Seasons here!

[Irving]

The trip wasn't a total loss. I got to watch a 6 point bull close up, saw a few bucks, and even saw a heard of elk the second day in, but alas, I was already behind them. It was HOT this year and I heard exactly one bugle, from at least a mile away. Next year the season starts on the 14th and I expect to hear more rut activity. Going to start putting in for bulls though, so I likely won't have a tag for a while.

Others in my party downed some small bucks, so I still got to hone my field dress skills, and even started teaching myself to quarter to make it easier to carry stuff out. I field dressed without the people who taught me how being there and made it through just fine, so that is a plus.

[Hummer]

From what I could tell around the area I was scouting, elk were bedding among the clumps of trees around timberline in the tundra-forest interface at 10-11,000 feet. Probably feeding at night, first light and last light in the surrounding meadows and tundra. As long as the warm weather holds this is where I'd be hunting elk and bucks.

A friend called to give me a line on a big bull moose that's in just this kind of country. If only I could find him in two weeks.

[Hummer]

Today I drove in the Coney Flats Road to scout moose country. I climbed the Buchannan Pass Trail calling every 50 yards or so. At the junction to Red Deer Lake, I looked down into some willow parks from 10400' and heard a faint bull moose grunt. I called again and he answered. He responded every few seconds, then repeatedly as he climbed from the basin below in my direction. If I hadn't called I would never have known he was there, but soon I caught a glimpse of a big bodied bull with some very nice antlers. In five minutes he sauntered up the hill that would have taken me twenty minutes to hike. I dug the camera out of my pack and took some hurried snapshots until he was within 40 yards. I would like to have gotten some better photos but I didn't want to be too close to an aggressive, horny bull moose so I hustled down the mountain and into another drainage.

How cool, I called in a bull moose! It's the most fun day I've had in a while.

[jslo]

That's a nice bull!

[Hummer]

I think so too, a beautiful Shiras, maybe a 46" spread but need a better frontal photo. I'll keep looking for something bigger but would be happy to find him about day 10 of the 14 day hunt.

I met a few bow hunters today but none have seen elk and only one reported hearing a bugle. I found some inactive wallows but didn't see any recent sign up there either. I did spot two cow elk on private ground this evening about a mile from our cabin.

I need a jeep, or an ATV/Mule. These back roads are rough on old Tundras.

[sniper7]

Good looking bull Hummer!

[Hummer]

Today was the CO moose rifle opener. This morning I found a decent bull at first light but decided to pass on him for something bigger. He had nice points and tines but not great spread. A young woman came in to kill a cow he was with. I moved on up the drainage a couple miles and called in a bull. Turns out it was the same one. This fellow was grunting and thrashing antlers in the vegetation as he came toward me. I stopped calling and he circled around me to get a better view and scent. I moved into some trees to get something between us, but it was scant protection. When a bull moose comes in to a call he's raring to fight. There's an element of dangerous game hunting with bull moose. Very exciting and a little scary.

Here's a couple pics from this morning. Any guesstimates on his spread? Would you have taken him?

[def90]

Great pics! you’ve been doing the scouting so passing him up just means you know there is something better out there. His rack is pretty narrow and vertical as far as moose I’ve seen in the wild.

[sniper7]

Great pics, definite pass this early given what we know. Last couple days of the season might be a different situation as you don’t want to go home empty handed but still plenty of time left.

[hunterhawk]

Thats awesome! Good luck!!