Spike Camp

Colorado cow elk and Minnesota deer rifle seasons.

Colorado cow elk and Minnesota deer rifle seasons.
« on: November 06, 2018, 11:52:15 AM »
Well the 3 of us got skunked elk hunting and where driven lower by heavy snows, the elk where heading to their winter areas already when we arrived. We did see elk every day and did have some chances, but no luck. My son and I found sheds and he found the remains of a beautiful 8x7 Bull!! We saw elk on a ridge almost every day in a new area, but the 6 hour hike was way to much. The funny thing was from where we parked to the elk it was a 799 yard shot, I shot a 3" group at 400 with my 340 Arroyo but refused to try that distance. Had a fun time and I brought my buddy with that has damage from being in cardiac arrest for 1/2 hour. He enjoyed being away from his wife and able to make his own decisions.
Opening morning in Minnesota  I turned my head at a shot and when I turned back a trophy buck was spinning and heading back down the trail. An hour latter 2 does showed that I passed on and another spooked behind me at lunch. Sunday I was hoping to see the buck again, but at 10 a big doe showed and I decided to test the 340 out. It was the first time I've seen a deer due a summersault and land on her back, she never even twitched. Blew half her heart out the off side shoulder for about 6'!!! Heading back up with my son and his buddy tomorrow.
My buddy is driving back from Denver and we are heading to Wisconsin Thanksgiving week to do some more deer hunting. Going to split time between Moose Junction and Ino, 2 areas we've hunted in the past. So since I will be disappearing soon again I hope you all have a stomach stretching Thanksgiving!!!
Doug

BB340

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Re: Colorado cow elk and Minnesota deer rifle seasons.
« Reply #1 on: November 06, 2018, 12:37:32 PM »
Wow great report. Congrats on getting a freezer full of beautiful meat. Sounds like the .340 done what it does best!
Aussie gun nut.

badsection

Re: Colorado cow elk and Minnesota deer rifle seasons.
« Reply #2 on: November 06, 2018, 12:41:19 PM »
Wow great report. Congrats on getting a freezer full of beautiful meat. Sounds like the .340 done what it does best!
   +1   :)

wby4ever

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Re: Colorado cow elk and Minnesota deer rifle seasons.
« Reply #3 on: November 06, 2018, 04:51:38 PM »
Wow great report. Congrats on getting a freezer full of beautiful meat. Sounds like the .340 done what it does best!

+2

Re: Colorado cow elk and Minnesota deer rifle seasons.
« Reply #4 on: November 06, 2018, 05:12:29 PM »
Sounds like you had a lot of fun Doug.We have had the same problem with snow driving the elk down onto private land that you couldn't hunt.Did you tent camp etc? What bullet were you using in the .340?
Roger
Faster horses,younger women,older whiskey,and more money.

.257

Re: Colorado cow elk and Minnesota deer rifle seasons.
« Reply #5 on: November 06, 2018, 05:22:44 PM »
A lot of hunters are having the same issue with the elk this year. Sorry you weren't able to connect
+1 on what bullet did you use in your .340

Re: Colorado cow elk and Minnesota deer rifle seasons.
« Reply #6 on: November 06, 2018, 05:23:24 PM »
Thanks for the report. Was hoping to hear that you or your boy scored in Colorado.
Chris Kiefner

NRA Life Member

sschefer

Re: Colorado cow elk and Minnesota deer rifle seasons.
« Reply #7 on: November 06, 2018, 05:49:50 PM »
Thanks for taking us along on your hunt. Elk seem to be difficult everywhere. The counts were up this year but we had a fire in the best area just as the season opened which pushed them way out. Only two of my friends managed to fill their tags.

Re: Colorado cow elk and Minnesota deer rifle seasons.
« Reply #8 on: November 06, 2018, 06:24:01 PM »
I was using the factory 225 ttsx and plan on using it in Wisconsin since it shots so well. We slept in a Davis wall tent with a couple big buddy heaters, a table with all the food and still had plenty of room for 4 cots. We're going to use my Yetti fish house in Wisconsin. I bought a new Silverado the week before leaving and the 4G WiFi came in handy downloading maps!!!
Doug

Re: Colorado cow elk and Minnesota deer rifle seasons.
« Reply #9 on: November 06, 2018, 06:57:08 PM »
Thanks for taking us along on your hunt. Elk seem to be difficult everywhere. The counts were up this year but we had a fire in the best area just as the season opened which pushed them way out. Only two of my friends managed to fill their tags.

10 days before I arrived they got 22" of snow from the first big storm. We actually had one small herd always feeding high but the ATVs couldn't make it across the valley. Should of bought a snowmobile I guess. One day I was buried in 2' of snow on the road and a couple miles away there's a foot of mud, Crazy weather out there.
Doug

Re: Colorado cow elk and Minnesota deer rifle seasons.
« Reply #10 on: November 06, 2018, 08:29:08 PM »
I was using the factory 225 ttsx and plan on using it in Wisconsin since it shots so well. We slept in a Davis wall tent with a couple big buddy heaters, a table with all the food and still had plenty of room for 4 cots. We're going to use my Yetti fish house in Wisconsin. I bought a new Silverado the week before leaving and the 4G WiFi came in handy downloading maps!!!

Nice tent. You were really needing a new truck!
Chris Kiefner

NRA Life Member

DW5

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Re: Colorado cow elk and Minnesota deer rifle seasons.
« Reply #11 on: November 06, 2018, 10:24:10 PM »
Great hunt recaps and pics! Stinks about the elk but at least you got some meat later one and congrats on bagging a fine Chevy! Good luck in Wisconsin.
You cant catch a fish without a hook in the water....

danno50

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Re: Colorado cow elk and Minnesota deer rifle seasons.
« Reply #12 on: November 07, 2018, 09:24:15 AM »
I'd call your hunt fun, successful, and being well prepared. Congrats on your doe in Colorado(she doesn't look any the worse for wear having been taken with the 340) A lot of people wrongly assume a 30 cal. will destroy(blow up)deer size game, but using the Barnes bullet makes a big difference, as you proved, the 340 can pull off double duties in the field. Impressive sheds also. Good luck in Wisconsin!
DosEquisShooter

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Re: Colorado cow elk and Minnesota deer rifle seasons.
« Reply #13 on: November 07, 2018, 06:06:32 PM »
Wow, what a cool hunt.  I wonder if that elk was killed by wolves or from natural death.  Sh*t, was there any blood left on your doe?  LOL!!! 
Senator John Kennedy  " If you support defunding the police, you've tested positive for stupid".

Re: Colorado cow elk and Minnesota deer rifle seasons.
« Reply #14 on: November 11, 2018, 06:52:47 PM »
Well Oscar. BB340 talked me into the 340 with the TTSXs and if I was limited to only 1 rifle that would be it. I just returned from 4 more days of hunting with my son Joe and his buddy Jeff. Joe's 6.5-300 body slammed a doe. But unfortunately Jeff's 556 Korstog resulted in a 3 hour tracking job that resulted with her running across the swamp from hell with only 2" of ice that wouldn't support my dainty 325 lbs. So hopefully she survived. I had a small doe run by the day before with a timber wolf hot on her tail, I yelled at it. My son thought I was scaring something his way when i yelled  and got his rifle ready, boy was he surprised. We had a fun season, except for the -3 temps Friday morning, I saw 2 large bucks but no luck, maybe that will change in Wisconsin Saturday. Hope you all have a fun season. Doug
Doug