Packing meat out

I am thinking the same way already. The way I I made it out In the first post it sounds like I' m planning to spend the whole scouting time in BFE alone. Not my plan at all. First few days I will be in town and after that camp at truck a day or two to get my camping worked out. Then off to where ever I end up wanting to hunt for two or three days to scout. Then back to truck for a day to wash and get things I learn I need and dump things I don't. Day before back in and set up on what I have found. Hopefully I will be on some opening day :) but if not I will stay with it until the end. I hope to hunt first season. I'm picking the area based on three things , large herd , lots of public land and high draw sucess. I have also been looking in the sw area , GMU 75 / 751 . Any input on Gmu 24 area or GMU 75 / 751 ? I am hoping to meet and talk to a lot of people before and during the hunt and bring friends back with me in the future. I lived in the mountains of NC growing up and know nothing will prepare you for hiking up a moutain but hiking up a mountain. I'm using the side of an overpass to train for up hill and down hill. Did 20 reps and the front of my legs were burning. I got a lot of work to do!
 
Len - Thanks. If I was smart, I'd shut up now then, before I ruin your impression of me.

Dave - Great. Oh, first season. I thought you said something about leaving after second season - my bad. I'm sure you know, we only get to hunt one season here typically for each species. Whoa, I guess now that I re-read and think more, I'm more confused. Have you applied and drawn a tag? I could look (but am too lazy right now) - are the Flat Tops a draw only area? Usually all cow tags are draw only - you have to apply in the Spring and draw a tag, or get a leftover, etc. Usually first season is draw-only for bulls. 2nd and 3rd seasons a person can pull into town the day before and buy a bull tag for many areas of the state, with just a hunter safety cert. However, some areas are draw-only, for all seasons. Your post implies shooting a bull or cow, and hunting first season now, so unless you drew a first-season either-sex tag for that area your plans and legal reality don't merge in CO in 2012(?). I haven't memorized every rule for every area, but that should cover 95+% of all situations - maybe I missed something.

Yeah, I guess FL is vertically challenged. You can run on the treadmill to build up what you can aerobically, and do lots of lunges, squats, stairs, and overpasses to strengthen the legs. Strong legs there will equal strong legs here, it's the lungs and O2 intake that will take a while. If you aren't 50+ pounds overweight and have strong, fit legs you'll still be ahead of many of the locals here (most of us are lazy too). Just be sure you have some good boots that are broken in. You'll acclimate to the altitude, your legs will get stronger, but if you're all blistered up, that outfitter will be packing you out. Warm, dry and well-fed mean a lot - no jeans/cotton, wool/synthetics etc. are good.

You seem to have the biggest issues in hand. With many (certainly not all) outta-taters I run into their butt seems glued to their truck seat, or more often, to their quad (maddening). They ride their quads all over the forest, illegally, like it's Disneyland, up closed roads, off trails through the trees just to get to some remote meadow and drive around it at dusk, while some local (like me) hiked there on foot hours ago and has been sitting waiting for this last magical hour to arrive, just to have Mr. lazy-butt arrive "sneaking up" on his motorized chariot - which even I heard 20 minutes ago. Hey, CO guys do it too, but 90% of the time it's not...but I digress. The other big thing is 300+ yards is a LONG way to anyone who hasn't shot it. I've seen guys 200 yards from an antelope, saying it's WAY to far away and they need to get closer. I posted a CMSgt (ret) friend on a ridge where he had a whole herd of elk and 2 nice big bulls at 400 yards and he didn't shoot - too far. I guess we needed to talk that one over more..."Why do you think I sent you out there Walt, while I pushed some timber, to wave at 'em?" My bad, he was from Maine and 400 yds looked like a mile. You are on this forum, so that probably isn't an issue.

Last thing (I type too much), since you seem to be the other end of the spectrum: hike-in, long-range capable shooter, I will offer that you can go too extreme the other way (been there too). I used to think harder meant smarter too, and I was just going to hike further, harder, longer and hunt places no one else I knew ever hunted (too steep, too thick, too...) If you are miles back in already, you don't need to look for the deepest, darkest, steepest stuff to find elk. Given their choice, they'd choose rolling hills and meadows like a moo-cow, not some 70 degree slope 2 miles from the nearest food. They can easily cover incredibly horrible terrain, but my experience is, they'll pack up and move 10 miles in the night before they turn ninja and hang from some cliff-strewn nasty peak. All you'll discover there is why no one and no thing goes there, and maybe how to invent a few new curse words as you try not to break an ankle, leg or rifle. Meanwhile, the elk will be 200 yards into some timber/aspen grove, napping, not far from some beautiful meadow and stream - usually in a much less nasty place. Not always, but...
 
