The Gunnison Country Guide Service: HUNTERS’ NEWSLETTER Jan. 21, 2012
 

Happy New Year! I hope that all of you are enjoying the new year. We are having one of the mildest winters that I can remember in the Gunnison Country. We have had very little snow, and temperatures have been mild. The wildlife are doing very well this easy winter, and there should be very little winter kill this year. I am seeing some impressive muley bucks this winter, and I have a feeling that this fall will show a substantial improvement in big buck mule deer sightings. We have had some snow in the last couple of days which has accumulated about four inches in Gunnison, and it is reported that about fifteen inches fell in Crested Butte. They are predicting more snow later today. We will need that snow in the high country, and with December and January behind us, this is shaping up to be an ideal winter.
 

Speaking Of Mule Deer – The 2007-08 winter was a killer in the Gunnison Country. In spite of an organized and labor intensive big game feeding effort many mule deer and especially the large mature bucks had died by the springtime. Prior to that winter, the Gunnison area probably had as good of trophy buck hunting as you could find anywhere. For the past few seasons we have discouraged deer hunting in our camps until we could see an improvement in the big buck population. We have begun to see some progress last fall, and this winter is showing promise. Until I become impressed with the bucks that I am seeing in the fall season, I won’t be encouraging buck hunters. It will be four years since that die off. When we changed deer hunt regulations over a decade ago to limit deer tags and increase the number of mature bucks here, it took about four years to begin seeing some impressive change. We will have some great buck hunting here soon. But, it is going to take several preference points to draw a buck tag here. I hope that you have been building preference points for deer. If not, get started this spring. The drawing deadline will be in early April. If you are hunting elk here in the next few years, you are going to wish you had a mule deer tag too.
 

The 2011 Season Highlights - Looking back on the 2011 season overall, I would say it was about an average season. The early seasons were dry and warm and made for some tough hunting. But, there were some highlights that made this a very outstanding season in many ways.

Tom Kushmaul from Michigan returned in the archery season for the fourth year in a row and killed his fourth bull with us, one bull with a rifle the first year and three archery bulls for the past three years. Jeff Lucas has guided him for all four years on a one on one guided base camp hunt and they have become friends. Tom was a little apprehensive about hunting elk with a bow the first time in 2009, but he and Jeff got the job done on the first evening by connecting with a 4 x 4 bull. Then in 2010 it took seven hard days of hunting and an eleventh hour shot at a five point bull. We teased Tom about needing to progressively upgrade to a six point bull in 2011. But, we know that any bull with a bow is an accomplishment, and agreed that any bull or maybe even a cow would suffice for the meat is certainly a factor. As fate would have it, Tom missed a small bull on the second day as a result of his sight getting bent off target by riding through some thick aspen saplings. After making repairs and three more days of hard hunting, Tom and Jeff scored on the six point bull we had joked about. Tom tells us that he likes the way we hunt and that this is a “real” hunt compared to other places he has hunted. He has booked back for his fifth hunt here in the 2012 archery season.
 

Snowy weather late in the second rifle season brought on the migration of new elk into the area and made for a memorable hunt in the third rifle season. On opening day, young wrangler/guide “Big” Mike Bogar took young, first time elk hunter Carter Ortis from Georgia for a short hike to a good stand near our camp and were into elk from first light into late morning. They returned to camp that night excited and ecstatic with tales of seeing over a hundred head of elk, numerous bulls and lots of bugling. Carter hit a bull later in the morning, and the young men got on its trail and tracked it until they ran it to another hunter down in Alder Creek. They helped the other hunter retrieve the bull from the beaver pond where it had fallen. Then they hunted their way back to camp. The short hike turned into more of an extended adventure. But, the smiles on their faces and the excitement in their voices indicated that they were no worse for the wear. Carter tagged his first bull a couple of days later.
 

Meanwhile higher up in the drainage, Carter’s father-in-law Charlie Fannin was with long-time guide Mark Williams. They had spotted five bigger bulls bedded in the snow on the edge of some dark timber and were making a stalk to get within range. They got into position about the time the bulls were getting up, and picked out what appeared to be the biggest bull. Charlie made a great shot on a beautiful well balanced six point bull that scores right at the 300” mark. Charlie and his son hunted with us in 2008, and Charlie, Jr. took a bull that year. All three of them have booked back for the third season this fall.

