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Outdoor Magazine, February '04 issue, Traveling Outdoorsman col. Submitted by: Glenn Dunning |
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Colorado Elk Hunt It's all about the excitement! |
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| Ever been on an Elk hunt? I hadn't until last October when Larry Allen of Hubbard Creek Outfitters invited me to come work the first rifle hunt on his ranch in South Western Colorado. It proved to be one of the most memorable trips I've been on in a long time. Elk tags for the first hunt, which starts the second Saturday in October and runs 5 days, are available by draw only. In this particular zone however, the tag allocation is generous and in recent memory all of Hubbard's clients have benefited from 100% draw success. This part of country has some of the most beautiful mountain scenery anywhere. High peaks, deep valleys, and in October the landscape is alive with color. As you leave Paonia, the last town, and head up the forty plus miles to the outfit every corner yields another postcard vista of snowcapped mountains, dense evergreen ridges and tall aspen groves, their leaves a brilliant yellow in the autumn sun. This is elk country. The Allen's ranch has been in their family since the mid-eighteen hundreds and consists of 5,000 acres completely surrounded by national forest. While it is true that a lot of elk are shot on the public forest-land, the sanctuary provided the animals on the ranch make it a "go-to place" for big bulls attempting to get away from the hunting pressure. Larry Allen is a working outfitter. I don't think he would be in the business if he couldn't guide clients. The first morning of the hunt I accompanied him and clients Max, Scott and Keith Beck from Pennsylvania. The father and sons trio were a little quiet as we pulled the pickup out of the yard at 6:00 a.m. but the excitement each was feeling in their bones was thick enough to cut with a knife. Bull elk bugle when they are rutting and if you have never heard that song in the wee hours of predawn, you have no idea how exhilarating the rush that goes up your spine when the big monarchs start advertising their presence to summon cows and ward off challengers. Larry as well as guides Scott and Steve spend a lot of time scouting and we were headed up a rough four wheel drive road to an area that Larry was sure had at least one herd bull and maybe several. It could not have been more perfect. We emerged from the truck and as the hunters donned their daypacks and quietly chambered bullets, I gazed around at a picture that was almost too serene. We stood at about 9,000 feet altitude, the temperature was in the twenties and the first hints of daybreak were brightening the eastern horizon even as the moon faded over the mountains to the west. Then, as if to catch us all by surprise, the big bull bugled. We froze, mesmerized by the primordial sound; he was close. Keith and Scott wanted their Dad to have the first opportunity so Max and Larry stalked up the trail while the boys and I waited by the truck. The hunter and guide were not even out of sight when the bull sounded off again seemingly closer than before. They slipped quietly forward soon disappearing from our position and moving purposely forward. The herd bull bugled once more and than again. Larry and Max had gone less than two hundred yards breaking from the scrub oak into the edge of a clearing. All of a sudden there were elk everywhere. Cows and calves crossed the brown meadow from different directions. "There he is" Larry's words were whispered but excited. Directly in front of the hunter and guide the big 6x6 broke the cover moving straight toward them into the meadow as his harem scattered before him. At 50 yards, Max's 7mm mag. barked a report shattering the silence of the crisp morning air. From the truck we had waited patiently listening to the bugling bull and wondering how close hunter and guide had gotten. The shot put us on alert and within seconds we could here countless elk barreling down toward us. Keith had worked his way to a knob just below the truck and stood ready. From there he watched several dozen cows, calves and small bulls race across the trail in front of him. Larry discourages harvesting anything less than a 5x5 so Keith lowered his gun, there were no shooters in this group. The hunt was over within the first 15 minutes of daylight for Max. He would spend the remainder of his week enjoying some well-deserved rest around the outfit and helping Larry's wife Janet with camp chores. His bull was a massive 6x6 and before the week was out the other group of 4 hunters from Michigan added 2 big 5x5's and a 6x7. Hunting is not universally this good at all elk outfits and ones like Hubbard Creek require a year to 18 month advance booking. Worth the wait, for those seeking excitement and success in Colorado's Rocky Mountain high country. |
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