Virtual Archery Elk Hunt

September 12^th 2004

Part 4 in a series

Where to Hunt in Colorado

Never Summer Wilderness - Northern Colorado

The Chase began at 0720 when I heard his bugle.  I remember him from last year.  You can see him when he was a 6x6 in the DVD “Elk Heaven.”  Last year he was respectable.  His body is large and thick. Like he trains to be that strong.  This year he’s just as big and his antlers have grown to a very respectable 6x7.  Each tine grew much longer.  His bugle was the same and he was rutting in the same place as last year.  I was so happy he made it through the winter.  It was like running into an old friend.   An old friend you wanted to kill.  But seriously, it’s Sunday, September 12, 2004 and I’m high in the Baker Basin of the Never Summer Wilderness Mountains.  An overcast sky limits the sunshine this morning.  It’s cool but it didn’t frost.  What we need is another round of snow up high or rain.  I’ll take any change in the weather forecast at this point. 

Click on this first photo to see a larger version of it.    The area is high at around 10,000.  The surrounding mountains are around 12,000.  According to the CDOW Map this is where the elk summer.  The area is still very lush and green.  Find water and you’ll find elk I tell myself. And with water everywhere this year the elk are spread out.  All the elk I’ve seen have been within a quarter mile of some source of water.  

As I climb higher after that bugle I heard I spot a cow off in the distance.    It‘s a long way off, at least a half a mile or more.  What I don’t understand is where have all the elk gone?  Last year I’d see groups of 20 or 30.  This year I’m seeing groups of threes.  Well except for that 5x5 during the middle of the week that had about 30 cows with him. He’s the exception to the rule this year.  I can’t explain it so I’ll blame it on Global Warming.  That’s my excuse until we have another El Nino.  Actually, if you keep track of the lunar calendar and understand biological time then you would know this year is a late rut year.  Everyone has their way of judging when the peak of the rut or the rut in general will hit. If you break out the calendar (solar and lunar) then you can do the math and pretty much nail it within a day or two.  Imagine if your life depended on the success of your hunt.  I’d certainly be dead or eating grass all winter.  Early man learned (quickly) that they could be more successful if they kept track of biological time.  I look at it this way.  Easter is always the first Sunday after the First full moon after the first day of Spring in March.  Keep track of Easter Sunday and that will help you better determine when is the best time to be out in elk country during the September or October rut.  Elk are THAT sensitive to changes in light.  Their eyes pick up the slightest changes of light and dark in a given day.  It is the sole reason why their hormones change which trigger changes in their life.  It determines everything. When antlers fall off and when winter hairs replace summer hair.  It determines the hardening of the antlers and the shedding of the velvet.  Elk hunting is as much of a science as it is an art.  Science is quantifiable.  It can be precise.  I sincerely hope you do your homework prior to your season to put yourself in elk country during the rut.  If you’re looking for a helpful calendar to figure this all out then consider Date and Time.com.  Easter was on April 11^th, 2004 which is late if you consider Easter is on March 27^th, 2005.  So that generally tells you the rut for 2004 will be later this year.  And it is.

  I find this nice elk bed on my way up.  Look how wet it is.  Smelly.  Notice how the elk can view everything below?  It was a very nice location. I call these beds towers because they have such a large view of the area. They could see anything approaching from below and silently sneak away.  It really pays to glass the area on your approach.

The bull chuckles and he sounds close. He should be on the rock outcropping I see through the trees.    I see one of his cows then two and three.  I’m pretty sure I’m busted.  You can hear for miles this morning. The air is still.  I’m not certain exactly what set her off. The wind thermals were in my favor.  The soft ground made my steps quiet.  I bet she heard me in my noisy gear.  I SHOULD HAVE SHOPPED AT CABELAS!  The sound of cloth against pine and brush is a give away every time.  I’m well hidden behind some pine. I really want to see this bull and how he’s grown.  She starts the staring contest whether I’m ready or not.  But something still isn’t right.  She barks. Oh no, here we go.  I’ll have to run down and around to even catch a glimpse of the bull.  She stands there on top of that rock and barks at me for at least 5 minutes.  If anyone knows how to counter a barking cow I’d sure like to know.  It’s always ended badly for me.  This time is different. She’s not leaving as quickly as I thought.  I decide to slip away and begin me wrap around to cut them off. 

