Are you getting Wapiti fever yet??????

[Hiker]

Only a 4-5 more months and bow season starts and couple of weeks later "Smokepole" starts and then rifle.....
 
Looks like God has blessed me with a Montana tag thus far.

[Daryl (deceased)]

Elk fever starting?  Heck, I didn't think it went away!
 
Daryl

[Hiker]

Daryl,
 
You are right, it never did or has.:D

[Hunterbug]

I start planning my next hunt the day after the last one ends. this year I'm going for deer 2nd season near Granby, and elk 4th season near Craig.

[Hiker]

Hunterbug,
 For the last 4 years or so, my group has been hunting the Craig area for Wapiti. I hunted the Craig area back in the late 1980's and we decided to go back and so far have been blessed with getting a few elk. We hunt first season, as the elk migrate onto private land at the sound of rifle shots and they get really tough to hunt after that. I like to hunt that open sage, desert country.

[buckshot roberts]

:D I'm hopein to get one of the 200, elk permits here in ole kentucky, I'll know come aug,20th, Ron

[Hiker]

Buckshot,  I hear they grow them Big back there in KY. I hope you're are blessed with a elk permit.

[M. R. Byrd]

I definitely have the fever after getting my first bull last year. I put in for 4th season and will be hunting Grand Junction, if successful in the draw.

God Bless,
Maynard

[Hiker]

Maynard, Hopefully The Lord will bless you with another tag this year. :)

Are you going to hook up with M Gardner again. I sure miss reading his posts.

[Hiker]

A few photos of Wapiti hunting.........

[M. R. Byrd]

Hiker,
We will be hunting with Mark Gardner, if we draw. Mark is in Phoenix working and I hear from him every couple of months. His wife fell and broke a hip and is staying in Colorado with her mother while she recouperates.
 
Good pictures. Thanks for sharing.
 
God Bless,
Maynard

[Hiker]

Please tell Mark hello, from me. I will be praying for the Mrs. Thanks for sharing,

[mtsharps]

yes I have Elk fever all year long me and my boy are filling out applications for Elk,deer,antelope here in montana
 
been working on my black powder loads for my 45-70 sharps
 
looking at buying a 7mm rem mag

[recoil junky]

Oh yeah elk fever big time!!!!!!!!!!!!

 I'm working on a new 180 grain load for the 300 RUM. I'm trying the new US869 from Hodgon's. I haven't shot any yet due to sage rat hunting is more important right now.:D

[Hunterbug]

Recoil Junky, I just noticed that you are from Craig. I'll be hunting up near Maybell 4th season and in Unit 12 late season for cows.

[Hiker]

I've hunted the Craig, Maybell area too. I like that High-Desert Country. One of my favorite places to go during season, is Maybell's Buck Pole Town square, that is what I call roughing it! LOL

[recoil junky]

I like to hunt down Crooked Wash, south of Cross Mountain. Got my first CO elk down there, just east of Elk Springs. I was the first one in the group to get an elk that week. No one else connected till later in the season. That area is fun to snowmobile into and hunt rabbits in the winter. Aslo it's one of my favorite pdog hunting spots.

[Hunterbug]

I know where you're talking about. I got my first buck on Juniper Mountain and my first elk near Duffy Mountain. I'm not into prarrie dogs but I love to hunt rabbits and there are a ton over there.

[Hiker]

"yes I have Elk fever all year long me and my boy are filling out applications for Elk,deer,antelope here in montana

been working on my black powder loads for my 45-70 sharps

looking at buying a 7mm rem mag"
 
mtsharps, Are you going to hunt one of the "Non- High Power Rifle" units? and use your 45-70?

[Colorado Willie]

Hiker, you know I've got the fever. I finally made it here

Bill :) :) :) :)

[Hiker]

Good to see you post on THL, Colorado Willie. Some really nice people on this site.

[Bowedark]

did someone say it time to GO!!!  just wishing, thank for the photos Hiker

[Hiker]

Bowedark, 3 more months. Where are you hunting this year?

[Hiker]

Bowedark, Thanks! I'm planning on hunting Wapiti in Colorado and Montana this year. Bow & Rifle. How about you? Is it time yet?????

[Hiker]

My bride and a couple of bulls. Only a month away before archery opens.

[M. R. Byrd]

Hiker-
Good pics and nice elk.
 
Got a call from our buddy Mark this morning. He did scout our hunting area over the 4th of July and said it was looking good. Good moisture, but no acorn production this year. He thought it might have been a freeze. He saw lots of cows and plenty of mulies.
 
I really didn't need his call to get my fever up, but it certainly puts me close to the edge.
 
I have so much on my plate at the moment. Just need to start cleaning out my schedule so it doesn't interfer with hunting. Dove season starts here September 1st, so in one month my guns will be blazing.
 
Take care.
 
