This could be the best hunt summary I’ve read on the THF

Everyone has a bucket list right? I've been very fortunate in life to see and so some cool stuff. I've checked several off my bucket list, but one has stood out and seemed to be my albatross................ELK! I guess that's really not fair. I've passed on several smaller bulls when I started this journey not knowing what I didn't know. Any elk with a bow is a trophy, but in my younger days I was caught up chasing a score. I've since learned as long as the animal is mature and the experience is memorable it's worth of the shot. So, September 7th I set out on a road trip North and West with two great friends to chase my elusive albatross with a bow during the rut for the 6th time. Little did I know just what was in store for me. This trip was going to special regardless if an elk was harvested or not. This particular ranch is pretty close to invite only and has the highest privately owned peak in the US @ over 14,000 feet. I started in January getting ready for the hunt. By the time September rolled around I was down 85 pounds and doing between 40-60 miles a week on the bike and my feet with a pack on. Countless shots thru my bow, but I was confident up to 75 yards. I was like a kid on Christmas when the 7th rolled around.

The 7th we drove to Trinidad, CO to grab dinner, our license, and settle in for the night. We drove into the ranch mid-day on the 8th and were to start our hunt that afternoon after we meet the guides, settled in, etc. On the way to the ranch the main guide called my buddy who hunted the ranch last year stating one of the guides had been sent home testing positive for COVID and the ranch was having everyone tested. You could hear his displeasure over this as well as when he informed us we would have to be tested as well once we entered the ranch. My buddy is a practical joker and said all the guides had a pretty good sense of humor as well. So, we decided to stop off at a hardware store for some tyvek suits and masks to show them just how serious we were about staying safe from the RONA!



The guides got a pretty good kick out of it. The best was one of the guides thought the main guide made us put on the suits before we entered the ranch.

After getting settled in, we headed off for the afternoon hunt. It wasn't long before myself and my guide had a bull answer a lone bugle. Off the side of the road into the canyon we went. I realized two things right off the bat. 1) my guide was half goat as I about had to sit on my butt to slide down the side of the canyon we were going off in to keep up with him, and 2) I don't care how much you prepare or what kind of shape you are in the thin air at altitude will kick your butt. Anyway, we get into the bull's bubble with the guide 80-100 yards behind me calling. Instantly the bull bugles and here he comes. I can see him about 150 yards out coming to us. Around 80 yards, I can tell he's an immature 6X6. He gets to 22 yards and bugles right in my face. He keeps coming and gets 7 yards from me before he spooks a little I guess from my scent, but stops at 30 yards and bugles several more times. Not 5 minutes in the Aspens and a very cool experience already, but I had been down this road before. I had almost the same thing happen on my first archery hunt when I drew a tag in the Gila. I was wondering if I was going to regret passing this bull, but I wanted a mature bull. We watched the bull ease off while listening to another bull that sounded older head down the canyon to some meadows. We were pinned down by cows, so we couldn't move just yet. Finally we were able to try and climb back out of the canyon to the forest service road the UTV was on to try and get in front of this other bull. Again, I was reminded how my guide was part goat and just how thin the air was. Finally we get to the road, and I watch my guide run 1/4 to 1/2 mile up the forest road to get the UTV. Basically telling me he was tired of waiting on me to get my butt out of the canyon. However, I'm passed the prideful age and was happy to watch him drive up vs trying to keep up with him running up the road. We race down the road to the meadow, jump out of the UTV, and try to cut the bull off that was bugling headed to the meadow. We end up getting close, but end up in the middle of a herd of elk with another small 6X6 within 80 yards as shooting light is fading. The guide doesn't want to push it blowing the elk out of this canyon as it's our first hunt. Couldn't fault him at all.



We were done for the night, but what an experience for the first hunt. I could tell right away having the road system on this ranch was going to be a game changer for the way I was use to hunting elk before. However, don't be fooled. It was still some rough country. Pictures just don't due the beauty nor steepness of these mountains justice. We sleep at around 9000 feet. We would begin hunting around 10,000 feet up to 12,500/13,000 feet at treeline most days.

Excellent story. Congrats on the hunt.

Great recap of a great hunt. It is amazing to see what the results can be when you are using a rangefinder.

Do you mind giving a run down of the type of workouts/diet you used to prepare for this hunt? PM is fine too

Super jealous! Elk is next on my bucket list as well. Thanks for the write up. Maybe I missed it, but did you mention the outfitter name? I'd love their info.