After our first successful “big-game” hunt in 1999, we worked hard all year preparing for our 2000 elk/mule deer hunt in Colorado. We had booked our hunt before leaving camp in 1999, to again hunt with Tom and Lynn Colander of Colorado Trophies (click here for their site) . Our “Super-Guide,” Joe Buckley, was again assigned as our guide for 2000.

We practiced at distance diligently all year, and abandoned the wobbly shooting sticks for the stable platform provided by retractable bipods affixed to the sling mount on the fore stocks of our rifles (Harris Bipods!) . We upgraded Janice’s rifle to an "accurized" Remington 700 action chambered in .300 Jarrett with a match-quality Kreiger barrel, and Jewel adjustable trigger. I had my .338 Jarrett re-barreled for .300 Jarrett--the .338 just did not shoot as well at long range as Janice’s .300 Jarrett. We could now consistently shoot groups at 600 yards of 6 inches or smaller, so we extended our effective range to 600 yards. We also started spotting for each other, checking the range, reading the wind, and calling the shots.

This “off-season” also saw our introduction to Black Powder Cartridge Silhouette…and the Sharps 1876 rifles. We both noticed that as we competed in Benchrest and Black Powder Cartridge Silhouette, our overall shooting skills were sharpened. All types of shooting practice help all types of shooting! The BPCS also requires a spotter; this was a huge help in developing our spotting skills, and overall teamwork.

Our goal was to each harvest a bull elk with the Jarretts. We would then put up the Jarretts and hunt for mule deer with our Sharps 1876’s (Mine in .45-2 4/10” a.k.a.45-90…Janice’s in .45-2 1/10” a.k.a.45-70).

We left for Colorado a week early. On the way there, we stopped at the Whittington Center in Raton, New Mexico. We spent a day verifing our drop charts and fine-tuning our shooting skills. Once in Estes Park, we worked out each morning at the Rocky Mountain Athletic Club, and hiked each afternoon in Rocky Mountain National Park. If you have ever been to Estes in the fall, then you KNOW how many elk are around! We truly enjoyed watching them, especially when they would invade the municipal golf course. I asked what the rules were if your golf ball disappeared in the south end of a north bound elk, but none of the golfers knew the answer! If you are a flat-lander, and can get to the high-country a few days early, your conditioning for your hunt will be WAY AHEAD!

We arrived at Colorado Trophies’ beautiful lodge the day before our hunt. It was great to see the entire staff again. We also met the other hunters. That is one of the really nice things about Colorado Trophies; Tom has so much private land available, he commonly has 14 or so hunters in camp at once. There are so many stories to swap and tell!

The first morning saw us off to Baldy, the same place I had killed my first bull the year before. We parked the truck and walked in about 1 mile to a huge meadow with a canyon around one side, and the rise up Baldy on the other. Even though it was still too dark to shoot, we were able to make out a huge herd of elk through our binoculars. They were stretched out across the meadow and up the slope of Baldy--probably 200 head or so! Bulls were hurling insults and warnings at each other, and cows were trying to keep their herd together. WOW--what a way to start!

Joe sent me up along a fence line by myself. It was very difficult to move, because there were so many sets of eyes watching. It was way too easy to get busted, even though the bulls were not close enough to make a shot. I worked my way up the fence, got as close as I could, put my rangefinder on the bulls, and it didn’t even register (800+ yards)! No way to get closer; hopefully they will move towards me. Eventually, one of the cows busted one of the hunters, and the quiet morning turned into bedlam. The elk all rushed for different entries to the canyon. One hunter was able to harvest a bull with 9 shots, including the one that blew most of his right horn off. It turns out this hunter had never shot at anything past 200 yards! What an opening morning!

The following morning we set up in the same area, with one big difference: we were hunting in a blinding snowstorm! Janice had 1 cow walk near her; other than that, no one saw much.

Janice’s First Bull

At midday, the snow let up, and the skies cleared. That afternoon, we headed to an overlook that provided a fantastic view of a canyon and the opposite hillside rising from the bottom. They call this place “Beaver Perch.” If you shot down to the first place you could see game, the shortest distance was about 450 yards. The crest of the opposite hill was about 850. When we first got there, we spotted a fat ol’ black bear feasting on the carcass of a bull elk killed and quartered the week before. We watched him for awhile until he was so full he had to waddle out the bottom to sleep off his meal. (note to self .. consider a black bear tag next time we hunt here!)

We all three glassed for a few hours. At around 4:30 pm, I suddenly spotted movement. I whispered “there’s a shooter." Janice and Joe glassed in that direction and instantly picked up the beautiful 5x5 walking by himself on the far side of the hill…It"s Show Time!

