't need to be carrying around, and I can hardly wait to be sucking that thin air at 11,000 feet.

I got my first choice in the elk lottery, which was a bull tag for Unit 70. As always, I'll try to post a bunch of updates and photos once I reach the Promised Land.

Looking forward to this year's trip.

Good for you Kerry! That will make a huge difference when you are heading up those mountains.

Best of luck to you. Good Shooting->->->->Craig

Wishing you the best of luck Kerry, always following your Colorado adventures. The less weight your caring the better you will feel. I hope you get a nice Bull and have another great time in the mountains. Kurt

Good for you! Looking forward to the rest of the story.

I've always enjoyed this thread. Looking forward to all the updates. Good luck!

Good luck this season. The 2018 trip thread was my introduction to the LW and to that fella that goes by Monkeyball. Pictures are no longer viewable on that thread. Anyway to repost some of them for old times sake and for all of us to enjoy that story again?

Nothing like chasing big bulls, enjoy.

Good luck and safe travels.

Good luck, go get ‘em and take us along .

We have common tastes in bows, congrats on your fitness accomplishments, enjoy your trip this season.

We have common tastes in bows, my T&W is one of my favorites, congrats on your fitness accomplishments, enjoy your trip this season.

Always an enjoyable thread!

Krag, you bet I can re-post those photos from 2018; I was just looking at them and reminiscing this morning! In fact I had already re-sized a few of them for just that purpose. This photo has one quarter already in the game bag, and one tied across my ancient pack frame from the 70's.

That was the year that I fired my first and only arrow at an elk, and got a nice cow about 22 yards away. I seem to remember posting LOTS of pix of the field-dressing and cutting-up process...I was pretty psyched at the time. But getting all that meat back to Maine, with no ice for the last 1500 miles, turned into quite an adventure...and it was definitely Monkeyball to the rescue when I reached Pennsylvania; he and his wife bailed me out big time. I still chuckle when I remember going out of his house in the morning, and seeing three turkey vultures perched in the tree directly above my car...almost as if they could smell something, lol.

Way to go Kerry and will be looking forward to letting us tag along. Good luck and be safe.

I had a Canada jay (aka whiskeyjack) who was all too willing to help me with the elk meat; he was on this piece within minutes after I hung it up.

The morning temps when I shot it were in the 40's, but by the time I had packed it down to my car (no cooler, no ice) it was in the 70's. Luckily, there was a nearby brook running a good flow of cool water, and also with good air drainage coming through its ravine. I sunk the quarters in a deep pool to cool them down, then patted them dry and hung them in the shade of a giant spruce tree that hung out over the brook. They stayed nice and cool, and by the following morning the temps were back down around freezing...and then by 10:00 AM I had made it to Durango and found some dry ice. By nightfall it was in the walk-in freezer of The Buck Stop in Pagosa Springs, getting chilled down ahead of the big trip back East...crisis averted!

I bet I'll draw blood first this year! In fact, I don't give him much chance of beating me, as I'm not issuing passes to any deer this year! If he does get something that's deaf, dumb and blind, I hope he at least brings along a few coolers this time. He can use them to store his stuff, as they aren't likely going to be storing meat, haha!!

Joe

Here are a few scenic shots from that 2018 trip...this was a sunrise from one of my campsites.

Ah, the peanut gallery is heard from! Good; now you'll see what you're missing by not coming out with me--to say nothing of all that you'd learn by watching me hunt.

This is a spot you'd love, Joe--the grass in this meadow is just tall enough to use as a blind; your favorite tactic!

Frisky would also be quite helpful to have along; I usually have a fair amount of gear to be carried. I'd let him help, and fill his head with tales of elk encounters I've had out there.

One of the most important rituals to be followed at the lower campsite is the Opening of the Crypt. Each year, the faithful (usually Pdiddly and me) roll away the boulder that masks the entrance to the crypt, underneath the big rock table I made...

Gosh that’s awesome. Getting an elk with a recurve is something I would love to do. I’m looking forward to seeing your updates.

...and each year, our faith is rewarded by finding the cheap Canadian whiskey that lies within it. A solemn celebration usually ensues.

A big part of each trip is the recurring task of finding an internet connection so as to send updates to the 'Wall.

It's always a tossup--the public library has a better signal and comfortable chairs, whereas the Last Dollar Saloon allows me more options for rehydration after all the grueling hiking. I can usually upload five or six pix and post a fair amount of drivel in the time it takes to administer 16 oz. of PBR...but after that, the man behind the counter starts glaring at me and suggesting that I should keep buying beer if I'm going to keep leeching their power and wifi connection. But alas; I cannot linger; it's a long hike back up the mountain and nightfall is coming.

Hmmmm... you going alone this year?

Looking forward to your reports. Packing in a ways this year with a grandson. Haven’t decided where yet. We are OTC so not lacking in choices but none of them very good. LOL

Frisky, Kerry has blood on his hands, you have only got blood on the bumper. He is going to succeed this year on a bull. Mybe if you are lucky, he will use some of those quiety things you make. Go Kerry, go.