As I read the rule book you can have a draw any elk or bull tag first rifle and an otc cow tag for second rifle. The plan is to draw an any elk or bull tag for first rifle and if I fail to harvest in first rifle or fail to draw for first rifle I will stay for second rifle and buy the best tag I may and hunt. As for riding around glued to a seat that is just not me.....ever! I'm a serious hunter . I don't go to the woods to ride around , drink and hang with the guys at camp. The only seat I am known to get glued to is my climber. I sometimes will stay up all day and hunt. Twenty minutes before shooting light until end of shooting light when the rut is on and I have a hot community scrape to sit on.
I am looking at areas that have high draw success rates. I think it said 97% for flat tops gmu24 and 100% for gmu75 / 751. Both have wilderness areas with on motor vehicles to ruin a hunt. Everyting I read says if you will get away from the road your chance of getting your bull goes way up.
 
OK - you're askin a lot of a nu be poster here (I still don't see the paper clip thingy to allow precise placement). Here is what I read the regs to say (with illustrations hopefully). Basically no units have over-the-counter tags for anything elk-wise 1st season, to my knowledge, you must draw for anything (not nearly as many hunters in the woods). This also wasn't always a bad season when they had it a week earlier, since sometimes in years with a late rut, you'd still catch bulls bugling during 1st rifle, but they moved it back a week or so, and that is now very unlikely. Downside, is you may often get hot/dry weather. Upside, you don't freeze and fewer hunters. Back to the regs: The good news is, the three units you mention all offer OTC bull tags for second season (first illustration). If you have your hunter ed cert., you should be able to hunt any of these units for a bull 2nd season, just by going to Wally World or elsewhere to buy it before the season starts. Also, they seemed to all be 4-point (min) units (not shown here) meaning bulls have to have at least 4 points on one side (no East-coast, whitetail, mumbo jumbo, multiplication stuff), or a 5 inch brow tine. Yes, this is why I bought an even better scope. Nothing worse than having bull elk in range, in timber and shadows, near sunset, trying to figure if that's 3 or 4 points - you'd quickly loose those extra Benjamins for a bit more light and resolution.

The next two pics show the "draw stuff" for 24 and 75/751. All three have either sex tags for first season, but you would have had to apply months ago for these. Unit 24 also has cow tags for 1st and 2nd season. You still have to draw these - again, I've never heard of an over-the-counter cow tag - they don't exist to my knowlege. You have to draw them. However, the little asterik by "cow" means they were undersubscribed or they had more cow tags for that unit and season last year than people applied for. These "leftover" tags are then made available early August or so (check). They are typically first come/first serve I believe - meaning even if you missed the Spring Draw, you can likely still get one of these tags if you watch their website about when they're available and try to get one soon thereafter. The other good news (and complication to learn) is that there are A, B and (now) C tags I think. You can only have one A tag for a species for a year, but you can also get another tag if it is a B or C. On Unit 24 (pay attention, quiz at the end :) )the far right column lists those cow tags as "B" tags. More good news. That means if you get your 2nd season bull tag OTC (which is an "A" tag), you could also hunt for a cow with one of these B tags (legally hunt/shoot two elk). You could even get both for 2nd season if you wanted (I think) but no point, if you'll be here both seasons anyway, may as well get one for each season. So - snag a leftover cow tag for first season here in a few weeks, and then buy a bull tag for 2nd (if you choose unit 24).

Unit 75/751 - they also offer cow tags for 2nd season (via the draw). Asterik means they also had some extras last year, and likely(?) will again. Bad news, this is an "A" tag - meaning Dave no hunt both bull and cow in this unit. If you haven't already applied, you basically have to either buy a bull tag for 2nd or try to get a leftover cow tag for 2nd - not both. (or hunt a b-tag cow in unit 24 first season, and then drive downt o 75/751 for 2nd). Legal disclaimer: don't quote me.

Hmmm, the regs: either a complex method to finely manage the state's wildlife resources, or a test to initimidate hunters and test their resolve...

I'm not sure picking unit by draw success is as important as by hunt success (they have those numbers too). Besides, when tags are OTC, there is no draw - I guess you mean the cow part. It is true, away from the road is good. Don't worry, there are a LOT of elk here too. Off the road, sometimes just means 1/2 mi over a steep ridge. Also, opening day can sometimes look like the D-Day invasion in some places, but believe it or not, 50% of the hunter are often gone by the 4th day, and half of them never really got into the woods much anyway. It's still not easy, but more because of finding those nomadic elk (general elevation they are at, and in what drainages - which can change daily). They also often don't just move a ridge over, they pack-up and change zip codes.
 

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Yes the regs are a tough read! I'm going back over them this weekend when I am rested. Not trying to hunt elk this year , planning this for 2013. Second season is a backup plan in case I don't get drawn or don't get one in first rifle.
 
I lived in the mountains of NC growing up and know nothing will prepare you for hiking up a moutain but hiking up a mountain. I'm using the side of an overpass to train for up hill and down hill. Did 20 reps and the front of my legs were burning. I got a lot of work to do!

