Meeting the Flyfishing Cognoscenti

Over in Evergreen last weekend I meet some notable flyfishing authors at the Blue Quill Angler. I chatted with John Gierach, Ed Engle, (pictured to the left) and John Barr, to name a few.

I brought my daughter along. She was extremely shy and would hardly say a word. The guys joked that most fly fisherman have that effect on women. I thought for a moment then commented that I wished it would work that way at home with my wife. They all laughed for a minute then silently nodded their heads in agreement. Good thing the room was full of guys and my daughter who wouldn't tell on me.

Why Hunt, continued...

Hunting is a brotherhood. Camaraderie is the tie that binds. Even when I don't get the opportunity to hunt with my buddies they're still the first ones I call to tell them how my hunting was. I get the same phone calls from them telling me how it was.

One of my buddies went pheasant hunting in Iowa a few weeks back. I'd been signed-up to go on the trip, but other things intervened.

I called my buddy to see how the road trip was going, only to find out that he and the rest of the crew had just pulled into the Cabelas parking lot in Sydney. Boy was I jealous. Not only was I going to miss the hunt, I missed a trip to Cabelas. Long story short, the weather was crap before they arrived in Iowa and the hunting was pretty lousy. Between the three of them they only bagged one bird. ONE BIRD. Damn I wish I was there to see that...

2007 Elk Season Summary

The Abridged Version:
They went that way, I went the other way. I never saw any elk the rest of the season.

The Unabridged Version:
I hunted Green Ranch, part of Golden Gate State Park, in Gilpin County, Colorado. I had a bull tag for the first season. What a waste of my preference points... oh well.

I arrived at the earliest time allowed (5:30 am), grabbed my gear, and headed up the mountain. My plan was to put myself between the other hunters, the elk herd, and the escape route. By 7:00 I was at the top of the hill and I could hear at least one bull bugling. I continued to work my way toward the "bottleneck".

By 7:05 I heard two shots and knew that the season was over. I never saw the herd, but I knew that I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. By the time I had run down the hill into the "bottleneck" any elk that had been there were long gone.

The Final Countdown

The good news is that I'm hunting Colorado's first rifle season for the Elk this year. There is no bad news.

Sure, I wish the weather forecast looked a bit better, but I doubt we'll get the two feet of snow we got last year. (For the love of MIKE, I hope we don't get the weather we got last year!).

Today's chores are: load the hunting pack, clean the rife, make sure all the clothes are ready, load the cart in the truck, and write down all the phone numbers of the guys who've said they'll help me haul out the meat.

Wish me luck!

Why I Like Hunter's Specialties and the Mac Daddy

Even before I saw Wayne Carlton in person using one at my local Bass Pro Shop, I had bought a Mac Daddy elk call. See, as much as I'd like to use a diaphragm and a tube to talk to the elk, I can't. I have a high pallet, so using a diaphragm is almost impossible for me. I'm one of "those folks" that can't curl their tongue or whistle loudly through their lips.

The Mac Daddy is my solution, and what a great solution it is. If you get one, make sure you also get a copy of "The Complete Elk Caller" DVD to go with it so that you can learn how to use it. The CD that comes with the call is o.k., if you have a good ear and love to experiment until you find the right notes/tones. I'm a visual learner, so having go 'ole Wayne on the DVD show me how was MUCH better.

So why do I like Hunter's Specialties? Because they answer the phone and help you with your questions. My question today was "Where do I find replacement diaphragms for the Mac Daddy?". My favorite online store, Cabelas, doesn't show that they carry any and Wayne advised having a couple of spares in the field. I called Hunter's Specialties and within minutes they directed me to Western Recreation Industries. Apparently, HS doesn't want to do business any other way than through their retailers, and that's fine with me, as long as they answer their phones and tell me where to go to get what I need.

An Evening with Wayne Carlton

I went down to my local Bass Pro Shop to hear Wayne Carlton speak tonight. The topic was "Calling Elk to the Gun". I knew of course that there would be the usual product pitch, but that didn't bother me - we all have to make a living.

Wayne was great! He has an amazing mastery of the diaphragm call and it seems like he can create any sound he wants at will. The part I went for was to see and hear him use the Mac Daddy. He didn't disappoint. Seeing him use it to emulate a bull bugling was like watching an artist create a masterpiece. He's that good. Of course, I still have a LONG way to go, but at least I have somewhere to start now.

