| Colorado Elk Hunt 2010 By Bob Kruger FCRGC Members led by the experienced Roger Hatin took off for Steamboat Springs, Colorado on Oct. 13, 2010 to hunt with Eagle Spirit Outfitters. Roger has hunted with this outfitter several times and has had great experiences and good luck finding the elusive Rocky Mountain Elk. This year Roger brought his duck hunting buddy Jim Danse, and Jim Robinson and I followed along. It was Jim Danse and Jim Robinsons first elk hunt ever. Steamboat Springs is a famous snow ski resort town in north central Colorado at about 7,000 ft elevation. There was only a light sprinkling of snow on the highest peaks and we were met with sunny days and cold nights. We stayed at the beautiful Aspen View Lodge (ski lodge) that Eagle Spirit leases for Elk Season. No more tents, wood stoves, frozen water containers, snow blowing over the tents in the middle of the night, and waking up in 6 degree weather for this elk hunter. There were 14 hunters all together for opening day of rifle elk season. Along with staff and guides there was about 25 people at the lodge. Big Screen TV, internet, dedicated chief, lots of showers, beds with blankets. The works!!!! Plus, we had 20,000 acres of private property to hunt. This was truly a hunt of a lifetime. The upfront cost was $4950 each for the outfitter. It was two hunters and one guide operation. Jim Robinson and I had Guide Andy, 22yr old young man from Nebraska. We all took off for different areas of the properties on opening morning. Of course after bacon, eggs, pancakes, toast, coffee and orange juice. Roger and I had the easiest hunt because we tagged out on the second day with nice bulls. My bull was at 8950 ft elevation and I found it wasn’t at all like walking around at sea level. Guide Andy put Jim and I about 700-800 yards apart on a hillside where the elk traveled. After about an hour on Sun morning Andy ran over to me and said, “quick, the elk are coming, we need to run to the top of the ridge” Andy ran, but I found that running was not in the cards for me. I walked quickly uphill, had to rest part way and got to Andy totally out of breath and ready to drop to the ground. We saw 5 or 6 cows walking over the crest of the hill, about 200 yds away. Lucky I had about 30 sec to catch my breath before the bulls came. There was a spike bull and a 4 pt bull at the end of the line. Andy set up my tri-pod. The bigger bull stopped just before going into the Aspens. This bull was 10 ft off the trail/road we drove in on, and 50 yds from the truck. I couldn’t pass it up. I held my breath, steadied on the tri- pod and touched off a shot. The elk dropped in his tracks. As it turned out all of us had a great hunt. Three of us brought back nice elk. Lots of meat for all for the winter. Roger and I shot bulls, Jim Danse shot the most bullets and ended up with a big cow, and Jim Robinson stuck it out, hunting every morning and every night, took one long shot at a bull and came home 10 lbs lighter with tag soup. I have plenty of meat for Jim. For the whole lodge 14 hunters shot 5 bulls and 6 cows. Thanks, Roger, for setting up a great hunt for all of us. |
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