silvertip_co

We will, I believe, also have one or two ssgt in camp from ft carson, both are under 30yo. Look like they have good strong backs too. I better take more of my outside frame backpacks for all the meat. :clap:

1. I bought three maps and ordered 6 more @ 9.00 ea. Am keeping one and sending one or two to Steve B. If you want a map email me your addy and Ill mail it to you. You can pay me later. I X'ed the camping spot on each map in orange highliter. 2. Steve B asked about firewood. I am taking firewood down there but not sure when. I may take it the weeknd before and cross my fingers or try to bring it along with me.I've set out firewood in the past and never lost a stick but one never knows. I have a lot of old wood in my yard and I accumulate it as I can and saw it for firewood. It prob would not burn for a week so we may have to buy a load or something. Still thinkin... 3. Steve B, on my facebook page in the picture section is good pics of the area, tho we will be camping about 200y east of where my camper is in the pics. Dawn and I were on a bluff overlooking the Conejos but we really need to be east of there some.

May I add... it will be to your advantage to bring along a pair of those knee-high rubber hunting boots also. And a day-pack of course. And a freighter pack in case you kill one and we cant get Sam to haul it out on his packstring($200.00). Just some thoughts from our past trips there. We'll prob go this summer a trip or two to fly fish the Conejos and do some scouting in case we also draw buck muley tags we put in for 3rd rifle.

I have a case of mre's and a case of farmer's coffee i'll donate. Thay came to me free and Ill make them free to camp. Also i did airport pickup duty on the first elk camp but did not need to on the second. im no longer in denver working but am only 35m from springs so close enough to work out a ride. Of course if Kathleen is coming I'm available for Denver duty. My wife is talking about another camper buy, so we have one for fall.Not sure about that yet. Let me know what else the group needs. The BLM site was down when I tried to order the maps so Ill just call LaJara or go down there some weekend, it shouldnt be a prob unless Obammy doesnt let fed workers keep more than 6 maps in the office for sale. One never knows...

Bull tags are for bulls and cow tags are for cows. There are either sex DRAW tags. They are listed in the book as EE as opposed to EF for cow(draw) or EM for bull(draw or OTC). You can go to DOW site and order the big game guide free. Or look it up online. Or hotmail me and I'll give your questions the best shot. Also when the BLM website comes back up Ill try to order a doz maps of the area in case someone wants paper maps. I like them as theres no radio, internet, cell service in Platoro and darn little electricity. FM and AM radio signals do not go to Platoro and theres less than 6 hard line phones ( the Bell as we used to call it). There is two lil stores and a great restaurant and lots of free and pay campin sites. We plan on camping free on BLM land. If I cant order maps Ill try to get them downtown here and at worst Ill drive to Alamosa or Saguache and pick some up. They are not free( tho I've met a BLM office employee who thought they were). As far as weather you may hunt mornings in your long underwear and afternoons in a camo t shirt. Or you may be shoveling snow. Or hanging on for dear life and trying to keep your camp outfit from blowing away. Good luck to all.

Here's a link from the Colorado DOW website that tells of the unit. Honeyholes excluded http://wildlife.state.co.us/SiteCollectionDocuments/DOW/Hunting/BigGame/GMUTipSheets/GMU081.pdf

Yes all public. Not many ranches. Mostly BLM and USFS land. Not rolling. Some gentle some steep, but all mtns. Open and thick both. Zero your rifle for 300y. Here's a map link to the area: ACME Mapper 2.0 Most of the bugling we have heard in past is at 5am to 7am, rest of the day it is done by hunters . A cow call is best ( IMHO) , I have three on a lanyard like the duckies use, and I alternate the calls. I think firstwe NEED to decide is 2nd rifle or 3rd rifle. May I recommend 2nd rifle OTC bull tags as 3rd rifle we might get snowed out...they get 30 feet per year there. Just a thought.

I'm in. I'm sure wife is too, esp for OTC bull. Jeff you may take the lead this year. It will be so good to see you and Steve B and maybe soem others we have met in past. Oh, and we ARE all for a cabin too Will share rent or whatever since we are camperless. I'm sure Dawn will cook(some). We could call it the "THIRD SOMEANNUAL UNSPONSORED UNSANCTIONED REALTREE ELK CAMP"

Maybe we all could rent a huge cabin this yr. Throw in together for it. I heard from Kathleen today, finally after 18 months. Maybe she and Terry could come too. Who knows. I still have some of the leftover signage from our first GREAT REALTREE COLORADO ELK CAMP. Who could forget the broken trailer on that one and the 'new style' elk call and the nice bull them boys from PA got with Steve's encouragement(climb up there and shoot that bull or I'll drag you up there).

Let's do OTC bulls in 81/80 for a Realtree hunt. Thats easy to set up, we have a good bull place, campin is free(tho we have no camper to stay in) and good water is nearby. Mule deer is draw and we are gonna prob try to get 35(36) or 44 as those are two great buck units. We both have points but I forget how many. Im gonna figger out deer this weekend when Im doin my taxes.

I'll emil you our 'sorta' plan for buck. Elk will be OTC at Pla.

I'm thinking this new early rifle buck in u48 might be my first choice. Mid Sept would be a great time to be rifle hunting above treeline I think and the tag is good from Salida to Leadville west of the hwy and east of the Divide. My other three buck choices are 3 of 5 units Ive picked, most of which we've hunted before. Elk we'll prob just do OTC bull in 81( thank you again and again Jeff). I better think it all over a few days before I burn my points.

The way Colo muley tags are ya never hunt the same place twice now. When I first came here was no prob drawin u86 tags when I put in for them. After a few yrs all my tags are 400 miles from home while the non residents hunt in unit 86. So new places is every year whether I want them or not. Adoption is hard with an incomplete profile.

I dont know what to do this fall. 10yrs of doing the same thing aint working. and last 3 yrs of doing diff thing didnt exactly thrill me. I tired to plan a family hunt for fall but family not interested so I guess maybe wife and I will just do the lone ranger thing again. I cnat get my vacation til October and cant get it at Christmas time( last guy hired) so maybe just take the whole two weeks in OctNov and hunt deerelk. Wife wanted to bowhunt cuz its warmer and 5 week season and Im older, but my interest level in re-beginning that for the third time is ZERO. So I just dont know...

I got AZ fever bad. Ever since I worked down there in spring 2010. Then the other eve was a program the guy was hunting Coronado Natl Forest se of San Carlos right where I used to work thru on the train. One day before Im too old and rickety I wanna hunt all fall in AZ to get it outta my system. By then I'll have more Apache friends and maybe get some good inside info. Good luck on your elk and antlope in AZ.

Cool elk and story. I always wondered what OK looked like since its right next door.

I wanna go with Steve B but I think he said wait til the 2013 regs come out. I'm just sooo tired of an empty freezer.

Wow they are fast. I wish CO would do same but their massive do nothing beaurocracy prevents it.That way residents like me could plan where they arent gonna get tags for next fall.

COngrats on a great elk.

x2. Im gonna stash some of them steel mill checks and try and do it when Steve's ready.

Great story pics Jeff. Glad you got it all worked out and didnt get hurt falling off the rock. Davis Tent is a great place, one of the guys fromt he rr tha twokred for me took me over there one day. Wow. Nice elk you got too. Im gonna re read your story a cpl times to see what more I can learn as we've never done any of that stuff either.

PM sent to ya Steve.

I only wish Dawn and I could. Maybe fall 2012 things will be better and we could do something like that with you. I know she would enjoy it a lot. As would I. As long as I didnt have to use youre 'new' type of elk call Good luck old friend.

Great adventure, congrats...