I'm back from Colorado and having a couple days off between hunts is something to be cherished. As you might have surmised I rubbed the rabbit's foot in Colorado and slipped into a pile of luck opening morning.
Outfitter Clay Allison who operates Santa Fe Outfitters teamed me up with Jesse Bauer, a young elk hunting fanatic from the area. Jesse had been hounding several good bulls at treeline and thought it was our best bet for an opening day hunt. Since I had spent most of September in the high country I wasn't shirking from the 11,000-foot-plus homeland of the bulls.
Right at the trailhead we heard bulls bugling. It wasn't just one bull, but nearly a half dozen bulls screamed at each other as we slipped through the dark timber to close the gap. After a mile of traversing thick timber and avalanche chutes we eased within shooting distance of a deep bugle.
Suddenly the bull left the timber and walked into a small meadow to grab a bite. Jesse backed up to call and I moved ahead, but no calling was needed. The bull stopped long enough for the cameraman to get on him and I dropped the hammer on my TC Pro Hunter. I was shooting new Hornady Superformance ammunition and the 150-grain GMX bullet dropped the bull right in the meadow. Luckily I had my Nikon Monarch dialed to a low power since the shot was 110 yards.
After a couple of tough hunts I was ready for some opening day luck. Jesse and I celebrated a bit before the tough job of quartering and packing the bull out. Luckily Clay and another guide helped us out so it wasn't near the back-breaking event it could have been.
The Kayser freezer is now officially topped off with elk and another deer should round out our needs for the year. Thanks also go out to Clay's great staff at Santa Fe. The accommodations are comforting, the meals are more elegant than any fancy restaurant and the people are all down to earth which make for great memories.
So now what do I do for the rest of the hunt. Golf?