Thanks Wayne!

Good News, Bad News

The wait has been over for a while, I just forgot to write about it...

I drew a bull tag for the 1st Rifle Season AND I was picked for one of 8 slots in the Green Ranch lottery! That's the good news.

The bad news is that I'm not going back to Seedhouse north of Steamboat with my buddies this year. I just don't have the time to travel to a distant camp, so I'm sticking close to home. Very close to home - my backyard! Good old Unit 38.

Now I have to get my butt out to the shooting range and make sure I'm dialed into my rifle again. That, and learn how to use my nifty new "Mac Daddy" elk call...

Now we wait...

My application is in. Due to my new "situation" I've opted to stay close to home for the coming Elk hunting season. At least that's my intention. If I win the Powerball lottery then all bets are off.

At this point my plan is to spend a lot of time scouting my "back yard" (Arapahoe National Forest) as well as Green Ranch in Golden Gate State Park. If I see enough encouraging signs, I may just put in for the Green Ranch lottery and give myself some more options. First season is pretty short, compared to second season, so I want to have a few other places to go in case the weather does another number on me.

After feeling lost most of the time last season I've committed myself to spending more that just one afternoon scouting and learning the area I want to hunt. Granted, hunting in your back yard makes that easier, but only if you put in the time. My scouting plan includes using a GPS to mark springs, creeks, rubs, beds, etc. I may also lay in some caches of water and Powerbars just because I can.

Now would probably be a good time to inspect my rifle and make sure the oil I put on in the Fall is doing the job it should be doing...

Get Ready, Get Set, Wait...

April 3rd is the deadline in Colorado to submit your big game application. For 2007 I'm in a bit of a situation. I don't want to commit to hunting the unit I hunted last year because I'm not sure if I'll get the time off from my new job.

The good news is that I can be pretty sure of getting the tag I want in my home unit. If I do get the time off from work, I can surrender my home unit tag and buy an unlimited bull tag over the counter so that I can camp and hunt with my buddies. Time will tell.

Duck Wrap-up and Talking Turkey

Well, duck and goose season came and went. Despite that lack of success, I'm hooked! I've already got 2 dozen dekes and a mojo for next year. I'm also considering how I can afford a private hunt in South Dakota. Something I could do myself and maybe bring my dog Rio along for the ride.

Rio has turned out to be a great dog. When she isn't sleeping with my kids (to keep away the Boogie Man) she's teaching Copper (our Golden) the tricks of mountain living. I've done some basic retriving training with her and she's pretty good. Fortunately the shotgun doesn't bother her, so there's one less issue to deal with. (As opposed to my buddy whose Golden ran for the truck the first time he fired his shotgun.)

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Well, turkey season starts pretty soon. I just ordered 2 pairs of decoys from Sierra Trading Post. Don't get me wrong, I love Cabelas, but a deal is a deal. I got 2 Flabeau breeding pairs for $30 total plus shipping. WHAT a DEAL. I figure I can put one jake with two hens and the other jake a bit further out. Hopefully that will bring the target in close enough...

I probably should change the title of my blog, but I'm not sure I can, so for now it'll stay as is. I hope you don't mind.

The Effect of Snow on the Migration of Elk in the Fall

Last Sunday's Steamboat Pilot has an article on the "average" harvest of elk during the 2nd Rifle season, as well and tidbits about the impact on the butcher and taxidermy businesses in Routt county. The part of the article that had me nodding my head up and down repeatedly was the part that said how the early snows pushed the elk down off the divide and west toward their winter range sooner than usual. Apparently the elk didn't move down soon enough last year and many died from starvation, so this year the elk moved sooner to avoid the same fate.

I don't believe that the elk have a memory from one year to the next, but stranger things have happened. I do believe that the repeated snow storms that rolled through the Steamboat area did move the elk down earlier than usual. Lesson learned, enough said. Hunt on!

