Video:

My first elk hunt.

Effort only feels taxing if there's no hope for success. I know anyone who has ever gone freedive spearfishing can relate to this sentiment. Today (as I write this) was my first ever elk hunt. OTC Archery Elk in Colorado, DIY & solo. What a place to start. Maybe because I'm new out here or maybe because all of the people I would refer to as my (internet) mentors enjoy the challenges of the solo DIY pursuit.

Day 1:

I left Denver at 330PM to arrive at the trailhead of my public land hunting destination after 10pm … 3 hours longer than normal due to several issues on I-70. When I got to the trailhead I noticed 8 other vehicles armed to the gills with ATV trailers and cargo racks. I moved my bags to the front seat of my vehicle and tucked up in the trunk of my jeep next to my two yeti coolers full of hopefully necessary ice. I set my alarm for 330am in anticipation of a several mile pack in … wanting to get to my first hunting setup before legal shooting light.

I assembled my bow and cinched down my pack under the nearly full light of the moon. As I begin my treck down the trail 3 ATVs fully loaded with men and weapons headed into the forest ahead of me. During my moonlit hike in another several ATVs passed on by with headlights blazing and combustion engines roaring in the night's quiet.

I got to the destination where I saw fresh elk sign about a month earlier and thought (being a total novice) this is as good a place as any to get started. With about 45 minutes until legal shooting light I figured now was as good a time as any to make a 'cafecito' with my new MSR Windburner.

As shooting light approached I slowly and carefully made my way towards the game trails I had previously marked on my OnX map. I still hunted for approximately 60 minutes before convincing myself it was time to try another approach. I backed out to the power line maintenance road and headed down another 2 miles into the swath of public BLM land along the Ridgeline. Along my path I ran into 3 different groups of hunters all with atvs, wall tents, and camps fit for a king. "You guys running a bed and breakfast?" I joked as I approached the first group. They were friendly (as friendly as friendly goes in the hunting woods) and actually had 2 Bull Elk down and butchered in camp. Both a sign of hope and dispare. Hope that I'm on the right track and dispare That there's not gonna be any left for me. My best guess is all 3 groups were outfitters with clients due to the absurd amount of gear and relative luxury.

After stopping for breakfast (a vac sealed premade breakfast burrito) I decided that camping all the way back at my car was not the right approach to backpack hunting especially with this much competition.

So around 9:30am I stashed about 15 pounds of gear along a power line tower and hoofed it 2.5 miles back to my Jeep. At the Jeep I replenished my water and food rations, packed up my tent sleeping bag and pad, had a quick lunch, a cold drink and started back on my 2.5 mile journey to my stored gear. Note, I do not recommend starting (or restarting) a hike at 11:30 am at 9000 feet on a sunny Colorado day. As I surpassed my 9th mile of the day I was in desperate need for some electrolytes and a rest. After a half assed attempt to glass the hills for elk I decided to set up camp and take a nap before the evening hunt.

Without being able to find ample shade on even ground my tent ended up acting more like a greenhouse than it did a shelter. A very sweaty 2 hours of sleep later I was ready to get after it on my first evening of hunting.

I set down a trail that explicitly stated "no motorized vehicles" finally feeling like we were on even playing ground. I followed the trail and instinctively took a sidehill fork that led me to a nicely shaded spot where I could look through my tripod mounted binoculars and several drainages all at once.

I decided to meticulously comb the closet finger ridge to my location mimicking what I had seen people like Steve Rinella and Remi Warren do so many times. I reminded myself to lock the position knobs and only move my eyeballs, trying to catch any glimpse of movement that may be out there. About 30 minutes into glassing I noticed at first what I thought were two cow elk slowly grazing in the shadows of the hillside about 400 yards across the gully. A sense of glee and energy coursed through me as I was actually shocked to be having this experience. Up until this very moment it has all been guess work and fantasies. As I watched the elk a little longer I noticed it wasn't two cows but ONE very big bodied 5x5 Bull Elk!!! I was in shock, I watched him for about 25 minutes before deciding to get back to camp because the thermals began to move down hill. As I packed up my things and set back on the trail I noticed a brown object in the meadow working its way up towards where that bull had been. A cow Elk! Another sign of hope! After a day of 10 plus miles on foot with 40-60 pounds on my back I felt more energized than I ever have. Amazing what hope can do.

My alarm is set for 5 am and tomorrow I will attempt my first spot and stock (look up) on a Colorado Bull elk!

Day 2:

The effort spent going back to the truck yesterday to get my camp and more food was definitely worth the extra miles. I woke up at 5 a.m. about two miles from the car. I packed up camp and other items I wouldn't need for the day and stash them at the nearest Powerline.