He's going to need a lot more than Super Hush Buttons to get him through. It doesn't matter how quiet your bow is if you can't get a shot because you've alerted every breathing thing on the mountain to your presence. If he brings along a bumbling, drunken Canadian, he's done before he gets started!

Joe

Ooooh!! One of my favorite threads of the year!!! Go get em Kerry!!! Patiently waiting for your beautiful pics of that high mountain hunting.

Longcruise--that's great that you and your grandson will be getting off the beaten trail. And Grizzly has foreseen the future; I will in fact have a pair of those Joe Frisk plastic fantastics on my bowstring. He's already supplied me with a pair of banana-yellow shush buttons, or whatever he calls them.

Here's the view from the top of the first meadow that I'll walk up through, looking back down towards the trailhead where my car will be parked. By this time I'll already be sucking wind, but the trail levels off quickly and heads into the elk-infested woods. My biggest hope is that Colorado gets a good dose of monsoon rain over the next month; the whole west seems to be on fire this year. I've heard there's a ban on campfires over towards Denver...or for all I know it may even be statewide.

I've also been eagerly awaiting your trip, photos and updates Kerry!! An actual real life, down to earth, hunting trip as opposed to Frisky's fantasy hunting stories, excuses and women/cat problems :^).

Travel safely!

As for the presence of any Canadians on this trip, I'm sorry to say that Peter (Pdiddly) can't come to Colorado this year; he's too busy keeping the Canadian postal workers union up to snuff...but he's vowing that he'll make it back out in 2025. Here he is on the 2021 trip, providing the essential morning coffee and bacon.

Beautiful country and No housing for miles, let your soul run Wild.

And just out of frame to the right in the above photo is one of our many small luxuries at the campsite--a stone fingerbowl that we found in the rockslide adjacent to camp. It's important to maintain at least a veneer of respectability around the campsite.

Can’t wait!

I’ll be following, I will be in the San Juans in late October. The west gets in your blood!

Good luck Kerry, my boys and I will be north of you again, near Junction. Going since 2006, aint it grand!

This looks like a good one, beautiful places and traditional bowhunting!

The dry conditions and competing events have made it difficult to line up sponsors this year, Boss. Not even a sniff from the Prepared Hero fire blanket folks. But I'm looking into the celebrity sidekick angle. So far, Snoop Dog may be the only option...he's open to a 'Rocky Mountain High' collaboration project. What's your knee jerk reaction to product placement for Corona Extra? 19 Crimes wines? Does New Bowmainea have a flag?

My wife remembers it well Kerry. She was mortified when I told her I had never met you before except for on the internet! You have been the topic of discussion in many conversations. it was a pleasure.

Funny that you mentioned the turkey vultures, the neighbor had that big willow taken down that they use to roost on after a hard rain, not sure where there drying there wings these days.

That stone age table top kitchen is flat out awesome, one of my favorite parts of your story.

Good Shooting->->->->Craig

Ah yes, the rock...this is what happens when you give a Yankee spare time and a big pile of rocks. Give me some rollers and a prybar, and stand back.

A good backdrop for the St. Joe River "Classic Recurve" I was hunting with that year, which might be the best bow that I own.

“… which might be the best bow that I own.”

Not knowing how many bows you have that is still saying a lot..

Yes, it's one of the Craig Potter SJR bows and it's a good one. I got it secondhand but felt compelled to find him and tell him how much I admired his work on it. It's right up there with Fred Anderson's work IMO. I sent Craig this same picture (in much higher definition) and he seemed tickled to have it.

For those who may have forgotten, or forgotten to care, Mangonboat (Mark Kurdys) is the official Royal Mouthpiece and Branding Agent of New Bowmainea. His vast legal experience, and his willingness to undertake any shady scheme that will line the royal coffers, make him the perfect man for the job.

Mark--ixnay on the Snoop Dog deal; he's cheapened his brand with all his photo-bombing at the Olympics. Likewise, no go on the Corona deal; but see if you can line up something similar with Negra Modelo, which is a beer that I actually like...and don't ever even breathe the words "Coors Light" in my presence.

Getting better all the time. :)

I read that Snoop was paid $500,000 a day PLUS EXPENSES!!!!!

Pretty wet down Ta Hell Ya Ride way. Prospects are good for more moisture. In case of A hurricane or tropical storm along Mexico's pacific coast it can get pretty wet in that area.

Best of luck and hope you have a great time. Enjoy hearing the updates.

It seems to me Joe is lobbying to take Pdiddly's place....take him, Kerry, take him! It won't help your odds at all, but it will exponentially increase the LW's amusement. Darlene will likely pay you big $$$$ to leave him there!

Yes, I've noticed that the Telluride area usually gets its share of whatever moisture is around, whether it's snow or summer monsoon showers...there must be something about the way those mountains reach up and tickle the clouds. Sights like this are common at the higher of the two places where I usually camp.

