1.) Ventilator - 08/16/2013

This where I will be spike camping from in September on my 8 day back country elk hunt. Camp is a shade over 9000 ft in Colorado. Its a limited draw public land unit. Elevation in the area is up to 11500. I plan to work those visible drainages daily in the 8-8500 range. Will have camp on my back most of the time. Trying to stay under 60lbs total weight for the most part.


Anyone else elk hunting this fall? Hope to keep an elk thread going.

2.) Swamp Fox - 08/16/2013

You know all the elk are staying at that lake way to the north across the valley, right? :-)

How are you getting in?

Pack horse?

Helicopter?

3.) crookedeye - 08/16/2013

i would hunt the juniper bushes a click to the northeast.

looks like fun!

4.) Ventilator - 08/16/2013

Walking in!! Gonna be rough......I'm gettin older daily! Lol

About 3 miles or so.

5.) Ventilator - 08/16/2013

CE, why u gotta go and pick the biggest canyon to cross?

6.) crookedeye - 08/16/2013

like that time i went elk hunting one year in the craig area..i picked out the hardest mountain to climb looked thick and nasty..after scaling deadfalls dodging rockslides going threw head high thorn bushes i finally made it to the top..when my head crested the top i seen pretty open green grasses and i was thinking this is the spot!! and i looked over to my left i seen a tent then another.. then i smelled bacon, then i seen a scooter ride by with a kid on it..i think i found the perfect camp sight..

7.) crookedeye - 08/16/2013

like this but only steeper..

8.) Ventilator - 08/16/2013

I think I've seen that place its in Idaho!!!

9.) crookedeye - 08/17/2013

it'll be neat when you get there..sucking in that cool colorado air..lol ..right dan-o??

10.) Dan-o - 08/17/2013

[QUOTE=crookedeye;9684]it'll be neat when you get there..sucking in that cool colorado air..lol ..right dan-o??[/QUOTE]

Thats right, sucking that cool Colorado air In between smokes!

11.) Ventilator - 09/12/2013

Tomorrow is the day! Ill be camped under the thumbtack by mid day on saturday. 3 miles in from the trailhead, with miles and miles of canyon drainages in every direction. 10,200ft of good livin! Along with the biggest elk herd in the US! :hb:

Dan-O has one day left in MT, hopefully he gets one down!!

12.) Deerminator - 09/12/2013

How ya gonna get one out?.

Best of luck:tu:

13.) Ventilator - 09/13/2013

Good question D! It will be on my back manpower getting it out! I feel like i can pack 75lbs per load for a few miles. Between the two of us, we should be able to pack a boned out elk in two trips. Its tough work for sure. The last time i did a hunt like this was in 2005 in Idaho. (Selway-Bitterroot). After we killed on the same day, we each had to quarter, cape and bone out our elk. Fortunately, we had mules at camp that we brought back in the next morning to transport meat. We still packed about 60lbs each on the way back to camp. This was cape & antlers only. The mules wanted no part of elk antlers on their backs. Its taken me this long to forget how hard that hunt really was. Probably not the type hunt i want to do every year. IMO, everyone should experience it at least once in their hunting career tho! :tu:

14.) crookedeye - 09/21/2013

dan-o, how come i'm not seeing any pics of dead elk??

15.) Dan-o - 09/22/2013

[QUOTE=crookedeye;10899]dan-o, how come i'm not seeing any pics of dead elk??[/QUOTE]

Came up empty again!

16.) crookedeye - 09/22/2013

that sucks..anytime in the elkwoods is worth it..i'm sure you had a great time.

any mishapes this year? no broken ankles are anything.. bloody noses . grizzly charge.:wink