Cold, naked and deep in the backcountry
Somewhere between being alone naked in a forest and sitting in the gunner seat of Robinson R66 helicopter lies an ethical starting point for a hunt. My mission this archery elk season in Colorado was to fill an either sex tag on public land powered by my own two feet. Being mission oriented also means you have an expectation of self. A tangible finish line turns a nuanced activity into one with a binary outcome, success or failure. Pulling up to the trailhead, having a holier-than-thou attitude about my human powered hunting prowess, (in my head) I jokingly mocked the numerous ATV “cowboys.” Conveniently ignoring the Jeep Grand Cherokee that got me 8 miles into the backcountry using mostly mining roads.
On the first day it was right about mile 7 on foot when I went from looking at these guys as deplorables to enlightened beings. Being able to hike 6+ miles is great and all but not if it only takes you to the edge of elk habitat where that added distance is the same thing that is preventing you from going further. Especially when there are 6 ATVs parked in the same location it took you 4 hours to hike into with a week's worth of food and gear on your back. After 40+ Miles on foot that week I think I finally understand why they refer to ATVs as ‘quads’.
After 20+ Miles on Foot
Taken after seeing 6 guys (4 ATVs + 1 Truck) 6+ miles from where I parked at the BLM trailhead. These guys paid $1400 in tresspassing fees each but I knew it was possible to access that same ATV trail via public land. I didn’t feel stupid or defeated, I simply gained a perspective on necessary vs. unnecessary struggle while hunting in the mountains.
It is extremely valuable to hone your physical abilities however there is a tactical advantage to using legal modes of transportation to increase your effective range.
The framing of a goal evolves over the life of its pursuit. In all honesty my true goal for my first archery elk season, specifically for this DIY, solo, public land endeavour was seeing and/or hearing elk, both of which occurred. Which is probably the only thing providing me with enough sanity to even type this article and not just lay down in a heap of depressive failure. Of course I fantasized about calling in a mature 6x6 on my first morning and spending the rest of the week butchering and hauling out my meat but if public land Elk hunting was truly that easy there probably wouldn't be a multi million dollar industry surrounding it.
Legal Bull [11.06.2020 08:41 AM] Colorado
Same Bull Bedded [11.06.2020 8:56 AM]
The current wrestling match in my mind is one between the naked guy in the forest and the helicopter assassin. What is fair? What is ethical? What is an appropriate challenge? What types of hunters do I look up to and why? As my experience in the arena evolves and having spent more time in contemplation I’ve come to realize that the nuances of this pursuit are nearly endless.
ATV I rented for Rifle #1 season after learning my lesson during archery Elk