First, for those of you who are struggling to learn the English language, a “synopsis” is a short recap or review of an event or experience. (Jerry might leave this sentence out….we will see.)
Jerry has done an excellent job of giving a day by day account of the hunt, so I won”t dwell too much on the day to day specifics. Despite the lack of getting an elk it was a good hunt. A very good or great hunt would have included the taking of an elk. The scenery was top notch, Jack, our guide was excellent, the lodge was warm and comfortable, the food was tasty and plentiful. Dave Holbrook, the owner/operator of Rockin' H Outfitters was well organized and kept everything moving as it was meant to be.
One of the highlights was the incredible number of mule deer we saw on a daily basis…..in four days we probably saw well over 200 deer, some as close as five yards. I saw two very good bucks, walking broadside to me at perhaps 20 yards…..sadly, we did not have a deer license. I got off to a slow start in the hunting due to the fact that our guide made the assumption, based on the info given him by Dave Holbrook, that I was a 78 year old guy who would need mostly a place to sit. Jerry was asked, during one of their hikes (after Jack found me a spot to sit) what I could do. While I was not there, I guess Jerry told him I could do whatever he could, with the variable being the time to do it. At any rate, after that first day, I got to do regular hunting. Our guide’s question to me after the first day was “Would you like to take a little walk?”. It was never a “little” walk….it always involved going up a steep slope no sane person would consider doing….or, thru aspen stands so full of deadfalls that it was like mounting and dismounting a horse every 3 or 4 steps….or, so slippery and muddy that on the slopes I had to hang onto bushes or trees just to stay upright….or, all of the preceding conditions. Was I tired at the end of the day….of course…..but, not so tired that I didn’t enjoy a little scotch before supper. We were up at 5:00am, out the door between 6:00am and 6:15am and back at the lodge by 7:30pm…..time for a shower, a little nip (that means a scotch for those of you not into nipping) and supper. I was usually in bed by around 9:30pm.
It is always difficult to summarize a hunt in sufficient detail to give a listener or reader the feeling that the participant in the actual hunt has without boring them to death. For me, this hunt was top notch…..I would do it again in a heartbeat. We had a few unexpected adventures along the way, but they only add to the great memories of a great trip…..I would still like to shoot a bull elk in the wild…..so, I’m not done yet.
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
2014 Elk Hunt - JLR Summary
Dad will write his own summary of our hunt....I will post it to the blog as soon as he sends it to me.
As for my summary, I will make it short.
I am truly appreciative and blessed to be able to be a part of trips like these! To travel across the country and see the various sites along the way; to witness the awesome beauty of our nation's Rocky Mountains in full autumn splendor...from the road and from the field; to experience the anticipation of the hunt, and the pursuit of North America's greatest big game animal; and, best of all, to be able to do it with my Dad! There is, quite simply, nobody else I would rather do it with! Thanks, Dad!
As for my summary, I will make it short.
I am truly appreciative and blessed to be able to be a part of trips like these! To travel across the country and see the various sites along the way; to witness the awesome beauty of our nation's Rocky Mountains in full autumn splendor...from the road and from the field; to experience the anticipation of the hunt, and the pursuit of North America's greatest big game animal; and, best of all, to be able to do it with my Dad! There is, quite simply, nobody else I would rather do it with! Thanks, Dad!
2014 Elk Hunt - The Hunt...Day Four
Day Four. Our last day. We started the day with renewed excitement. At dusk the previous day, Dad and Jack had seen a small group of 15-20 elk about a mile away. They were across the expansive potato field, entering the base of a steep ridge on Flat Top Mountain. Too late in the day to begin a stalk, we planned to start day four at the point where these elk had disappeared the night before.
The day arrived with a light frost on the truck windows, the coldest morning we had thus far. The plan was to arrive at the south side of Flat Top in the early morning darkness, wait for first-light to drive part way up the mountain, and hike around to the north face where we had last seen them.
The sun finally began to lighten the day, and we hiked along a logging road toward our destination, stopping often to glass the openings in the oak thickets on the steep slopes above and beneath us. As we rounded the old trail toward the north face of Flat Top, Jack suddenly spotted a small group of elk. They were in a stand of scrub oak, almost exactly where we had seen them the night before. We each peered through our binoculars hoping to see a legal bull among them, but they were too far away and the cover was too thick. We retreated back to the east to devise a strategy to get closer.