I check it on the webcams pretty regularly, and the hillsides around town still look almost lush (for the Southwest anyway).

Richard, I've actually tried my darnedest for the past bunch of years to lure Joe away from the cats on a Colorado trip, but he won't rise to the bait. It's a shame, as the entertainment value for the 'Wall would be off the charts. Plus, he'd have a chance to see sights he'd never seen...such as, a big-game animal killed by an arrow, lol.

I could probably stand being around him for the eight or nine days it would take me to get enough material for a book.

You'd have enough material for a "novella' on the trip out! Or you could keep a "hunting diary" and yours would actually involve some "killin"!

Laughs already! Good Luck!!

Are you driving again, Kerry? I may be doing that myself, but not sure if I will hunt or just tag along with my brother & nephew, who have both deer & Elk tags for a drawn unit. I’ll have to see how many days I think I could get out of an OTC tag…

And a big Congrats on the fitness goals, man! Last week, a couple of hiking partners and I took 2 laps on a 1-mile up and back which gains 975 feet, so about 18.5% grade, and on the second trip up, I dropped my pack weight about #10 from the low #40s to lower #30s, if you figure that water weight only counts before you drink it….. But the difference of just #10 was about as noticeable as the difference between my bows which are right about #10 apart. I don’t know how anyone sporting a little excess avoirdupois can even cope with Big Hills, so if you’ve dropped #50, you must feel like you’ve sprouted WINGS!

Still trying to figure out how I managed to drop #10 on the hill LY….. I was scrawny enough to begin with….

Where did that elk pic come from? Was that yours. I couldn't tell since you were not in the pic. Come on man, get a pic of you with your bow and your elk next time looking proud. )

Kerry, I’m really looking forward to reading about this years trip. My joining you and Peter in 2017 was one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life. As a complete rookie I was really worried about being a burden to both of you. But, as true sportsman you welcomed and taught me. I have the photo of you and me standing in Wilson Meadows framed and on display in my living room. Have a safe trip along the highways and enjoy your time in the mountains. Lance

Fun seeing you relive the excitement from past years. The Last Dollar Saloon looks to have some cuties hanging there...surely an upgrade to Frisky's cat ladies. Surprised you didn't bone out your elk quarters in order to simplify handling off the mountain and to home. To Jimmyjumpups point...you need to figure out how to get in the photo...either selfie or by propping your phone up and using the timer. Would sure be a hoot if Frisky would join you, but he does need to turn out some new improved Super Duper Premium Hush Buttons, but should make himself available after getting a few in the mail. Maybe we LW'ers could take up a collection to help sponsor him on this trip...I'm sure the tales would be worth the investment. Your little rock wash basin is quite the anomaly to have such a perfect bowl in it. All good stuff...

Yes, that picture was taken right where she piled up, about 50 yards from where I shot her. Here's another one, observing the old German hunting tradition of the Letzter Bissen (last bite), with the sprig of green in her mouth.

The 2017 trip with Lance, Peter and me--all meeting each other for the first time!-- was indeed a classic. Many indelible memories, such as Peter digging out knife after knife from Lance's pack, sputtering "No wonder it's so goddam heavy, Lance!"

All good stuff as usual. Have a ball! I look forward to your posts each September.

Ooops, forgot the picture...

Yikes! Are those hooves as sharp as they look?? Mine had hooves well-rounded by running over the rocks….

Glad to see you going again Kerry. Always love your story.

Corax, I'm 99% certain that I'll be driving out this year; right now my stepson and I are working on logistics. He can't leave Maine until the 16th, and needs to be back by the 26th...but I'm not content with four days of driving for seven days of hunting. The current plan is that maybe I'll drive out on the 7-8th, and that he will fly to Denver and then Montrose on the 16th, where I'll pick him up. Then we can drive back to Maine together on the back end of the trip.

As for those hooves, I don't actually remember how sharp they were...but she wasn't a real old cow; I suspect maybe she was a yearling.

That poor elk looks like she died of starvation a week earlier. Now, we have to wonder if he actually shot a live one?

Joe

Lol, "the Legend of the North" rears his green, envious head! We can't wait for the start of the 2024-25 "Diary". I think you should open it up around Labor Day! It doesn't matter if the season hasn't come in...they can't write you a ticket for "hunting" from the recliner with Fatso asleep on your lap!

"they can't write you a ticket for "hunting" from the recliner with Fatso asleep on your lap"

THAT made me laugh....

Hey buddy! Glad to hear you shed some pounds...I went from 218 to 188 for the trip in 2021..very glad I did as it was far more pleasant and easy to get acclimated.

I also was glad I lightened my gear dramatically-new tent, sleeping pad and tarp, along with leaving the cooking gear right next to the whiskey so it is there for use!

The thought of that Canadian rye is what gets me up the mountain! LOL!

Looks like the weather will be great...

