2013 will be difficult

[BaldBeaver]

Well I have spent the last 12 hours reading the forums. All I can say is, I think I found a new home away from home. I normally spend a couple hours a aday reading on monster muleys forum, but I see I can gather more information here. Well as I stated in the subject line 2013 is going to be a difficult year. However after working with my squadron commander today, I believe I have found a way to do my OTC Archery Elk hunt next year. This is something I have been wanting to do for a long time, it just hasnt been possible due to work.

I will be deploying again in May of 2013 and returning the end of August. This will enable me to go to Colorado and pull of a 2 week hunt before returning to base and signing out 2 days later and redeploying to afghanistan. With all of that being said I was curious if anyone would offer any suggestions. I have narrowed down the area I want to hunt to GMU 71. I will be packing everything in and hunting off my back with a buddy of mine. My question is, would you go into the Lizard Head Wilderness or somewhere else. I am not seeking some giant bull (although it would be nice), just want alot of opportunity to get at the bulls daily. I know that noone here nows me but, please take my word for it, I will do whatever it takes to get to them. If you believe I have made a bad choice of area please feel free to offer up any better suggestions. I would just prefer to get away from other people and have opportunities. I look forward to sharing with you all and learning even more from each and every one of you.

I was able to get a Nevada tag this year for mule deer, and was successful at taking a great animal (IMO) now its time to take a step up. I will attach a photo when I figure out how.

[Magic]

First, Thank You for your service to our country, and Welcome to ElkNut Forums.

[Swede]

Great looking buck Jason. I think I should be asking you for suggestions on where to hunt. Also my thanks for your service.

[buglmin]

Are you talking bout the Lizard Head area in sw Colorado? I used to hunt it, and owned part of the outfitter that had the permits for that area...

[JohnFitzgerald]

Welcome aboard Jason! And like Magic said, thank you for your service to this great country!

[easeup]

God bless you for your service and may he protect you in Afghan.

hey....welcome to Pauls place.

[cantgetdrawn]

Welcome, Thanks for serving.

There are a lot of knowledgeable hunters on this forum. I am not one of them

I did however hunt unit 70 and 71 this year. I hunted around lizard head and scotch creek the last 2 days of my hunt (Lizard Head is an ugly looking rock but no matter what angle I looked at it from could I not see a resemblance of a lizard).

If you would like send me a PM and I will share what little info I have.

PS I'm sure your handle has an innocent origin, but it still made me laugh

[BaldBeaver]

Yes Buglmin, Lizard Head wilderness in sw colorado.

CantGetdrawn, the name does have an innocent origin, I was a beaver one year for halloween at my sons friends party. Lost my head cover, and well Im bald, everyone started saying that I was a bald beaver...and well it stuck. Will send you a PM after work tomorrow, been at a wildlife meeting all night, and I have to be up in four hours for work.

Thank you to everyone for the wonderful welcome.

THe buck I tiook in the photo was halloween night, in the Ruby mountains, near spring creek, nv. A late rut hunt, that I drew with just one bonus point. Fairly easy tag to draw with 400+ tags issued.

[T/H]

awesome buck Jason! good luck on your "elk" travels

[ElkNut1]

Jason welcome sir!!! Yes, thanks for all you guys do! That is an awesome buck, congrats. It looks like you've got your feet wet & will most likely be a successful elk hunter as well. Good Luck to you bud & please feel free to stop by at anytime, lots of good guys & info here! Thanks!

ElkNut1

[BaldBeaver]

Thanks everyone, I just asked for the playbook for christmas, and since it was my mother that I asked, i know what im getting. I look forward to learning a great deal from you all and have truely enjoyed reading so many stories already. If anyone has any suggestions for the GMU 71 area, please, i can use all the help i can get since afghanistan will prevent any scouting trips.

[baddaddy]

Jason,
while you're in the sandbox check out ACME Mapper2.0 if you have internet. Its a great way to do some scouting via the net. The hybrid mode on ACME is great. Keep your head down brother.

[WapitiTalk1]

Very nice buck friend. Where are you stationed at? Retired Army 1SG myself. You've landed in a great place to glean some pretty awesome elky info. RJ

[BaldBeaver]

Stationed at Creech AFB. A small base about 40 miles north of Las Vegas. Im a TSgt MQ-1 Predator Sensor Operator. I do recon, surveillance, and intelligence work while at home, and other things while deployed.

[LNGBOWFLYER]

I feel you. I'll be deploying to Eastern Afghanistan in April and will be gone for a year. So I'll be hunting but it won't be elk in 2013. Good luck in Colorado.

[dotman]

Unfortunately I can't help with that GMU but I hope you get a big one. Again, thank you for your service and hope you started in on the playbook

[LNGBOWFLYER]

Yeah we don't do much calling in that GMU. It's more spot and stalk

[ORelksniper]

Baldbeaver and Lngbowflyer...good luck brothers. Keep a firm grip on reality and come home safe.

[buglmin]

Why just GMU 71? I used to hunt the top of Lizard Head a lot. It gets to be rough and nasty country. We used to find elk right off the highway in the lil park before guys started camping there. Why not right across the highway, where the creek crosses the road? I know its steep and rough, but only for a bit. Once you get several hundred yards above the creek, the elk hunting starts to really get good. Not a lot of guys hunt it, and Sheep mountain Outfitters aint permitted there, so they cant hunt it. But they can and do hunt west of Lizaed Head, in GMU 71. I think they started putting a camp in there a few years ago also. Most people that do hunt above the highway in GMU 74 come in from the top, from the road that goes in right at Purgetory, above Durango. But still, its a long ways down in there from the top...Good luck, be safe, and God Bless. If you need any info, I'll help you all I can...

[cnelk]

Why just GMU 71? I used to hunt the top of Lizard Head a lot. It gets to be rough and nasty country. We used to find elk right off the highway in the lil park before guys started camping there. Why not right across the highway, where the creek crosses the road? I know its steep and rough, but only for a bit. Once you get several hundred yards above the creek, the elk hunting starts to really get good. Not a lot of guys hunt it

Lots of guys may now...

One of my favorite phrases... "The only thing more secretive than a big bull elk is a big bull elk hunter..."

[buglmin]

You'd be surprised that the country dont get hunted from the bottom. You have to cross the creek, and most guys are too lazy to hunt uphill. When I used to guide for Sheep Mountain, I would stay on the north side of the creek and scream at the bulls on the south side of the creek. Most guys that hunt around that area hunt below Rico. Bear Creek is a very popular spot over there, as is the GMU 71, Lizard Head. I've heard more and more bout guys hunting Lizard Head lately. And the reason is because access is very easy to get there.