silvertip_co

Cool Aaron, congrats. We bought one today. A tent camper clean as a whistle, also a deal we couldnt pass up. Just talked to Dawn about going down over Labor Day. Im off Sat Sun Mon and we could leave Fri after work and get there at 1030ish. We'll let you know for sure but we wanna try the camper out too.

That'll work. I think Steve B plans on being in camp the 18th or so. I do too actually. I think my wife and a few others plan the same but not sure. Having done this there a few times it is better to arrive two days early. Supplies can be gotten at WM in Springs Pueblo and Alamosa. All three towns have them close to your travel route. There's a Safeway in Walsenburg and also a family market (they cut up elk) in Antonito tho I forget the name. Good luck on your trip. 181 is a great deal and saves tons of travel time. From DIA it's 5.5 hrs to my GPS coords.

I need to make another trip closer to our hunt and order or buy a truckload of firewood for us all. I'm camper shopping so maybe Ill have that part covered. ALso we are tent shopping just in case. Sunday we are sorting thru all our camp stuff from the camper we had and re organizing it for the elk camp. I need to work on the sign Sun also. I still have 5 maps left to send out if anyone needs one email me your snailmail addy, or I can give it to you at camp. 4 of us are shooting tomorrow morn, cowboy778 and two other yng guys who wanna hunt with us( all Army) and myself. Then we are gonna ride east to check a ranch for permission to antelope hunt.

Yeah its only along 10 mi walk to NM. Site is along fr250 between Valdez Creek and Trail Creek. Sou COlo at its finest.

Now that I have room in my garage I guess ill recycle part of our very first "camp rt" sign and make us a new one for oct 19.

I wish I had found my regualr camera before we left, my droid takes crappy pics. Sometimes. Let me know when you go if you want company.

I got pic of the campsite and here are the coords. We did not see any elk but our hiking was limited due to really heavy rains and hail in the high country we were in. Did find a wallow though while we was eating lunch. I could see it thru the trees so I put the binocs on it. Coords are for the best of three adjacent campsites we looked close at are : 37deg 13.55min north x 106deg 27.47min w. There is also a site west of this one thats pretty nice but sloping, and a huge one east of this one but too open. This middle site as we'll call it has some trees to block wind. As soon as I get the pics off my droid I'll try to figure out how to post it here. As I took a pic for each gps location. I got the pic loaded, aspen grove is to left and out of view in the foto. Also we got a business card for the guy who hauled elk out for 200.00 two yrs ago. And we went by and checked out cabin prices at Rocky Mtn Lodge, and we talked to the rancher at Lake Fork Ranch Outfitters and they also haul elk out but his price structure was way iffy( depends on this and that and the other thing, etc). Also he does not rent his horses out due to insurance. I wanted to stop at the gro store in Antonito as they cut up elk(according to Jeff B) but bypassed it in favor of some flyfishing at a high mtn lake above Cuchara. But the one local guy at Mogote Meadows where we stayed told me the gro store owners in Antonito are in fact big elk hunters and do cut up elk for folks. I guess I can call them to confirm. After I finish eating these trouts...

Headed to platoro later today. Ill get some coords for the campsite and post when we get back. Got a 2 br cabin for weekend if anyone wants to go scout too. I know its short notice. Will also check on packhorses and rentals while we are there.

I met and shot with him three weeks ago but havent heard a word since. Hope they are ok. He's just back from Afghanistan so maybe they are on vac or something. Ill keep you posted.

Had a great email from two farmers in Ohio that want to join us in Platoro. Their 3 friends had to back out and these two have 20y of Colo elk hunt experience. They sound fully equipped. Please weclome 'redlane' and his brother.

I will not be able to make it down there til mid to late July. Perhaps the 7th or 21st weekends. We've been there many times bu want to scout some new areas nearby and talk to the outfitter and another guy and see about horses to haul elk out with. Details at 11...

Well we could each kick in 350.00 and get the huge cabin that sleeps 12. But we would need 8 of us to do it. That would give us 8 nights. Or something like that. Only prob is the cabins are 9mi from our sort of honey area. The other cabins on way in are only 6 mi but I gotta find their website to see what their offerings are.

Yes we ate there a few times and paid to shower also though we were camped at the trail creek site where we will camp this year. Dawn and I hope to get to Platoro weekend of 16/17 or 23/24 and go by there. Very nice people we talked to them and got hunt info from them them and prob just need to make a reservation. The lodge CAN get 17feet of snow by spring so they tend to close Nov 1 but the last we were there was scuba welders working on dam gates from a workraft so they had planned on being open. Since the owners are from TX they tend to play opening and closing by ear and by the weather. My original intent in suggesting a realtree(little r) hunt was to rent a a large cabin and split all the costs even tho at the time we had our camper. Its a nice place and it would be good to share a large cabin so we could shower and have meals but then you have to come and go to trail creek every morn and eve and we would miss Steve's company and any 'new' elk calls he comes up with. Im open to any and all suggestions...

We hope to get to u81 over the 16th-17th to do a lil scouting. If I get into the Conejos valley I'll stop at the cabins that are 6 mi east of the intended campsite and see if they have rooms and how much. Theres also two ranches that rent cabins but I heard the one west of our campsite is 'nasty' but I cant recall who told me that. It'll all work out I'm sure, it's pretty much all I think about.

Cool, the more the merrier. It will be Dawn and I for sure, and maybe our shooting friends Kyle & Will, and of course cowboy778 from the forums here ( whom I just met Saturday and shot with, he's a great guy). We just have to work out some place sleep. I may rent a camper for Dawn and I and not sure my lungs will take tenting.

I think my friend Kyle and his friend Will, both soldiers from Ft Carson may hunt elk with us but wont be sure til later. They have not been on Realtree that Im aware of. Kyle is sort of like a stepson to me and I just met Will(Kyles Army boss) a few weeks ago and I took them turkey hunting. I have four Ft Carson hunting/shooting friends, Staff Sgts mostly I think, since spring '11 and have hunted with some and shot with all. So from my persepctive we may have two more Sergeants with us, or they may hunt u34 with a young hunting friend up there. Too early to tell but I guarantee you they will be a welcome addition to camp if they come.

I'm excited about our realtree hunt too, as is my wife. This will be our third. On the first hunt two guys with Steve B killed a nice big 5x5. On the second hunt we got nothing but a good time. This time we hope to score as the last time we hunted there we found the elk but didnt close the gap. Our biggest concern is the camping part. We sold our 24' camper trailer and are not sure what we wanna do. Im chronic asthmatic so am not much of a tenter. But I did ok for 3 yrs when we had one of them tent trailer campers that we pulled. So we'll see.

Steve when you are in Colo you BETTER come and visit and stay as long as you like. We have a spare room thats all yours to rest up in. We can scout weekends down there, or I can with you if Dawn is tied up with summer school. Also she has some elk things to tell you about the place. Good luck with the radiation. Keep us posted.

Results, or lack of them more likely, are posted now. Type type your info in here to find out what you didnt draw: Draw Results & Preference Points

Ill get your map to you in a day or two. Gotta find your address again. Be safe coming home.

Hmmm our shows nothing at all for 2012. It says deer May 29.

Cowboy778 when do you return from Afghanistan so I can mail your maps? I got your email with address. No hurry just curious.Maybe we can meet up once you get settled back in to ColoSprings. Thank you for your service.

It's too quiet here and soon will be too hot to think about elk hunting.

I picked up the other 6 maps this eve. Maybe if you get to the place a few days early I could haul some wood in there after work. Be a long day for me but what the heck. Its hunting season.

Yes just answered it. Stay safe.