My First Elk Hunt in a Nutshell

Thursday night
Drive to Steamboat Springs; find a motel room; curse the weather

Friday
Pull out the camp that was set up on Thursday; find a motel room; curse the weather

Saturday (opening day for 2nd rifle season)
Hike in 2 miles, dragging an empty cart; sit in the cold; curse the weather; hike out; drive to a different hunting area (California Park) for some recon; dinner at the Condo; curse the weather; sleep at the motel

Sunday
Drive to California Park; hike 5+ miles through knee deep snow; kick-up some Does (no Doe tag); a hot sunny day without a cloud in the sky; curse the weather; sleep at the motel

Monday
Wake up at 0-dark-thirty; drive to the trailhead; hike in 2 miles in the dark; sit in the cold; watch a spike meander up the hill and disappear into the woods; hike around a bit; sit in the cold; listen to a cow bark an alarm; watch the cow walk down the hill, turn around, and walk back up the hill and into the trees; hike out to the trailhead in the dark; drive back to Steamboat; drive to the Condo; eat dinner; drive back to the Motel; set the alarm for 0-dark-thirty; pack-up the truck; curse the weather; sleep

Tuesday
Up at 0-dark-thirty; blah blah blah; hike out mid-morning; wait for Cody to hike out; drive up the valley, seeing tracks all along the way; return to the trailhead; confirm that Cody is almost back to the truck; leave for home

Wednesday
Recover

Thursday
Curse the weather! 2'+ feet of new snow!! Plow the driveway; sledding with the kids; "Burton" lives up to his name

Friday
Curse the weather; prepare for Saturday

Saturday
Up at 0-dark-thirty; breakfast at Crooks; drive to the trailhead with Kirk and Lance; hike into the valley...
Someone else (reportedly) "smacks" a 4x5 so close to the road that it takes very little effort to drag it to the tailgate and throw it in the back with a little help from two other fellas passing by...

Sunday (daylight savings time ends; fall back one hour)
Up at 0-dark-thirty; breakfast at Crooks; meet Mark; park; hike; sit; curse; leave
Home; nap
Into the woods; sit and wait
Listen to a cow calling the other girls
Creep up; they're gone
Pack up; curse; season over...

P.S.
356 days until the 2007 2nd rifle season! Fewer days if I buy a bow!!

OH S**T!

That was my reaction when I picked up my rifle a couple of days ago, looked through the scope, and noticed that the reticle was rotated to the right by about 5-10 degrees. The bizarre thing is that the very same thing happened to another buddy of mine and at the time I thought "good thing MY scope is locked down...". I guess it wasn't.

So this morning I took my rifle, some tools, and a bottle of Loctite Threadlocker Blue to the Boulder Rifle Club. Fortunately the club opens their range to the public every weekend in September and October so that hunters can sight-in their rifles. The place was packed to the gills. I has to wait about half-an-hour for a bench.

Once I sat down, I lined-up the reticle using the barrel of the rifle and the posts holding up the target board for reference. I assumed that who ever installed the target board used a level to set the post plumb. Next time I'll bring a level and my own blank target to set a level line. This approach seemed to work, as I was able to drop three shots an inch high on the bull's eye within about a 1/2" group. Next I loosened the bolts one at a time, poured on some Loctite, and tightened everything down. After everything dried I put a few more shots on a new target= 2 1/2" high, dead center. Perfect. Just what I had before I said "oh s**t" and just what I wanted. I leave for Unit 14 Thursday night. Wish me luck. Hunt on!

Why Hunt? - Continued

I lose sleep the night before a fishing trip. I kid you not. Each fishing trip, especially when I visit a river or lake I've never seen before, is an adventure. I love an adventure.

Hunting is an adventure on an even grander scale. I doubt I'll sleep for a week before opening day.

Driving home from my kid's soccer practice last night I spied a beautiful 5x5 bull and his small harem getting ready to bravely cross highway 119 into the big meadow with the three lakes. Locals know where I'm talking about - it's the place with the Elk statue at the gate. I assume they wanted to get a drink of water.

I swung the truck around to get a second look. Besides the Elk in Rocky Mountain National Park and Yellowstone, this is the first Elk I've seen in the wild this year. I usually see a few in my neighborhood over the summer. I live at 9,300 feet in the Rockies, for those in the audience (hi Mom) that don't know.

Needless to say, with 2nd rifle season only 23 days away, I'm in the throws of Elk fever. I know I still need to wax prolific on the merits of hunting. I will, in due time. Know that when I move up to Elk camp in a few weeks I'll bring a notebook and leave the laptop in the truck so I can run into town (Steamboat) and provide updates.