Jack wryly asked Dad if he wanted to "go for a little walk." The idea was for Dad and Jack to hike up the steep slope on the northeast face of Flat Top, then travel north toward the elk hoping to get above them. The early morning mountain thermal currents typically carry breezes, ergo our scent, up the slopes...thus they needed to get above them to not spook them. If by chance they did spook them, I would be waiting, hidden in the shrubs at the base of the mountain and ready to take a shot.
The stalk was flawless. Dad and Jack spent the next two hours hiking the steep slope. Dad would later say it was one of the toughest stalks he has experienced. They quietly labored through oak thicket, aspen forest strewn with numerous deadfalls, and extremely slippery footing due to the wet fallen leaves. Finally, Jack spotted the elk again. Peering through their binoculars and the thick aspen forest, they could see six elk 75 yards down the hill. They took a long look at each animal, and unfortunately what they saw was five cows and a small spike bull. Legal bulls must be four-points or better. A successful stalk!...with great anticipation!...a legal bull the only thing that could have made it better.
We regrouped and headed back to the truck for lunch and water. We hunted Flat Top the rest of the day. We each saw at least one coyote (Dad saw four), and a few more deer, but did not see another elk. One highlight of the afternoon was my hike to the summit of Flat Top. It is an interesting mountain. It rises about 1500 feet from the surrounding valley to a peak of 9700 feet. The "peak" however is anything but. I crested the final rise to find a vast, open grassy meadow with a pond on the west end...thus its namesake, Flat Top Mountain.
As the sun set below the western peaks of the San Juan mountain range. our 2014 Colorado Elk Hunt had come to a close.
 |
| Most of Aspen were in Full Fall Color |
The sun finally began to lighten the day, and we hiked along a logging road toward our destination, stopping often to glass the openings in the oak thickets on the steep slopes above and beneath us. As we rounded the old trail toward the north face of Flat Top, Jack suddenly spotted a small group of elk. They were in a stand of scrub oak, almost exactly where we had seen them the night before. We each peered through our binoculars hoping to see a legal bull among them, but they were too far away and the cover was too thick. We retreated back to the east to devise a strategy to get closer.
Jack wryly asked Dad if he wanted to "go for a little walk." The idea was for Dad and Jack to hike up the steep slope on the northeast face of Flat Top, then travel north toward the elk hoping to get above them. The early morning mountain thermal currents typically carry breezes, ergo our scent, up the slopes...thus they needed to get above them to not spook them. If by chance they did spook them, I would be waiting, hidden in the shrubs at the base of the mountain and ready to take a shot.
The stalk was flawless. Dad and Jack spent the next two hours hiking the steep slope. Dad would later say it was one of the toughest stalks he has experienced. They quietly labored through oak thicket, aspen forest strewn with numerous deadfalls, and extremely slippery footing due to the wet fallen leaves. Finally, Jack spotted the elk again. Peering through their binoculars and the thick aspen forest, they could see six elk 75 yards down the hill. They took a long look at each animal, and unfortunately what they saw was five cows and a small spike bull. Legal bulls must be four-points or better. A successful stalk!...with great anticipation!...a legal bull the only thing that could have made it better.
 |
| View of Lone Cone Mountain from the top of Flat Top |
We regrouped and headed back to the truck for lunch and water. We hunted Flat Top the rest of the day. We each saw at least one coyote (Dad saw four), and a few more deer, but did not see another elk. One highlight of the afternoon was my hike to the summit of Flat Top. It is an interesting mountain. It rises about 1500 feet from the surrounding valley to a peak of 9700 feet. The "peak" however is anything but. I crested the final rise to find a vast, open grassy meadow with a pond on the west end...thus its namesake, Flat Top Mountain.
As the sun set below the western peaks of the San Juan mountain range. our 2014 Colorado Elk Hunt had come to a close.
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
2014 Elk Hunt - The Hunt...Day Three...
Day three of our hunt started as the others. Vicki, the camp cook and wife of our guide Jack, made breakfast, we assembled our gear, and soon were bouncing up the ranch road to our hunting area by a little after 6:00am. Our plan was for Dad and Jack to slowly hunt/hike along an aspen ridge near an open meadow known as the potato field, and for me to take my time to get to a stand location along the potato field. The hope was that Dad/Jack would either catch elk moving out of the potato field into the aspen, or they would push elk out into the it toward me, or I would catch elk still in the potato field as I quietly entered it.
