Tomorrow morning

[Jhg]

Tomorrow will have me 1/4 mile in already when the sky starts dawning. I always hunt late rifle and love the change from archery. Archery season is great of course but there is something about hunting the snow that appeals to me. It helps my camp is heated and warm!
I also design the hunt differently than archery. I may go in deep, but my rig, and the shelter attached to it, can always make it out no matter how much snow falls. So I don't have to worry about getting caught out in a storm. The area is a giant bowl and though getting back if the proverbial blizzard strikes would be hard, any reasonable woodsman can easily navigate to camp.


My camp.

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My hide watching a travel tunnel

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[Swede]

Beautiful country to see. We need to work with you so you can fill your tag in archery season, so you don't have to be concerned about getting snowed in. Best wishes.

[Jhg]

This public land guy counts, right? 35 yards with my recurve this Sept 3.

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[Jhg]

Opening dawn. The warmest morning I personally have ever experienced hunting in November.

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[Jhg]

The first rule of elk hunting is find them. So you cover some country but you know the area, the habits, the funnels.
Regardless, it can take some miles and you see cool stuff:lynx tracks!!

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[Jhg]

Elk have a habit of walking on my back trail. Well, now I know you are here!

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[Jhg]

This is a trail I use sometimes to access where I like to hunt. Everyone else goes up high and sits the big openings. I prefer the timber...

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[Jhg]

Another hero pic of my .308. Sorry. I love hunting with this rifle.

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[Jhg]

If you hunt up one of the ridges you can see across the bowl.

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[Tigger]

Keep'em coming! Love to see the scenes of the hunt!

I think that elk insulted you by pooping in your boot tracks. Game on!

[Lefty]

Great things going on Jhg.

Thanks for bringing us along!

[Billy Goat]

great pics and good luck!!

I agree with TTD. that footprint pooping was a personal insult.

[Jhg]

We have put in some vertical and these old legs are feelin it! Historically, this spot has been money for migratory elk. However, this is the 3rd year I am seeing a big difference in the numbers. Very little sign. I don't know why, but something has changed that they are choosing a different migration route.

Todays sunrise on the ridges. We climbed that already today( its 11AM as I write this)

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[Jhg]

Yesterdays selfie

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[Jhg]

Sitting among the aspens making a plan

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More later. We have 2 more days after today.

[Jhg]

This might be one reason the elk are choosing other places to travel. Sure, they hide in this or worse but when there is a mile of it and they want to get somewhere they will take the path of least resistance.

Personally, I have climbed enough of this deadfall for one trip...

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[Jhg]

My wife's nephew decided he wanted to become an elk hunter. So I brought him along.

SLACKER!

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[WapitiTalk1]

This might be one reason the elk are choosing other places to travel. Sure, they hide in this or worse but when there is a mile of it and they want to get somewhere they will take the path of least resistance.

Personally, I have climbed enough of this deadfall for one trip...

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Holy catfish, now that’s some deadfall Check your fire, divert…divert

[Jhg]

Its 5:30AM and just about to head out. Shooting light for my ap sights is about 6:30.

We bumped two cows late yesterday. High hopes today!

[Tigger]

Best of luck! Keep bringing us along. Although I apologize that Swede wants to eat all your snacks all the time.

[Jhg]

I decided we needed a break from all the intense bush whacking so I revisited a cow I shot 4yrs ago.

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Not to beat a dead horse but the deadfall is dreadful and I usually (actually never have) do not let stuff like that affect my attitude but the amount we are hitting everywhere is beyond any I have seen in 40yrs of hunting.

There is a trail under there.

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[Jhg]

Here is nephew on high alert. I sent the asleep photo to his GF so he was on it today!

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[Swede]

I am enjoying the hunt with you. I think my part is just about perfect being nice and warm. I am getting out still for a daily three mile walk. Yesterday a dead snag fell across the gravel road right in front of me. A few other trees fell fairly near in the high wind we got. That whole matter was close enough to being in your situation for me. At least I did not end up like the critter in your picture. Maybe it just lay down and quit rather than fight all that fallen Lodgepole pine.

[Jhg]

So today was started with high hopes- 6" of fresh on the ground and zero*.


First hunting light, 1 mile in

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We cut a fresh track right away and began to dog the group, about 4 cows and I think a spike.

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[Jhg]

Thus began a merry chase...

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Over the hill and through the woods...

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[Jhg]

My thumbs got really cold I had to build a fire to get ahead of the chill. By now the sun was well up and that helped too.

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In the end they simply out climbed and out walked us. I did 9 miles in snow and timber. When the snow got 20" and we had climbed 800 vert I knew it was time to say enough.

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[Jhg]

More tomorrow - this old guy tired.

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[longbowelk]

Really enjoying the story. Thanks for taking us along.

[mr_steve]

Thanks for posting, I'm enjoying following along!!

[Jhg]

A cold morning. The timber was popping all around us as we made our way through the deadfall "gate keeper" that keeps other hunters out of this area.

First light

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I let nephew lead in hopes he would have a first shot in a show of respect for his earning his chops this hunt

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He never complained, was a considerate camp mate, and proved he could navigate the wilderness area we hunted. We will be hunting together next year archery. This is new for me. I have hunted solo for 30 years at least.

[Jhg]

He asked a lot of questions. My main messages were that game laws are mainly enforced by personal accountability and second, don't miss the little things you see out there. There is a lot more out in the woods than elk.

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We discovered this morning had we only stayed where we were yesterday we most likely would have tagged out. A group came in behind us and bedded on our back trail while we made the merry chase. Swede, you listening? Right out of your playbook.

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Tomorrow is last day. I hope for the best

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[Swede]

I am following you. I have not missed a picture or line of conversation. Best wishes for tomorrow.

[Tigger]

My son shot his deer this year with 90 seconds left in the season. It happens fast, stay ready!

[>>>---WW---->]

Great stuff! Keep it coming and Good luck!

[Jhg]

Nephew had a job interview this morning, so he left last night. I went out alone for the morning at 5:30AM and got to see the moonset.

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Going in through gatekeeper with the red on. I hate this light but it keeps night vision so I deal.

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I hate to let everyone down, especially nephew, but I just didn't get it done this time.

Its somehow fitting that this mouse was the only fresh track I saw this morning. Temps are up, elk not moving.

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Thanks for the encouraging words and following along. It was fun to share the hunt.

[longbowelk]

Bummer on the lack of an animal at the end. However it sounds like the nephew learned a lot and you now have a hunting buddy. Well at least small game is now upon us in Colorado to go out and chase the wrascally wrabbits.