I arrived in CO on Thursday the 16th to the same gorgeous weather and scenery that I left behind in AK the day before. Rex met me at the airport and we made the 2.5 hour drive up to camp, after a quick detour to drop some fine AK cuisine off at Will's freezer... I can't even begin to list all the folks I met over the next 2 days for fear of forgetting someone but my ability to remember names was tested and I actually impressed myself. I think there was 26 guys in camp and I'd share a camp or my house with any one of them any time. A truly great bunch of guys, which I've always found to be the case when surrounded by archers and bowhunters. My only regret was that I wasn't able to spend more time with each of them. Rex drove me around that afternoon to get the lay of the land and orient me to the area. The next few days are a bit of a blur of getting up early and getting to bed late with days of searching vast wilderness that seemed to be devoid of game. (I figured I'd at least be seeing monster bull elk since I only had a deer tag!) All the elk hunters seemed to be seeing lots of deer. Where are they? They were here. But now I seem to be the only mammal bigger than a squirrel in this huge expanse of nature. As usually happens, when you least expect it... We were driving in on day 4 and looking for deer on the way with myself, Will at the wheel and Martin (from Britain) riding shotgun when we drive right by the biggest mule deer I've ever seen. After a quick freak out session Martin gets ready to get out for the 20 yard shot on this HUGE monarch but the deer had other plans. He moseyed on out of Martin's effective range but made the mistake of remaining within Will's. Will put what looked to be a solid shot on him through a small window of treelimbs. We found the arrow and proceeded to follow the sparse bloodtrail hoping for it to open up at any second. After 2 days of tracking this wiley buck his trail was washed out by rain and our tracking results are summed up below: The best we can surmise is the range was a bit longer than estimated and Will hit him very low in the chest and broke the broadhead off in the offhand upper leg/shoulder. I'm 100% confident that buck will live to see another arrow from Will next season, if he gets past the rifle hunters this fall. Martin and I continued to hunt in the rain and I took shelter at one point under a large pine with overhanging branches. As I sat there and contemplated life and how blessed we all are to be able to be in those mountains I was graced with my only elk sighting of the trip. A rag horn bull of about 5 points on a side came strolling up past me through the trees about 40 yards out just to reinforce what I had been contemplating. As the days went on we continued to have great camaraderie in camp and amazing days afield. Rex celebrated his 39th birthday (again) which added Martin to the infirmary the next day from a wee bit too much white wine along with Will's twisted ankle and Tim (ironranger)'s swollen foot. The short nights were taking their toll. Amazingly Davey (Bails/UK) managed to come to an understanding with the Canadian Hunter from the night before (something to do with a system purge) and get out for a little hunting in the morning. Will managed to anchor a doe to score 50 points for team 6 and some meat for his neighbors. Dave and the boys also got a little hands on skinning and quartering lesson out of the deal. The next day was my last and Will and I hit it hard and early that morning. I started the morning out by having one of those slam dunk shots that just doesn't feel right when it goes off. I should have been able to cut the hair I picked on that doe at 30 yards but for some reason I just got the feeling that the shot went high, maybe it was the lack of sleep, or the abundance of wine from the night before kicking me in the head at every heartbeat, in any case I wasn't happy with it. We found the arrow right away with poor blood on it and a little meat. Following the trail up after leaving her for 7 hours or so only turned up the scantest of bloodtrails that eventually vanished without a trace. I can only surmise that I gave her a good back scratching. We took the scenic route back to camp that night with me not being in the best of moods but the scenery being too amazing for me not to appreciate it. The last hour before dark a doe happened across our trail and stopped to pose for us. Will whispered 39 yards as I knocked an arrow, drew, picked a spot and started to settle in for the shot just in time for her to turn tail and head up the 45 degree hill. I came to anchor and waited for her to turn, which she eventually did, giving me a good quartering away, kill or miss, shot. Will gave me the range, I settled the pin and the arrow was away of it's own accord. That was the first deer I've ever had give the classic "mule kick". We got our stuff together, including a hiking pole for Will's bad ankle and off we went up the 45 degree slope. I ranged back to the point I took the shot from and it wasn't a second until Will found the arrow covered in blood. The blood trail was another story; hardly a drop. Will worked the sign while I followed the possible trails out ahead and on the third trail I looked up, much to my relief, to see my deer laying uphill of me stone dead. She had only gone 80 yards or less on a liver and lung shot with leaving only about 10 total drops of blood. I rolled and dragged her the 70 yards downhill to the logging road and my hunt was done. That's my 4th deer species which leaves me only the Coues deer for my deer slam and a redo on the Columbian blacktail for them all to be with a bow. Thanks Will for making it possible and being the kind of friend that'll hobble around on a bum ankle on a 45 degree mountainside to help a brother out and make things happen. You truly are something special among men and one that I'm proud to call a friend! After that it was the parting of ways for many new friends and old, the exchange of contacts, the well wishes for safe travels. And the relief of being able to sleep in the next morning!! Here's the pics in their entirety: http://s252.photobucket.com/albums/hh22/robswanson/Hunting/CO Elk and Mule Deer/?albumview=slideshow
You made well on your bet, I didn't Rob. But then again we were suppose to connect on Monday right? Lol!! Who gives a ****!!! Congratulation's my friend!!! Well done!!!
Monday, Friday... What's the difference when you're in the woods and don't have a watch or a care in the world? We both connected in the same week and that's what means something. Congrats to you too compadre!
No doubt we'll do it again Tony it was way too much fun to let it pass just once. Whether you come north or I go south we'll definitely do it again... I smell bacon... or is that axis deer?
Congrats buddy. Can't wait for next year, only hopefully we have a slightly smaller camp (26 bou hunters may be a bit much, lol).
Sounds like a nice hunt, congratulations!...Quick question. What is the arrow in your quiver with the huge feathers for? Luck?
It's a flu-flu. The feathers put the brakes on the arrow after about 30 yards and make the arrow easier to find after shooting up into trees at small game.
Rob What a great write up and photos of the Pando elk hunting camp. Thank you for sharing this with us. I felt like I was there. A old chat friend of Huck's. HH in Pa
