This year I got together with a good friend for a short OTC elk hunt in Colorado. My first Elk hunt and we had a blast. After a lot of research we landed on a unit that would work with our short time (5 days) We flew in, rented a truck and beat it to the trailhead.
Night one we were pretty exhausted as we acclimated and got camp packed in about 5.5 miles to 9,400 feet. We were staying in the backcountry the entire time so everything came in on our backs. We did a little scout/hunting night one and bumped a bedded elk in some dark timber. Got an idea of where we wanted to be for Friday morning.
Friday morning we split up and stalked a pretty elky area. I found a ripped up area of some dark timber and made a plan to hunt it in the evening as the thermals reversed. That night I hunted my way back to that spot. As I got 2/3 the way up this finger I spotted movement, it was a spike bull still in velvet. I got my phone out and started filming him. Then I heard a crack higher up and saw a big rack coming down the same route the spike was on. Quick glass with the binos confirmed he was no doubt a legal bull. Not huge but nice branched out bull. I got setup and when he came into my shooting lane I settled in and released. Unfortunately I hit him super super high. He ran off 30 yards unphased. Knowing I had already hit him I got off another shot as he was quartering away at 55 yards, clean miss and this time he was gone out of my life.
Very slow the next two days, very little bugling and we did not really get into any more action. But I have to call it a success for my first trip and OTC. We saw WAY more hunters than Elk. We bumped into people constantly and in the darkest most remote corners of this wilderness. Most of our hunting was around 10,200-10,800 ft. I guess everyone has become hardcore hunters these days! What a blast though. Definitely hooked and I’ll be back out for more.
Spike Bull right before I got my opportunity.
View of where I shot the bull, between the trees in the center
The happy hunter
OTC CO Elk Hunt
- James
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- greenhorndave
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Re: OTC CO Elk Hunt
Pics didn’t show up for some reason.
Sounds like a great time though. A lot of folks really dig elk hunting and it seems like I’ve been seeing more awareness of it in recent years.
Sounds like a great time though. A lot of folks really dig elk hunting and it seems like I’ve been seeing more awareness of it in recent years.
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Sometimes when things get tough, weird or both, you just need to remember this...
https://youtu.be/d4tSE2w53ts
Sometimes when things get tough, weird or both, you just need to remember this...
https://youtu.be/d4tSE2w53ts
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Re: OTC CO Elk Hunt
Bummer on the bull but sounds like a good time regardless!
I can’t see the pics either…
I can’t see the pics either…
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