Second Amendment Celebration

We shot sporting clays at St. Louis Skeet & Trap Club today. When I say "we shot sporting clays", I mean "Dennis and Chris shot sporting clays and I picked blackberries."

Elk elk elk

I've finally cooked some of Dad's elk from Colorado. I thawed a package of "DEER CHOPS" and found that they were actually butterflied filets. My original plan was to make elk stroganoff, but the steaks were just too beautiful to pass up.



I cut two up for the stroganoff, and I marinated the other two in balsamic vinegar, pepper, and olive oil. Chris and I swore we could smell Colorado as the meat cooked.

The Frozen Tundra

We used our Cracker Barrel gift certificates for lunch today. This is still not a place I'd choose in my own town with my own money, but it wasn't a terrible experience either. I always equate Cracker Barrel with Denny's for some reason. It is road trip food to me.

After we ate too much, we went back to the lease to hunt the last day of youth season. It is really too cold to sit for hours, so we did some quick paced still hunting today. Basically we told Chris to take the .30-30 and lead us down the paths around the farm. I think the deer were bedded down in the warmest spots they could find, but you never know when you might kick one up out of bed.

We didn't see anything again, but Chris kept at it until the sun went down. We got a good walking tour of the property with all of the foilage down, and we did see pleanty of sign that proves there have been deer out and about since the last big rain storm. The ground is frozen solid now, so there weren't any real fresh signs to point out.

Brrrr, cold hunting

Chris went out today for the second youth season. It is bleeding cold outside! We sat from about 4:00 to sundown, wearing what felt like every piece of clothing we own.

No deer were crazy enough to be out in this weather!

Merry Hunting / Chinese Buffet Day

I am still under the weather, but we got up and went hunting this morning anyway. I took an adult dose of Tylenol cold medicine (ew, the orange stuff) right before we went out the door.

Dennis saw a deer as we were walking down the old farm road. I was fully bundled and carrying my seat and bibs at the time, so I didn't think I could shoot. He got the muzzleloader. He walked parallel to the path he'd seen the deer on, and I continued down the road. Of course, that's when I saw deer. If I'd put my stuff down and gotten the rifle ready instead of handing it off, we'd have venison tonight. Oh well, that's hunting!

We sat for a while, but I was too wired from my adult dose of Tylenol cold medicine to sit still for very long. We made it about two hours in total. I realized as I was walking back up the hill that I really did not feel good at all, and questioned coming out into the cold to begin with.

After a nap, we went to Ryce Oriental Buffet for dinner. Their special holiday buffet seemed pretty nice. I had a fever by this time, so I didn't try much in the way of Westernized Chinese food, nor did I venture too far into the more exotic side of the buffet. I mostly ate dim sum dishes from the steam table. They had some jade dumplings that were super tasty. Dennis had some spicy tendon.

Home again home again jiggety jig

Junction City, KS is better at night.

I drove us all the way home today. We made great time, and got in around 2:30.

It is nice to see Chris again!

Back to the same ol' same ol' tomorrow.

On our way home again

We caped and quartered Dad's elk this morning. Actually, it is more than quartered, but not quite processed. It fits in the coolers we have available.



We said our goodbyes and started for home.

Dennis got sick and slept most of the way. He perked up somewhere around Limon, but I drove us all the way to Junction City, KS.

Coming down the mountain

We loaded up, cleaned the cabin, and headed out this morning.

Dad and Kelly took the trucks, but Dennis and I got to ride out. Sam took us the long way down, because it was still elk season and we were willing to shoot any cows he could find for us.



There was fresh snow yesterday afternoon and overnight, so all of the sign we saw was from today. We saw tracks, beds, scat and feeding areas. The elk were all around us. Probably laughing at us.

Besides the exciting hunting prospects, the scenery was beyond beautiful. The Colorado woods with freshly fallen snow is one of the prettiest places I've ever been. And so quiet. Except for the occasional jet overhead, there is nothing but natural noise.

Sam could charge for the trail ride he took us on this morning!



I was very happy to meet running water when we got back to the house. The first shower after a long stay on top of a mountain is one of the best you'll ever have.

We're having Elk for Christmas!

We went up the ridge behind the cabin this morning. Dennis and I sat together right on the canyon edge. It is a long way down to the Conejos River. We can also see across the canyon to the Ruybalid Trail and the approximate area where the base camp is. We stayed there in tents in 2007. I'm glad we're not camping for this trip.



Dennis and Kelly both thought they saw some movement in a clump of trees by Los Flores Lake, but it was too far out for either of them to even confirm if it was an elk or not.