I was laughing at monkeyball's wife's comment! I met Kerry for the first time when I picked him up at the bus station in Syracuse in 2018, our meeting point south of Ottawa where I set out from. Within an hour we were snickering and telling tales, like we had known each other for years!

That is a lovely campsite below the mesa, with the natural bowl, the multi-purpose fireplace and the whiskey stash! Plus it's a ten minute walk to elk haven!

Here's a picture of the bowl!

Some more pics to follow...

Me "opening the crypt" and receiving the "blessing" of Canadian "maple syrup'! Saved!

A view of the "Lower Camp" with me making lunch..there is a permanent spring that is five minutes away...that makes camping here possible as no water needs to hauled...

Here is the spring seep coming out of the ground...all you need...we spend a bit of time forming the pool and building a dam.

And yes Frisky..we do go hunting...a lot...and hard. We don't cancel to shoot a slingshot!

Here is one of my favourite spots where we saw a bull in 2021 that was just a little too far...

Good pictures Peter!

I would save the hike and pound that bourbon at home. LOL

I always enjoy your stories. I think the table with the whiskey vault is epic. Good luck!

I hear you on the Drive:Hunt ratio! I’m thinking I’m crazy to even contemplate it when the plane ticket is less than the cost of gas, but then you’re in Denver and either on foot or on the hook for a rental car.

crookedstix, does it ever appear as though others use your campsite or hearth throughout the year?

If they do, and they don’t replenish the contents of The Crypt, may the fleas of a thousand sheep infest their sleeping bags!!

Especially because only someone who has been to this site would know where to look…,

I believe no one has ever used one of our two campsites that we could see...they are not readily visible and both are in places most people would not hike to..

Corax...we drove out together in 2018...that was a long haul from Ottawa Canada.

In 2021 we both flew to Denver then rented a car...that gave us a lot more hunting time...pictured is the gear I took on that trip...the large pack on the right was checked luggage and had all I needed for camping, plus bow's, quivers, arrows etc as that was the tallest pack. It was used for the pack in.

The smaller green waterproof pack in the middle had extra clothes and gear that stayed in the SUV. It was also checked luggage. Some of the gear in the large pack was also left in the SUV as it was spare stuff.

The Eberlestock X2 on the left was my carryon and had a lot of gear in it as well. It was used while hunting and also for hauling meat if we had been successful.

Once we arrived at the trailhead we rearranged everything for the hike to the top of the mountain...

This is a small wallow that a lot of elk check even though it is not that big...the blue closed cell foam pad slides into a pack but adds a bit of comfort when I park my butt to watch a run...

If you look at this picture you can see a tent at our camp at the bottom right...this is around 12,000 feet and the highest timber in the area and above the area elk frequent...we hear them below us at night.

We get our water and clean up at Buttwash Brook, about seven minutes from the site!

I took this from a perch above the camp where I could actually get a signal for my mobile to send an " All-OK" message home.

And this is me at the "hotspot" taking a selfie...

Boy does that look like a good time! pdiddly, what bow is that?

I think that's Peter's 60# Chek-Mate; he's pretty good out to 40 yards with it...as I know from our impromptu stump-shooting competitions. After we passed on that 6 x 6 bull at 50 yards in 2021, you can bet we took a lot of 50-yard stump shots to see if we "coulda-woulda-shoulda" let one fly at him.

Crookedstix is correct...it's a 56" Chekmate Hunter. I also have a 62" Hunter II that uses the same limbs in the same weight...both are great but this one is lighter for long hunts and is stable enough.

I actually had both bows in the green pack for that trip...

Here it is on the rock at the fireplace at the low camp with a GN Side Mount Quiver...I use 2020's with 165 grain Ace Express heads.

Dang. No penetration worries there!!

Maybe I should start my own thread for this year…. Call it “No Elk is at risk”……. LOL

Actually they're all pretty safe; in seven years I've only shot at one...which I was lucky enough to hit and kill. Game of all sizes really has very little to fear from me...and they seem to know it.

One of my all time favorite threads! I hope you have a safe and successful trip.

It's a lazy Sunday; I'm just beginning to get my gear collected and enjoying a few daydreams of the places I'll soon be visiting again. Watching it rain on the webcam in downtown Telluride--rain is good; I don't want any forest fires cropping up.

Here's some scenery from past trips. Truth be told, the scenery is the biggest part of why I go; the elk hunting is just frosting on the cake. It's basically a camping trip with bow and arrows in hand.

Although I will admit--when you stumble across a spot like this on the edge of dark timber, it's hard not to get a bit excited. I get a quick vision of a bull elk coming in and offering a shot at close range.

And I'm not greedy--I'd be perfectly content with a little 5 x 5 like this one, lol.

Ha! That's an unusual bull...missing it's 3rd tine on both sides.

Yes, I've always thought I should remove that one from the gene pool...but the trouble is, this little herd lives in downtown Telluride. I'm afraid his death wouldn't go unnoticed.

