In only a couple more weeks, I'll be in the mountains of Colorado on my
first-ever elk hunt along with two of my hunting buddies. Needless to
say, I can't wait. The preparation and the anticipation are already
getting to me.
A couple of years ago, my wife and I drove across Colorado from Salt Lake City, Utah. For two days we absorbed the ever-changing diverse beauty of mountains. From rolling grasslands to snow-covered peaks to thick forests and rocky slopes, every time you rounded a curve in the road, there was a new picture waiting to be snapped by our camera. The scenery was further enhanced by the presence of wildlife, including elk and mule deer, the two subjects of our upcoming hunting adventure.
During that trip, we drove fairly close to the area my friends and I are now licensed to hunt. We will be in game management areas 25 and 26 located in the northwestern quadrant of Colorado. The licensing procedure in Colorado requires that you choose a specific week, a specific area and the particular game that you wish to hunt including the gender. We three all chose to go after a bull elk and a buck mule deer.
We have been in the planning stage of this hunt for the better part of a year. We had to apply for our licenses months ago and prove to the State of Colorado that we were in possession of our Hunter Safety Training certificates from New York in order to obtain our Colorado licenses. We have also been listing and gathering our personal gear as well as our collective camping gear. The three of us have purchased a 16x20 foot expedition tent since we will be camping for over a week in the mountains with our base camp at an altitude of approximately 9,000 feet. You can imagine that some planning and gathering of gear is rather important to our success and our safety.
Personal clothing, cooking gear, sleeping bags and cots, boots and some creature comforts are all part of the considerations necessary to make a trip like this a safe success. Then it comes to guns! Which gun and for what reason and what ammo to use? Unlike hunting in the Adirondacks where a hundred yard shot is a long range and unusual event, two hundred and fifty plus yard shots in Colorado is the norm. So gun and ammo selection is not only very different from hunting in the eastern mountains, it is considerably more important.
The 270 caliber rifle seems to have emerged as the preferred gun. It is what we call "a flat shooter" meaning that the flight of the bullet does not arch nearly as much as other rounds as it flies from muzzle to target. In addition, the old reliable 30-06 is high on the list of guns suitable for these two large western deer family animals. I own both a Remington 270 and a Winchester 30-06 and my good friend Jimmy Miller has also loaned me his 300 caliber rifle to round out the arsenal for this trip. The 300, like the 270 is a flat shooter with a little extra added punch at long range.
Ammunition has changed in recent years. In addition to the lead-tipped and jacketed bullets that we have all used over the years, we now have ballistic-tipped, boat-shaped rounds that we now have to understand and consider. These relatively new rounds add accuracy, range and hitting power that all lead to a more successful venture and when the cost of such a trip is finally totaled, you want to be sure you have taken advantage of all possible and available features to assure you come home with the bacon....or elk in our case.
So gear is being gathered, guns cleaned, clothing packed, sleeping bags rolled and cameras charged up. The only thing charged up more than all the batteries we are taking along is me. I can't wait to get going. I might just leave a week or two early to be sure I don't miss it! And down deep in my ole' hunter's gut, I really don't care if I bag either an elk or a mule deer, I just can't wait to see these two magnificent animals in the wild and to share the experience with my two good friends Jim Picard and Terry Wetmiller. And you can be assured that I will be sharing this trip with you when I get back....with pictures.
See you outdoors!
You can reach Dick at
rtotino@nycap.rr.com
During that trip, we drove fairly close to the area my friends and I are now licensed to hunt. We will be in game management areas 25 and 26 located in the northwestern quadrant of Colorado. The licensing procedure in Colorado requires that you choose a specific week, a specific area and the particular game that you wish to hunt including the gender. We three all chose to go after a bull elk and a buck mule deer.
We have been in the planning stage of this hunt for the better part of a year. We had to apply for our licenses months ago and prove to the State of Colorado that we were in possession of our Hunter Safety Training certificates from New York in order to obtain our Colorado licenses. We have also been listing and gathering our personal gear as well as our collective camping gear. The three of us have purchased a 16x20 foot expedition tent since we will be camping for over a week in the mountains with our base camp at an altitude of approximately 9,000 feet. You can imagine that some planning and gathering of gear is rather important to our success and our safety.
Personal clothing, cooking gear, sleeping bags and cots, boots and some creature comforts are all part of the considerations necessary to make a trip like this a safe success. Then it comes to guns! Which gun and for what reason and what ammo to use? Unlike hunting in the Adirondacks where a hundred yard shot is a long range and unusual event, two hundred and fifty plus yard shots in Colorado is the norm. So gun and ammo selection is not only very different from hunting in the eastern mountains, it is considerably more important.
The 270 caliber rifle seems to have emerged as the preferred gun. It is what we call "a flat shooter" meaning that the flight of the bullet does not arch nearly as much as other rounds as it flies from muzzle to target. In addition, the old reliable 30-06 is high on the list of guns suitable for these two large western deer family animals. I own both a Remington 270 and a Winchester 30-06 and my good friend Jimmy Miller has also loaned me his 300 caliber rifle to round out the arsenal for this trip. The 300, like the 270 is a flat shooter with a little extra added punch at long range.
Ammunition has changed in recent years. In addition to the lead-tipped and jacketed bullets that we have all used over the years, we now have ballistic-tipped, boat-shaped rounds that we now have to understand and consider. These relatively new rounds add accuracy, range and hitting power that all lead to a more successful venture and when the cost of such a trip is finally totaled, you want to be sure you have taken advantage of all possible and available features to assure you come home with the bacon....or elk in our case.
So gear is being gathered, guns cleaned, clothing packed, sleeping bags rolled and cameras charged up. The only thing charged up more than all the batteries we are taking along is me. I can't wait to get going. I might just leave a week or two early to be sure I don't miss it! And down deep in my ole' hunter's gut, I really don't care if I bag either an elk or a mule deer, I just can't wait to see these two magnificent animals in the wild and to share the experience with my two good friends Jim Picard and Terry Wetmiller. And you can be assured that I will be sharing this trip with you when I get back....with pictures.
See you outdoors!
You can reach Dick at
rtotino@nycap.rr.com
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