Realtree Colo Elk Hunt 08


silvertip_co

Recommended Posts

Glad to hear everyone had a good time and got back safely. Like I always say, "If you meet all your expectatons/goals, that leaves you with nothing to do". For me, just getting away from society for just an hour or so, does the spirit good, and being in God's county for a week cleans it up real good.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 209
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

First I want to say it was great seeing my friend SteveB again and meeting Kathleen and Jim. They kept me well fed in the eves that I hobbled to their their table. (Steve I'll send ya meal donation to do with as you wish). We all shared a bunch of good stories and talk about elk, deer, rifles, boots, AK, ghosts, CO, ufo's, and Freemasons( I couldnt tell em much about that ;)). Very astute and well read conversations we had in the eves. We had a great camp but just couldnt get on the elk. Well I couldnt even get on the road let alone get on the elk. Steve was kind enough to let me go spotting with him a few times, and Jim and Kathleen were on the next mtn mostly. Some time we could see them thru the spotter.

The rest of Dawn and I's story is... we went to Central City and hunted unit 38 for mulies and elk :eek: on Thurs and Fri the 6th and 7th. Thurs was first day that I did any walking much since the 30th when I fell. It was brutal that day... sunny 34deg with 40mph winds. Wind chill hadda be zero or something. The wind never let up all day and we were out in it all day sneakin hikin and hidin looking for elk and mulies. We hunted up and down, thick and thin, field edges and deep black timber. No luck.

Fri morn was cold but more like hunting weather as it was overcast. We hutned up one road while another couple hutned up this parallel road up this valley. We thought they might spook something over to us. I'm sure they thought the same. We walked this great elk ridge that had signs of a bull. It was very odd the more we walked this ridge I kept telling Dawn theres a lone bull here living. Around noon we met the couple again and they told us on the way up the road after 6am they saw one bull elk in the aspens and 13 mulies, three bucks and ten does. Of course they had cow tags. Soooo, had we gotten in there ten mins earlier and went up the right valley insted of the left valley we would almost surely had filled all our tags within a 200 yard stretch of trail. Such is the luck of the luckless...

Edited by silvertip_co
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good to see you made it back home safely Charlie. It was a pleasure to share camp with you and your lovely wife. Tell Mikkey I said Hello, and scratch him behind the ears for me...........he likes that.

Is that your generator running or is Kathleen mowing again?? :D:D:D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here's a link to our scant fotos plus the ones we borrowed from aksheephuntress' post. I WISH we had all posed for a group foto. Maybe next yr :). Heck we didn't even get a pic of Kathleen. If you have pics email them to me and I'll add them to the album.

If you click on slideshow it really comes up good. http://good-times.webshots.com/album/568692381TNkTtx

We are headed to Savannah til end of Nov. See y'alls next month.

Edited by silvertip_co
Link to comment
Share on other sites

...Hi, Charlie.....-You and Dawn have a good, safe trip....-

-I really enjoyed meeting you two, the hunt, and the commeraderie in camp...

-I wish we had all gotten a group photo, too....-I didn't realise Dawn was leaving early to get back to work....-and, then the weather set in....and things were pretty focused and intense on getting on the elk, when you had to leave...-but- between all of us, we managed to get a collection of memorable photos!

-I really enjoyed your slideshow...

-and, hoping that I can make it down again, for another elk hunt someday....

-Thankyou, Charlie!

-kathleen

-and....-be sure to bring Mikkey again...-sure is a sweet dog-:)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Life is all about perspective............................

If one's goal was to harvest an elk, this trip would have been lackluster. There were a few sightings.........a few stalks.........no dead elk.

My perspective....................

This hunt was about heart.................... ALL ABOUT HEART................. The spirit and drive to rise above the elements. Rise at 4:00 am knowing full well that a 3 mile long 25 degree grade was waiting for you in the darkness..............get out of bed anyways.