The strategy didn't bear fruit...or elk, as the case may be. Dad/Jack did not see any game. I did not see elk either, but did have some excitement. As I entered a smaller meadow beneath the potato field in the low light of pre-dawn, I heard the clashing of antlers. I scanned the area with my binoculars, and soon found the source of the noise. Two small mule deer bucks were locked in battle, establishing their pecking order with their rut soon approaching. I had heard this noise before, but never actually seen it happening....it was quite a site! I then noticed several other mule deer enjoying the show with me.
I pressed on, up a scrub oak laden hill alongside the small meadow. At the top of the hill was the potato field. I cautiously moved through the oak, keeping myself in the cover of the small trees. I scanned the potato field with my binoculars and saw 15 more deer. After making certain that none of the deer were elk, I slowly hiked along the edge of the field to my stand. Over the next hour, I saw over 20 more deer walk by...some 20 yards away, some 200 yards, some does with yearlings, some small bucks. By 8:30am I had seen 44 deer...and over 70 by the end of the day. I wish I would see half that amount in a full season of Wisconsin deer hunting!
We had our lunch after hiking back to the truck near an old homestead log cabin (pictured) and spent the afternoon hunting through a new area with some steep hillsides and awesome views of the mountainside. We kicked up a couple elk, but did not get a good look at them. We closed the day sitting alongside the potato field...and while we scored a spectacular sunset, we did not see nor score an elk. Maybe tomorrow...our last day.
The strategy didn't bear fruit...or elk, as the case may be. Dad/Jack did not see any game. I did not see elk either, but did have some excitement. As I entered a smaller meadow beneath the potato field in the low light of pre-dawn, I heard the clashing of antlers. I scanned the area with my binoculars, and soon found the source of the noise. Two small mule deer bucks were locked in battle, establishing their pecking order with their rut soon approaching. I had heard this noise before, but never actually seen it happening....it was quite a site! I then noticed several other mule deer enjoying the show with me.
 |
| 1880's Log Cabin on Private Ranch we Hunted |
 |
| Sunset over Potato Field |
Monday, October 20, 2014
Elk Hunt 2014 - The Hunt...Day Two
Day two of the hunt started about as bad as can be for me. I woke up at 3:30am with a pounding headache...and by 4:30 was feeling nauseous. After succumbing to the nausea, I realized that I had a case of altitude sickness. Dave Holbrook offered to take me to a lower elevation, but I decided to just lay low for the morning and see how I felt. I woke from a nap mid morning, and felt notably better. I ate a light breakfast, and was ready to go out again by noon.
Unfortunately, day two was a near replay of day one, with the one exception being that we saw many more deer. Dad quit counting at 40, and I saw 20+ in just a half day. Dad and Jack did see 5 elk...while looking over their field, the elk blasted out of a canyon and bolted across the meadow. No shooter bulls in the group, and it would have been a tough shot if there was one.
One member of our camp did score, however. Bob, the cowboy (literally, he owns a horse farm in Ohio and does cowboy shows throughout the midwest) took a small 4x5 bull at dusk. He thought his day was over as he began to work his way back to where they had parked the truck at the base of Flat Top Mountain. Looking down into the aspens beneath him, he caught a glimpse of movement. It was a cow elk...and a bull...both unaware that the hunter that loomed above them 80 yards away! He quickly raised his rifle and fired. The bull dropped in its tracks.
We had a few light showers in the afternoon, and an incredible sunset. The weather overall remains good, and the scenery remains the highlight. Always optimistic, hoping day three will be better for Dad and me.
Unfortunately, day two was a near replay of day one, with the one exception being that we saw many more deer. Dad quit counting at 40, and I saw 20+ in just a half day. Dad and Jack did see 5 elk...while looking over their field, the elk blasted out of a canyon and bolted across the meadow. No shooter bulls in the group, and it would have been a tough shot if there was one.
