Road Trip

Tennessee Deer Sporting & Deer Hunting Community Forum

Help Support TNDeer | Tennessee Deer:

P

PO Cedar

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 13, 2004
Messages
913
City & State/Province
Buchanan,TN
Looks like I will head out to CO August 1st. The way the gas keeps going up I may be paying 5.00 a gallon by then. I plan on staying out there until September 28th. I called there and talked to my rancher friend and he couldn't get up on top of the mountain yet. The heavy snows caused some slides and the roads have to be built back. He said he thought it would be open up there by next week. There is a lot of snow up on top still. One month to go!!
 
My dad just did a 6200 mile loop thru SD, Ia,Wy, Mt, Co, Ut, NM and said that gas was averaging around $4.19-4.31 all thru Co. Diesel was at $5.35 He said their campsite in Yellowstone still had nearly 2 foot of snow around it and it was in the 20's one night.

I've about gone crosseyed now looking at maps, Google Earth, MSN maps and GMUResearch. I have enough stuff to look at for the next 3 months and have found what looks like a few killer spots.
 
I always throw in an extra folding cot/Thermarest in case someone calls and has a little time off work to run out and do a whirlwind hunt. I like to get in 2 Fall seasons per year myself.
 
Wow, an entire month of preseason scouting! You ought to be on some dandys come opening morning! And no need to worry about adjusting to the altitude on the first day of the hunt.

Someday... if I'm ever able to retire :)
 
I really don't think I'll be doing any preseason scouting in the area I hunt. I pretty well have that place figured out. But I plan on looking at some other spots while taking in the area's small towns and all the activities going on at those places. I plan on flyfishing some of the high country lakes; basically just get away from the TN heat. I personally find summer my least favorite season of the year.
 
Have fun....My trip has been kinda busted up. But the guy threw in a free elk hunt. Im still ticked a little. He didnt follow up with the land owner on the spot we were going to hunt some big mullie. If my buddy didnt know the guy. I would really be upset. We still will be able to hunt. But another track of land. And he said we could take a elk to boot for no extra charge for the mix-up.

Gonna head out on August 28th...
 
Looking like August 3rd. I got a good report from the doctor on my physical. Having a stress test on the 29th. Hopefully get a thumbs up and leave the hot weather behind that Sunday.
 
You're a whole lot more likely to pass the "stress test" in some alpine meadow than you are in middle Tennessee.
 
Well, I'm home from the doc's office.Radar, I ended up at the Franklin Vanderbilt Center. Conference with my physician tomorrow morning.Then a "mosquito report" from the high country and if they've let up I'm heading out. IF the skeeters are still flying in squadrons in CO then I'm heading to the cabin and work on some stuff for the deer season here before heading West. Man, its starting to look like we're going to have another scorcher in August here like last year. We need some RELIEF!!
 
The truck/trailer is loaded. I'm planning on shoving off here around 4-4:30 in the morning. I hope to be leaving the heat behind for a while. I was dripping wet with sweat while tweaking the truck and trailer.WHEW!! My neighbors were looking at me sort of funny when I was stuffing the wool clothes in the duffel bag.....................Hope to be back here in one piece by the opening Sunday of archery season! Good luck with your hunts!!
 
Well I'm in the library in CO. Its been raining in the afternoons about every evening. I've been over at my hunting area and trying to get it scouted and then get out of the area. I'm using a "tentcot" and tarp for my "rambling" from place to place. I was up at Ridgway Saturday for their annual "Arts and Crafts" Fair-rustic style hand crafted items. I ended up at Ouray that evening then stopped at Silverton for dinner. Recommend the "Pickle Barrel" restaurant if you stop in there. No acorns on the oakbrush anywhere I've checked-Montrose,Unit #62 on the Divide Rd(near Columbine Pass). If anyone is hunting Unit #61(draw unit),they're logging heavily near Transfer Rd. and they have put up two cell phone towers there. The chokecherries have made good and the mushrooms are just now popping up(so are the "shroomers"). Temps have been in the 50s at night and 60s days on top-rains mostly in the evening......I probably won't venture any further north or east than where I've been--if the rivers clear up I plan on doing some flyfishing. I spent the night up at Lizard Head wilderness a couple days ago but the mosquitoes ran me out after one day there. Everything is lush and green up that way.Cheers!
 
