stick

Well after many miles of hiking and calling , many close encounters including one with a huge 6x6 bull at 20yrds I finally got a shot at a cow on the last day and ended my season on a good note. The only problem I had was I had hiked in three miles to a water hole and there are no atv's allowed in this area. After seven hours of hiking I managed to get 180# of meat out. That was four trips with 45lbs each trip. I have never had my whole body hurt so much as that last trip to the truck. It was just an awesome experience to get an animal like that with a bow that this was one of my most memerable hunts ever. This is the only pic that I have because the batteries were dead in my camera that I had in my pack.

Thats Awsome Dale!!!

Have fun Dale, it ought to be a great time.

Awesome buck Dale, congrats!!!!!

I used the FPB this year for the first time and they were great. I shot a small elk at 75 yrds and the bullet went through both shoulders and left a 4" exit hole. I was shooting this whith 120gr of t7. With open sights I was getting a 3" group at 100yrds.

congrats!!! Nice Buck!!!

This morning I got my first Elk, Right at daylight I called in a 4x4 bull and he had 6 cows with him. When I finally got a shot at the first cow I saw the bull was only about 10 feet away from me. The cow that I shot turned out to be a calf and she had crashed about 50yards from the road. Since I was only hunting about ten minutes from my house I went back home and got the wife and Kids and Got some pics. Even though I only got a calf I am really pumped and Excited since I have been hunting elk for 3 years and this is hte first shot that I have had.

After two years of trying to get a crossbow permit I finally got it. It ended up costing me $730.00 in medical fees but now I can chase the elk with my bow. I am really fired up, yesterday evening I drove up by where I plan on hunting opening weekend and there were 83 elk in the field less than 100yds from where I plan on hunting. I am super pumped!!!!!

I dont know anything about those particular units, but I have been in Colorado for three years now and I am just getting use to the altitude. I have an archery tag unlimited bull only, and I am going to be hunting up here around Rampart Resevoir. There is a pretty good size herd up here, but I have also seen alot of elk just south of Castle Rock right off of I-25. Dont know if it is private or state land but there were alot of animals there. wherever you hunt good luck and be sure to get in shape!!!!

Hey guys, it was an awesome experience but you got to realize I was by myself and had convinced myself that the chances of seeing a big cat was basically nil. So when I saw that cat I could only think of "DUDE HE IS GOING TO EAT ME AND I ONLY HAVE ONE SHOT" of course he did not eat me and was way more scared of me than I was of him, (I keep telling myself that.) Just that day I had been talking to some locals about mountain lions and they had been saying how if you didnt have a tag and you killed one it was like a $1500 fine and revoke your hunting rights in the state. So that was strong in my mind during the encounter, and I just kinda froze and couldn't do much. But everything came out great and I got a story to tell for a long time now.

Hey guys, just got back from my first four days of elk hunting and have been close to 6 different bulls but have not got a shot yet. On Tuesday evening I was sitting on the side of a hill calling to a bull that was answering every call that I made. After about 30 minutes I saw movement to my right and when I looked there was a Mountain Lion standing about 10 feet away and looking away from me, he didnt even know I was there. I slowly turned my muzzleloader toward him and got ready. Then when I thought I was ready I said BUDDY YOU BETTER JUST GO!!! That Cat turned wrong side out and took off and I never saw him again, Man his tail alone had to be 5 foot long that is the first time that I have ever seen a mountain lion in the wild and I hope it is the last.. It took me about an hour before I got myself calmed down enough to where I could start hunting again. Just thought I would share my story of my first encounter.

I just got back from settng up my elk camp, just below Pikes Peak. While putting up the tent I heard a bugle and saw two 4x4 bulls run across an opening about 200yds from camp. I can not wait untill saturday morning!!!

I have tried the heavier pbs and many different buffalo bullets, I am shooting 777 and have tried complete cleaning between shots, spit patch between shots and shooting 4 or 5 times without cleaning. The 338gr pbs had a 8" group at 80yds and I just dont trust that. This gun has always shot 1" groups at 100yds with sabots. As to the FPB I would love to have some and on wensday I went to Denver to see if I could find some at Bass Pro and they were out and didnt expect to have any in for three weeks and my season starts in two. The powder charge that I have found to be the best is 100gr by volume. I am just not use to having to search for a load that works.

Hey Gator, yea I thought the same thing but I have also seen a lot of guys up here shooting muzzleloaders and they are happy with 8" group at 50yds. I was horrified at the prospect of not having a 1" group at 50yds. I dont understand how "SOME" not all by any means, dont get their guns sighted in before season so they can hit what they are aiming at.

I am shooting a cva hunterbolt and sabots shoot great but up here we cant use any sabots. I really have tried every possiable bullet from the buffalo bullets to different sizes of powerbelts. I have decided that confidence in my bullet and where it is going to hit should do the job. I talked to some guys at Bass Pro in Denver today and they said that the instances they have heard of were when the shot hit right on the shoulder closer than 20yds and that if you hit in the vital area than I shouldn't have any issues out to 150yds.