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Re: Backdoor Draw Results Open for CO

Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2016 5:46 am
by TexasHunter83
ABert wrote:I've got three muleys on the wall already but I'd much rather have elk in the freezer! Down to just a few pounds now and my wife has gotten pretty used to the stuff over the years.
I hear that, meat always tastes better than horns. I killed my little muley in 2014 soley for the meat; as his horns weren't much to marvel at. I'd like to have a nice mule deer mount (doesn't have to be a trophy); but a nice one. I've NEVER actually had elk meat in any real capacity; though I've heard it's amazing. Only elk I've tried is some made into jerky and some mixed in with dried sausage. Elk is next on my list after I harvest a good mule deer.

Re: Backdoor Draw Results Open for CO

Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2016 10:59 pm
by ABert
Once you try elk you'll be hard pressed to want anything else. Most of our meals have elk meat in them. Its finding the dang things when hunting them that is the hardest part of the game. Well, getting them out of the woods ranks up there pretty high, too.

Re: Backdoor Draw Results Open for CO

Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2016 6:54 pm
by TexasHunter83
ABert wrote:I've got three muleys on the wall already but I'd much rather have elk in the freezer! Down to just a few pounds now and my wife has gotten pretty used to the stuff over the years.
I've been out of wild game meat for a while now. Was able to bag a few ducks this last January so I have some of those in the freezer, other than that my freezer is hungry for some deer meat. I'm really hoping to seal the deal on a good mule deer this year; enough to satisfy my "yearning" to get a "good one." After I do that, I'd like to try going after an elk, just for the meat. The really hard part for me, with hunting elk, is that I had two serious lung surgeries in 2001 and ended up getting hospitalized with pneumonia twice after that. Ever since then I've always had a harder time breathing; so high elevation hunts are off-limits for me; and I simply do not want a "hunt" where someone points at an elk and tells me to shoot. I do ok down here on the Texas Coast with all of this high pressured wet air, but when I get up there in elevation, it wreaks havoc on my breathing. I did ok in Wyoming at 5,000ft back in 2012, but Colorado 2 years ago was a little different story. We've been hunting muleys at around 6,000-7,000ft (which I'm sure is low country to Colorado folk) and it really takes it out of me. Making quick stalks on a deer is out of the question for me so my game plan is to just find a good area away from everyone and sit for as long as I can.

Re: Backdoor Draw Results Open for CO

Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2016 8:28 pm
by ABert
You might want to looking into AZ, though you will need to pile up some points. We don't start hunting elk here until about 9000 feet and then up from there. Another thing you can do is get up to about 5000 feet, stay there for a few days, and then move up to 8-9000 feet for a few days just lazing around. Then spend a few more days out just walking easy before you begin to hunt. Give yourself some time to acclimate. Of course that means more time off work (if you work), more money out of you pocket for food, etc.

My dad, who turned 84 last month, finally gave up hunting a few years back. Mainly due to loss of strength. He stills comes up every year, lives in LA (as in not Los Angeles). He's up here right now and having problems catching his breath now, though he knows about acclimating.

Re: Backdoor Draw Results Open for CO

Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2016 11:16 pm
by TexasHunter83
ABert wrote:You might want to looking into AZ, though you will need to pile up some points. We don't start hunting elk here until about 9000 feet and then up from there. Another thing you can do is get up to about 5000 feet, stay there for a few days, and then move up to 8-9000 feet for a few days just lazing around. Then spend a few more days out just walking easy before you begin to hunt. Give yourself some time to acclimate. Of course that means more time off work (if you work), more money out of you pocket for food, etc.

My dad, who turned 84 last month, finally gave up hunting a few years back. Mainly due to loss of strength. He stills comes up every year, lives in LA (as in not Los Angeles). He's up here right now and having problems catching his breath now, though he knows about acclimating.
I'll check into that, thanks. There are a few elk around where we've been hunting mule deer but the population isn't as large as in other units.

As far as extra time off, I'd probably have ZERO problem taking off work that long for a trip, but convincing the Mrs. to let me stay that long is a whole other issue; especially since it's such a long haul to Colorado when I go. I work shift and got lucky with the dates this year. I get 7 off in a row every month and this year's 3rd season fell right on those days off.

Hopefully, if I live to be 84, I'll have a nice place here in Texas to hunt with the kids and grandkids. I'll leave that high elevation stuff for the youngsters...lol