Hunt 2005 - Day 3

After no sign of elk on day two, we were still convinced that the elk were low in the pinions. We decided to hunt low, but closer to camp on Monday. Dave and Steve had to go back to town Monday night so it would be a morning hunt.

The plan was for Dave and Steve to drop off the top, Dalton would walk the middle road and I would go throught the pinions even lower across the bottom.

I arrived at my spot well before light and watched the old burn area (pre 1993) for quite awhile. There were 5 other hunters watching same meadow that morning and no elk.

The rest of the morning's hike was through very thick pinions, with little opportunity to see more than 10 yards. There was also no elk sign in these woods. I eventually made it all the way to 112. I did hear shots in a. basin late in the morning. The plan was to meet back at the corrals by noon, and even though I was trying to work lower on the way back I ended up much higher.

I met up with the gang for lunch. Nobody saw evidence of elk in this area. Later that afternoon Dalton and I went down to the desert to sight in his gun. We had sighted in at Cherry Creek Shooting Range before the season, but Dalton didn't feel we had it perfect.

I wanted to use my new backpack for the first time and camp high above Texas, but Dalton and I couldn't get it all together before dark, so we decided to just head up there early in the morning. We cooked burgers and ravioli on the campfire and just relaxed. Maybe elk are out there, maybe not...