Opening morning of the third rifle season far to the other side of base camp, I am not faring so well with Allen Young and Mike Neal from North Carolina. It was a cold windy day setting out on our favorite rocks. Allen and I had just moved down out of the wind, and I was leaving him to go check on Mike. I hadn’t gone far when I looked up and saw Mike headed my way. He held his rifle up when he saw me. I had to do a double take and was shocked to see there was no stock on his rifle. He had fallen and broken his rifle stock completely off at the narrowest part where it meets the metal. After discussing the situation, the three of us decided to head back to camp and eat lunch there in a warm cook tent. After considering our options, Mike and I got in the truck and headed to town to purchase some custom rifle stock repair supplies. Some epoxy glue, duct tape, and two hose clamps later and we were headed back to camp to make the repairs. The next few days were uneventful until one evening Mike and I were sitting on a rock overlooking Camp Rock Meadow. Some of the other hunters had filled up by now and left camp. So we were guiding one on one, and Allen and guide Jeff Lucas were setting on another rock closer to camp. Mike said he heard some cow elk calls. We concentrated our senses on the timber above the meadow, and were soon hearing cow calls and bugles indicating that a herd was moving our way. Soon cow elk began drifting into the edge of the meadow. Then we were gifted with an unusual sight. It was a white cow elk with small brown and black patches on her back resembling the color of a paint horse. More cow elk had worked their way into the meadow and then a four point bull. Mike had indicated right from the start that he was only interested in taking a larger bull. Soon an average five point bull walked into view. We passed on him. Then a few cows came trotting down the aspen slope with a big bull on their tail. I immediately uttered, “Shoot that bull!” There was no doubt that this was the bull we were looking for. The bull moved into the edge of the meadow broadside at about 250 yards. I again encouraged, “Take him!” I’m wondering to myself, “What is Mike waiting for?” When the bull slipped behind some aspen trees my heart sank down into my gut somewhere. Then quickly, the bull turned down and back into the edge of meadow quartering toward us. Boom! I was watching through the binoculars, as all the elk jumped
to a stop with their heads on a swivel looking in our direction. Then some forty head or more stampeded back in the direction from which they came. I concentrated on the big bull and saw a slight stumble as he began to run. I watched his silhouette against the white background of the slope as he ran through the aspens. A hundred yards or so and he stopped again for a minute. Then he broke into a run downward and away out of sight. I made a mental note where I had last seen him. Mike asked, “Did you hear that gun click twice?” “What?” I asked. “I had two misfires while he was broadside and had to break the gun open and reload,” he replied. That explained the delayed shot and didn’t help my confidence for finding our bull. Mike and I made our way to the horses and rode to the site where the bull had stood at the shot. I could find no blood or any sign of the bull being hit, and elk tracks were everywhere in the snow making it impossible to determine which tracks to follow. After an effort searching for positive sign, we rode in the direction of the last sighting of the big bull. The sun had set, and the light was disappearing quickly. All things considered, I began to doubt that a successful shot had been made, and riding blindly hoping to get lucky was not wise. Dejectedly we headed back to camp, but determined to be back at first light in the morning to continue the search. The temperature was going to drop close to zero degrees overnight, and maybe we would get lucky. Reassessing the shot, Mike indicated that he felt that he made a good shot which renewed my confidence. Early next morning we were back on scene. I set Mike back on the rock to watch the area, and then I rode to search in better light. I never did find any blood or other sign of the bull being hit. So, I decided to ride and try to follow the path I had watched our bull retreat the night before. Riding Andy my mule makes it easier to determine what route would be logical for a big animal to take, and he is always alert. Soon we were following a track that held promise when Andy stopped abruptly and locked in on something to our right side. You can only imagine my surprise and joy to see the big bull lying at the base of a big spruce tree. I rode back to the meadow and yelled out to Mike with the good news. Then the work began! The bull was a beauty and our local taxidermist measured him just this week at a score of 335 inches.
 