Back to the camping now...here's my "breakfast of champions" when I'm at 11,000 feet. Cook up your bacon, save the fat, and then scramble three eggs with a whole lotta cheddar melted in. Warm an everything bagel over the fire, add cream cheese, and wash it down with black coffee. With a base like that, a man can hunt...oh, until 11:30 or so; then it's time to drink more coffee and hear Peter's stories from his own morning hunt.

I wouldn't eat that grub if you paid me! I'd go light and just pack in raman noodles. I'd eat the noodles, with chunks of arrowed grouse thrown in. If course, I'd only be eating this for a day and then switch to eating elk roast.

Joe

Frisky - I sure wish you would join this hunt! It would be EPIC!

Love this thread! Best of luck and stay safe!

Hahaha...I don't know about the raman noodles...but some fresh caught trout from the walk in, and a grouse as Frisky mentioned, followed by elk backstrap...the roasts are better done back home in a crock pot. However, 11:30 is nap time! Story telling can wait until afternoon as you are shading up waiting for the evening hunt. I have lots of experience at the nap thing...in the shade of a fir thicket.

Kerry, being honest and forth coming will get you no empathy from Joe. And now you've tipped him that there's a semi-tame, roadside bull in downtown Telluride that would be easy pickings for his preferred hunting method....the Mad Max "deer drive"! You may have company yet!

Bugle up-- one of these years I'm going to take advantage of that free fishing license that comes along with the elk tag. One of the spots I hunt is near the headwaters of the Dolores River; that one looks like it might hold a trout or two. And then right at Lizard Head Pass there's the cryptically named "Trout Lake"-- maybe I could find something there.

I will choose not to acknowledge the comments about taking ramen noodles on a hunting trip. I've explained before that real wilderness dining requires carrying in not just real food, but also real cast iron cookware, real silverware including a spatula, enough milk and beer to wash it all down, and enough cameras and computers to record it for posterity. This is why Frisky should come on this trip; he could help me carry this stuff.

That "breakfast of champions" looks pretty fine to me vs Frisky's raman noodles w/catnip seasoning. Maybe some sourdough toast added for extra energy?

I'd think a small shot of "Canadian maple syrup" prior to the afternoon hunt would work pretty well also for a bit of added stamina :^).

Frisky as "porter"! That's a grand idea and a fair way for him to "earn his keep" for getting to tag along. He could also double as camp cook and bartender, but you'd probably have to fire him from those duties in short order if you expect anything palatable. It's not like he's going to hunt anything. He might climb high enough to get a cell signal so he can chronically harass Darlene about feeding the herd and giving the infirm their insulin shots!

crookedstix, I'm not a huge fan of eating trout EXCEPT when freshly caught near elk camp and eaten there. They are tremendous as camp cuisine. I realize a backpacking rod and reel are just that much more to packed in, but the experience of catching trout in a high mountain stream and serving that evening is exceptional...especially if you have a free fishing license as part of the package.

I’d just pitch a tent in the back yard and save the gas money. That will buy a lot of bourbon

“Truth be told, the scenery is the biggest part of why I go; the elk hunting is just frosting on the cake. It's basically a camping trip with bow and arrows in hand.”

I’m not usually a big fan of Frosting, but I’m with you; if a guy feels like the trip won’t be a success without a filled tag, everyone is better off if That Guy stays home drinking bourbon in the back yard with JR…. But I have to say, I have climbed mountains and hiked off-trail into many places I would never have even thought to get to had I not had a tag in my pocket.

Maybe that’s not the “pure” hiking experience that you get heading Out There just to Be In The Mountains, but I guess I’m OK with that. Makes me wonder how many hikers would drop $800 just for The Experience?

Anyway, as a rule I am fine with just cake, but a little Frosting is what makes it a Celebration. And that’s good for the soul…

Some good points Corax....I can say the same in that I've seen lots of nooks and crannies in the mountains that I would never had seen had I not had the tag in my pocket. It's a motivator, and leads you into places you would not normally venture if just backpacking.

Kerry, I'm all in! Next year start earlier and turn this into "The Annual Leatherwall San Juan Ol' Geezer Elk Pilgrimage". We'll ship our supplies in time to send Frisky out early to tote everything up to the campsite, have everything set up with bourbon shots poured out on a primitive plank "bar" and bacon sizzlin' in the cast iron when we all come trudging up the mountain like an invading army! We can set up a GoFundMe for the greyhound ticket, cuz we know his tires are always worn out and the "Coupe de Kille" is likely behind on inspections. All participants can pony up enough for a year's worth of cat food/litter for Frisky's compensation...no tip included cuz we'll have to listen to him all week! Party time, Excellent!

There are people that go on backpacking trips just like this. You don’t have to carry a bow. At least you are honest Chorine. I hate to admit when I go hunting I go to kill something. Lots of hunters do. I’m glad crooked has fun on his hunt. That’s what it’s all about.

And I will say that a big part of the fun I have is when I get to share the pix and stories on the forum. There are plenty of guys on here whose timberline days are behind them, but I know they enjoy the annual reports that I file.