My first move was to get a vantage point where I could glass the same Ridgeline I saw the bull elk on last night. After finding a nice hill to glass on I was rewarded with a stunningly beautiful sunrise. As the blaze orange sun crested a mountain in the distance, the entire valley below me was illuminated. To my left was a smaller glassing knob that would provide a better angle to look through binoculars up the two drainages closest to camp. I packed up my things and headed 1.2 miles to the northeast. I tucked to myself under the only tree on the hillside in order to get out of the sun and keep a low profile.

I reglassed the first hill and turned up nothing. I then directed my gaze one drainage East to a significantly larger finger ridge I had yet to pay attention to. After about an hour in the new glassing location, I boiled some water for coffee and ate my pre-made vacuum sealed breakfast burrito. As I finish my breakfast I return to the binoculars and within minutes spotted a bull elk about 600 yards away as the crow flies.

A wave of excitement washed over me as I stared at this magnificent creature. I was telling myself not to make any adjustments to the binoculars but in my excitement I ended up losing track of where he went. Fortunately I'd manage to snap one photo through the binoculars before making this mistake. I used this photo to reference the landscape so I could relocate this elk. After several minutes of panicked searching I found him a few yards away from where I had last seen him. I couldn't get a good look at his antlers but I noticed his large body bedded down in the Aspens.

It was at this moment I made the decision to attempt a stalk. Being around 9:30 am the sun was shining bright which means the wind would be traveling uphill for the better part of the afternoon. I gathered my things and went on the three mile journey in hopes he would still be bedded when I got there. In order to make my approach I had to ascend and descend roughly 800 vertical feet.

Even though it was in the hot sun I was able to stay on the east side of the Ridgeline for most of my approach knowing that bedded bull was on the west and it was the easiest way to stay concealed. As I got within 500 yards of his potential bedding location.

I put down my gear, dried off my sweat and mentally prepared for the stalk. My pack was cinched tight, a cow decoy on the end of my bow, I took a bite to eat and my last sip of water … I was ready to sneak into his bedroom.

I passed a bear Hunter as I made my way who gave me the good advice of staying on the game trails because they are quieter as long as the wind is in my face. With this and mind I made my way to the location I had previously marked on my onX map.

After about hour of slow decent I felt I must be close. After ample searching and moving with steath through the woods I determined something was off, he had either gave me the slip or I was in the wrong spot.

I was desperately thirsty so I decided to go directly to the place I had marked on my map. As I got within about 5 ft of the dropped pin I heard a grouse flush. I had a Judo point in my pocket so I removed one of my broad heads and swapped it on my arrow. Because Grouse fly like chickens I knew I could track him down. After about 5 minutes of running after this grouse on steep elevation he perched on a deadfall log and gave me a shot. I missed about 3 inches low and drilled the tree he was standing on.

After retrieving my very broken arrow and having a good laugh. I decide to sit down for lunch and come up with the game plan. Being that I literally have no water left I decided to eat some tuna fish hoping it would provide me with some liquid. I then walked around the area I thought the bull would be and could even smell his presence.

At this point I had to decide whether or not to go back 2-3 miles uphill to my car and get some water or to go down into the valley hoping to come across the creek. Following my instincts as well as the shorter path back to Camp I made my decent. After weaving through some dead full I heard the most glorious sounds on the planet, no not a bull elk scream. But the sound of running water.

I rejoiced as I filtered about 4 L of water Into my very empty body and hydration bladder.

I now had a 1,000 foot vertical climb ahead of me in order to get out of the drainage and back to my Camp. Stopping several times to glass and rest along the only way. I'm not exactly sure how I would have done it without another drop to drink.

I did not see any more Elk that evening but I did run into several hunters who informed me of what it was like just a few days ago. Apparently 5 Bull elk have been harvested from this very region since season opening, 3 days ago.

It was mostly out of towners which doesn't bother me as much as the one guy who told me he had wounded an elk, didn't recover it and continued to hunt for others. I don't care how far you came or how much you paid, if you draw blood that should be your chance.

I'm learning many lessons on these first days of hunting. Like pin pointing more accurately where I wanted to stalk to. Remembering my original game plan to find the stand of Aspen at that Apex and come down directly on top of the Elk from there. As well as scouting for locations, the where there won't be 20 ATVs.

All in all I am extremely proud of myself for finding and attempting to stalk an elk. I'm going to still hunt my way back to the truck tomorrow. Completing 20 + miles on foot this weekend. I have 11 more days to hunt in September, I hope to end this story with some meat in the freezer.