The drive South from Ouray to Silverton has to be one of the most spectacular(and scary!) drives around. I was driving a van at the time, and my fingers had to pried from the steering wheel when we got "down" to Silverton! A friend of mine and her husband came through there on motorcycles. Her husband lost his hat, and my friend said that it fell to "infinity".
 
I was driving it for the first time and it was raining and foggy all the way to Durango from Ouray. Definitely not for the faint of heart. The rain has slackened off now and the mosquitoes seem to be thinning out in the evenings. Coldest morning this morning-the creek water shower was definitely an eye-opener!! I'm about ready to start fishing now,clear water and no skeeters!
 
PO Cedar said:
I was driving it for the first time and it was raining and foggy all the way to Durango from Ouray. Definitely not for the faint of heart. The rain has slackened off now and the mosquitoes seem to be thinning out in the evenings. Coldest morning this morning-the creek water shower was definitely an eye-opener!! I'm about ready to start fishing now,clear water and no skeeters!
Click to expand...
I'm interested in what you catch. Depending on location and altitude, Bows, Browns, Cuts or what? Good Luck.
 
PO Cedar said:
I was driving it for the first time and it was raining and foggy all the way to Durango from Ouray. Definitely not for the faint of heart. The rain has slackened off now and the mosquitoes seem to be thinning out in the evenings. Coldest morning this morning-the creek water shower was definitely an eye-opener!! I'm about ready to start fishing now,clear water and no skeeters!
Click to expand...
Good luck fishing
 
I hiked into a remote creek that was supposed to have cutthroat,rainbows,and browns in it. On the way in I busted 5 small bull elk all bedded together. Two ran down in front of me and turned out of the creek and joined the others. All were legal bulls(small 5x5s and 6x6s) but were small in size and antler mass. This was on Saturday. I caught several rainbows upstream. I took a few pics on my cell phone but quit after I almost had a fish expire before releasing it. Fun day! This morning I woke up to a hard frost,both on my tentcot and the windows of the truck. Its quit raining out here and starting to get pretty dry and dusty. I hiked up to the top of a peak this morning and found my first fresh rubs-several small conifers had been worked over. I was descending and found a good sized water hole being used by the elk. Fresh elk droppings and two fresh rubs. BUT I am not seeing the amount of game I'm used to seeing out here. This area had a harsh winter and you can tell by the bowed over and broken off treetops it got pretty rough. BUT the only area I heard of any severe die-off was up around the Gunnison Basin. I know the last week has been the full moon phase but the sign just isn't in the woods either. The range cattle hasn't moved into my hunting area yet so identifying sign should be easier. ITS just not there. I haven't heard the elk bugling yet-only the coyotes at last light and early morning wake-ups. Cheers!!
 
Still no bugling. Dry-no rain out here now for a week and a half.Fished an area north and caught several small cutthroat trout-released immediately as per regulations. Had a bear run across the road going up the mountain the other morning. I hope the elk archery opener coinciding with Labor Day weekend doesn't create a circus atmosphere. Cheers!
 
Man, you're just living the dream.

I wouldn't be worried 'bout the elk... according to 'rocketman' on Monstermulies, they've just begun shedding velvet last week, and are just starting bugle.

As far as labor day weeking being a circus... it will- I'm dreading it. I've already decided I'm going to cover the escape routes off the mountain and let the other hunters push the elk right to me.
 
Set up the big camp yesterday. Got pics of about 12 elk including a nice bull feeding through the other evening just before a thunderstorm/hailstorm. They were very vocal,no bugles but lots of cow talk. Mostly cows,calves but saw one small raghorn and the larger bull. Finally heard my first bugle this morning at 7:30 CO time. All is well!!
 
Still here. The daughter's birthday so I slept in and came to town to call her. Full moon has the muzzie season a little fouled up. Seems everything is about a week or so behind out here. Aspens not turned yet,bugling sparse. Figure I'll just hang out here until the TN archery opener. Temps are low 40s at wake up and 58-60 at noon thirty. Loving it!!
 

Latest posts

Back
Top