I also agree with those who say that the tag in the pocket intensifies the experience. It's the reason I climb higher, get up earlier, sit more quietly, and notice the little things in the woods around me. If I was just hiking, I'd travel twice as fast and see half as much.

I hope those days are ahead of me, but I better get a move on, your annual trip gives us inspiration!! thank you

You know, there’s a thread on Bowsite about a sheep hunt, and someone made this comment…

“You'd almost have to be ok with not getting one to truly enjoy the experience.”

And I don’t follow that at all… Are you going to enjoy every minute of your hunt to the fullest, or are you going to reserve judgment until you know whether your tag will get filled? Because every minute of a high-altitude hunt is amazing and a joy; a great memory you’ll treasure forever, if you engage with it. So yes, you have to embrace the suck. That’s a terrific memory — even if it takes you a few weeks to realize it.

We are going Hunting. A filled tag is the exception, not the rule… so a bull, a cow or even a calf is Not Promised. But neither is Tomorrow.

So I’d better get my sorry carcass to the gym before the whole day has gotten away from me….

"It's the reason I climb higher, get up earlier, sit more quietly, and notice the little things in the woods around me. If I was just hiking, I'd travel twice as fast and see half as much."

I think this encapsulates it perfectly...at least from my many years hunting elk in high country.

Reading today has made me hungry. Think I'll get a sammich. 8^)

Best part of elk hunting is the places you do it in, and the people you do it with...

There were a couple of mule deer messing around on the edge of this meadow as I watched the wallow...we saw lots of them during the trip.

A fine place to watch the sun crawl up a mountain.

Another wonderful view...

When all the trees are below you...

Reposting due to first picture being too big...

“A fine place to watch the sun crawl up a mountain.”

Aren’t we LUCKY, boys?? I mean, bow many people have never watched the woods fill with color on a cold, gray morning, or have never seen a valley full of aspens catch the first light of a September morning?

Some days, I think people who have never hunted have never actually Lived.

As satisfying as it was last year to bone out and pack off my nephew/Godson’s bull, that’s not what it’s all about….

“Best part of elk hunting is the places you do it in, and the people you do it with...”

I can’t say it any better or clearer; the best thing about having an adventure is having someone Who Was There to share it and remember it with. There are times when I just really need a good laugh, and I have a handful of memories of times with my Irish Twin brother that just never fail to deliver…. Even if some of them cannot probably ever be shared with anyone who wasn’t there in the moment….

And the thing about Elk Country…. Sometimes it’s so damn punishing that if you didn’t know that you’d be laughing about it in a few weeks, you might just quit….

I have a problem with these tourist pics. We want to see hunting pics! We want to see dead elk, dead grouse, camo, bows, broadheads. That kind of stuff. You're going out there to hunt. Not to smell the roses and take pics that have been taken by 500 million people in the past.

Joe

You'll get amazing pix just as soon as I start rounding up my gear and heading west. Right now you must content yourself with the highlight reel...but if you must have your pound of flesh, here's a grouse to put in your nasty old Ramen noodles.

One more, taken when he was still alive...now quit your grousing.

Kerry, I don't know, that first bird looks pretty intact and "unsullied". Did it die of bird flu? (Not to take Joe's side....)

A scandalous suggestion! It was killed by a well-placed arrow, launched by yours truly. I had cleverly used my first two arrows to scare it into "freezing," at which time the third arrow claimed its life. That's how a real hunter does it!

I’d have a pic of me and my bow in the pic with my game taken. Lol

At least with Kerry we can debate rubber Blunts vs Kondors vs Judos, rather than Buicks vs Kias whatever Junker you can buy from the impound lot….

Sheesh!

Kerry, my bad, lol! I didn't realize you're obviously "Legend " material also. Musta been one of the silly spruce grouse they're always talking about being clueless enough that you can snare them right outa the tree. Just put a wire noose on a long pole and move slowly if you move slowly. I can't talk though. Two winters ago, up at the "happy hunting grounds" I bragged to my hunting buddies that I had just dined on my first ruffed grouse...of all things taken with a .22 pistol. (all true) I have a Ruger Wrangler single action I use with CB longs to dispatch trapped animals. Accuracy wise, it isn't even in the same league as my Mark II semi-auto, but at basically point-blank range it does a fine job. Coming back from my trap line check I spied a ruffed grouse perched in the rhododendron. I had a couple rounds left in the cylinder that I promptly emptied..all misses. I was out of ammo, went back to the camper and got some more. Bird was still sitting there when I got back and I'll killed it with, I don't know, 6th or 7th shot! Everyone deserves a second chance...not to mention third, fourth...

