Colorado Elk Hunting Photo Gallery
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Two scenes of base camp at
10,500 ft elevation. One during September Archery Elk Hunt/Muzzle
Loader and the other during the October/November Rifle Elk Hunts
All supplies and gear must be
packed into our Colorado elk Hunting base camp by stock animal. There
is no motorized access to this elk hunting base camp. This is the
Hermosa Road less area composed of 150,000 acres.
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Inside the Base Camp Tents.
Relaxing around the wood burning stove after returning from elk hunting
at spike camp for a couple of days. Lisa Turner and one of our hunters,
Charlie, inside the kitchen area of base camp.
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Spike Camp. This allows us to
hunt further out without having to travel back to base camp everyday. A
more primitive camp with backpacking tents, mummy sleeping bags and
pads, with a larger T-Pee Tent. We eat dehydrated food, snacks and
simple dried food. We hunt to spike camp on foot, which is 2 to 3 hours
away from base camp. Spike camp is located in the middle of prime elk
hunting habitat. All supplies and water are cached at spike camp by
stock animal.
Can you rough it for it for a
couple of days in our elk hunting spike camp? Notice how the weather
can change overnight. During the last week in September of 2006 while
archery elk hunting we had an unusual snowstorm that dropped about 3
inches of snow. The weather can be warm and dry or cold, snowy or wet.
For Colorado Elk Hunts, the key is to dress in layers.
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Some of our elk hunting terrain
and views. Our Colorado elk-hunting habitat is mostly composed of Aspen
and Spruce Groves intermingled with small grassy meadows. The terrain
is steep with lots of ups and downs. You must be in very good physical
shape to go on these Colorado Elk Hunts. Your body weight should be in
proportion to your height.
There is a resident elk herd in
this Hermosa Road less area that exists here both in the summer and
winter! Since the winter elk habitat is so good, the elk do not need to
migrate, thus, making this elk herd very healthy. Elk from other
regions of Colorado migrate to this winter range and become part of the
resident herd.
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Hunting on foot in an unusual
three inches of snow during the last week of archery elk hunting.
Fortunately, the sun came out and melted most of the snow so we could
dry out. Be prepared to hike on foot. It pays off. The second photo is
of the following morning of a bull that was taken at 15 yards.
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Getting ready to Pack a bull
out on “Charlie Brown”. Charlie Brown has packed a lot of
elk. He has a cool mannered head about him, which makes it easy on us.
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Rick and Marisa. Father-
daughter hunters. This was Marisa’s first bull elk at the age of
24 after getting a Colorado antelope earlier in the year. Rumor has
it… she got a bow for a college graduation present. What’s
next… an archery elk hunt?
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Packing supplies and elk meat
to and from base camp. We do use horses for support, but all of the elk
hunting is done on foot.
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Chris and Dan with their nice
bulls. Twin brothers from Texas.
Did you know that twins could heckle each other a little? These two
guys hunted hard and never gave up. With them in base camp, there was
never a dull moment.
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After we packed out of the
Colorado Elk Hunting Camp, Chris and Dan head back to Texas. Those
bulls had to be packed out a long way by horse to the nearest road. Dan
and Chris sure are glad they did not have to pack those elk on their
own backs!
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Pete and Brian with a bull
taken during archery elk season. We caught this bull on his way to a
water hole in the thick timber after getting out of his bed about 3 pm
in the afternoon. This was a Colorado Elk Hunt that we never forget.
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Charlie the III and Charlie the
IV –father and son. As soon as we spotted this nice bull elk,
Charlie the IV did not waste anytime. Charlie had about ten seconds to
react.
No doubt, he is an excellent shot off hand!
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Third rifle season Colorado Elk
Hunt. John Sr. and guide, Michael, with a nice mature six point. We had
to travel a good distance from our base camp to find this bull. These
bulls are not found everywhere. John Sr. had the patience and tenacity
to hunt everyday like it was the opening day. Colorado elk Hunting is
not only about the harvest but also mostly about the experience!
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In 2007, Steve took this really nice rare
non-typical bull elk with guides Brian and Chad. This was one of
several bulls that Steve and the guides saw during the five-day
Colorado Elk archery hunt. These guys put lots of miles on their boots
this week.
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Chad McKee with a nice five point taken in
2007.
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Marisa’s 2007 bull elk taken opening
morning. Marisa and her father, Rick, hunted with us in 2006 and 2007.
Marisa is proud and happy to get two nice bulls in two consecutive
years. She is a great hunter and lucky enough to have a father and
mother that raised her with a strong outdoor hunting background!
Marisa’s mother, Chris, joined us on the hunt for 2007.
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Dave had a nice shot on this bull in
2008.
He worked very hard and enjoyed every minute of it.
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