For some, September is one of the most magical times of the year. Chasing Elk across the West has an indescribable allure to it. The fading heat of the summer, the crisp evenings and the occasional bugle leave a wake of memories that last a lifetime.
We have spent some time chasing Rocky Mountain Elk this September, and, with the archery season coming to a close, we wanted to share some of the memories that have been made so far.
An early morning stalk! We heard bugles just up the hillside.
Despite chasing the bugles, no bulls wanted to come out to play! None the less, being in the woods with bugling bulls is magical.
A quick revision of our game plan. We used OnX to scope out some ‘elky’ terrain.
After no luck and no more bulls spotted, we take off back to camp.
A beautiful and smokey sunrise to start this Southern Colorado morning. This day felt a little more special.
We looked to stir up some action by unleashing some early morning bugles in amidst the timber.
We found his rub and it was a dandy… Now we just needed to find him…
A far off bugle indicated that it was game time and that this day had the potential for something incredible. Time to move fast and stay hidden.
After an epic bugling sequence and a rapid +1,500 vertical foot descent we came into contact with this bull. He was fired up and ready to go, racking trees with his stout antlers and yelling back at us that he was looking for a fight. At 16 yards a well placed arrow found its mark and beautiful representation of a rocky mountain elk was down. Many delicious meals were on thee horizon, and no meat was to be left behind.
His beautifully white capped brow tines were just icing on the cake. Now it was time for the ‘Type 2’ fun. With a +4 mile pack out and a few hundred pounds of fresh meat to move, we had our work cut out for us.
Another memory was made as we carried out the final load in the wee hours of the night. As we dipped and dodged the matrix of deadfall, our backs were sore but our hearts were full. So much time, effort and consternation goes into an archery elk hunt in the West. Often times, the success isn’t measured by getting a bull on the ground. Rather, it is measured by the laughs, the sweat, the views and the fellowship that occurs during the hunt. However, it is an indescribable feeling when it all comes together and that last pack load lays to rest on the tailgate.
We’d love to hear about your September. Tag us on Instagram or shoot us an email!
Adventure on!