Those “duskies” (they’re no longer legally identified as “blues” for some reason)… But they are really right there in Frisky’s wheelhouse, since they’ll dither about like My Pet Chicken, seemingly wondering whether they’re gonna get fed or not…

It’s a little-discussed fact that the reason Joe is always changing his mind about which arrow-slinging device is TRULY The Holy Grail of Bows is mostly that he has a bad habit of emptying that bushel-basket he carries as his “quiver” and then finally killing his grouse with a skillful, side-armed throw of his recurve. The skillful part is a function of keeping the throw low and parallel to the ground so that the bow can slow down a bit before it hits the ground, preferably hanging up on brysh before it hits a rock…. And you know this is true because his preference keeps trending towards longer bows which act like skeet tubes…..

Word has it that in that Skunkworks that he calls his garage is the prototype for a 72” BSL — Boomerang-Style Longbow — which when hurled by the limb-tip, will skim the earth for a half-dozen yards, then vault skyward and return to the thrower, but so far I hear he’s been throwing it from the wrong end and it has been going straight the ground. On the plus side, his driveway is looking freshly graded….

It's probably best if we limit any references to Frisky; he's a known troublemaker on the forum and I'm afraid Phil might ax the whole thread on me, lol.

Now, here's the bow that I think will be my first choice on this trip--a 62" Tice & Watts Spartan Hunter that scales 55# at 28", and a bit over 60# at my draw. The arrows will be these Easton 2216's, the broadheads will probably be Stingers.

I carry five arrows in a hip quiver, one of those sweet old Montana Leather Co. "Ranger" models. I shoot split-finger with a very thin leather glove. I practice voodoo around the campfire the night before I hunt, using a silver needle to pierce a small elk effigy. In other words, all my gear and techniques are top-notch and proven to be effective.

The string on the bow is D-97; those old T&W tips have plenty of reinforcement to handle a low-stretch string.

I'm a little bit worried that these new-fangled, bright yellow brush buttons may be problematic. The maker claims that they're "the best ever made" (he's from Minnesota, and I think he used to write the copy for the Herter's catalogs). But, I seem to be spraying my arrows all over the target from 35 yards lately...all I can think of to blame it on is the brush buttons, lol.

Hmmm...collectively, all six of these shots would probably kill an elk... yes, it must be the fault of the brush buttons.

Nice you have it surrounded! Now go in for the kill!

I’ve been having lots of difficulties with my shooting for the last 3 or 4 weeks but I feel better after seeing that.

I blame the buttons; they are obviously the wrong shade to harmonize with your fletchings, and they’re projecting a Cone of Exclusion down-range.

You may need to achieve Harmony through Sacrifice; I would fletch up a sacrificial arrow with your yellow fletchings and stick it (vertically) into your foam, directly in the middle of your ball target, and shoot at that arrow until you have reduced it to a whole bunch of very short bits.

It’s really unfair to the Arrow Tribe to have to sacrifice one of their own to placate the Button People, but if you take those buttons off, I fear that you be cursed by Him Whose Name Must Not Be Spoken, and your draw-area hunt will suffer a Plague of Iowans, as these are the most horrifying creatures that a Minnesotan can conjure across the prairies and up to the ridgetops….

Well said GF! One must be careful about so called Legends of the North that live as close to Iowa as “damn” is to swearing!

We have begged Frisky to join us but he knows his mettle would be tested, and he would have to produce results because, trusting his word, we would bring no meat, since he would be providing a steady supply of various critters to sustain us!

what happened to this hunt??

I think he's still in process....not on it yet. I'm sure this tread will be booming before long.

Kerry must've stopped over in Minnesota for the hospitality and Joe and Darlene brainwashed him into investing his life saving in Hush Buttons Inc....made him CFO or something!

Maybe he's there and just got into "the cache"...and the replacement! Seems I recall his service was sketchy at "ground zero".

I think he was flying this year….

Thought I read it would be around the 8th ????

We're a bit early and anxious.

I don't blame him, isn't Minnesota technically a "flyover state", lol?

Have no fear; the trip is still on tap...and you can bet I'll be giving Minnesota a wide berth as I drive myself West. I'm planning to leave on the 9th of this month, so by the 11th or 12th my photos and tall tales should start arriving on this thread...in fact I'll actually start a new one then.

I'm pleased to report that my target groups are getting tighter and tighter. I'm shooting about five dozen shots after dinner each evening, which is about all the skin on my fingers can take and still recover for the next day's shooting. The 55# Tice & Watts has been sidelined; I'm just more accurate with my 55# Howatt Hunter and 56# St. Joe River, so those are the bows I'm taking.

I spent a few hours rooting around through my gear the other night-- it seems I have more "hunting clothes" than any five men could wear in on season. Time for some selective thinning...

Looking forward to some camp photos and maybe one crossing a river on a make-shift bridge, like Fred & Glenn at the Little Delta.

safe travels Kerry and shoot straight

These are just some of the clothes I'll be taking; I threw a clothesline up so they could get some fresh air for a few days. To the untrained eye this might look like a drab old bunch of rags, but a closer look is called for...

