Josh's Summary - 2022 Colorado Elk Hunt

This hunt has been on my radar for the last several years. I have watched many elk hunting videos, read many elk hunting stories and done much thinking and hoping for this hunt. I have always been a little intimidated of “planning” this hunt as I didn’t know where and when to go. So, when Jerry called back in spring with the place, the time, and the company we’d be keeping it was absolutely “FOR SURE!” from me.

When we booked this trip, I made a commitment to being prepared. I made commitment to working out, eating healthier, getting my gear dialed in, getting my gun sighted in, feeling comfortable with long range shots, more elk hunting content, and a list of other things to get ready. Months away turned into weeks away, and I had been doing some of the things I had committed to, however weeks away turned into days away and then here it was. 

I felt good about my preparation. My gun was sighted in several times, and I had strong comfort with the ranges I felt I would need to shoot an elk. My gear felt solid, good boots, good binoculars which I had bought a few years back in anticipation for this hunt, good pack, shooting sticks, warm gloves, socks, base layers, first aid, sharp knife, ammunition, range finder and a list of other things. All that preparation was done, and we were loaded up and driving to Colorado.

The drive out to a hunt is always a very exciting time. The truck is filled with anticipation, and everyone is excited and even happy to be in a truck with three other men for 22 hrs. We talked about shot placement, ballistic bullet drop, the packers, politics, and listened to a lot of Johnny Cash radio.

Pulling off the main road and onto the forest service road near camp is when it finally felt real to me that I had finally made it to elk camp. It was probably 10 or so miles back through gravel, unpaved roads with deep valleys and high mountains everywhere. We arrived at the gate to the private ranch we would be staying at, and the guide greeted us and told us to put the truck in 4 -wheel drive because we would need it to get back even further to the lodge. Pulling in and seeing the lodge was a pretty amazing sight and feeling. This is unlike any cabin I've been to. This is an off-the-grid lodge that we were staying at with NO neighbors.

That night after dinner the entire camp sat down for a safety meeting where we were all told “Elk Hunting is not for sissies” by the owner. The owner is a very nice guy, just very honest. As the next 5 days would prove, he was right. The amount of walking, climbing, crawling, and long days we put in was exhausting. Breakfast at 5am, leave the lodge by 6am, hunt until 6:45pm, walk back to the truck, drive back to the camp, eat dinner at 8:30pm and then maybe a splash of Bourbon before you crash out hard. Then repeat that for 5 days.

Personally, I loved every minute of it. We were fortunate enough to have some pretty amazing guides. I was soaking up every bit of knowledge from “Moose” on hunting elk. I had told him several times about how different these animals were to hunt from Whitetail deer back home. There weren't many parallels from elk hunting to whitetail hunting. The only thing I can tell you is the same is the need for patience.

View from top of Bull Mountain

We had seen several cow elk all week and one bull elk, however we never got close enough to make a move on the bull elk. With bull only tags in our pocket we all came home with our tags. The funny  thing is, I don’t think I'm upset about not shooting a bull elk this time. The memories made with my grandfather, my dad, and my uncle are more memorable than any trophy elk on a wall or in a freezer. Sitting on top of a mountain at 8,000 feet elevation and looking in all different directions and not seeing a house or a car or a road is refreshing. Not having cellular connections in the woods is something I need to experience more often. Time spent with family is priceless. This is a trip we have all talked about for at least the last ten years, and we finally did it. I will absolutely be back in the elk woods, probably as soon as next year.

Thanks Gramps, Dad, and Jerry for making this happen.

JCL

Tom's Summary - BAR K RANCH 2022 ELK HUNT

This was my first ever ELK HUNT, and was a truly an amazing experience. Kudos to the Guides and staff at Bar K ranch for taking such great care of us, our guides were knowledgeable and truly dedicated to our success. Our expedition to Colorado was filled with majestic mountain scenery and great weather. The weather was also great for our days in the field with lows in the upper teens and sun splashed afternoons in the 40s. I did not know how I would react to being in the Mountain air and at 7500 feet of elevation, handled it better than I thought. However, climbing the mountain for my glassing area was definitely a daily challenge. Truly an amazing Father- Son experience, witnessing my son Josh in his glory of hunting and being in the outdoors. A special thanks to Jerry and Lee for all of their insight and past Elk Hunting experiences to prepare me.