I think the elk left quickly after I tried my wrap around attempt.  I was crazy to think I could outrun an elk.   I saw only the white of their rumps as they trotted off.  They were way ahead of me already. It’s hard to see in this photo but both the bull and cow have their mouths open. I guess I’m not the only one who has trouble breathing at this altitude.  Now here’s the informative part.  Thanks to Elknut Outdoor Productions for educating me on what to do in situations like this.  I know the cow didn’t fully recognize me but she was alarmed. That’s why she barked and left. I asked myself what would Paul (aka Elknut) do at this moment.  Then I remembered when you bust a herd try the lost cow call. From a concealed position I threw out some lost cow sounds.  BAM! Instant reaction from the bull. He bugled. At this point I wasn’t sure where the bull was until he bugled.  The lead cow also stopped and looked in my direction. It was too far off for any shot with a bow but a rifle would have made a difference.  At this point I just wanted to see the bull.   They stopped but certainly weren’t coming back for this lost cow. They continued on a steady jog onward, over the top.  Timing is everything and I had one chance to see this bull silhouetted as he crested the mountain.  I got lucky and took this photo here.   He’s a nice six on his left side. His right side has seven points.  The sixth and seventh points are small like a crab claw.  Here’s a closer view of the bull   The bull and his three cows went over the top and I could hear him bugling for a good fifteen minutes after that. His bugles were loud and intense.  Like he was desperately trying to gather his harem.  It could be possible that he ran into another bull and was threatening him.  I won’t chase a running bull.  At best I might have attempted another wrap around over the course of a mile.  They never did identify me so I believe I have another chance. 

What could I have done differently?  I should have circled around earlier. I got too aggressive with my attack.  I believe their natural path would have taken them closer to me had I went around and waited for them to feed my direction. They were feeding in that direction and it would have been just a matter of time. I need more patience.

On my way to another area I found this elk trail.  It was heavily used from what I could tell.  It’s one of those pieces in the puzzle that you put together to determine the elk routine.  This trail led to the lower meadows where the elk would spend the night. A heavily used trail is an important find.  If you have time sit nearby and watch the elk (and deer) go by. According to the directions of their tracks they used this trail to go down recently.

Along my travels back down to the truck I found some good sign.  This scrape was as fresh as you can get.  It had fresh sap, hair and the broken limbs lie at the base of the tree.  It was scraped up higher than I could reach (8 feet) which is a good sign that the elk was big.  This is the type of tree elk scrape to leave their scent as an advertisement to other cows in the area and to show off a little.

No map in the world will show you places like this.    This little wet meadow was in the middle of forest.  Elk bed in the trees but if they can find a small seep like this with high grass they will bed here. One, because it is cool and wet. Two, because it is cool and wet.  There were three beds in the grass. One you can see at the bottom of the photo.  Each elk lays in a different direction to keep an eye out for danger.  I don’t think the elk eat this type of grass.  Elk seem to favor short grasses. 

In this next photo an elk attempted to make a wallow.  If you look closely you can see where he kicked the dirt away with his hoof or antlers.  It was nearby a lush meadow. Either he was interrupted or decided it wasn’t the best place for a wallow.  Wallows are usually wet and muddy. 

My day ended with a nice nap under a large aspen tree.  I was happy to see the big bull made it through another winter. Not only did he survive, he’s thrived this year.  I hope to catch up to him again.  The Never Summer Mountains are really spectacular.  Here are the details on how you can hunt the same area. 