Hunt on!

A Good Day on the Range

I went to the Green Mill Sportman's Club yesterday with my buddy to help him sight in his new rifle. He's got a Remington 700 BDL in 300 WinMag. I've got a Remington 700 Mountain DM in 30-06, pictured above. After shooting my buddy's rifle a few times I can tell you that I am SO happy I got the Mountain version in the 30-06. At a pound lighter and less kick, I know I bought the right rifle for me.

Before we left for the range my buddy asked me if I thought we should stop at the store and pick up another box of ammo. You see, this was the first time he'd shot his 300 WinMag rifle and he had no idea how much kick (a.k.a. punishment) he was in for. I assured him that one box was plenty and I'd be surprised if he shot every round. He wasn't sure of my advice until the first time he pulled the trigger. My buddy's no small guy, so he figured he could withstand any beating the rifle could dole out. After 4-5 shots he looked at me and said "o.k., now I see your point".

The best part of the experience, besides shooting my buddy's gun better than he did at 200 yards, was putting a few in the black at 200 yards from a kneeling position with my own rifle. I've been a little nervous that my shooting skills were not up to snuff to be going out for the hunt. After yesterday I feel the most confident I've ever felt. Does this mean that practice is over? Heck no. I've still got a couple of boxes I want to fire off before heading into the woods. At least now I know they won't be wasted. Hunt on!

Things that go in your backpack when you're out in the field...

Ammunition: Hard to shoot an Elk without it

Matches & firestarter: Fire = warmth

Parachute cord: Hold the Elk's legs apart while you quarter it

Surveyor's orange tape: Mark a trail to your Elk (GPS works too)

Two (2) sources of light: Headlamp, flashlight, etc.

LOTS of batteries

Toilet paper

Rain poncho

Wet wipes

First aid kit

Latex gloves and/or arm length skinning gloves

WATER: At least 2 liters or more if you're going to be out all day

Skinning/boning knives; bone saw: I'll post a picture of the set I got

Elk call(s)

Approx. 20x One (1) gallon Zip-Lock Heavy Duty Freezer bags

Knife sharpener

Warm gloves, hat, extra socks, etc. Easier to stay warm than get warm!

Multi-tool: Mine is the classic leatherman

COMPASS

FOOD

Emergency blanket: Murphy's 4th law says "bring it and you won't need it"

MAP

Spare blaze mesh vests: hang'm near you while you bone-out the Elk

Give me a bit and I'll think of what I've forgotten. See something missing? Please leave a comment! Thanks.

Seminar at Bass Pro Shop with Jay Houston

I was fortunate enough to attend a seminar at my local (Denver) Bass Pro Shop during their "Fall Classic" hunting extravaganza. The highlight was meeting Jay Houston and chewing the fat with him 1-on-1 for about 20 minutes. Jay was at the gun counter signing copies of his new book "Elk 301" and there wasn't a soul around, so I talked him up and asked him one question after another. He was very patient, especially since I'm sure that my questions were the same questions he's answered in him books and at every presentation he's ever done...

Why Hunt? Why Now?

As I said in my first post, I didn't grow up hunting. I don't know how many guys in their late 30's wake up one morning and say "I need to go out in the woods and kill some animals". Believe it or not, that's kind of what happened.

I can probably blame my friend Andy. Andy taught me a lot of the basics when I started to learn to fly fish. Andy DID grow up hunting, so his fly tying room was also the trophy room for his elk and turkey hunts. That got the ball rolling.

Somewhere over the last few years I decided...

Hunting is good.

Hunting is primal.

Hunting is a tradition I want to establish in my family.

Hunting is fun.

I'll explore this points in future postings, as there's more on my mind than I can write in a few paragraphs.
For now, suffice it to say that I've got my hunter safety card, I'm lucky enough to have a friend who's helping me learn, and I'm eagerly awaiting elk season!

Stay tuned.

The Hard Part is Getting Started

2006 will be my first Elk hunt in Colorado. My intention is to share the experience of a rookie elk hunter so that others might benefit from my experiences - the good and the bad. I didn't grow up hunting, so it suprises even me that I'm doing this. I explain my motivation and the obstacles I've already overcome very soon.