Boots are wet........feet are cold.........tent is cold............clothes are soaked............get dressed anyways.

Not seeing any elk..........it's snowing heavily......... temps are dropping below zero................go hunting anyways.

The laughs...........the vistas............the meals.........and the friends made it all worth while. Maybe I'm just an optimist.............maybe I'm just a realist.

If you're the type of hunter who get's their satisfaction from harvesting...............you probably wouldn't enjoy this hunt. 15% success in Colorado makes it difficult.

But.............If you're the type of hunter who enjoys a challenge............... blisters...........cold wet gear.............freezing in your sleep...............muscle cramps.................dry heaving........................altitude headaches..............fatigue................... and near death experiences....................This was the hunt.

I spent as much time talking with God on this hunt as I did hunting................... and you know what.................he talked back..............He told me he loved me...........and that he knew I loved him too............and that made my heart feel good.

Yep......................it was all about HEART.

I guess that maybe I'm not the greatest hunter...............I didn't get my elk.

But.................I do have heart. And that makes the Lord smile.............and that's my goal anyways.

God Bless You...................

JJL

....Absolutely accurate, moving, and inspiring post, Jim...

-just re-read it again-

-yep....- that hunt was one of the hardest, yet most memorable I've been on...-

-I have yet to post my detailed account, memory, and personal experience of the hunt...

-but, this was simply beautiful, and pretty much says it all, right here, in your post...

-I was honored to hunt with you, Jim-

Link to comment
Share on other sites

...Steve B......- I want to thank you, again, for this incredible elk hunt in Colorado.....

...as I mentioned before, "thankyou" just doesn't seem like enough to be able to say...

-I have a bunch more I am preparing to post, here in a bit-that goes in more detail along those lines, and includes a personal account of my perspective of this hunt...

(and , of the Wyoming hunt....-another incredible happening, this year...)

-Thankyou, Steve Beilgard....-you are a hunter and friend of the highest caliber....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry that there were no elk hitting the ground, but it sounds like it was a successfull hunt, none the less. I hope someone took some pictures to share.

Charlie, you are supposed to ride the atv's not the other way around. :D:D:D

I wish I would have been able to make it.

....I wish you would have been able to make it too, Jeff...-but the situation was completely understandable...and makes me so sad...

-You and your wife were in our thoughts and prayers, every day while in the mountains out there....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Life is all about perspective............................

If one's goal was to harvest an elk, this trip would have been lackluster. There were a few sightings.........a few stalks.........no dead elk.

My perspective....................

This hunt was about heart.................... ALL ABOUT HEART................. The spirit and drive to rise above the elements. Rise at 4:00 am knowing full well that a 3 mile long 25 degree grade was waiting for you in the darkness..............get out of bed anyways.

Boots are wet........feet are cold.........tent is cold............clothes are soaked............get dressed anyways.

Not seeing any elk..........it's snowing heavily......... temps are dropping below zero................go hunting anyways.

The laughs...........the vistas............the meals.........and the friends made it all worth while. Maybe I'm just an optimist.............maybe I'm just a realist.

If you're the type of hunter who get's their satisfaction from harvesting...............you probably wouldn't enjoy this hunt. 15% success in Colorado makes it difficult.

But.............If you're the type of hunter who enjoys a challenge............... blisters...........cold wet gear.............freezing in your sleep...............muscle cramps.................dry heaving........................altitude headaches..............fatigue................... and near death experiences....................This was the hunt.

I spent as much time talking with God on this hunt as I did hunting................... and you know what.................he talked back..............He told me he loved me...........and that he knew I loved him too............and that made my heart feel good.

Yep......................it was all about HEART.

I guess that maybe I'm not the greatest hunter...............I didn't get my elk.

But.................I do have heart. And that makes the Lord smile.............and that's my goal anyways.

God Bless You...................

JJL

That was an inspiring and awesome read Jim. Thanks ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.