I ranged the bull at 500+ yards; as he walked he was getting a little closer. Janice switched from her glasses to her rifle. The bull stopped to graze in a little open area at 485 yards. The wind was absolutely calm. Janice had him in her sights, and asked if Joe and I were ready (for spotting). I noticed her voice a little over-excited and decided to try and calm her down. The bull wasn’t going anywhere, and had no idea we were there. Janice had worked so hard to get to this point, a little excitement is to be expected! I asked Janice to talk through the shot. She responded that at 485 yards, the bullet would drop about 17 inches from the aiming point; the distance from the crosshair to the lower reticle at 20 power and 500 yards is 15 inches. Therefore, she will put the lower reticle about 2 inches above where she wants the bullet to hit. And while she was whispering, I could hear her voice regain control and confidence! I told her to shoot when ready. BOOM! The bull just crumpled! Joe and I said in unison “WHOA!” Janice dutifully chambered another round and began to reaquire the target. She asked, “did I hit him?” We responded that she knocked the heck out of him! Just then she found him in her scope, and got so excited!. He was in his last thralls of death; Janice asked if she should put another round into him. Joe and I both agreed that it was not necessary--he was dead!

After a few minutes , the bull lay motionless. I was so glad that Janice had finally scored her first bull… and WHAT A SHOT! After about 10 minutes of (quiet) celebration, we began a plan of action to get the bull dressed. We decided that I would stay on the perch. Joe and Janice would climb out, get to the truck, drive around to a point in the canyon that wasn’t quite so steep, go down the canyon, up the other side, and then side hill until I spotted them. Then I could guide them to the bull over the walkie-talkie.

It took about 50 minutes for Joe and Janice to make it to a point where I could spot them. I noticed that Janice did not have her rifle. I asked about it over the walkie-talkie. Janice responded that Joe had suggested she leave it behind because of weight and the tough terrain. I also knew Janice had left her sidearm back at the lodge. I asked if she remembered the bear? Joe responded that it was O.K., he could run faster than Janice!

I told them to continue and head down hill just a little. I kept putting my glasses back on the bull then would scan back to Joe and Janice to give them directions.

I was alarmed that, when they were about 100 yards from the bull, the bull RAISED HIS HEAD! Now, this bull has been motionless for about an hour. I asked if Joe wanted me to put another bullet in the bull. Joe responded to just let him be. I scanned back to the bull again for a directions update….NO BULL! He was gone! I panicked and desperately scanned to find the bull. I found him trying to circle down and around the noisy humans coming towards him. He was not moving well, but if he got much further, he could disappear into the brush. I reported that the bull was up. Janice responded “Shoot him, shoot him, shoot him a hundred times if you have to.. JUST SHOOT HIM!” I put the walkie-talkie down and set up my Jarrett. Unfortunately, it was so dark the range finder could not pick up the bull. I even had problems finding the bull in my scope. In the mean time, Janice is still pleading with me over the walkie- talkie, “Do you see him, shoot him!” The only way I could find the bull was to put the scope on Janice in her blaze orange vest, then scan back to the bull. This means, for safety, I had to have the bolt open and the safety on, then find the bull. Oh, there he is--he's getting away--get the shot off! Click…the safety was still on!!!!!!

OK, let’s slow down here. I told Janice to just be quiet, and let me concentrate on this shot. I was also concerned where Joe was--I couldn't see him, because he was in camo with no orange vest. It was getting dark rapidly. Janice said Joe was right next to her. I told her to keep him there!

In the meantime, the bull had moved so close to the bottom that the only way I could get the rifle on him was to put the bipods on a rock lower than I was, and hold the gun butt way up in the air; precarious positioning at best! Thank goodness for practice in abnormal positions! I estimated the distance by comparing where the bull was now, with where he was for the original shot: probably about 450 yards. However the angle was much steeper now, so I estimated actual horizontal diatsnce to be 400 yards. This means 7 inches of drop. I need to put the horizontal crosshair about mid-body line. The wind is still calm. Squeeze that trigger…BAM!

Janice and Joe both commented later that it was WAY different being on the business end of a belted magnum. They heard the bull crash to the ground just short distance from them. They couldn’t see him through all the brush!

Finally, he was down and he was dead! Joe and Janice dressed the bull, then took time to study the wounds a bit. Janice's shot had transitioned the bull's chest from left to right, at a descending angle, just above the heart. The bullet lodged under the skin of the right side after punching through the lower right shoulder blade. The only thing we could figure is the bull had crumpled so quickly he was able to clot the wound and not bleed out into his lungs, therefore not expiring immediately. When he heard the walkie-talkie approaching, he had enough of an adrenaline rush to get up. He wasn’t going anywhere, but we had no way to know that! Elk are TOUGH creatures!

I walked out to the jeep path, where Joe and Janice planned to pick me up. It was now totally dark. I ran into Tom, who had come over to check on us. I excitedly explained the chain of events, then Tom wanted to talk to Joe on the walkie-talkie. He wanted to make sure the bull was properly propped open and off the ground on branches so his meat would thoroughly cool. He also wanted Joe and Janice to urinate around the bull's carcass to keep the bear from coming around until we could get back there the following day. This, of course sent Joe and Janice into hysterics; considering the obvious, and the fact that neither had drunk any water in over 3 hours--they couldn’t have passed a drop to save their lives! What a day and what a hunt!

