One of the most discussed barriers for novice hunters getting out to hunt is that they have no one to go with. Those novice hunters haven’t met Alex . He is an Illinois resident, and an avid whitetail and turkey hunter, beaver and otter trapper, and warm-water fisherman. A typical weekend will find him taking his three kids to a movie, or to a park to play catch, but that’s after they all go sighting in their bows at a range. He is also a lover of all things Colorado. And when a hunter sets sights on Colorado, the main target is elk.
Alex and I met briefly years ago, but a few months back ran into each other (like everyone does nowadays) online. Our chats quickly turned to an elk hunt. I offered to help him scout, and then go along to document and photograph his hunt for an article in Colorado Outdoors, the magazine for which I am editor and art director. With a pitbull’s tenacity, his hunt quickly became our hunt. He figured if I’m out there with him, I should be hunting. And, BAM, with that push, this long-time employee of Colorado Parks and Wildlife is going on his first hunt in more than 30 years.
I am woefully unprepared, but am quickly finding out how helpful my friends and coworkers who are hunters can be. Picking a gun, an area and time to hunt, the type of license to buy to have the best chance for a resident and nonresident to hunt together, etc., are all things I’ll need help with. The adventure starts here. Stay tuned for future posts.
