DIY Elk Hunt on Public Land
Hunter: Glenn Wertz with his Westcliffe bull elk.
I have hunted deer and elk in Colorado since I was 14, learning from my father. This was my second bull elk taken on my 40th hunt. This hunt was different from the rest because it was a draw unit on public land and it was a do-it-yourself hunt. I saw a nice 5-point bull on opening morning for a brief second. That afternoon and the next morning I caught movement in the dark timber. The second afternoon it was quiet, other than hunters. So I decided to stay away from the area for a couple of days since a lot of weekend hunters were leaving, and see if the elk would return to their pattern. I went back into the area on Wednesday morning and elk were all around me but moving through the black timber. Early on Wednesday afternoon I set up in the black timber and waited. It was 4 p.m. when I got a glimpse, and he gave me my shot of a lifetime — a broadside shot at 40 yards. It missed Boone and Crockett, but made gold in Safari Club International (SCI) at 366 1/8″.
Blake’s 2014 Mule Deer
Colorado’s 2014 second season was a warm one. I was able to harvest this buck on the second day of the season about a half-hour before dark. After walking back to the truck to drop off the rifle and gather my buddies, we were able to locate the buck in some aspen trees. All it took was one shot from my Ruger®.300 Win Mag. Overall, we had a pretty successful hunt, filling 4/5 licenses in our camp.
Erik Virtue’s 2013 Bull Elk
During the 2013 second season, I shot my second bull, a nice 5×5 with a long shot from my .300 Ultra Mag. We were able to quarter and pack the bull out shortly after dark.
Tell us your story by sending an e-mail to hunter.testimonials@state.co.us.
DWe are now accepting testimonials about the successful small game and waterfowl hunts as well as big game hunts around the state. Please include your name, a general hunt location and the story behind your outing (up to 250 words). Also please include a high-resolution, digital photo (.jpg) with the name of the photographer and any people in the photo.