Spending time with family is truly a blessing. I was not prepared for the long days in the field leaving the lodge at 6:15 and returning back to camp at 7:30ish eating around 8:15 and going to bed at 9:00PM.  Would have been nice to have more time to reflect and chat about each hunter’s day. Overall, this trip was an amazing and fulfilling experience that will be remembered and discussed for many years to come. A special thanks to Jerry for documenting our daily experiences and for the fellowship with all involved. Although I did not get an opportunity to eye witness a Bull Elk, I did see ELK each day, about 900 yards away, truly an amazing animal.

TL

The Father's Synopsis

Jerry, as usual, has done a first-class job of summarizing each day of our Elk Hunt Adventure….and every day was different for each of us.  My last elk hunt was 8 years ago.  Of all of the elk hunts that I have done, in Arizona, Colorado, and Montana, this hunt was probably the hardest.  For some unknown reason the altitude affected me more than on any of the other hunts….I had trouble with the climbing, not with my legs, but with catching my breath.  Is it possible that age is catching up with me?….maybe, but I’m not ready to admit that yet.

The walk out from our hunt area, on the first hunt day, in the slippery, slimy “Siberian Snake Shit” was very difficult.  I was so pooped out that I just ate my supper and went to bed…..and, asleep prolly less than a minute.  This became the pattern for me almost every night. 

Looking at the hunt in its entirety, this was a true hunt, from start to finish….as our host, Roger, said in his welcome talk, “Elk hunting in this camp ain’t for sissies”. We worked hard everyday, well almost everyday, from before first light to well past sunset….in and out of hunt areas in pretty much total darkness. I did sit at the lodge on Wednesday afternoon so that Tom wouldn’t have to be alone….what a guy right? 

For the first time during all of my elk hunts, I was unable to enjoy my traditional evening spot of scotch.  Tom and I did have one scotch with the only successful hunter in camp on the afternoon I did not hunt (actually, I may have had two  - good single malt Loch Lomond scotch).

This was a great hunt, with good food, excellent guides and outstanding company…I had a great time despite the difficulties….at age 86, am I finally done elk hunting?…..NOPE!! 

LAR

The Hunt in Numbers

• Game seen: Dad, 2 elk; Tom, 10 elk; Josh, 1 Mule Deer, 40 elk, 1 bull over 1 mile away; Jerry 21 elk, two bulls (one spike), 2 coyotes
• We all saw 3 moose walk by the lodge the first evening….a family of three with a bull, a cow and a calf
• Time in the field: Long days! 12-14.5 hours in the field each day…Dad and I agreed that, of the other guided hunts we’ve done, this was the most time spent afield, and the most brutal terrain
• Highest elevation: 8,480 feet - highest elevation reached while hunting, over 10,500 feet on 3 mountain passes along way to the lodge. 
• Miles hiked per day: generally 5-8 for Josh and Jerry, not quite as much for Dad and Tom
• Miles to closest town: 25 miles to Redstone (45 minute drive time, no emergency services here), 35 miles (1 hour drive time) to Carbondale
• Number of people in camp: 15…consisting of 8 hunters (other group of 4, 3 from Arkansas, 1 from Oregon); 4 guides, 1 camp jack, 1 cook (Joannie from the UP); the owner, Roger Cesario, and 2 dogs (Waylon and Bella)
• Total miles driven: 2,476 round trip
• Gas Mileage: Averaged about 10 MPG with Dad’s 2016 Dodge Rebel pulling Josh’s 12 foot enclosed trailer

Summary - Final Thoughts and Miscellaneous Musings

Photo at right is of Justin's elk from Day 2 of hunting. A nice 4 x 5.

Roger's solar-powered off the grid lodge had a certain old school elk camp charm about it...which I liked, but there were times where a little more light would have been welcomed. That said, the lodge's timber frame construction is very cool. The beams he used (some douglas fir, some oak) were reclaimed and repurposed from old warehouses and factories in the midwest. Its a perfect fit for its surrounding landscape.

And while the tent Josh and I slept in didn't have quite the same charm as the lodge, we both enjoyed the experience. Our first night was the coldest, about 20 degrees. Most nights we would re-stoke the fire about 2-3 times, but if we let it go too long, the fire would go completely out. In your sleeping bag it was plenty warm, even when the fire went out. It was kinda like the experience of a drop-camp hunt, with the crutch of having the lodge right next door.

Photo below is of the four of us with our guides, Hayden and Moose (gray beard). This was taken right before we departed. Both of guides were excellent...knowledgeable of game, of how to hike the variable terrain, good woodsmanship....and most importantly, they were good humans who really enjoyed what they did.