And nothing will prepare you for altitude like depleteing yourself of a little oxygen. Your post reminds me of a buddy that was preparing for CAG tryouts and running up a road (with pack) on post that is about 1/2 mile of steep winding road with a gas mask on. He could make it up and down 6 times in an hour compaired to my 5 times (without a mask).
 
Not that hard core... yet. I just want to make my way around at a slow to moderate pace. Not wanting to self inflict buds training or anything close! Ten days to two weeks to finish my training in the field scouting should be enough. I just want to be able to amble up the mountain with plenty of breaks. Not a forced march strait to the top.
 
On second thought I may add a mask towards the end before I go. Maybe this time next year. It is hard enough now as it is but later...?
 
Apenbugle nailed it dead on !

I hunt 751 and most hunters are not far off the road . The ones that head back in on horses are mostly 2-3 miles in. First season can still have a substantial number of hunters around because of private land/ wilderness access. If you go in like you propose you should have as good of a chance as anyone. We go in 16 miles and usually don't see anyone else past 5-6 miles. If there is a cold front you can hear some bugling still happening, hot weather not so much.
We drew and are going in first season again in Oct.:D If you make it out next year give me a shout, I'll be glad to pack an elk out for you.
 
Crowhorse67 , that is a generous offer and I may need to take you up on it! I posted a few areas I was looking at but got no specific replies. I am thinking the junction of Vallecito creek and Rocky creek looks like a likely area. Up Rock creek along the 751 / 76 border and up Vallecito creek look to have meadow , timber , and water all up high for first rifle. Also looked at NE area near Elk Lake area and hunt north and NE but it looks really rugged. As I have never been there or hunted elk what do I know! I would like to know your thpughts either by post or pm.
 
Give me a pm anytime.
I'm not sure what map your using, I'm pretty familiar with the area you're looking at. Just keep in mind that maps and Google do not do justice to the full experience you are about to recieve. :cool:
You can make good time on established pack trails, (there is a reason they are where they are and have been so for years). When you leave the trails your speed over ground will slow drastically, keep this in mind. What looks like 1 or 2 miles of decent terrain on a map is not so easy to hike at 10,000ft with a pack on.
The SatPhone is smart, we do the same thing to check in at home. To quote what a retired outfitter from the "old days" told me 25 years ago - "elk are where you find 'em". Meaning that you can see elk from in sight of a road, to 12,000ft 20 miles from a road. You decide what you want your hunting "experience" to consist of. You seem to have a pretty good grasp of what it will take for this. Whether you get an elk or not you will have an experience that most hunters only dream about.
For me, nothing beats sunset before season opens. Horses hobbled and grazing, tent squared away, and eating ribeyes and shrimp grilled over coals and hearing a bull bugling..........
except looking at him in the crosshairs the next mornin'gun)
 
I am using the colorado hunt atlas on the colorado game and fish site. Having lived in the mountains of NC I am well aware that the " as the crow flies " miles are 2 or 3 as the foot travels. I have the alarm set for 5am to walk an hour and a half before work. I hope I can get into good enough shape in the next 15 months to pull this off. If my body is willing and the funds don't get diverted to needs instead of dreams I will get this done. The plan is to do something like this every year until my body gives out. What I want to know is do the areas I am looking at hold elk for first rifle in mid october or should I look elsewhere? Will the north end of 751 be crawling with hunters and someplace else in 75 / 751 be better?
 
The hardest part is getting started the first time . Getting in shape , assembling the equipment , gaining the knowlege. Once I have some momentum it will be much easier....I hope! I was looking at backpacks on line. Looks like $650 to $850 for that...wow !top quality down bag and pad is $500 to $700. I'm thinking $4000 to $5000 on me in equipment with the rifle as I hike up the mountain. As a working man this will take a lazer focus.
 
Don't get caught up in the hype from the magazines and internet about what you have to have "equipment" wise. A military sleeping bag system (ebay) for $100 bucks, good pad from Cabelas $100. For $200 bucks and about 9 lbs. you can sleep on or in a snowbank, I know I have done it. I've used a $15 wal-mart tarp for a lean-to, it ain't the Hiton but hell your HUNTING !:D A pocket stove and mountain house freeze-dried food is where you save weight. I still carry some and I use a packhorse these days.
As for elk, like I said they can be anywhere. I have hunted from camp at the road and killed elk,I have hunted from camp 20 miles from any road and NOT killed an elk. I personally get more satisfaction packing in and seeing very few if any other hunters.For me to hunt with my friend in the high-country, seeing the peaks at sunrise and sunset, hearing bulls bugling at night, cooking on the fire at the tent...THAT IS THE HUNT!. A set of horns on the packhorse is a bonus.
You are probably already in physical shape to make it, you're not on a forced march. You help your enjoyment of the hunt the better physical conditioning you have. There was a time when I trailed 2 bulls in knee-deep snow for 9 miles, I would die if I tried now. But, I take my time and I can still get to where I need/want to go.
You already have the biggest thing for this. DESIRE. You want to go alone, you'll have a great trip. If you want to trail us in to where we camp, let me know.
 
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