Dark Timber Bulls

February 18^th, 2007

It’s February 18^th, 2007 and I’ve been visiting this place every winter for the last ten. I know a big bull lives here and year after year I quietly search for him. Only twice in ten years have I seen the big bull. I first saw this herd bull back in 2003 when the drought left his antlers stunted and brittle. It was March and shortly after this part of Colorado received several feet of snow that hit midweek. Mother Nature ousted him from his haven back then and again this winter. I’m certain of two things, this isn’t the same bull I saw back in 2003 and big bulls can be predictable. I’m near 9,000 feet, the wind is whipping past my ears and the snow in the willows is deep. I’m having doubts the dark timber ahead at the base of a huge, north facing ridge holds any elk with all this snow. Then I break out of the willows, my heart rate way up and my legs burning. I come out to a meadow in the willows where the wind has blown off all the snow. All winter long this bull has been bedding in the dark timber and feeding in this meadow at night. He sleeps in the snow just a little ways up the ridge. He’s done it every year for the last 10 years. But this year is different. The snow has kicked him out of his lofty bedding grounds. It’s too deep even for this heavy bull to manage. The wind has hardened the snow and the drifts are deep. I sink up to my waist and fall down many times just getting to the meadow. I’m catching my breath beside a tall willow looking at the entrance to the dark timber. The trees must be 300 years old and let little, if any, light shine through. I’m catching my breath when I see a patch of tan, in the open off to my right. In all my years I’ve never seen a bull this big out in the meadow during daylight. I’ve always just seen his tracks, his scat and his escape trail as I unknowingly spooked him from his bed. This is the type of bull that trusts the wind and walks away from danger without hesitation. But today the wind is in my favor – something I’ve learned to make my top priority when looking for elk any time of year. And the wind is howling today. So much so the bull didn’t hear me stumbling through the willows. Today is a banner day. A day when everything went right. I had seen some smaller elk on the south slopes today. But big bulls, I mean really big bulls, love north slopes and dark timber. No matter what time of year it is. My theory has been proven true. I have another theory that huge bulls are alone all year long except for the breeding season of course. And that was not true today but two bulls are better than one. Maybe it was because this winter was harsher. Maybe there is a bigger bull than these and he’s outsmarted me again.

The huge bull is on the left and you say he doesn’t look so huge. These smart old bulls won’t let you take photos of them all day. They know something is up and they won’t stay long. I have to take as many photos as I can before they leave.

I know the photo is a bit fuzzy. It’s hard to focus on such a bright sunny day when the wind is howling.

Here’s another photo that I cropped. He’s a hoss. A really huge bull. My feeling is he is the “fire engine bull” as seen in “Colorado Elk Country” we found when filming during the rut of 2005. I can’t confirm it yet and he didn’t stay around long for me to take more photos.

Here’s another bit of information about big bulls. Remember he had a buddy with him. Huge bulls may hang out with other bulls but not very close. And huge bulls bed away from others but still within sight of them. The big bull tears out of there first, kicking up snow along his escape. When big bulls are spooked they will follow each other for a short distance and then they will separate. The huge bull heads right into the dark timber and doesn’t reemerge. His partner breaks hard right and I see him escaping up the south facing slope which is extremely steep. My theory is the huge bull only heads deeper into the dark timber where few will go after him and where the many fallen logs makes it difficult for anyone to walk.

You can see his partner is a nice looking bull too with tall antlers. His makes a lot of mistakes, however. He stops to get a look while the huge bull just took off without looking back. Part of that is instinct as big bulls need to know what spooked them. The next mistake he makes is he exposes himself on the south slope only moments later. A rifle hunter would have had multiple opportunities here. I have to remember elk this time of year are starving to death. They don’t want to burn more energy than they need to unless it’s an emergency. That may be why this younger bull stopped to identify what it was that spooked the huge bull.

Here’s the smaller bull as he ascends this steep slope like he’s walking on flat land. In a matter of seconds he was out of the meadow and up the hill, out of site. His partner chose the security of the dark timber and that’s why he’s the bigger bull. He’s lived long enough to know better.

My theory is huge bulls don’t feed out in the open until after dark. They spend the entire daylight hours in the trees. In dark timber near a spring where it is cool on north slopes. There they rechew their food. Many people aim for large meadows in creek valleys to find elk. I suggest you look to the tops of ridges during the fall and the base of ridges in the winter. A few things have to happen to find huge bulls. They need a small source of food, enough to sustain only one bull. Even in the harshest winters the wind will blow away the snow enough to expose sections of grass where elk will feed. A fresh spring of water or another small water source is also a requirement for dark timber bulls. Dark timber is where huge bulls live. And two times out of ten years of looking are the only times I’ve seen really huge bulls outside of breeding season. Find dark timber and wait patiently and be consistent. These types of bulls flee with the slightest hint of danger on a breeze. You need a little help from Mother Nature or the peak of the rut to find big bulls like this. My bet is that is the only time you will see them. The remaining part of the year they are ghosts. 99% of the time the only thing you’ll find is the evidence they leave behind for you. Dart timber can be found in any western state. Even those dry states like Arizona, Utah and New Mexico. Dark timber is a gold mind if you are looking for a huge bull.

Best of luck and thanks for reading.