Location: Colorado - Public Land DIY

Dates: Nov. 5-8

Weapon: .300 RUM / 5-20 Trijicon and 180 gr Accubond


Although I spend most of my time guiding whitetail/mule deer, my favorite N.A. big game animal is without question the elk! I love spending time in the mountains, searching for a worthy candidate, and trying like heck to outsmart him in some of god's most beautiful country. After 3 weeks of deer hunting, it was finally time to chase a good bull here in my home state of Colorado. Although I only got to scout 2 days prior to opening day of Colorado's third rifle season, I did manage to find a few good elk.

Opening morning I left the truck about 1.5 hrs prior to sun up, with Jeremiah Bennett along to help film/photograph and Carl Anderson (local friend) who planned to help me glass for bulls. Carl and I both know the area pretty well, so although the roads were full of hunters, we felt confident of finding a decent bull. 48 hours earlier I had found a big bull (340" plus), so we were headed up into the area in hopes of finding him again. About 45 minutes after sun-up we still had not located him, but glassing a ridge about 1.5 miles away, I located a big herd of elk and a very nice bull amongst them.

Carl and I glassing the big herd of elk on opening morning


It only took me a minute for me to decide I was interested in this new bull we had just spotted. Although the picture below does him no justice, he was extremely heavy, and I was really impressed. Unfortunately he's a long way off, and getting to him was gonna take some time. So we packed up the spotting scopes and off we went. By the time we reached em, the whole herd was spread out over 300 yards, and bedded throughout the deadfall and broken timber. We located the bull bedded in some thick trees, and moved in as close as we could without spooking some of the elk that were much closer. I could not shoot him through the thick cover, so we decided to wait em out. We had only been waiting for about 30 minutes when 2 "hunters" on the opposite ridge about 1/2 mile away, popped over the top and were talking to eachother in a full voice?? Needless to say, it didn't take long for the elk to decide it was time to leave the county. I instantly got the bull in the scope as he got up and started trotting through the timber, following the herd. Problem was, as you can see below in the picture, I just couldn't get a clear shot while he was on the move. Bye - Bye elk, and the joys of public land hunting!

The bull mentioned above as I was trying to get a shot!


Day two was pretty un-eventful. We spotted only two cows all day, all while putting a few miles on the new boots I had just bought a few days before the hunt.

Maybe you don't always find em, but spending time in the woods with your buddies is hard to beat.


Not to mention the views in the high country are pretty good too!!!






The 3rd morning found Jeremiah and I on our own as Carl had to go back to work. I was glassing for about an hour when I located 2 bulls, that were easily 2 miles away, and WAY up high on a distant ridge. We watched them for roughly 90 minutes until they finally appeared to lay down just on the opposite side of the ridge. Truth is, we debated for an hour whether or not to go after em, as we knew it was a long way up there, and even longer coming out carry a 100lb pack. Well, at 10am we finally decided to go up there and give it a try. The last ridge getting up to their level was steep, steeper than it looked from 1.5 miles away. But, we finally made it and 2.5 hrs after we left the truck, we were sneaking along the ridge looking for the bulls. Its amazing how such a big animal can hide in plain sight, but all of the sudden I spotted him at about 150 yards away. He was facing right at us, laying down, but it was obvious he was snoozing. His head was hung low, nodding up and down, and he had no idea we were there.

We immediately moved left to get behind a big rock, I got the bi-pod legs down, and we crawled up to the rock to have a look. All of a sudden the wind hit us directly in the back, and not 10 seconds later, the bull snapped his head up and looked to his right? I hissed at Jeremiah to be ready as the bull is on alert. Just as I was making the final adjustment on my bi-pod, Jeremiah whispered, "He's getting up".

Preparing for the shot!


At exactly 155 yards, the bull stood up at a perfect quartering towards me angle. Jeremiah with the video-camera running assured me he was on him as I prepared to shoot.

The bull about 2 seconds before I fire the first shot!


The first shot hit him on the point of the shoulder, and he bolted forward as I worked the bolt. I instantly was on him again, and just as the lower half of his body started to disappear behind the ridge. I hit him with the 2nd shot, and he dropped on the spot.

This picture is 1 second before I take the 2nd shot!


That was it! He was down, and my 2011 Colorado elk hunt was over, the hunting part anyway. We got back to the truck at about 7pm, beat tired, and loaded down with heavy packs. We had to finish the packing job the next morning, and lucky for us, Carl came with us to lend a hand!

Certainly there are bigger bulls in the woods, but I'll take one like this anytime! Unfortunately he had broken about 10-12 inches off his right 3rd, but I'll live with it. It was a great hunt, great footage, and we definitely earned this one!

Great report and great elk!! Congrats Aaron!!

Congrats on a great looking bull Aaron!!

Congrats Aaron and good luck in Wyoming.

Great work. Love to see Colorado boys put in the time and make it happen.

Good Bull Aaron, the backdrop isn't so bad either.

Very nice bull, Aaron.

Great pictures and a well-written report too.

Congrats!

Well done buddy...but I am still mad at you for not taking me!

Excellent bull. Well done.

Great bull Aaron. Congrats!

Aaron, you forgot to double the score for taking him on public land.

He's and excellent bull. Great Job.

really nice bull!

Awesome Aaron, still need to get up there after elk. I was in Fo Co last weekend and saw some good bulls up near the park that got me pretty excite.

Congratulations!

Nice bull.....sounds like a great hunt.....congrats!

Nice!

Fine bull & nice job killing him.

Nice bull Aaron congrats!!!

Congrats!!

Congrats Aaron, great pics and a good story with them. I bet you didn't see any deer up in that country did you...lol

Aaron,

Well done again, sir. You consistently accomplish what most public land hunters only dream of.

Speaking of dreaming, how about you help me carry a bull off the mountain next year, and I will be happy to help with yours?

Hope the rest of your season is as rewarding.

Best

Great public land bull Aaron
( you fellas' need a horse )

quote:

Originally posted by ravenr:

( you fellas' need a horse )

That is what I say too!

Great work Aaron! Congrats. Hard work pays off.

Lee

Aaron,

Just saw this. Very nice!

Mark

Congrats.
Awesome Hunt!
Thanks for sharing.
W.

Nice bull, Aaron!

You earned that one, that's for sure.

Congrats on a great experience! Nate

Nice bull! Wish I could have gotten out for elk again this year.

Way to go. That bull looks like a giant heifer!
Congrats on an outstanding public lands hunt.