You have to check-in at the Grand Lake Entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park. If you plan to hunt this area you need to know there are plenty of restrictions.  You can read about these restrictions online here.  It’s a better deal to purchase a season pass for $30 than it is to pay for a weekly pass at $15.00.  If you click on this photo  you can read the Rules and Regulations yourself.  You must show your hunting license when you check in.  Head North on Highway 34 until you get to two access points. You can’t miss the signs as they are in bright orange. Take either the Bowen/Baker Trailheads or Holzworth Historic site. Everyone parks at the Bowen/Baker trailheads as far as I can tell.  Because the road to the Holzworth parking area is blocked by a gate in the parking lot.  So I think it takes a bit more coordination to park at Holzworth.  No matter because the trailheads are located close together.  <sep04nswaccess.jpg> From what I hear hunters will cross the border of the Park and take a right or left and hang out right on the border.  However, you can’t shoot towards the park.  Some travel further back into the upper basins.  And I’m sure some go in a mile or so and wander around.  Keep this in mind as it will have an effect on elk movement.  I can tell you the Baker Gulch trail is nice. It climbs steadily for three miles or so then breaks out into the upper basin area.  The area is lush and beautiful. There are plenty of elk in the area even if they are more spread out this year.  I hope you get a chance to hunt or hike into the Never Summer Mountains.  It’s a wonderful place to be.  If you do hunt it make sure you follow all of the rules. Park officials and National Forest Rangers control this area very closely.

Weather

Weather is generally warm in September.  Nights can dip into the 20s or colder. Days are normally warm and dry. It’s been said you should pack your bathing suit and parka when you visit Colorado. It’s true.  We do expect at least one snowstorm during the month of September.  It can be a trace of snow mixed with rain or a full foot of fresh snow.  Either way you want to take full advantage of that weather pattern when it arrives.  Hunt before, during and after the storm.  If it snows you can track elk much easier.  It’s a gift and you should take full advantage of it.  I’d say the foul weather almost always happens after the 8^th of September.  Maybe the most detailed weather station on the Internet is Weather Underground.  Check it out.  The closest town in this area is Grand Lake, Colorado. Use that town to find the local weather report.  Subtract 2 degrees for every 1,000 feet in elevation you will gain to get a temperature estimate. Depending on where you plan to hunt in the Never Summer Wilderness. October is cold and can be snowy but has been generally dry.  November is one of Colorado’s snowiest months. 

Web Cams

The closest Web Cam I could find to this area is here:

 http://cam.rkymtnhi.com/

 Works well with the latest Internet Explorer browser.

Other Colorado Cams

http://www.dickgilbert.com/coloradocams.htm

Araphoe National Forest

Sulphur Ranger District is located in the town of Granby on the East side of town near the movie theater. Stop by when they are open as they are a VERY GOOD resource for information about the Arapahoe National Forest, access, where the elk are and current fire conditions.  Also nearby is the Routt National Forest.  You should contact both ranger stations to understand the big picture. Routt National Forest has an office in Kremmlin, Walden and Laramie, WY.  Check with the Parks Ranger District in Kremmling, Colorado as it’s the closest to this area.  And you must check in with the Rocky Mountain National Park gate.  Elk are the heart of RMNP and since they allow hunter access then you must follow the rules.  

Maps!

Best place to get the most up to date map with private property boundaries is the Boulder Map Gallery.  Get a BLM map and then go get an elk. The Boulder Map Gallery will have any map you are looking for.  They also have aerial photographs.  Check out these online maps from the Colorado Division of Wildlife and Terraserver.

Hiking and Camping

The absolute best link I’ve found for hiking in Northern Colorado is from Resource Analysis.   It’s the most complete data you’ll find on hiking in the area.  The author of the site also sells books if you’d rather read than surf the web.  You are not allowed to make Timber Creek Campground your hunting camp.  It’s inside the park and it’s just not allowed.  I understand you are allowed to camp in the nearby National Forest area.  I believe daily check-in and check out is required but you should ask the Park Ranger about that.  There was a truck or two in the parking lot that had been there for a while. 

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