Geo in Co

[George]

As always those are some awesome pics. Still hoping to see ya behing an elk.

always enjoy your updates G.

todd

Yep, thanks Man.

At this point it has to be about the experience as opposed to the kill.

I was almost ready to up and move out there until you had to mention 8' of snow

But then again, Gator, my neighbor says to me a few days ago that we'll have 30 days of 10 below.

I'm slow but I did do some research on the topic before moving here. 5 days of sub zero in Pagosa last winter with -7 being the outlier, 3 sub zero in Keosauqua, Ia. As much as I love the Gunnison river I'm not living in Gunnison, Co.

Now George, tell me, and be honest, doesn't that stalking along the ground beat the heck out of sitting in a treestand for hours, even if you are empty handed at this point?? I bet if you look in the mirror your smile is bigger than its been in a long time. Wish the eastern whitetail hunters would learn the fun in it. Sure hope you tag out soon, have enjoyed the ride. Take the Million Dollar highway thru Silverton before the snow set in. My buddy was traveling south out of MT last week and had to detour Beartooth highway as it was snowed in for the winter.

I'm all about honesty, when I look in the mirror I'm probably smiling but I'm seeing an ex land manager/Whitetail Hunter too who lost his identity.

The other guys tasted the fun of it, they were jumping elk just off the path too, and feeling the burn. I was feeling the burn yesterday. Today I'm relaxing, mild carb refeed. Do I whimp out or preserver?

G

 

[cutman]

Persevere. I can't tell you how many times I've been successful on the last day while all my friends are sleeping in.

The key to backcountry hunting is to go where no one else wants to go. And to persevere.

 

[Elkaddict]

Hang in the George! IMO, the burn doesn't really start till your packing elk quarters out on your back. Hopefully, it's mostly down hill

 

[Gator]

Yeah George, I think I'm staying. We hit -9 last year for about 10 secs and that was about 2 days too long

 

[OkieKubota]

I enjoy your updates and I look at all the beautiful picture but I am a whitetail deer hunter at heart and the biggest bull in those mountains wouldn't get me going more than a 140" whitetail buck although I digress the eating would be better.

I am hoping you are able to seal the deal this fall on an Elk or Muley but I wonder how long before the "wanderlust" puts you back into the land manager/whitetail world?

 

[George]

Persevere. I can't tell you how many times I've been successful on the last day while all my friends are sleeping in.

The key to backcountry hunting is to go where no one else wants to go. And to persevere.

"Preserver" I'm blaming that one on the computer.

I just bought an extra large supreme pizza at Walmart so I'll have plenty of junk in my arteries go up the hill tomorrow.

Rain is in the forecast for the rest of the season which will be a good thing, other than my footwear, it was 70+ up there yesterday so no surprise that animals weren't moving.

Hang in the George! IMO, the burn doesn't really start till your packing elk quarters out on your back. Hopefully, it's mostly down hill

A few short up hills on the way back that made me curse a time or two. I've learned stuff already, can learn more. I've seen a good number of hunters come through that realistically don't have much of a chance. I've been told by my Mentor in town that I can't count on elk for meat, the best kill one every 2 or 3 years. My elk buddy up the hill has been camping in that spot for 20 years and kills one every year. He did show me a picture of him and his cow decoy.

Yeah George, I think I'm staying. We hit -9 last year for about 10 secs and that was about 2 days too long

So it was colder in Va than Co.

I enjoy your updates and I look at all the beautiful picture but I am a whitetail deer hunter at heart and the biggest bull in those mountains wouldn't get me going more than a 140" whitetail buck although I digress the eating would be better.

I am hoping you are able to seal the deal this fall on an Elk or Muley but I wonder how long before the "wanderlust" puts you back into the land manager/whitetail world?

If you ask big game hunters out here in Co they will probably tell you that whitetail is the best and I'm still savoring my 5 1/2 year old from last year so I know it to be true.

I only have the archery elk tag and the season ends on Sunday.

G

 

[OkieKubota]

Can you only hunt 1 animal 1 season? If so count me out!!!

I killed one elk in my life and I still remember the taste...it was really good...

 

[George]

I had one any sex elk tag available to me over the counter as a non resident. Residents can be hunting small game, turkey, grouse, deer, elk, bear, sheep, goats, moose, pronghorn, varmint, and what ever else.

G

 

[Fish]

If you get lonely for whitetails in a few years, head my way. I will have an awesome pear tree for you to hunt over.

 

[OkieKubota]

I had one any sex elk tag available to me over the counter as a non resident. Residents can be hunting small game, turkey, grouse, deer, elk, bear, sheep, goats, moose, pronghorn, varmint, and what ever else.

G

How long before you are a resident?

 

[George]

It is raining pretty good here this am so I'm planning on heading up for the afternoon shift.

