First CO hunt

[maintguy47]

Didn,t draw a NM tag this year so I opted for an over the counter CO achery tag. Unit 81 because of the wilderness area (no atvs) a river for fiyfishing and its only about an hour and a half from a place I have in NM. Found out real quick if you want to pee you better have some money. Every store or resturant says buy something or go on down the road. Dropped enough money in the slot to pay for to sites at the southfork campgrounds for three days. It took us a half a day to set up base camp, we just unloaded a trailer full of firewood, the last chore when the state park guy stopped and informed us that they didn't like the way the hunters leave the camp gruonds. He said that they were closing them until next spring and we had until noon the next day to vacate. Next day we relocated to a primitive site,it took all day but it had a better view. The third morning got up a couple hours before daylight to listen for bugles and watch for head lights . The lihtgs give you an idea of where other people are. I watch people when i hunt a new area. Then I start for the places they ain,t. Any way we looked around most of the day and getting aklima, aclima, used to the altitude. Decided that evening to climb down to the river (the conejos) and catch some trout for dinner. Got down there and the river that was flowing good the day before was just a trickle. Went up river to Platora and found out they shut the river off to work on the darn. Most of that night I sat in camp and listened for bugles. Just before daylight a few bulls sounded off once each. For the nexts four days we tried every trick we had. Chaseing bugles, calling, not calling,trying to cut them off, staying up top over night to be above them at daylight, they would not respond to anything. So what I learned on my first CO hunt was, If you have to pee go in the bushes, you can camp on the side of the road but not in the camp grounds,never plan on fish for dinner, and CO bulls are gay. That area is beautiful, rugged, hard hind end place to hunt. Just what I,m looking for and if I don,t draw NM agian I,ll be back next year. By the way when they turned the river loose I caught my first brown and rainbow over 18 inches. Hunt hard hunt safe!

[moosedick]

Dude, next time some colorado park twerp tells you to get out cause they dont like to pick up trash you get on the phone and call the State Park Service hdqtrs, and give them that guys name and park, tell them what hes doing, gaurenttee you he will be fired on the spot, we dont
tolerate that crap here in colorado from snotty lazy arroragant park employees, most of them are lazy liberals trying to do the least amount of work possible, and ive had 3 of theM fired for this kind of crap in the last 2 years.... ITS THEIR JOB, ITS WHAT THEY GET PAID FOR, AND THEY DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT NOR AUTHORITY TO RUN CUSTOMERS OFF PERIOD,..THE STATE
SETS THE LAWS, THE STATE SAYS THE PARKS ARE OPEN, PERIOD, ONLY SUBJECT TO CLOSURE
DURING PERIODS OF EMERGENCY OR SEASONAL ISSUES. This makes me so mad that im probably going to file a complaint for you , and see if I cant get you a free week at any park
you choose.... PARK LIBERALS ARE SOME OF THE LAZIEST, MOST WORTHLESS HUMANS IVE EVER KNOWN... AND THEY ARE VEHIMITLY ANTI-HUNTING... THATS WHY YOU GOT RAN OFF..IT WASNT BECUASE OF TRASH OR GARBAGE... ohhhhhhhhhhhh....this just roasts my goat...

YOU HAVE OUR APOLOGYS FROM COLORADO....

[sneekeepete]

Congrats on the fish!!!! It sure is hard to hunt a new area and it doesn't make it any more enjoyable having park rangers bothering you. Good luck next year though especially trying to hunt gay bulls!!!

[NotEnufTags]

Love your sense of humor and writing style. Thanks for the laugh. I let out a snort when I got to the gay bulls comment. That is funny stuff. Better luck next time.

[treetop]

We tried the colorado over the countertags a few years ago and learned a lot of the same lessons you did.
I too laughed when I read about the Gay bulls. When we finally found them we saw some of the bulls trying to ride each other. Have it on tape if you need proof.
We could get them to bugle back from long distances, but any calling when we were close and they'd shut up and head out. Been called too much would be my guess.
My brother took a nice(for Colorado) 5 point,
Beautiful country would do it every year if I could.
Later, treetop