Rocky Cornelius of Wisconsin returned for his third hunt in our camps. Rocky is a Native American member of the Oneida tribe. Rocky hunted the last half of the third season after most of our hunters had finished their hunts. On Saturday, with two days left in the season Rocky and I hunted the morning close to camp with not much luck. Conditions and a feeling told me to move up country. So, we made the ride high up the ridge to First Meadow and moved into a ground blind there for the afternoon. We weren’t there long when Rocky spotted a bull elk move out into the upper edge of the meadow. We got into position and Rocky connected on his second shot. The bull kicked out with his hind leg at the shot and disappeared into the timber on the edge of the meadow. The bull’s reaction had me concerned about shot placement, and we waited some extra time before cautiously walking uphill to check on our success. The wind was blowing and the ground cover snow would swirl into the air as we slowly approached. At one time during this stalking process, the wind changed direction and hit me with snow and enough force to make me take a couple steps sideways. I whispered, “What the hell is that all about?” We would walk a few steps, and I would glass with my binoculars into the timber to see if our bull was down and watching his back trail. Then I spotted antlers and part of a head through the trees and knew the bull was down. But, I couldn’t tell if it was dead, and we approached cautiously ready to shoot. Soon it was evident that we had our bull, and we exchanged congratulations. As I rummaged through my pack for camera, saw, and knives, I heard Rocky speaking in a low voice. I inquired to see if he was talking to me. He explained that he believed in the Great Spirit and was giving thanks for providing this bull elk. I replied, “Yes, I believe the Great Spirit directed me to this meadow today.” Then Rocky told me that the strange wind gust we had experienced was the Spirit of the bull elk leaving its body when it died. Wow!
 

Cindy and Sue Schabert from Minnesota graced our base camp during the second rifle season in 2011. They brought their husbands Audie and Rich along with them too. Sam Barnett their young friend from Oklahoma joined them on his first elk hunt. Audie and Rich have hunted with us on three or four occasions in the past. The weather was warm and dry making elk hunting conditions challenging. But, we hunted hard and the group managed to take home a couple of bulls. Sam made a great shot from Clay’s Rock on his first bull and took home a six point to have mounted. The last day of their hunt ended with a cold, stormy and snowy day. The ladies stayed out hunting (with the help of guide Nathan Means’ bonfire at midday) all day while Audie and I headed for shelter at our spike camp for lunch. We had to take a little ribbing for that. That storm moved a bunch of elk down later in the week and led to our outstanding third season. We enjoyed having the ladies in camp with their smiles saying that they had a good time. And, the guys were troopers too!
 

We were pleased to have Tim and Lisa Ewert from Wisconsin in a drop camp during the second rifle season. They’ve been in our camps before. They reported that Lisa came very close to filling her bull elk tag. Janiel Draffen from Missouri was another lady who enjoyed hunting out of a third rifle season drop camp with Rodney Vinson who has hunted in our drop camps for more than ten years.

The second season drop camp veteran hunters once again had good success in 2011. The Chmielewski/Weis group from Minnesota who have hunted out of our drop camps for fourteen or more years took four elk for their five hunters in the Burn camp. The Long/Borer group from Florida filled at least two bull elk tags for their four hunters from the Long Meadow camp. Drop camp hunters in the third season did well too. Joe Sickler and Mel Travers from Pennsylvania went 100% on bull elk for the second year in a row including a third bull for Joe’s son who joined them for the first time this year in the Cliff Creek camp. Chuck Novak and his dad (also Chuck) from Wisconsin have hunted many years in our drop camps, and killed another bull in the Long Meadow camp.
 

It’s Booking Time – We have been full on our base camp guided hunts for the second and third rifle seasons in 2012 since early November 2011. The last week of the archery season is also full. Drop camps are filling rapidly. Now is the time to be booking your hunt for 2012 if you expect to find an opening on the dates you want. In fact, it is not too soon to be thinking about the 2013 season. The 2012 big game regulation booklet should be out soon and the drawing deadline will be in early April for the limited licenses. I can’t overemphasize the need to acquire preference points for elk and deer and any other big game species you want to hunt. Contact me now!

