ELK!

[Muley Hunter]

I thought I had lost my best friend. He's a Lakota Indian. I pass by his teepee on the way to where I run my dog. He had mentioned he might be moving back to So Dakota and I haven't seen him for a couple of months. I assumed he had moved. I just got off the phone with him. he's been living with his new girl friend in Colorado Springs.

We talked about hunting and he wants to go elk hunting. He knows I have back problems and knee problems too. So, the kneeling i'd have to do skinning out a deer and then carrying out the meat was a long shot that I could do it. I'm talking about a deer too. He said let's go elk hunting and if I get one he'll do all the skinning and quartering it out. Then he'll carrying it all out. He said get in good enough shape to do the hunt and he'd do the hard part of getting the elk out. He has zero interest in deer. he Hates the taste of mule deer. To be honest. I don't like it that much myself. I love elk meat and can eat it every day.

So, that will make it so much easier on me. Plus, it's easy getting an elk tag. Deer tags are hard. To put the odds in my favor and to be sure the meat is good. I'll get a cow tag. The muzzy season is during the rut and sometimes a bull can taste a little off. I've had it taste good and bad for bulls. Why take a chance. A cow always taste good.

So, now I need a better load that will work for an elk. I'm going to wait until the Hornady Bore Driver comes out and see how it does. I'll still use Pyro but more of it. The area we'll be hunting is a little more open and I want more weight in the gun for a faster load. I'll use a scope.

I feel good about this. I can do the hunt without getting hurt. I'll have all summer to scout the area. It's about a 30 min drive from where I live. Just right to have a cup of coffee on the way. Elk hunting. I love it.

 

[porkchop401]

first things first! , Colorado has its own unique muzzleloader regulations regarding equipment. First is iron sights only, loose powder only and a full bore bullet. none of these are bad things but require some adjusting and preparation which you have plenty of time for

 

[Muley Hunter]

Yes, I know i've hunted the Colorado muzzleloader season since 1980. I won't need to make any adjustments. You don't see me talking about anything but conicals. I wouldn't use a pellet if it was legal. I have a disability license to use a scope.

Thanks for your post though.

 

[D55]

Great you have such a friend who is willing to assist you on your hunt. Get yourself ready and Best Wishes in pursuit of wapati

 

[Muley Hunter]

I agree. He's a good friend. I'll give him half the meat as a thank you.

 

[dbowling]

460 gr Bullshop/No Excuse conical w/mmp sub base should do the trick as far as youll want to shoot. 300 gr XTP what ever sabot works etc..

 

[Muley Hunter]

460 gr Bullshop/No Excuse conical w/mmp sub base should do the trick as far as youll want to shoot. 300 gr XTP what ever sabot works etc..

Can't use sabots in Colorado.

Remember me? I'm still the same old man who needs to keep recoil down.

 

[Pathfinder60]

I thought I had lost my best friend. He's a Lakota Indian. I pass by his teepee on the way to where I run my dog. He had mentioned he might be moving back to So Dakota and I haven't seen him for a couple of months. I assumed he had moved. I just got off the phone with him. he's been living with his new girl friend in Colorado Springs.

We talked about hunting and he wants to go elk hunting. He knows I have back problems and knee problems too. So, the kneeling i'd have to do skinning out a deer and then carrying out the meat was a long shot that I could do it. I'm talking about a deer too. He said let's go elk hunting and if I get one he'll do all the skinning and quartering it out. Then he'll carrying it all out. He said get in good enough shape to do the hunt and he'd do the hard part of getting the elk out. He has zero interest in deer. he Hates the taste of mule deer. To be honest. I don't like it that much myself. I love elk meat and can eat it every day.

So, that will make it so much easier on me. Plus, it's easy getting an elk tag. Deer tags are hard. To put the odds in my favor and to be sure the meat is good. I'll get a cow tag. The muzzy season is during the rut and sometimes a bull can taste a little off. I've had it taste good and bad for bulls. Why take a chance. A cow always taste good.

So, now I need a better load that will work for an elk. I'm going to wait until the Hornady Bore Driver comes out and see how it does. I'll still use Pyro but more of it. The area we'll be hunting is a little more open and I want more weight in the gun for a faster load. I'll use a scope.

I feel good about this. I can do the hunt without getting hurt. I'll have all summer to scout the area. It's about a 30 min drive from where I live. Just right to have a cup of coffee on the way. Elk hunting. I love it.

Can you tell us again what weapon you'll be using on this hunt? I went back through and I don't see it being mentioned...

 

[Muley Hunter]

Oh man! You guys are going to kill me. I should work this stuff before I post about it. There's been another change in my plans.

I talked to my Lakota friend this morning. He doesn't just want to help me get the meat out but wants to hunt too. He hunts with a bow he makes. Just like his ancestors. He's really into the old ways. He makes the arrows (wood). He knaps the broadhead from flint and i'm amazed at how sharp they are. He makes the string too but i'm not sure what he uses for material. I'll have to ask him.

