Mixed emotions but a big thanks to this forum

[recurve]

I'm guessing I'm not the only one sitting at work today with elk still on the mind. After my 8 day elk hunt to SW Colorado, I'm feeling the blues while still riding a rocky mountain high (grin). This was my fifth elk hunt and they have all ended the same way... without any antlers or meat on the ground. Having said that, I'm not complaining. I've gone from a flat lander without a clue to immersing myself over the last year in resources on how to better hunt elk. Elk nut Cd's/playbook, Swede's Treestand book, Joel Turner's elk calling CD, and this forum gave me a ton of quality information. At least this year I had a fighting chance.

I had three encounters over the eight days of my hunt. It was a tough 8 days. I experienced hail, heavy rain, high winds, and thus very limited vocalizations from the elk. My first encounter found me with the wind in my face after my third set up on a bull that was sporatically and half heartedly bugling. I was sitting on a great bench that served as a perfect hang up spot where the elk couldn't see me without coming into range. SO what did I do? After 15 minutes, I got impatient and kept closing the distance, eventually down to the point the wind started becoming inconsistent. When I finally noticed this fact and started to back out it was already too late and a bull came into my set up and winded me. The second encounter was two cows and a bull that came running down off the mountain in front of me onto the flat where I was standing. I ran to cut them off and called as I went. Unfortunately, I didn't make it far enough as the cows crossed 50 yards in front of me and by the time the bull entered the meadow and turned towards me to check out my cow call the real cows had hit my cross wind scent path and came back to the bull. After milling around for a few seconds they moved off. So close...yet so far. Seeing that wide racked mature bull...its the coolest thing yet uuugh... the what if's keep going around my head (grin).

My final encounter was the last night, last hour, last chance...but it was a spike that came down into the pond I was sitting. I was in a 4 point unit so they were not legal. Really cool seeing him plus two bears. Overall the trip was a success as I feel like I'm getting close. Hard thing is its a big deal to go on one of these hunts and I can't justify it every year. Hopefully someday my luck will change and my skills will improve to the point I can make the right moves.

Thanks for the help guys. I'm going to keep hanging around this forum and see what else I can pick up. I'll contribute on what I can.
I appreciate all the good advice I have received from Paul and all the others on this site.
Thanks,

Chris

[Trophyhill]

you hung in there until the end and that's all we can do sometimes. the weather in CO sucked this year and shut the elk talk down totally in the area I was hunting for a cow the last 2 weeks of the season. if I've taken anything away from this it is the fact that I have to become better at finding elk when they aren't talking or I can't get them to talk. a topic I don't hear talked about nearly enough.