View from the Corrals

Here's another view of Beaver Mountain, this one taken from the corrals where we left our truck. The guide took us around Beaver Mountain on the left side and we climbed up and over the first saddle to the right of the peak. On the left side is the green patch of pine where I took my elk. Half an hour after this picture was taken we had the elk meat at Snake River Processing in Baggs, Wyoming.

Ignore the dates in the pictures - I know how to change them but never think to do so. The date was November 4, 2006.

Beaver Mountain, Colorado

This is where it all happened. The guide's truck is on the far side of the mountain, 800 feet below the saddle in the center of the picture. We had hiked up from the back side, crossed the saddle and worked our way across a shelf to the left. We took the elk below and to the left of the tallest peak. Dave's was on the shelf below the dark green patch of pines, mine was to the left of the patch. We packed them out to the bottom of the drainage that runs up and to the left on the right side of the hill in the center.

The Guides

These guys were ANIMALS! They went up and down the mountains like, well, young guys in great shape! Dan, on the left, was our guide, a 2-time World Champion elk caller. I only knew the other guys as "Sherpa" and "Yeti". The names fit. Dan hauled Dave's elk out by himself in two trips. He brought the other guides back with him and they helped pack mine out. I ended up carrying out a quarter plus the backstraps and tenderloins, plus my backpack and rifle. Oof-dah!

Packing Out

The hard work is almost over. An ATV awaits us at the bottom, below the trees to the left. You can barely make out the guides (in camo) with Dave in the rear (in blaze orange). Hmmm, they show up better in the photo than they do here. Guess that camo is effective!

Dave's Elk

Dave took this big cow elk at 80 yards with one shot. He had to wait for her to clear the string of elk that were headed for the slope in the background. His rifle was a Ruger 7mm Remington Magnum with a handloaded 160 grain Speer Trophy Bonded.

My Elk - 2006

One shot and a rewarding end to months of preparation. Sorry you can't see much but her head is by my right foot. The guide said this cow elk would weigh 800 pounds on the hoof. I think he was guessing high, but she was big. The shot was taken at 260 yards off shooting sticks with a Ruger chambered in .300 Winchester Magnum. The scope was a Burris Fullfield II Ballistic Plex. The load was a handloaded 180 grain North Fork at 3032fps.