2023

[fish/hunt4ever]

Well some seasons opened up the other day, was really hot but now we have had rain and cooler Temps. Wondering if we are going to get the frost before the September 1st opening for doves and them all being gone. Only a couple more months before we are on the mountain chasing elk around. Can start with the rifle September 20th in one area, not sure if we will hit that one or just wait for October to be on the mountain.

[fish/hunt4ever]

Gettimg close to being able to hunt some doves and archery season opens Friday. No archery hunting for us this year but did get the 6.5 PRC shot and a load that looks good, hopefully the turret shows up so we can shoot it a bit with that and make sure all is good. Now just to get all the rounds loaded for the other 6.5x284's and be ready chase everything around in October. Getting close, will see if we can find any grouse up on the mountain this weekend as we play and get the rose hips for the wife. Good luck everyone hitting the field this weekend.

[reeleyz]

I am headed out there next week. I picked up a small game license as well. Are there many grouse in the mountains?

I shot a few last year in the mountains of CO.

[fish/hunt4ever]

This year with the weather and all I have heard the grouse numbers are way up, hoping tonsee a few tomorrow as I head up on the mountain and play for a day and let the wife get some rose hips. My brother said some of the elk he has seen up high are talking a bit. Only a few more weeks and I will be up there chasing the elk around and the daughter wants a deer tag as well. Coworker has been down in Colorado hunting with his brother this week have not heard how his brother and friend have done down there. Weather might be moving in this weekend so that might help. Deer for rifle starts in some places the 15th of September and antelope opens the 16th for almost all the areas, some are open now. Cannot believe how fast it can all come up when you are working it away.

[reeleyz]

I had a great trip out there! I only shot 1 grouse but I was able to get a bull last Wednesday.

Evening 1 - I was able to locate a bull to chase the next morning.

Day 2 all day - I chased that bull all the way to his bed. I worked around the herd and got above them with good wind. I got in tight around 3PM and made some calls. More times then not a bull just picks up the herd and moves away, same thing here. Then I had a calf come running in at 15 yards. Then I tried shadowing the herd because they were moving slowly. I had let out some calf calls to try and get a pinpoint on the bull but he stopped responding. Next thing I know a small bull pops over the hill looking at me. I was able to noc an arrow and range him at 43. I only had a frontal so I passed on that. I moved down the ridge a bit and had another smaller bull come walking broadside. He was going to step out at 20 but the wind changed. Then it got dark.

Day 3 all day - same area but much quieter. I bumped 1 elk midday. I mostly tried to get between bedding areas and calf call to pull something out. There was 1 bull with cows in there. At 5 PM he moved them down the drainage away from me.

Day 4 Morning - New spot. I worked up a ridge for the first hour and I was going to try calling over a north face because it looked like good bedding on the map. I get almost there and a bull bugles to my left. I sit tight because I think he was headed my way. Then another bull bugles. They start screaming and I can hear the 2nd bull glunking. So I decide to push in close. He had 2 cows and was raking. I get the wind right and move in to about 60 yards while he is occupied. I should have just sat tight because he may have moved my way since the other bull was pestering him but I decided to challenge him and of course he just pushed the cows up the ridge and went on screaming. Way too fast to keep up to though. Really awesome encounter like you dream of.

Day 4 Evening - I pick a new spot to call and listen for bugles. I get in to about 1/4 mile from where I want to stop to call and I bump an elk. I decided to sit tight and see what happens. Maybe 10 minutes later a bull bugles off the point where I wanted to go. Then 10 minutes later he bugles at about 100 yards. I let out a calf call. Then 1 minute later I catch him at about 60 yards going broadside and walking towards my wind. So I cast a calf call to my right into the wind. He turns on a dime and starts coming my way. He gets to 30 yards and I draw. Then he turns right at me. Before I have an opening to stop him he is at about 7 yards! So I put my pin 
on his shoulder while he is walking and I release. I get a good hit. He turns and I send out a few calls and he stops at 20 on a hard quarter away. I send another arrow and it is another good hit. He goes maybe 10 more yards he stands for a few minutes and finally crashes!!!!!

I couldn’t believe that it all came together. I backed out and got my buddy. We got back before sunset. We quartered, deboned, hung the meat, and caped him out. We finished up at 1:30 AM.

We got a little rest and headed back in at 8 AM. It started to rain at 9. Then at noon it started to snow. We finished up at 2PM.

[Raquettedacker]

Awesome job Bruce and beautiful bull..
Congratulations..👍👍✌️✌️✌️✌️✌️

[reeleyz]

Thanks Dom. It was incredible. Know any good taxidermists?

[Raquettedacker]

I have retired from mounting heads due to my hands don’t work very well anymore.. Just sticking to skulls now a days Bruce..  But your hunt sounds awesome..

[Raquettedacker]

I take it you were able to bring the antlers and cape home??

[lv2hunt]

Awesome story with a great bull!! Congrats seems like a hunt of a lifetime.

[reeleyz]

I take it you were able to bring the antlers and cape home??

Yes. I caped it out that night. Never caped out an animal before in my life. I just took my time. I actually had my sawzall with me so I packed that in and cut off the skull and cleaned it up the next day.

[fish/hunt4ever]

That sounds and looks like a great hunt, what a bull. Would be great to get one like that. We are headed up next weekend to get up on the mountain and chase them with the rifle. Hopefully we can find some. We will hit October 1st for opener then have to cover my coworker while he tries to find a couple elk then I head up for a few more days to hopefully just get a legal one. We can kill any bull for the first 10 days then spikes excluded for the rest of the season. By chance what area did you harvest that one. Awesome job.

[reeleyz]

Sent you a PM.

It is interesting how many different seasons and rules there are.

[fish/hunt4ever]

Oh yeah and the changing of the regulations at times so always have to keep up on the latest, and sometimes the interpretation of the way it is written gets pretty interesting. Could have been rifle hunting kind of where I hunt this weekend and another area opens Tuesday for the rifle my area opens the 1st. But most opens the 1st around me so to many options at times.

[fish/hunt4ever]

Well no shots fired, did see a nice 6 point that someone shot, we heard the shots and kind of know where he was taken, we had some action just would bugle and move on. It was fun but cannot wait to be back up there.