One member of our camp did score, however. Bob, the cowboy (literally, he owns a horse farm in Ohio and does cowboy shows throughout the midwest) took a small 4x5 bull at dusk. He thought his day was over as he began to work his way back to where they had parked the truck at the base of Flat Top Mountain. Looking down into the aspens beneath him, he caught a glimpse of movement. It was a cow elk...and a bull...both unaware that the hunter that loomed above them 80 yards away! He quickly raised his rifle and fired. The bull dropped in its tracks.We had a few light showers in the afternoon, and an incredible sunset. The weather overall remains good, and the scenery remains the highlight. Always optimistic, hoping day three will be better for Dad and me.
Sunday, October 19, 2014
Elk Hunt 2014 - The Hunt, Day One...
Finally! It came! After months of waiting, and after a 26 hour, 1,440 mile road trip, the first day of our hunt arrived! We woke to a 5:00am alarm and smells of fresh brewed coffee and eggs and bacon. The lodge was buzzing with anxious hunters and guides as we enjoyed breakfast and prepared for the day afield. The camp cooks had laid out a lunch buffet of homemade sandwiches, fruit, granola bars, and fresh baked cookies...so after stuffing our lunch bags, we jumped in our guide Jack's truck and headed out.
With early morning temps in low 40's, daytime highs expected to be in the upper 50's and only a slight chance of rain, we were pleased with our first day's weather. We bumped along an old rancher's road for nearly 30 minutes to reach one of Dave Holbrook's private ranches which he leases for these hunts. Once again the scenery was incredible. Flat-top mountain (9,734 feet) to our south, and Lone Cone mountain (12,620 feet) to our north, provided bookend landmarks to our 9100 foot elevation hunting area.
The day started on a positive note, as we saw two mule deer on our way to the aspen grove meadow where Dad would spend his morning. He saw several more deer that morning, but no elk. Jack and I headed east and still hunted the aspens to the edge of a vast mountain meadow, where we sat for the balance of the morning. We saw several deer as well, but no elk. We met Dad for lunch and all enjoyed a brief combat nap before hunting the afternoon. We walked a couple deep cuts along the large meadow, kicking out more mule deer. We then setup along the meadow during the late afternoon, hoping to catch elk moving into the field to feed before dark. No luck however, and we returned to the Lodge by 7:30pm. By the end of the day we had each seen 15 deer. A long day afield.....good to see the deer, but hopeful for elk on Day Two.
 |
| Sunrise over the Potato Field, with 9700 foot Flat Top Mountain in the Distance |
 |
| Deep Canyon at Edge of Potato Field, with 12,620 foot Lone Cone in Distance |
Elk Hunt 2014 - The Road Trip, Day Two...Fort Morgan to Groundhog Lake
We had a much better day on Day 2 of our trip. Our final destination was the Laughing Coyote Lodge near Groundhog Lake in the far southwestern part of the state. We left Fort Morgan at 5:15am, and made it through Denver before the traffic congestion of rush hour. Our various navigational sources offered several different ways to reach our journey's end. We decided to trust Google Maps instead of the GPS, mainly because it offered the shortest route.
Heading west out of Denver on Highway 285, we were quickly greeted by the incredible beauty of the Rocky Mountains. This section of highway offers views of the fast moving waters of Turkey Creek and deep canyon cuts lined with shimmering yellow aspen...it was like a moving postcard. After passing through quintessential mountain towns like Fairplay, Gunnison, Cimarron, and Montrose, we literally hit the dusty trail for our final push to the Laughing Coyote.
You know you are in for a fun ride when the signs along the mountain dirt road read "This Road not Maintained...Drive at Own Risk". Given the rough conditions of the road, and the sometimes steep grades and sharp switchbacks (not to mention the steep drop-offs and lack of guard rails), this final 40 miles took us an hour and forty-five minutes to traverse. We finally arrived at Laughing Coyote at about 2:30pm...with 469 miles logged for the day.
We were warmly greeted by our host, Dave Holbrook, and his staff upon our arrival. After unpacking, we headed to the shooting range to make sure our rifles were shooting straight. We then met the other
hunters and guides in camp, and discussed the plan for the next day's hunt. We headed to bed early with visions of bull elk in our sights.
The road trip is part of the fun of these trips....and this one didn't disappoint!