Calling All Coyotes - I decided sometime this past year that I would go into the fur harvest business. (Ha!) Or, maybe start guiding a few coyote hunters in the winters to come, and make my winters more productive. You know, do my part to improve the economy, increase cash flow in a slow time of year for us, etc. I had received a Fox Pro electronic caller and battery operated rabbit decoy last March for my birthday. I guess maybe that’s when this plan began to develop in earnest. So, after decompressing for a couple of weeks after the elk hunts ended, and into December when the furs should be getting prime, it became time to put my plan into action. Then when I was visiting my daughter, son-in-law, and new grandson in Grand Junction, I began shopping for a new varmit rifle. I purchased a new Savage 22-250 with Accu-Trigger, bull barrel, and topped with a new Burris (4.5 x 14 powered) scope. The next day Jeff and I went to the range and got ‘er all sighted in and on target. I could hardly wait to get out and give it a try, and the day after I got back to Gunnison I was up early and out after ‘em. I guess you could say I know a little about the Gunnison Country, and I drove out to a prime spot that I had in mind. I loaded up with all the necessary gear and hiked up over a small ridge. Since I was getting warm and beginning to sweat, I decided I’d better set up and call until I cooled down some. I set the caller up and plopped down in the sagebrush about 20 yards from it with the wind in mind and the morning sun at my back. I programmed in a jackrabbit distress call and turned the caller on. I hadn’t set there five minutes when I caught sight of movement coming from behind me to my left. A coyote darted in at 30 to 40 yards away and either saw me raise my rifle or smelled me and was gone over a small rise before I could even begin to find him in the scope. I’m “psyched up” now. The first five minutes I’ve had my new caller on in the brush, and I called in a coyote. I’m starting to add up in my head how much fur money I will make in a winter while I’m having fun this way. I hiked on to another set up that was unproductive then back to a third set up where I could see lots of country. I got set up and turned the caller on and waited and watched for about twenty minutes. Then something caught my eye at about 400 yards away. I eased the binoculars up and spotted a coyote heading my way. This one probably came from over a mile away. I’m thinking, “I got this one in the bag!” And then, the buck fever set in as the ‘yote kept getting closer and stopped at about 150 yards out. This should be “cake” with my new rifle. But, I was having trouble keeping steady and controlling my breathing, and just flat out missed the shot. Damn, that first day was fun, but it sure wasn’t very productive fur wise. I went out two more days and called in one coyote each day with similar results. One came in directly behind me at about fifteen yards and was impossible to get on while scooting through the sagebrush. Then I missed another one that had come in without me seeing him until he was leaving at a high lope. Four coyotes in three days hunting is not too bad, and I’m learning something each time. Then I went out for another few times without calling anything in – or at least nothing that I saw. Then the last three times I’ve called in one coyote each day. I even brought big Mike with me the last time and I laughed as he missed the coyote three times with his shotgun. I did some figuring the other day and estimate that I have just short of $2000.00 invested in this fur business thing including rifle and scope, caller, snow camo, fuel, etc. So far the score is Coyotes 7, Outfitter nothing. As my friend and guide Paul Helminski says, “You have to do a lot of volume to make any money that way.” It’s almost like the outfitting business. Sometimes you have to get paid in sunrises, sunsets, fun, and experiences.

I See The Light – Now you might think that I am making excuses for my poor coyote shooting performance, but it became very evident that I didn’t have clear vision in my right eye when trying to sight through the scope while shooting this November and December. I’ve known that for some time now, and finally did something about it a couple of weeks ago. I had lens implant surgery to correct a cataract in my right eye. I had the left eye done over ten years ago after a horse wreck caused a problem. I could hardly believe how much easier that procedure has become now. The improvement in my vision is amazing. I am kicking myself for waiting so long to get this done. No excuses now! I might even be able to find an elk for you next fall.

