Colorado 2007

[Blacktail2]

Without a doubt the best Elk hunting ever in this area(unit32).I have hunted and worked as a guide in this unit for the past 18 years.Only had 3 days to hunt on my own after working as a guide.In these 3 days i had a cow tag and a bull tag to fill,the cow tag was filled in short order the first morning with one shot from my 7wsm L.S.R.at 389yards. After the first and second group of hunters had taken 13 bulls, they new it was hunting season and were getting pretty spooky.I hunted hard for 2days for a good bull,spotted several,but could not close the deal.In the fading light the last day of the season i got on a bull at 554 yards,it was not the bull i had hoped for but it would eat alot better than the tag.So i dialed 7moa +2 clicks of elevation and 2 clicks left for wind and sent it.My spotter call a hit,but said keep shooting he's still standing,i used the same hold on the second shot and sent it,i got back in the scope just in time to see him fall.The 175 matchking did a good job on the cow and the bull.Pointing at first hit,second broke his back.

Here's some pictures of some of the better bulls we harvested this season.

 

[Blacktail2]

Here's a picture of the off side of the bull i shot.There was a little more wind then i called.

This is the entrance holes again, pointing at the first shot.This was the first time i used the matchkings on elk.They seem to work just fine.

 

[Sendero_Man]

Congrats and nice pics

 

[grit]

Nice shootin'. I was reading an article a bit earlier. The author was talking down long range work. Those bullets are placed as well as most folks could hope for at an hundred yards.

I've been hunting Colorado a bit for the last few years. Great place to hunt elk! The elk in your pics are pretty nice. It seems to me there are a lot of smaller bulls in Colorado. We see a lot of six point animals under 300 inches. I haven't hunted a lot of places. But, here at home it's unusual to see a mature six point under 300 inches. Body size seems to run smaller too.

I was wondering if your experience agreed with this. Maybe you could talk about tactics for taking the bigger ones. Mostly we archery hunt. We pass a lot of smaller bulls each year trying to take better animals.

 

[Len Backus]

You guys done real good. Nice mass on all. Which part of CO is 32?

 

[Blacktail2]

Grit,
The quality of bulls in the area we hunt has improved in the last few years,the main reason is the size of the herd has increased alot in the last 10 years.As the herd increased theres more carry over bulls for the next year,if you do not shoot to many.We run a limited number of hunters each year to insure this.

As far as strategys for harvesting big bulls,learn how to use a cow call.My go to call is the carlton super blue,i also use the hiper lip single and the hoochie mama as well.Each bull is a little differant as far as what he wants to here to bring him in.I bulge a little but not to much,more to locate then to call in.

Len,
Unit 32 is on the north side of hiway 70 between Grand Junction and Rifle.

 

[grit]

Nothing new there. I favor the same calls. Unfortunately, I think everyone else does. The mid size bulls, up to about 320, are relatively easy to call in. It is the older, more educated, herd bulls we're after. Now, we hunt public land. We pack in high and deep. Still, the elk are educated and wary. At least the big ones are.

I suppose it's the same story everywhere. The bigger, older bulls, and bulls with cows are more difficult to hunt. I'm looking for strategies specifically for these animals. We've had luck getting in front of them, calling in thier cows, getting in close and screaming at them when the sattelite bulls are working them up, using decoys.........