After a glorious celebration of Janice’s first bull, we decided that we would go to the same perch for the next morning’s hunt, then quarter and skin Janice’s bull over the noon hour. The morning was bright and clear. We again glassed for a few hours. Around 10:30 am, I announced “Elk!”. It was a small herd of 2 bulls and a dozen cows coming over the ridge on the opposite side, still over 700 yards away. I immediately got on my rifle. Janice began calling yardage continuously. Joe was telling me to be patient, as they were moving closer. I had difficulty picking up the heard in the scope, as the opposite side of the canyon had few distinctive features. I finally moved the power down to 6.5 and found the heard. I spotted horns, then zoomed in. Janice is calling out "625, 620, 610"; Joe is saying, “be patient, they are going right where Janice’s bull was.” I was pleading, “Come on, Joe, let me take him.” Joe said, ”No, Wait. Be Patient! And, I think you are on the wrong bull.” There were two bulls, one much nicer than the other. I had had such trouble picking up the herd in my scope, I was afraid of losing the herd and not being able to reacquire if I tried to locate the other bull. I was looking at a nice rack and wasn’t about to get off of him!. Janice is calling, "550, 540, 530, 525." I am pleading with Joe to let me take the shot. The bull had stopped momentarily, and was broadside. I was on him! “Come on Joe, let me take him!” Joe finally said “If you think you can…” BAM! That was all I needed to hear!

Because of the recoil, I lost sight of the bull. Unfortunately, I also shot before my spotters were ready, and the shot made them flinch and lose sight of the bull through their glasses. I asked, “did I hit him?” All I got back was, “I don’t know” ARRGGGHH!

The elk were scattering like ants. Some went out the way Janice’s bull had come in, and some went out of sight through the bottom. The good news was: we only saw ONE bull leaving, but Joe pointed out that the other bull could have gone out the bottom before we spotted them. Of course, I could not shoot at the escaping bull, because I may already have had one down.

We watched and glassed for some kind of sign of my bull, but to no avail. Joe finally thought he had spotted it, and tried to explain what he was seeing: ”see the brown rock next to the green tree?” (as we look at a hillside of completely undistinguishable features). “No, I don’t” I frustratedly announced, “maybe Janice does”. Joe explained it to Janice, and she too thought she saw a downed bull.

We decided that Janice would stay on the perch, and Joe and I would go up, around, down, across, up, etc. Janice could then guide us to this “downed elk” by walkie-talkie. We got over there and Janice walked us right to a brown rock! I was really upset. Why had my spotters not done their job? Well, of course, it was my fault for not announcing my shot!

Joe and I split up and searched on a grid. Tracks were everywhere in the snow from the escaping herd. I was beginning to doubt my shot, and the whole situation, when I heard “Oh, Dale…..over here”….WAHOO! There he was…he didn’t budge after the shot! Joe inspected the entry hole, and told me he was very disappointed in my shooting. He said, "You're an 1/8 of an inch off!" We couldn’t spot the bull from the perch because he had fallen uphill with his rack hidden--he really did look like a brown rock! He did turn out to be the smaller of the two bulls, but he was down and he was mine--a gorgeous trophy animal.

We got the bull field-dressed, then climbed out. We picked up Janice, and headed back to the lodge for back-packs. We were also hoping for a little help from Abby, the mule. Now, many hunters will let the guide do all the hard work. Since it was Janice’s first bull, and that meat was our red meat for the coming year, there was no way we were not going to participate in getting these bulls out of the canyon.

We had been in and out of the canyon enough that there was a bit of a trail forming. Joe and Janice quartered and skinned. Another guide, Jamie, and I hauled backpacks full of elk back out of the canyon over several trips. The mule only made one trip, as it was very tight quarters through much of the brush and aspens. Being a talented veterinary surgeon, Janice leaves nothing but shiney bones when she strips the carcass, and can skin as fast as an old-time buffalo hunter! Sometimes, I am afraid the bears may lodge a complaint with the Colorado Division of Wildlife for unfair practices--leaving no meat on the bones for them! Anyway, after I had made several trips in and out of the canyon, I was exhausted, and it was late. Total darkness, no moon. When I got the last load out, I called Janice on the walkie-talkie: no response. Concerned something might be wrong (like a big fat black bear), I knew I had to go back down one more time. I ran into Joe and Janice about half way out. They were carrying the skull and rack with the entire hide still attached. Janice wasn’t about to risk ruining the mount of her first bull by not leaving enough of the cape, so she insisted they carry it all! Poor Janice and Joe, five steps, rest, five steps, rest!

I was exhausted and short-tempered, wanting to know why they hadn’t responded. Janice had apparently lost the walkie-talkie somewhere on the trail, and couldn’t hear my calls. She was as exhausted as me, and ready to square off for an argument with me if that is what I wanted. Joe just looked up at the stars and announced, “What a beautiful night…look at those stars.” It was just the right thing to bring it all into perspective! Joe is such a super guide!

We got the bull out the rest of the way. We got back to the lodge and the day just faded away. We celebrated our two gorgeous bulls, and a story I know we will always remember!

By the way, we both scored with our Sharps too….Janice from 130 yards and Dale from 100!