Almost everything I wear is either all wool or else a wool blend. The shirt on the left is Viyella, a wool/cotton blend that's actually the oldest branded fabric in the world (it's been around since 1894). The one on the right is old skool Pendleton, made in the early 60's, and scratchy enough to be unwearable for anyone under the age of 60. Serious hunting attire, in other words. Both are invisible to wildlife, I think; and are strongly repellent to women and other pests.

Them Rocky Mtn elk get a whiff of northeastern air an’ they’ll be high-tailing it to town where they’ll wait out the invasion of Red Sox fans. Only time they’ll be seen is in front of the saloon having their picture taken.

And there has to be at least one lucky T-shirt in the mix...Phil, this doesn't count as free advertising for a non-sponsor.

And here are the two bows--the St. Joe River Classic Hunter on the left, and the 1962 Howatt Hunter on the right.

Ooops...there we go.

Two beautiful bows! I hope you don't need all five dozen shots you were talking about to make a good hit on your elk. I've never had one stand still that long...

I've been partial to my Howatt Hunter the past 2 seasons, the bow shoots so well. Good luck!

Bugle up, it's all just about rebuilding the muscles in my back and arms. For many years I was shooting plenty to keep things toned, but the past year of my life has just required too much time on keyboards, telephones, and Zoom meetings. But, back in early August I gave myself permission to resume shooting as much as I wanted, and it's finally starting to pay dividends.

The only elk I've ever shot at only stood still for about five seconds, staring right at me the whole time. I knew there was a bull coming behind her, but she was ready to blow up and queer the whole deal...so I took the shot I had, and it wound up being a good thing. Of course, when the 6 x 6 then ran by me at 25 yards, all I could do was watch and drool.

The Hoiwatt is a tiny bit quicker and a tiny bit quieter, so I think it will be my first option. Those old 1962 3-strip rosewood risers are so pretty you almost hate to risk using them...but once you start shooting them, you can't stop.

How many guys does it take to pack in all your clothes?

Best of luck and safe travels!

I'm allowing myself extra wardrobe poundage this year since I'm taking a car; it will sit there just fine and be ready if and when I need it. Also taking extra cast iron this year, and a pair of fuzzy slippers for campfire attire. Style is important.

I was just kidding...and I wondered if perhaps you had fallen behind a bit in your conditioning. I'm super fortunate in that we have a small traditional archery club and shoot every Tuesday evening...outdoors in the summer and indoors in the winter. It forces me to stay engaged and shooting throughout the year. Doesn't mean I don't miss animals though....adrenaline is one of my worst enemies...yet is one of the reasons I hunt, and with traditional bows....an adrenaline junkie....

I also love hunting high country for elk, which makes your thread particularly fun. Our season opened last Saturday but I haven't been out yet. Planning on heading out to camp tomorrow evening and hunting Saturday morning. It's a bit early yet for my liking, but by the second half of September I should be hunting every morning. I'm not packing up into the high country like I used to, but rather have a camp less than an hours drive from the house. I spend nights in camp and hunt first thing in the morning until the bulls quit bugling, then come home and finish my day at work, then do it all over again. I do miss my trips into higher country, but my bad back makes those trip more difficult.

Do you still have room for the cache "replenishment"? You could always make it a tribute to Ron Laclair and stash a bottle a Basil Hayden's, it was supposedly a fave around Shrewhaven. Just be warned of the sticker shock!

Sadly, the Basil Hayden just won't do in terms of filling the crypt...the two essential conditions are that it must be Canadian, and it must be cheap. Those are Pdiddly's rules, who is also Canadian and cheap.

It's quite likely that some replenishment will be needed this year; the stash took quite a hit during our last visit. My stepson Alex took this rather unflattering portrait--something he seems to specialize in--when we reached the crypt on our last visit. It wasn't really fair; I had just driven all the way from Denver and then packed a full load of gear up the mountain. I believe he waited until I had just dozed off for a minute, then staged a misleading photo.

Been watching this thread, good luck on your hunt, headed that way with my son also the 8th for 12 days, can hardly wait. Pappy

Here's another example of my stepson's trickery with the camera: by getting above me and then calling my attention to some elk manure by my feet, he got me to bend over and look down--thus producing a picture that makes me appear to be overweight, balding, and winded by the very first hill we climbed. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

Pappy--that's great that you and your son will be getting a 12-day hunt. Hopefully he doesn't take cruel pictures of you.

Congrats on dropping 50, that’s hard! Good luck on this year’s hunt. Following!

I thought you said Peter was going be a "no-show" this year. Tell him "you no playa da game, you no maka da rules"! I don't think it's that unflattering...but he could have placed your bow in hand to add a touch of nobility! Like this pic:

Kerry, Pappy's son Beau wouldn't take any cruel pictures of him, they have to much respect for each other. Anyway Kerry I hope you Pappy and Beau all have a great hunt, and a trip of a lifetime, and maybe a little meat on the ground at the end of the trail. Hope you all have a safe trip and will be waiting on the story when it's over,Good Luck to all. Kurt

Crooked. What can I say. You're a hoot. I thoroughly enjoy this thread. Good luck on your hunt.

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