Live Hunts - Colorado Archery Elk Hunt - September 11

Live Hunts - Colorado Archery Elk Hunt - September 11 - Day 5

Sunday - September 11 - Day 5
Colorado Archery Elk Hunt

This is Mix Lake, just outside Platoro

Well, I'm sorry to say that I didn't go out this morning as planned. Yesterday evening when walking out to my car in the dusk to my vehicle I accidentally brushed into a bush sticking out in the trail. It hit my eye and slightly scratched my eyeball. I had this happen once last summer as well and it's fairly annoying and painful. I thought it might be better or at least not so painful by morning, but my eye was watering and painful all night, so when my alarm rang I decided not to go out. I'm sorry for the anti-climactic ending to this live hunt, and even sorrier I couldn't show you at least some elk action. On the bright side, today I have been able to spend some good time with my wife Julie and our 2 girls, Elizabeth and Kate. We took a nice drive this morning looking at the scenery.

Platoro Reservoir, as seen about 3 miles from Platoro

Reflecting on this hunt, I have mixed feelings. I saw less elk this year than either of the last 2 years I've hunted here. The first year I hunted here, I saw 80 elk in a week. This year I saw 3. The frustrating thing is that by all accounts the elk herd here is steadily increasing, and pre-season scouting of a friend who lives in this area revealed lots and lots of elk. Apparently the archery season really has made them go into hiding, though. That, combined with no serious rutting or bugling yet, and an almost full moon made for a tough hunt. I came 10 days later in the season this year than last hoping to catch some rutting action, but apparently I was still too early. This area really has a lot of elk, and although some people think Colorado doesn't have many public land trophy elk anymore, that is not the case in this area. Every year bulls scoring in excess of 300 are taken in this general area. I myself saw a 300 class bull my first year hunting here. I always enjoy when I am able to take a hunt where I may bring my family with me. They like to travel, and I like to have them with me.

The entrance to Conejos Cabins

I want to say a few things about how nice it is to stay at Conejos Cabins. This is our 4th stay here, and I must say it really is nice to be able to come back to a hot meal, hot shower, and a warm bed, not to mention getting to spend time with my family. Troy Peterson, owner of Conejos Cabins with his father Bob Peterson, are great people and Troy is a serious archery elk hunter himself. They have about 8 cabins of different sizes and capacities. The cabins have a rustic feel to them yet have all modern amenities. Most of the cabins sit right on the bank of the Conejos River and you can literally open your window at night and hear the river running. Not only does this area offer excellent elk hunting, but is also a trout angler's paradise. You can have excellent fishing almost right off your back porch in the Conejos River. Platoro Reservoir, approximately 7 miles long and about 1/3 mile wide, also has some fantastic fishing. There are many mountain lakes and alpine glacier lakes in the area too. The variety of fish to be caught in the different bodies of water is impressive. Collectively, you can catch Rainbow, Brown, Brook, and Cutthroat Trout, and Kokanee Salmon, and those are only the species I know are available.

Here runs the Conejos River, just behind Conejos Cabins

Here is the view off the back porch of our cabin

The community of Platoro is truly a getaway from the hustle and bustle of every day life. It is situated 23 miles from the nearest state highway, down a Forest Service road. There is one restaurant in town, a coin laundry, a general store, pay phones, etc. Supplies are available at a variety of places within 50-60 miles, such as Del Norte, Antonito, and more.

A view of Mix Lake from above, a truly picturesque lake

I hope you have enjoyed the scenery photos as much as I have enjoyed taking them, and despite the lack of elk encounters on this trip, I have nonetheless enjoyed it very much, and the scenery was the most beautiful this trip of the 3 years I've been here. The aspens are coming into their glory right now, and the photos hardly do them justice. I'm ending this live hunt by leaving with you a collection of photos of the Platoro area. If you'd like to consider taking a vacation or elk hunt in this area and want to check out Conejos Cabins as a place to lodge, look at their web site at http://www.huntinfo.com/conejos.htm

Here is my family - me, my wife Julie, our daughters Elizabeth (l) and Kate (r) - we found a nice accessible aspen grove to snap a few shots

I also bear good tidings of another live hunt in the works that promises some elk action. Starting September 20 we will be beginning a live archery elk hunt in central Arizona. I'm not telling which unit, but it's a good one, and I hope to have pictures of live elk to put on the live hunt every day. Until then!

e-mail Joshua Flournoy

Equipment
This section is to tell you about some equipment that I've used extensively and highly recommend. I'm not a paid representative of any hunting product manufacturer, so these are honest-to-goodness reviews of quality equipment. In case you're interested in trying out some of this equipment for yourself, I've made links to places on the Internet where you can buy them at good prices. Just click on the photo or the name of the product.

Bausch & Lomb® 7x42 Binoculars	I've had a pair of B&L 7x42 Discoverer's for 5 years and have given them a real beating in a large variety of climates and conditions. I am very impressed with the overall quality. Compared side by side with Swarovski Binoculars in the field, the only noticeable difference was the price. They will cost you about $500 less than Swarovski's.
Garmin® GPS 12	Buying a Garmin GPS 12 was one of the best purchases I ever made. It has so many uses, and is so easy to use. In unfamiliar hunting areas, just mark your vehicle, hunt anywhere you want, and at the end of the day, get back to your vehicle with no problem. It's also great for marking downed animals to return to later. My GPS goes with me on EVERY hunting outing.
Wasp Hammer SST 125 Gr. Broadheads	I've used probably 10 different makes and models of broadheads in the last 10 years. The Wasp SST Hammer is the best Fixed, Replaceable blade broadhead I've ever used. I used to use Thunderheads, and took several animals with them. On a friends recommendation, however, I tried the Wasp. That was 2 years and a dozen or so animals ago, and I haven't tried another broadhead since. The Wasp has given me better blood trails, by far, than any of the other heads I've tried. They are tough, penetrate well (complete pass-throughs on all but one animal) and fly great. What more could you ask?
Double Bull Titan I.C.E. Blind	There is no question that hunting from my Titan blind has made my success rate as a bowhunter much higher. The Predator Deception pattern fairly melts into the brush. I've shot animals less than 5 yards from the blind. Also the best thing for Turkey Bowhunters since the Box Call. Light, very portable, strong, and conceals movement very well. Great for increasing the amount of time you spend in the woods.
Olympus D-450 Zoom Digital Camera	If you're interested in getting a very high-quality Digital Camera, the Olympus D-450 or one of it's successors is a great choice. I've had my D-450 for about 3 years now, and have taken all of the photos for all my Live Hunts with this camera. It's not cheap, but this is one instance where you definitely get what you pay for. I highly recommend this camera.

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