My 2008 Colorado Elk hunt.

PiggySticken · Sep 23, 2008

Me, my brother and a friend went to the Weminuche Wilderness in SW Colorado up around the Lime Mesa area. WOW that was some steep stuff. Anyway we got there and headed out for a 7 day hunt. First of all I had been taken that Diamox from the doc for altitude sickness and that stuff just about killed me at 12k feet. We had hiked maybe 2 miles with 55 pound packs, we stopped to glass a valley and the timber line. During the hike my breathing was somewhat short but was doing ok I totaly felt fine otherwise. While glassing my throat started to swell shut and I couldnt breath at all. I was gasping for air then I flipped out, my brother came over and made me lay down. So they set camp up where this happened and I slept all afternoon. That evening I was much better and quit taking the Diamox.

The next day we hiked and scouted 5 miles worth and saw very little if any sign of Elk. So we moved to Taylor Mesa a few miles away. After moving here we saw all kinds of signs of fresh tracks,wallows,rubs etc...It was looking good, but after 5 days of hiking and hunting over wallows we never saw any elk. There was quit a few mule dear and also glassed a Sow and her cub that was having a grand ole day.

There is a canyon there called Hells Canyon and you better not go in it unless you are in super shape, this thing is evil. Almost 500yds straight up and down. When we went down in it I slide down most of the way on my back, the reason I was stopping was because of the fallen timber everywhere. Its paradise in signs at the bottom, but I wouldnt be able to pack out any meat. I couldnt pack myself out.

It got down to the upper 20's 3 nights and the water on my tent was frozen, got hail 3 days.

Thats pretty much it, we had a blast for our first elk hunt like this and will do it everyyear, but im gonna have to do more research.

I read staelthycat saw a ton of hunters. We saw maybe 3 parked trucks while there and we called in 2 hunters on 2 different days with our bugal. They started trying to get us to come to them with a cow call. Poor guys came running down to the bottom of hells canyon when they heard the bugal from my brother.

Here are some pics.

Me

Watching the bears

Bottom of Hells Canyon

shawnee_creek · Sep 23, 2008

Nice pics. Went elk hunting once with the same results as you. Never wanted to go again.

elwaller · Sep 23, 2008

Good pics. Sounds like a tough hunt. Hopefully one of these years I get my try at it. Hpefully with better results. Although seeing and experiencing the country in it self is a reward.

Ike Brown · Sep 23, 2008

Thanks

Thanks for the pics and the story sounds great!

although it would of killed me.

Hobbshunter · Sep 23, 2008

Thanks for sharing the pics!
Hard not to have a good time in that pretty country.

I'll be in that area during the 2nd rifle season, so I'll let you know if the elk get any easier to kill later in the season. Speaking to the outfitter we're using and the references I've called, most of the elk are killed in the canyons that head up by our camp. I've been trying to get in better shape this summer, so I'll see how I can stack up against them.

hollenbach · Sep 23, 2008

I hunted just east of lime mesa last week from a drop camp. There was a group of walkin hunters to our north that effectively cut 2/3rds of our hunting ground. I did call a 4x4 in to 45 yards but only had a quartering towards me shot through the timber that I did not take. My son called in a 5x5 in the hail that spooked when his release touched one of his arrows. I saw six elk in six days, son saw one, and buddy saw one. Really slow, very little bugling, and plenty of competition. Also talked to a number of hunters who went on fully guided hunts. Did not talk to one hunter who drew their bow besides me.

PiggySticken · Sep 24, 2008

hollenbach, how far to the east did you hunt from Lime Mesa, did you ever make it to Lime Mesa? We also was in Virginia Gulch a little, was wanting to get into Missouri gulch but I wasnt up to it since the Diamox jacked me up that day.

The 3rd pic down from the top with the big rocks in a row then open pasture then trees in the back is the top area of Lime Mesa.

Here is a pic of Dollar Lake at Lime Mesa..

hollenbach · Sep 25, 2008

Camp was in West Virginia. We did hunt Virginia some. There was a camp to our north, right on the horse trail, so we did not venture that way. I heard report of some guys that heard a couple of bulls around Dollar Lake. After the first afternoon, the only bulls we heard were way down in Virginia. Not near as much sign as last year. We have elected not to go back next year, either.

My 2008 Colorado Elk hunt.

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