EBJ

[UPSman]

Does anybody besides me get Eastmans Bowhunting Journal? This month is killer...Sheep, Goats and Elk Oh My!

 

[LA man]

i wish i did, just never got around to subscribing

 

[4onaside]

I took the Hunting Journal for a number of years, and was more-or-less pleased with its content. However, Mike Eastman, like most of us, talks out of both sides of his mouth. They continue to harp on "fair chase", and usually make a big deal out of "public land" hunts. However, some of his stuff has been filmed and written about re:The Cotton Ranch in Southern Colorado, which I am almost certain is a high fence operation. And, he has had several hunts on the Hill Ranch, which is elk Utopia located west of Trinidad Co., on the New Mexico line. Mike has refered to his friend "Bobby Hill" a number of times. I have had my nose against the glass many times on the Hill ranch boundary road, and I am convinced that my 3 year old grandson could kill a nice bull there. That is, assuming that he could come up with the very substantial coin that it takes to hunt there. At any rate, I suppose that the magazines are as good as any, and they do have a bunch of glossy print photos! I just was overwhelmed with the number of magazines that I was getting, and Eastman's was one of the casualties.

 

[PO Cedar]

I try to catch their shows,especially the bowhunting ones.I don't fool with applying in several Western states but if I did I would probably subscribe to it or "Hunting Fool" so I could keep abreast of points standings in those states. Part of the enjoyment I get out of the Western hunts is doing the research myself.

 

[UPSman]

I have about 600 pages of point research from Co laying around my computer desk. I have looked at Huntin' Fool but I'm not gonna buy into it. They are giving the same info to a bunch of folks who are gonna want to hunt the same area. I like reading about ordinary guys who go out and Do it themselves. I get tired of reading the same ol bow and gun rag writers on how they are hunting places that I'll never financially be able to do.

 

[PO Cedar]

That's the way I feel too. There's just certain places I care to hunt so that narrows it down for me some. An Alaskan trip,British Columbia,and Montana, and Idaho is the extent of my "want tos before I die" hunts. If I don't pursue the sheep hunt within the next few years,I'll write that one off. I have a pretty extensive knowledge of Colorado and numerous topos of individual areas I've either hiked or hunted. Many of these areas have gone to "draw areas" so I'll probably never go back to these. Units #76, #66,#67 are three of these units. The latter two requires only a couple of points for archery elk but #76 where I first started is up to about 6-7 preference points to draw.

 

[4onaside]

Stay the .... away from 76! lol

 

[PO Cedar]

4onaside, I haven't hunted #76 since 1982. Here is a scanned slide of Snowshoe Mtn,(12,007 ft.according to the Geological Survey marker) I started in that unit the year before, solo backpacking out of Creede up on the backside of Snowshoe around Seven Parks. Another hunter wanted to go out in '82 but he had difficulty with the backpacking so we went over to Spar City and went up from the Forest Rd. there. There wasn't any antler restrictions or preference points needed back then and elk licenses were 135.00.

 

[PO Cedar]

I don't expect I'll ever hunt that unit again in this lifetime. I'm pretty content with the OTC units I've hunted. Definitely a little more oxygen in these newer places!!!

 

[4onaside]

We started opening day in 2003, the last time that I had a 76 tag, in Seven Parks. The only game that we saw were Moose. So, we went out the highway from Creede toward Lake City, and stopped at the last retail establishment for a cheeseburger. The proprietor said he was surprised that we had not seen any elk that morning and suggested that we hunt the afternoon up at Heart Lake(the best cheeseburger and advise that I ever got!). Heart Lake is just below the Continental Divide separating 66 and 76. Elk bugling, strong wind blowing,but otherwise a bluebird early Oct afternoon. We drove to where I hunted just like West Tennesse(other than it was 11,600 ft). Put the stalk on some bugling and killed a very pretty, out of the raghorn stage, 4 x 4(don't think that he was the bugler, but I know better than to pass on a legal bull on public ground when the opportunity affords itself). My two partners went back up on Fern Creek(a really easy hunt) and each killed a bull on Tuesday. So we obviously are 76 fans. Now have 4 points, and if I live long enough I will be an old man before I'm drawn again. I'm an old man already, but I mean a really old man!

 

[Radar]

I have seen the show , but don't subscribe to the magazine . I don't read that many magazines anymore . I spend more time on the net now getting info from the average hunters like myself .

 

[PO Cedar]

If I went back I'd probably backpack into Jumper Lake, follow the creek up from the edge of the wilderness area. One of the best bull elk I've seen in Colorado was on the Friday evening before opener up on Snowshoe. I watched him come up out of some aspens and then turn and go into a large patch of black timber and disappear. I hunted that area the next few days and never saw him again. There were some good elk antler "sheds" lying around up there that year. Rugged but beautiful country from South Fork over Spring Creek Pass into Lake City and up to Powderhorn. Some of the best trout fishing in the state there on Hwy.149.

 

[4onaside]

Believe it or not, I have never fished the Rio. We usually stay at Blue Creek Lodge at Wagon Wheel Gap on the river between SouthFork and Creede. I saw a segment of "Cast and Blast"? in which they were wearing out the Browns at WWG, but when I am there(we hunt 79 and 80 OTC)I am focused on the hunt. I can only focus on one activity at a time. lol
Great country.

 

[4onaside]

Actually, 79 is draw, but a sure thing draw. 80 is OTC(and crowded).

 

[PO Cedar]

I made three trips out in 2005. First trip was in July and I spent a few days over at Saguache Park and over near Pool Table Mtn.area.I'm like you--its hard to think about anything but the elk hunting and fishing is something to do when the hunting season isn't open. The flyrod/equpment doesn't take up much room in the truck and so it stays there,just in case.....

 

[4onaside]

You keep laying out places that I have frequented and the excitement builds! lol One of my bulls was taken in Blue Park(unit 79), which is off of Pool Table Mtn Road(the road that comes up from 149 to Pool Table. I hate coming down that road. It is gravel and corduroy and you have to go extremely slow or your vehicle starts to bounce, which is not good since there are a number of switchback curves with no guard rails.