High country elk in September!

[criveraville]

oh....and Criveraille, I make a dandy "Sherpa" 

Lee, well come on down, I have always wanted to climb the slopes with a sherpa, especially a Dutch Sherpa

[Keenan]

Pat, I couldn't be happier for you. I know you'll be grinnin from ear to ear. Can't wait to hear about the stories of screaming bulls. Wish I could be there to watch,video and call for you.  Kenneth is a great guy and it's awesome to see such great friendships taking place. Now get back on that stair stepper.

[HoBow]

Good luck Pat. Sounds like a blast!

[Pappy]

Congrats Pat,that is great, I need to do the same if I am ever going to,just keep putting it off and soon it will be to late,good for you that you decided to JUST DO IT.   
   Pappy

[Lee Slikkers]

Congrats Pat,that is great, I need to do the same if I am ever going to,just keep putting it off and soon it will be to late,good for you that you decided to JUST DO IT.   
   Pappy

Let's go next year Pappy    I ain't getting any younger either...

[Little John]

Wow Pat, I just stumbled onto this post. I am getting excited and about ready to make a trip up to the hunting area. Not too long now and it will be here before we know it. Not too many weekends left till time to get the camp set, maybe I will rollup the walls  of the tent so bears can come in and check it out with out destroying things. Just need to get the tent  ( 14'x16' ) repaired around the stove pipe hole. This tent is not bug pruff so I hope the hornets and yellow jackets will leave Pat alone as he seems to attract them and has a reaction to them. I am also going to set up a shower so we can keep down the human scent and not be hunting elk while smelling like a locker room. At least my shooting seems to be no worse than normal and yesterday I centered a hay bale elk  first shot at over 30 yards so I mostly need to work on the getting into shape thing also, more mountain bike riding (cardio and leg work).  I also need to work on my bugling and cow talking techniques Pat also. Yep every one who has bow hunted elk knows that any elk on the meat pole is a good elk, and I will take any shot at any legal elk. I don't mind getting lucky the first out and have to kick back doing meat packing and camp chores duty. Hope the animals cooperate and we can pack out two animals, cant wait to make more elk chilli, and elk camp chicken fried backstrap.                  Kenneth

[Pat B]

Mmmmmm, chicken fried elk backstraps!    It is coming up quick, Kenneth.   I can deal with the bugs too. My last tent wasn't bug proof either.    It was ne Kenneth had used for a foor storage tent and a bear decided it needed a back door. 
...and a shower? Boy, that might help. 

[wildkatt]

  sounds like fun let me know if y-all want another i hunt from horse back but im a pretty good stalker too. Trying to set something up with Gstoneburg to get him up to hunt Elk .


Katt

[mullet]

Pat and Kenneth I hope you guys have a great hunt, wish I was doing it myself. The San Juan mountains are some of the most beautifull in Colo. I lived north of there but worked down in Durango and Silverton all the time, really loved it. I never connected on an Elk when I lived there and hope to go back and do it before I'm as old as Pat

 Good luck, guy's and enjoy the time together.

[Little John]

Keenan  I really do wish you could make it and help out with the calling. That is one thing I have never perfected. I hope you and LuLyn have a big year.

Pappy, yes you are going to have to hunt the high country, and the sooner the better. I am sure your son would love to take you in Wyoming.

Katt, where do you live in Colorado? We use horses for packing camps and meat.

Eddie, you are right about the San Juans being nice country, and also any one needs to hunt back country elk before they are as old as Pat, hope you can make it out some day.

[Wolf Watcher]

Pat:  Congratulations on your up coming hunt!  Its not  your age that can be the problem.  Its that rarefied air thats hard on a low altitude fellow!  I am a lot older than you and I live and hunt in the high country so not having enough red blood cells can be a problem.  The wolves have our elk and deer hunting messed up as the big herds have been chased out of the traditional areas and because they are concentrated in certain hunt areas it is almost impossible to draw a tag.  Like winning the lottery.  There is hardly anytime during the day that we can't see white tails from the house and I never drew a tag this year.  I still have a lot of fun with calling the bulls.  Its been my experience that more bulls a driven off than called in by inexperienced callers.  The cow call is a lot easier to master and works just as well.  Looking forward to some elk down pictures and a story in the PA mag.  Good luck and good hunting.  A/Ho Joe

[gstoneberg]

Katt, we're gonna do it.  Starting my exercise program today. 

Good luck Pat.

George

[PeteC]

That sounds great Pat. I hope to do it some day myself. My wife and I are headin' up there in 2 weeks to do some fly fishing and mountain climbing in the San Juans. Hope the best for y'all on your upcoming adventure. God Bless

[Little John]

Joe      Man that is too bad about the wolves, it is not a good thing to have more predators than prey. We have no wolves here that I know of, but golf courses and urban sprawl in the wintering areas is what hurts our elk. At least we can get over the counter elk tags but have to draw for everything else.

George    Hope you really do get to come out and experience a wilderness hunt.


Pete     Hope you enjoy your trip. Didn't you post a while back about going to the Black Canyon of the Gunnison? Never been there but I bet it is beautiful.
                                Kenneth

[mullet]

Kenneth, you'd love the Black Canyon. The company I worked for had an office in Gunnison. I used to get to work up around Tin Cup. We would just camp in a little campground near there that had a trout stream flowing through it and save out motel money.