With the 2018 big-game season in our sights, it’s a great time to take a look back to some of the hunter testimonials that were recently submitted by proud hunters. If a picture is worth a thousand words, this collection of testimonial tells an impressive story about successful wildlife conservation that is supported by your hunting and angling fees. Please enjoy the following hunter testimonials, which celebrate another great year in the Colorado outdoors!
Hunter: Chet Blue Sky
Chet Blue Sky with bull elk and good friend Wayne Gardner. Both cashed in 15 preference points in the “Ranching For Wildlife” program on the Three Forks Ranch in GMU 5.
Hunter: Morgan Dellinger
My dad was in the home study looking online at drawing results when he yelled, “Morgan, you are not going to believe this.” He excitedly shared the news that I had drawn a Colorado bighorn sheep tag. It did not take me 30 years to draw a tag like some folks. I was able to draw after only 15 years. I knew it would take a lot of work to get in physical and mental shape for the hunt. Several friends helped me scout throughout the summer. During our scouting, we met the second season tag holder on the mountain – I had the first season tag. We shared information in hopes it would help us all be successful on our hunts. Before I knew it, opening day was here. The hunt itself was one of the most physically challenging things I have done. I used Labor Day weekend for some final scouting before opening day on Tuesday. After a 3 to 4 hour hike in, I attempted several stalks, but was foiled for various reasons. Day one ended with a 3 to 4 hour hike back to camp. On Saturday, the 5th day of the actual season, I was able to take this ram with my dad, mom and boyfriend there to share in the experience. The ram was at 13,000 feet elevation on top of a beautiful Colorado mountain range. I sat there enjoying the moment, looking over creation, and taking it all in with family and the ram I had harvested. I felt very accomplished, proud, thankful and blessed to have experienced such a hunt.
I want to thank all those who helped make this dream come true and Colorado Parks and Wildlife for their management efforts to make bighorn sheep hunting in Colorado possible.
Hunter: Ryan Crabtree
My son, Ryan, and I had been applying for pronghorn points for several years anticipating a time we could go buck hunting together. Things finally came together for the area north of Meeker. The first day was spent stalking a few long distance bucks with no success. But the morning of the second day, while Ryan was watching a herd of does including a buck from some distance, I was able to sneak over the hill and take the buck from about 65 yards. We took care of it, went to camp and had lunch. In the evening, we started working our way back toward our morning location and ended up at the same spot. Our friend Dennis and I ended up on the rise that Ryan had been on in the morning, while Ryan snuck over the same hill I had taken the buck from. This time he was stalking a single buck. The buck laid down just as Ryan came over the hill and, at 65 yards, all he could see was one horn through the sagebrush. So…Ryan waited and waited. For an hour, we all sat there and waited. Finally, from our vantage point over 400 yds away, we could see the buck stand up from his bed and immediately lay back down, followed by the report of Ryan’s .308 Winchester. His evening buck ended up within 30 yds of my morning buck! A great father-son double feature! (Testimonial submitted by Dan Crabtree)
Hunters: Chelsea, Drew and Lyle Sidener
The 2017 big-game season was a successful hunting season for the Sidener family. I harvested my first pronghorn with a muzzleloader. My son, Drew Sidener, harvested his first pronghorn buck in North Park as well. And Drew’s wife, Chelsea Sidener, was successful on a Middle Park deer hunt during 3rd season.
Hunter: Adam Oberheu
This was my first bighorn hunt and I couldn’t be happier! We hunted at an elevation of 12,440 feet in the San Juan Mountains of southern Colorado. My brother Jake and our friend Ben joined me on the mountain. After laying in wait for 3 1/2 hours, the ram emerged from behind a rock pinnacle. Thank you for the exceptional management you provide the sportsmen of Colorado!
Hunter: David Prock
I was able to harvest this beautiful dark chocolate bear on the opening day of bear season. To make it even better, I had my 6-year-old son Corbin and 4-year-old son Mason with me. He was only 25 yards when I shot him. You can’t say in words the experience they both had.
Hunter: Walt Baker
I harvested this Muley Buck on September 2, 2017. It was during Archery season in the early morning and the Yucca plants cast a shadow that made him look like he had stripes.
Hunter: Michaela Modlish
My 16 year old daughter Michaela is pictured with her muzzleloader bull in 2017. This was her first elk hunt and she received the tag the week before ML season with the tag reissue process. She harvested her bull at 30 yards on the second evening of her hunt.
Hunter: Jeremy Kruse
I had been scouting this area since September. I had been seeing this buck on a regular basis and have numerous photos of him through the spotting scope. I arrived at the property right as the sun was coming up, and this buck was with a doe roughly 400 yards from where I had seen him a week prior. The stalk had begun. I finally got maneuvered into position and my rangefinder was reading 326 yards. I was confident in my 308 Winchester. I got set up on my shooting sticks and let him turn broadside and squeezed the trigger. Bang! My hunt was over in a matter of minutes on the first day.
Buck Reid and his father Larry congratulate each other on harvesting this bull elk in GMU3.
Hunter: Zac Bishop
Pictured is the bull elk that I harvested during a 3rd season hunt in unit 71. I was hunting with my best friend when we spotted the bull in a herd of around 80 elk.
Hunter: Vince Brown
Vince Brown’s first bighorn sheep taken in S-39. A big thank you to John Legnar for all of his dedicated help! The successful hunt in the Hoosier Pass area included a surprise visit from 6 other rams and ended in a glorious day for Vince Brown! (Testimonial submitted by Vince’s wife, Sally Brown)
Share your story by sending an e-mail to hunter.testimonials@state.co.us. We are now accepting testimonials about 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.
