I love elk hunting, but I’ve coined a new phrase for the event: frustratingly fun. Don’t try to steal it. It’s mine. I spent the last few days in Colorado trying to get an elk to stand in an opening long enough to cut loose an arrow. To get the job done I teamed up with Santa Fe Outfitters and owner Clay Allison. Clay runs one of the best camps I’ve had the good fortune to visit. Experienced guides, great cabins, exceptional meals and lots, and lots of elk make up his package.
I appreciate your willingness to come to the call, but could you please turn totally broadside?
So how can you tromp around for several days and not get an elk in an elk-rich environment? It’s a bit different with a camera. I was joined by North American Hunter’s Melissa Bachman. She knows the drill since she’s been both behind and in front of the camera. Things have to go just right and even when the shooter has a shot, the camera person may not always have a clean view of the scene due to tree or bush.
Mainly, we just had bad luck. Take the first morning. A bull was bugling his head off right above us so we set up next to a wallow and called.
Immediately a cow walked in to about 10 yards and splashed in the wallow. It caught the bull’s attention and you could tell he was on the way. Just before he stepped into the opening for a shot Stevie Wonder could make, the cow shifted slightly and caught our wind. Game over.
Minutes later another bull charged our position and as I set up I could see the bull swinging wide to catch our scent. We moved as well to get access to a different shooting lane. The bull ran. He either saw us or caught our scent. The next five days was much of the same. Bulls were in our face, but not in shooting position. One evening Melissa and I ran around a ridge, slid down a shale slope and snuck along a road to get position on an advancing bull. Clay stayed on the ridge to keep the bull’s attention. When we reached the only trail into the valley we ran head first into the bull at 25 yards.
He picked the same trail!
I could go on and on, but I think you get the point. Elk hunting is fun, but it’s frustratingly fun, especially when you’re working at the same time.
Mark Kayser
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