View Larger Map

We rode back down to the cabin. Sam and Dad came in right after us, and we heard that Dad had shot an elk!



I let myself get pretty cold, so I stayed at the cabin and did dishes while everyone else went back out for the afternoon. The area they were hunting was pretty much the same place Dennis and I went on Thursday. There were elk prints all over the places I was staring at on that windy day, and it was right down the ridge from where Dad shot his elk. We were definitely looking in the right places.

Snow!

The wind blew in snow.



It is beautiful, but it is cutting into our hunting time.

Sam said the only thing we'd accomplish if we went out today is getting ourselves wet and cold.

We found some copies of Western Horseman in the bedroom, and I've shared my fashion magazines with anyone willing to read them.

I don't know if I would have made a good pioneer woman. That's a long winter to be holed up together. It gets dark at about 4:30 up here. Good thing the cabin has propane lights in every room. It is not really gloomy inside at all.



This evening, Dennis melted a big pan of snow for me, so I took a 'bath'. Ahhh, refreshing!

The wind cries Mary

I'm not sure if the wind actually cried "Mary", but I do know it kept us pinned down in the cabin today. It was howling! Sam said that just like whitetails at home, the elk were not likely to be out moving in this weather. They've most likely found a good place to bed down and stayed there.

Dennis and I did go out the forest road around 3:00 and sat on a hillside for a while. The wind was the pull your hat off variety, and it almost snatched the binoculars out of my hands once. It was carrying our scent across the draw and up the hillside we were looking at, so I doubt anything was ever going to come out of the woods.

At least we have a warm bed to sleep in. This wind would be a real challenge in wall tents.

A hunting we will go

We sat outside most of the day today, elk hunting.

Dennis and I were together, the farthest from camp. We rode through a lot of elk sign to get to our place for the day.





Dad was somewhere to our east, and Uncle Kelly was the closest to the cabin.

We heard four shots sometime around 2:30, and I was convinced it was my dad. We found out later he didn't hear a thing. But Kelly did. Sound does funny things in the mountains.

Some elk passed my dad, but he was looking the other way and didn't see them. We only know because Sam saw them. Kelly saw two mule deer does near the salt lick he was watching. Dennis and I saw our horses and each other, but no other wildlife to speak of.

A cabin in the woods

The "big house"


and "the little house"

Elevation

We drove up as far as we could take the horse trailer into the Rio Grande National Forest. Then we dropped the trailer and rode the rest of the way up.

Thankfully for me, this ride was not as hairy as going up the winding stair, but I have city eyes and I really can't see anything at night anymore. Did I mention it is DARK here?

The cabin is warm and cozy.

Colorado here we are!

We arrived in La Jara, Colorado around 2:30 this afternoon.

We saw a beautiful sunset over Kansas last night. I don't care what anyone says, I like Kansas!


We can see mountains now :)

Colorado or bust

We're leaving for Colorado for our elk hunt!



Our plan is to stay in Burlington, CO tonight and make it to Sam's house tomorrow.

My boots are here!

I ordered boots from Dover Saddlery on Sunday.

They finally came via FedEx this afternoon.



Nevermind that thermal sock cancle there...

Ariat® Women's Brossard Lace
Waterproof full-grain leather uppers
Waterproof membrane, 200 gram Thinsulate™, and moisture-wicking lining
Thermal footbed with X-static® lining to regulate temperature
Rounded toe for accommodating fit
Gusseted Tongue
Neoprene lined sued collar
Duratread™ outsole

Carhartts

I need warm gear for our elk hunting trip. Today I went to the Carhartt store to get some.

I bought a pair of quilt lined bibs and a ridge coat. I am in love with this coat!

Hunting Lease & BBQ

Dennis and I drove to the Ste. Genevieve / Jefferson County line to look at 90 acres for lease with Koby. Lacey had a great time walking all over the bottoms and woods. She did get a bramble thorn stuck in her paw though.

On our way out, we saw two or three deer crossing the path. This seems like a good sign. We saw as many deer in one afternoon on this plot as we did all three years we hunted the old place in Vulcan, MO.

Then we went to Farmington to look for hunting boots. Everybody carries riding boots, and everybody carries insulated hunting boots, but nobody carries insulated riding boots.

We ate a good dinner at Warehouse BBQ in Farmington. The meat is ok, but we both thought this place really shine with their sides. I would be OK eating the buffet - all sides and no meat at all :-D

I'm going to Colorado!

The results are in!

Dennis, my dad, my uncle and I all successfully drew elk tags for Colorado.

That is going to wipe out a week's worth of vacation days and our Missouri whitetail firearms season for 2009.

I can't wait!

Now I need to get busy buying gear.