Heading west out of Denver on Highway 285, we were quickly greeted by the incredible beauty of the Rocky Mountains. This section of highway offers views of the fast moving waters of Turkey Creek and deep canyon cuts lined with shimmering yellow aspen...it was like a moving postcard. After passing through quintessential mountain towns like Fairplay, Gunnison, Cimarron, and Montrose, we literally hit the dusty trail for our final push to the Laughing Coyote.You know you are in for a fun ride when the signs along the mountain dirt road read "This Road not Maintained...Drive at Own Risk". Given the rough conditions of the road, and the sometimes steep grades and sharp switchbacks (not to mention the steep drop-offs and lack of guard rails), this final 40 miles took us an hour and forty-five minutes to traverse. We finally arrived at Laughing Coyote at about 2:30pm...with 469 miles logged for the day.
 |
| Our Home for the Week...the Laughing Coyote Lodge |
hunters and guides in camp, and discussed the plan for the next day's hunt. We headed to bed early with visions of bull elk in our sights.
The road trip is part of the fun of these trips....and this one didn't disappoint!
Thursday, October 16, 2014
Elk Hunt 2014 - The Road Trip, Day One..Hartland to Fort Morgan, Colorado
They say that when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. So on day one of our 2014 elk hunt, Dad and I made lemonade.
We started our day as planned. We departed Hartland just after 4:00am, with a goal of making it west of Cedar Rapids, Iowa before making our first stop to empty coffee from our bladders. All was going according to plan as we navigated our way through the dark, foggy and misty morning. We witnessed an awesome sunrise as we rose out of the Mississippi valley into Iowa. After we hit westbound I-80, we finally decided to stop at the next Rest Stop.
As I pulled off the freeway and was nearing the parking area I suddenly lost the power steering. Thankfully this wayside had parallel parking rather than angle parking, which allowed me to ease the truck into a parking spot without too much effort. As soon as we stopped, Dad noticed steam coming from under the hood. We popped the hood and quickly determined that we were going to be here a while. The serpentine belt was very loose, and there was a fairly steady stream of antifreeze leaking from somewhere.
After a call to AAA, and a flatbed tow truck ride, we met the Service Manager at the Noble Dodge dealer in Newton, Iowa. They were able to pull the Dodge into a service bay right away, and shortly thereafter informed us that the water pump had failed and that they would need a couple hours to fix it.
So, rather than wallowing in anger and frustration, we made lemonade. We walked the new and used car lots looking at cars. We took a 2014 4-door Jeep Rubicon for a test drive, and swapped stories with the sales and service team. The time flew by, and next thing we knew we were on the road again heading west on I-80. A total of 3 hours and 20 minutes of lost time.
We stopped in Fort Morgan, Colorado to buy our Colorado hunting license, and decided to stay at the local Comfort Inn. A total of 942 miles today.....not bad considering.
We started our day as planned. We departed Hartland just after 4:00am, with a goal of making it west of Cedar Rapids, Iowa before making our first stop to empty coffee from our bladders. All was going according to plan as we navigated our way through the dark, foggy and misty morning. We witnessed an awesome sunrise as we rose out of the Mississippi valley into Iowa. After we hit westbound I-80, we finally decided to stop at the next Rest Stop.As I pulled off the freeway and was nearing the parking area I suddenly lost the power steering. Thankfully this wayside had parallel parking rather than angle parking, which allowed me to ease the truck into a parking spot without too much effort. As soon as we stopped, Dad noticed steam coming from under the hood. We popped the hood and quickly determined that we were going to be here a while. The serpentine belt was very loose, and there was a fairly steady stream of antifreeze leaking from somewhere.
After a call to AAA, and a flatbed tow truck ride, we met the Service Manager at the Noble Dodge dealer in Newton, Iowa. They were able to pull the Dodge into a service bay right away, and shortly thereafter informed us that the water pump had failed and that they would need a couple hours to fix it.
So, rather than wallowing in anger and frustration, we made lemonade. We walked the new and used car lots looking at cars. We took a 2014 4-door Jeep Rubicon for a test drive, and swapped stories with the sales and service team. The time flew by, and next thing we knew we were on the road again heading west on I-80. A total of 3 hours and 20 minutes of lost time.We stopped in Fort Morgan, Colorado to buy our Colorado hunting license, and decided to stay at the local Comfort Inn. A total of 942 miles today.....not bad considering.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)