So, he'll be hunting the archery season which runs from Sept 2nd to the 30th. The muzzleloader season is just 9 days right in the middle of the archery season. He wants me to hunt with him for the whole archery season or until he gets an elk. I can do that but a better idea would be for both of us hunting for the whole month of Sept in archery season. I started my hunting career with a longbow back in the late 40's. However, I can't pull a longbow now due to worn out shoulders. What I can do is shoot a crossbow. My vision disability license also says I can use a scoped crossbow in archery season. So, I can hunt the whole archery season with him with a crossbow. The new crossbows are very compact and light. They aren't the big bulky heavy bows of the past. I can get one that's lighter than the Optima. Here's the best part and what got me to thinking about this idea. No recoil! It also has plenty of power to take an elk. I have to keep shots under 50 yds but I already do that anyway. No blasted blaze orange either.

I know this is a muzzleloader forum and i'm talking about a crossbow. I consider you guys friends I wanted to tell you what i'm going to do. My posts will probably fade away as I get more involved in bow hunting.

Thanks for listening.

 

[Muley Hunter]

Can you tell us again what weapon you'll be using on this hunt? I went back through and I don't see it being mentioned...

I was going to use the Optima but as you can see by my above post that changed.

 

[Pathfinder60]

Oh man! You guys are going to kill me. I should work this stuff before I post about it. There's been another change in my plans.

I talked to my Lakota friend this morning. He doesn't just want to help me get the meat out but wants to hunt too. He hunts with a bow he makes. Just like his ancestors. He's really into the old ways. He makes the arrows (wood). He knaps the broadhead from flint and i'm amazed at how sharp they are. He makes the string too but i'm not sure what he uses for material. I'll have to ask him.

So, he'll be hunting the archery season which runs from Sept 2nd to the 30th. The muzzleloader season is just 9 days right in the middle of the archery season. He wants me to hunt with him for the whole archery season or until he gets an elk. I can do that but a better idea would be for both of us hunting for the whole month of Sept in archery season. I started my hunting career with a longbow back in the late 40's. However, I can't pull a longbow now due to worn out shoulders. What I can do is shoot a crossbow. My vision disability license also says I can use a scoped crossbow in archery season. So, I can hunt the whole archery season with him with a crossbow. The new crossbows are very compact and light. They aren't the big bulky heavy bows of the past. I can get one that's lighter than the Optima. Here's the best part and what got me to thinking about this idea. No recoil! It also has plenty of power to take an elk. I have to keep shots under 50 yds but I already do that anyway. No blasted blaze orange either.

I know this is a muzzleloader forum and i'm talking about a crossbow. I consider you guys friends I wanted to tell you what i'm going to do. My posts will probably fade away as I get more involved in bow hunting.

Thanks for listening.

As a fellow crossbow hunter (for the same reasons) I'm really curious as to what bow you are considering...this might not be the place for this and if so I apologize beforehand.

 

[Muley Hunter]

I already bought it. I got the Excal Mag 340 and because of my crappy back I got the EXT Crank too.

 

[Muley Hunter]

I can keep posting on this forum. I never noticed this forum has a Bow Hunting sub forum. So, i'll be over there yaking.

 

[Pathfinder60]

I already bought it. I got the Excal Mag 340 and because of my crappy back I got the EXT Crank too.

Good bow...those Excalibers are tough as nails. Good call on the cranking device...you'd have needed it. Good luck and happy hunting!

 

[Muley Hunter]

Well crap! I just found out the xbow I bought isn't legal in Colorado. The draw length is too short. I'll have to go through the pain in the butt process of sending it back for a refund.

My local gun shop has a Traditions Woodsman rifle in stock. I might just go buy it and hunt for deer with a PRB and call it good. I'm tired of all this and just want a weapon i'm going to hunt with. I know muzzleloader sidelocks and it will be easy to stay with what I know. The Woodsman is not my first choice but it's not a bad gun and will work fine. Recoil will be a non-issue and it will be cheap to shoot so I can do a lot of it. Plus, it's cheap to buy. That xbow was $800. The Woodsman is $399.

I can still hunt for elk with my Lakota friend. A .50 PRB will work for a cow. Although hunting for deer alone is more my style. I'll see just how bad he wants to do the hunt or is he just doing it for me. I don't want him doing it for me if he is. I'm ok hunting for deer alone. I've hunted alone since my dad died in the early 80's.

LOL..what a soap opera huh?

 

[snapbang]

Take a fishing pole with you too. Do a little trout fishing for supper.

 

[Muley Hunter]

Take a fishing pole with you too. Do a little trout fishing for supper.

I fly fish all year here. I don't need to camp. I live from 10 min to 30 min from all my elk hunting areas. This is a nice area for fly fishing and hunting. I was picky before moving here and this area was just what I was looking for.

 

[Hatchet Jack]

I fly fish all year here. I don't need to camp. I live from 10 min to 30 min from all my elk hunting areas. This is a nice area for fly fishing and hunting. I was picky before moving here and this area was just what I was looking for.

Sounds like heaven. What part of the state do you live in?

 

[Idaholewis]

LOL..what a soap opera huh?

Truer words have never been said

 

[Muley Hunter]

Sounds like heaven. What part of the state do you live in?

Buena Vista