Got back this afternoon. Had a great time and saw some new parts of Colorado...at least for me. I did fill my tag on Saturday afternoon, opening day.
Left home on Thursday morning driving about 200 mile to the turn off for the area I was going to hunt. Drove about 15 mile on some pretty rocky road getting to where I wanted to camp. I was towing my 20' cargo trailer converted into my hunting home. I set up camp at about 9000' feet just below 2 volcanic peaks that have some timber on them. Saw a few antelope on the way in.
On Friday I took my quad and did some scouting. I had scouted this area last March prior to application deadline to see if I wanted to hunt here. I spent almost all day riding and hiking the area and saw plenty of goats. There were a couple of really nice bucks. The rut was going on full speed. Bucks chasing does everywhere. This was going to make it a little tough as they were always moving. I watched a small group bed down for the night, one nice buck was with them. They were only about 1/2 mile from my camp. That was my first event for Saturday.
Opening morning...up at 5:30, breakfast and took off by 6:30. I walked to an area where I could get a pretty good look at them, still bedded down just a daylight. I couldn't see the buck. After a few minutes I decided to move a little to a better viewpoint. As soon as I moved one foot, they all jumped up at took off with the buck amongst them. They slowed to a walk at about 350 yards and decided to shoot at the buck. My RF said 355, so I set my scope to 350. I shot right over his back, Crapolla! I walked back to camp, had a cup of coffee and loaded up the quad and left by 7:30. (Funny thing is I never saw this buck again) Hunted and hiked until about noon and headed back to camp for some lunch. I had only seen 6 other hunters (3 pairs) and heard some shooting in the lower flats near the cultivated fields about 5 or 6 miles away.
While I was eating lunch, got paid a visit by the local Warden. Real nice guy. I said he was surprised to see me camped in the high country, especially towing a trailer. He told me about another area that had some goats in it, so I decided to hunt it in the afternoon. I got on a high spot and glass a big valley that had some animals in it. I started to leave and saw a buck standing at about 300 yards looking down the valley at the other goats. . Glassed him and even tho he wasn't as big as the one in the morning, I decided to shoot him. I really didn't have a great rest and my shoulder was killing me (the one I'm having surgery to replace in 3 weeks!) and didn't make a shot to talk about...broke his back leg. He went down, got up and I lung shot him. This is really open country and I drove my quad 100 yards or so off the 2 track to where He was. Got him gutted and up on the rack on the back of the quad. Not easy when your alone. I only saw a side view of this buck and when I got to him, his rack was really narrow. If he would have been wider, he would have been much better.
Back to camp by 4:00. Had him skinned, quartered and on ice by 6:00. Man I was bushed!
Sunday...packed up and home by 3:30 this afternoon. Going over Wolf Creek Pass the colors were spectacular! All in all a successful trip and had fun. Now unpacking tomorrow and butchering meat.