Of my previous hunts, this one offered the most scenic setting and surroundings. Each ridge you crested seemed to hold an even better view than the one before. It is really beautiful country. The style of hunting is more stand hunt than spot and stalk. 

Day 7 - Fifth Day and Final Day of Hunting

One last chance....one last hunt, one last hike up the mountain in the morning's cold mountain darkness, one last morning of opportunity for harvesting a Colorado bull elk. At dinner Tuesday night, we checked the forecast. A winter storm warning was issued for the area starting midnight on Wednesday. So we consulted with Roger and our guides (the knowledgeable ones about traveling 10,000 foot mountain passes in the middle of a snow event while pulling a trailer), and all agreed that it was smartest to depart the lodge early afternoon on Wednesday instead of our planned Thursday AM. This meant that Wednesday morning was our last chance to hunt.

Tom and Dad decided to not go out Wednesday AM, and instead stayed back and started packing the truck and trailer.

Unfortunately, neither Josh or I had any luck. Josh went with Moose to hunt through Bar-K Basin, and I went with Hayden up to the top of a ledge off of Sheep Mountain. Hayden and I heard a bull bugle a couple times, but could not pinpoint his location, so could not make a stalk. No last chance success for either of us. 

We returned to the lodge by late morning, finished packing, and had lunch. We gave our tips to those that served us for the week (cash, Koepke Cheese, Usinger's Sausage, and Wisconsin-made chocolate bars), and said our good-byes. We departed at 1:00pm with a little disappointment of not harvesting an elk, but also memories of a great experience and a great hunt. As usual, can't wait to do it again.

Note a few photos of our group in action below.

Day 6 - Fourth Day of Hunting

One of the postulates of hunting is to "Hunt where the game is." It is with this truism in mind that we started day four of hunting.  Hayden and I had seen 5 cows in the high meadows below the peak of Sheep Mountain the night before, so we were heading back there.  Hayden also had a great stand directly across from us for Dad to setup...where the elk could be grazing first thing in the morning or pass through at any point during the day.

Once Dad was setup, Hayden and I hiked up to the meadow where we saw the two cows the night before. We found a spot with a good vantage point to watch the meadow and the adjacent pond. The sun began to peek over Sheep Mountain, and soon we were showered with its warmth...a welcome feeling in the morning's 22 degrees temps. After about an hour, Hayden had an idea to head further up the mountain (of-course, further UP the mountain...I like DOWN better!), cut through a big stand of aspen, and come out in a stand of young growth oak and aspen. We cautiously entered the area, and noted that the further we hiked, the more elk sign we saw. It led down the mountain and into a small mounded meadow that still had green grass in it. The whole area had good sign. Fresh sign!

We found a place to sit for a while, and did not see any action. About 11:30 we headed for the truck and discussed the plan for the balance of the day, and agreed that it would be worthwhile to sit this meadow later this afternoon for the last few hours of daylight. Dad met us at the truck, and we went in for lunch and a nap. He did not see anything during his morning either.

We headed back out to the mountain at about 2:30. Dad went back to his spot looking over the big meadow, and Hayden and I went back up to the small mounded, grassy meadow. My stand was perfect...I was standing behind a dead tree with the trunk broke at about 4 feet from the ground, leaning slightly upward of  horizontal. It had just a couple branches extending from its trunk. The height of the horizontal section made a perfect gun rest, and the view provided an untainted vantage point from which to watch the elk trails leading into the small meadow. 

About a 4:00 a cow came out of the woods, initially headed to the meadow, then did a 90 degree turn to walk behind us. She caught our wind, and instantly bolted back up the steep ridge. Its amazing how agile these big ungulates are! Then, at 5:20 when I was about to take a bio break, Hayden got my attention to say he heard footsteps. Shortly after, we saw a number of cow elk appear in the thick cover along the edge of the meadow...about 170 yards away. 

Over the next hour and fifteen minutes, 11 elk entered the small meadow. The first one came in as a sentinel, extremely cautious, scanning the surroundings looking for any hint of danger. When it felt comfortable, it began grazing, and one by one the others followed...each 1-5 minutes apart. As the seventh one came through the thick cover, Hayden and I both noted antlers...a bull!  But as he broke out of the cover and into the open we saw that it was a spike...not a legal bull. So we patiently sat and continued to wait to see if a legal bull would enter the meadow. At times there were elk within 25 yards of us. Very cool to see it all unfold, but a legal bull never did materialize. We headed out at 6:40 and met Dad at the truck. He did not see any in his afternoon sit.