If you get lonely for whitetails in a few years, head my way. I will have an awesome pear tree for you to hunt over.

We're already lonely for whitetails but hunger may be a stronger factor. We're trying to make new friends. Thanks.

How long before you are a resident?

They go by the date that your drivers license was issued, mine 7/7/2016, 6 months so I'll be a resident in January.

G

 

[OkieKubota]

You will be good to go for next year then...What are your gonna do all the cold, long winter...

I had a buddy who up and left and travelled to Wyoming just outside of Yellowstone Park and got a job at a Ford Dealership doing mechanic work. He hunted that first fall and told me the local way of hunting was just drive around until you see something to shoot and just pop it. He killed a nice young Mulie Buck. Told me he loved it and would only be back to visit family but that he would grow old in Wyoming...He was back in April when he felt like his truck would make it for all the snow and ice. Told me it was miserable through the winter and that all he ever did was install block heaters in cars. Told me he understood why most everyone in cold climate areas tend to abuse alcohol or drugs because there is nothing else to do...

 

[George]

You will be good to go for next year then...What are your gonna do all the cold, long winter...

I had a buddy who up and left and travelled to Wyoming just outside of Yellowstone Park and got a job at a Ford Dealership doing mechanic work. He hunted that first fall and told me the local way of hunting was just drive around until you see something to shoot and just pop it. He killed a nice young Mulie Buck. Told me he loved it and would only be back to visit family but that he would grow old in Wyoming...He was back in April when he felt like his truck would make it for all the snow and ice. Told me it was miserable through the winter and that all he ever did was install block heaters in cars. Told me he understood why most everyone in cold climate areas tend to abuse alcohol or drugs because there is nothing else to do...

I've got some ideas- buy some snow shoes, go skiing, make friends with the single Lady 80 yards up the hill, put a plow on my Ranger, burn up my wood pile, visit down in New Mexico, shovel snow.

I have a short commute to work, out in the garage.

There is a Lady in town who owns a knife store and she said that she would give me a display counter. So I could make some knives but she takes a 60/40 split.

They get 480" up at the ski resort, neighbor says 150" here in the sub, which is probably a dusting for our friends here in up state NY.

This is a relatively sheltered, moderate climate here. That being said Texans have been known to build a 500g shed, spend a winter, and put up the for sale sign in the spring.

Growing up back in the seventies we used to get some winter weather in Michigan. So we'll see, I have to be here 5 years to get the capitol gains tax break on the sale of my house.

G

 

[George]

When I was down in Taos someone told me that it gets cold around here in the winter. I was staying at a fancy hotel that had single pane glass shutter windows and a 2" gap between the bottom of the door and the floor to the outside, it doesn't get cold in Taos.

G

 

[Brushpile]

Are you going to hunt Mule Deer?

 

[Flyfixer]

Looks like you could fill the freezer from the yard All that mountain hiking should have you about ready for a marathon!

 

[George]

Are you going to hunt Mule Deer?

No tag this year.

Looks like you could fill the freezer from the yard All that mountain hiking should have you about ready for a marathon!

Yes but no.

I'm not a marathon man but I am getting in to pretty good shape, my stubborn last 10 pounds is half gone.

I'm heading back up the hill this am prior to a strong cold low moving in later today, bringing snow to 9000'.

G

 

[OkieKubota]

I'm heading back up the hill this am prior to a strong cold low moving in later today, bringing snow to 9000'.

G

Good Luck!

 

[Steve Bartylla]

As always, I appreciate the heck out of you dragging me along with you, my friend.

 

[George]

Oak brush starting to turn on the hill out front.

Good Luck!

Thanks Johnny

As always, I appreciate the heck out of you dragging me along with you, my friend.

Thanks Steve, I would like to drag you along to help me carry one out.

Being a glutton for punishment I went back to the same rain forest yesterday.



I mostly wanted to see if I might get an invite from my new elk hunting buddy, I didn't. I actually got a bum steer and some misinformation. Wunderground had told me for days to expect thunderstorms at three. At 2 I got back to the trail with pleasant conditions and a mix of sun and clouds. I started back anyhow and soon had thunderstorms nipping at my heels and was eventually over run by hail/rain and lightning.

After I got back home a line of storms rolled in. In the Midwest we are used to a line of storms associated with a front roll in and out. Here yesterday, one thunderstorm was followed by another for about 3 hours with about 5-10 minutes in between.

Today I'm going to investigate a new area for my last 2 days Sat and Sun. I got this tip a week or two ago. I heard of someone else getting the same tip independently, moving camp, finding a herd and tagging out on big bulls.

Two nights ago, some empirical evidence as to how animals that have never seen a brassica food plot react.











Bucks come down when inclement hits. We all know that bucks find the girls during the rut. This might be interesting. I thought that I had turnips growing but it looks like rape and radish.

G