Miles And Me – Many of you know Miles if you have been here before. He is the chocolate Lab that keeps bringing sticks or a ball for you to throw for him. Miles and I and three of my local friends made a trip to Weskan, Kansas for a three day pheasant hunt in December. We stayed at a local farmer’s place in a guest home that was an old farm house. Bryce grew up on his farm there and seems to know everyone in that part of western Kansas and eastern Colorado. He guided and hunted with us and put us on plenty of birds in Kansas and Colorado. Miles has not had much bird hunting experience. But, he has natural ability, a good nose, and he behaves well. He was hunting well when it became time to head home. Of course, it would help if the hunter could reinforce good behavior by providing a bird (see “I See The Light” above). It is good to see that the farmers there are doing well with good moisture in the northern part of both states and profitable grain prices. I know a little about grain prices with my horse feed costing over $12.00 per 50lb bag ($500.00 + per ton).

Crying Wolf – I recently attended the Colorado Outfitters Association (COA) annual meeting in Grand Junction on Jan. 13th and 14th, 2012. The COA is a major voice for the non-resident hunter in Colorado. We listened to numerous speakers including DPW director Rick Cables and Governor John Hickenlooper. The Colorado Division of Wildlife has been merged with the Colorado State Parks to form the Colorado Division of Parks & Wildlife (DPW) as a cost cutting reorganization by Governor Hickenlooper’s administration. With the current economic situation the DPW has become more concerned with the recruitment and retention of the non-resident hunter. Your voice and that of Colorado outfitters may have a more receptive ear now than we have had in the past. Don’t hesitate to contact the DPW and Governor’s office to respectfully express your opinion on policies that encourage or discourage you from hunting in Colorado. There is a strong possibility that outfitters soon may be licensed by the DPW instead of the Dept. of Regulatory Agencies. This should be an improvement for hunters seeking information regarding outfitters.

Another serious concern is the plans of federal agencies and activists to have wolves placed in Colorado. There is even a proposal to bring the Mexican red wolf into southern Colorado and Utah where they have never traditionally ranged. The grey wolf to the north has reached population numbers in Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming well above the agreed on recovery numbers. In fact, that goal was met in 2002. But, endless litigation by animal activist groups and the unintended consequences of the Endangered Species Act restrictions have led to the failure to delist the grey wolf, the inability to properly manage wolf populations, and disaster for big game populations of elk, moose and other species in some areas. I urge you to go to www.biggameforever.org to learn more and to sign petitions and to contact your politicians. There should be no further wolf reintroductions especially in Colorado until there are guaranteed assurances that their numbers can be managed properly. And, certainly there is no justification for bringing the Mexican red wolf into Colorado.
 

Springtime Is Coming – It is about time to start talkin’ turkey. The deadline for the limited spring hunt is next week. The season opens April 14th here. Most areas have unlimited spring turkey licenses. A hunter can hunt two toms in the spring by getting an unlimited license and by drawing in a limited area. We hunt the Merriam turkey here on the western slope of Colorado. These birds follow the snowline back up the mountain in the spring. They migrate almost like the elk. You will be hunting them in the snow quite often in the spring. Big Mike and I found a new hunt area last year and had good luck finding birds. I had good luck calling them into view, but getting them in shotgun range was tough. I am thinking we need to change our camo pattern this spring to something that is more suitable to the aspen stands. Mike got this tom after we had called him in to about 80 yards. Then we followed his tracks in the snow until we jumped him. Mike made the running shot in the aspen timber.

Another activity that we enjoy in the spring is shed antler hunting. We most often ride horses and mules and bring a pack mule along.
It is a great time to be out riding and we see lots of wildlife. Occasionally we will use the ATV to access the area by the jeep roads and then hike the ridges and draws. We offer what we call our “Springtime In The Rockies Pack Trip” in May and early June from a camp packed in a few miles. Shed hunting from horseback is a popular activity then.
That would be a great time to bring your family out to show them why you enjoy hunting here. And, it gives us a good idea of what quality of bulls and bucks we expect to find next fall. Check our “Summer Horseback Adventures” link for a description of this trip. We’d love to have you riding with us this spring or summer.

Many Thanks! – Once again, I would like to thank you for hunting with us. I feel that I have been blessed to be able to make my living this way for the past 30 plus years. I consider many of you to be good friends. Hell, if it wasn’t for you, I might have to get a real job.

Warmest regards,
John Nelson