God Bless,
Maynard

[Hiker]

Maynard,
Good to see Brother Mark getting a chance to get some scouting in. I know he's been as busy as a one arm wall paper hanger.
Most of Colorado has been in drought this year and we haven't had many acorn crops over the last ten years in most of the state, which sure hurts the bear, as that their main staple for fatting up for winter. Lately we have had some rain in Castle Rock, which is a blessing. We had to move our cattle really early this summer because of the dryness and was ready to purchase a lot of hay but "Thank The Lord" the rain finally came and it has greened up real well.

Have a great Lords day,
Jeff

[M. R. Byrd]

Jeff,
Last year there was really good acorn production where we hunted. One morning I crawled in under a scrub oak where I would have a good view down a park that had produced three bull elk, including Mark's. It was hot that morning and I was trying to get some clothes off and there in the dark of pre-dawn I was thinking, this is more like a turkey hunt morning than an elk hunt. I got enough clothes off and was waiting for first light and as it was coming I see something move up the park from me. Sure enough it was a flock of turkey on its way to the acorns.
 
I know about the drought. I do not understand why my cows look as good as they do. My buffalo grass pastures are the color of a manila folder and about as tall as the fuzz on a billard table. My feed is not going to make so will either have to sell the cows or buy feed. My plans are to sell the entire herd by mid August, unless something happens soon.
 
Glad to hear there has been some moisture at Castle Rock. I sure miss that area. When Scott lived in Lakewood I would come into Denver through Kiowa, Elizabeth, Franktown and Parker. I really like the Elizabeth/Castle Rock area.
 
Mark said hello.
 
God Bless,
Maynard

[recoil junky]

Hiker, now you're just showing off :D
 
I haven't been out scouting yet but it's time to start. I keep 1/2 of an old pair of bino's in my tool box at work just in case there's something interesting up by "D" pit. (would they now be a monocular?)
 
As dry as it is around Craig, elk and deer feed will be at  a premium this winter. There's still plenty in the creek bottoms and up high but when the snow gets deep I think the critters will be in trouble. My pasture looks like a n unkept sidewalk in Loveland.
 
RJ

[Hiker]

"Hiker, now you're just showing off :D"

RJ,
No just trying to get the juices flowing..........

[recoil junky]

Oh, the juices never quit flowing, buddy. Not for this kid!!!
 
RJ

[Hiker]

RJ, I know what you mean........:D
I plan on being up in your turf come first season. What season are you hunting wapiti this year?

[recoil junky]

I'll be doing the "Hunting Buddies" thing first season then I'll be after them hot and heavy 2nd combined. If it's pretty warm I may opt for 3rd combined. Either way I'll be in area 13.
 
What area are you hunting up this way?
 
RJ

[Hiker]

Elk. 1st Season, on the busiest mountain in america, with hunters that is. Well not quite the busiest, Aigner is the busiest but aint no huntin on Aigner.
 
Have a great hunt and kill a Muley.

[recoil junky]

Hiker, I need a better hint :o
 
You can pm me with more details.
 
RJ

[Hiker]

RJ, Bears Ears. Just northeast of you.

[recoil junky]

Ahh, I'm pickin' up what your puttin' down. I know that area very well. It's my favorite place to go snowmobiling.
 
 

 
 
I've never hunted elk up there but I do hunt grouse there. I have helped pack elk out of Angle Springs before with my horses.
 
RJ

[Hiker]

RJ, Impressive! Great photo, you nailed it. We kick up a lot of grouse when we are hiking up there. We sure do kick the wapiti off of the mountains in that area, the challenge is to cut them off on the way out. The problem is, there's very little hunting pressure on the private land around there and soon as elk hear shots those old cows start heading the herds to all that private land. I hunt this area for a few years, get sick of all of the hunters, go to another area for a few years and then come back. I'm on my exit cycle now. My kids are getting old enough to hunt and I don't want them getting turned off by all of the hunters in the Bears Ears area and fretting about them getting shot from one of the yahoos, so this will probably be my last year hunting it.

[recoil junky]

Wow, I didn't think that picture would do that to this thread.
Have to scroll sideways 2 feet to read it all :o OOPS!!
 
Yes, the private land around here does mess with hunting.
Ranching for wildlife hasn't helped either. You might try out
farther west during one of the later seasons. I hunted in area
11 and 211 when we first moved down here and had some
good success. I got to know the country well enough that I
found some "secret" ways to get around :D . I also ran into
some great pdog hunting in a place called Crooked Wash. You
don't want to get caught down there in a rain storm . It gets real
muddy real fast
 
RJ

[Dink Killer]

Fever?
 
I have a terminal case of it. Usually right about the time the applications come out until the meat is i the freezer........just drives my wife ape.

[buckshot roberts]

I go the fever but no "TAG", today out of 200 Tags only one person from my county got a tag. Ron