MuleyMan Report post Posted November 24, 2009 I tipped over this bull on October 5 on BLM land on a solo hunt in Colorado unit 10........a terrific hunt! Neat and desolate high desert, sagebrush country. I only saw one hunter, and had nice bugling bulls in my lap all day every day. It was a rare, once-in-a-lifetime chance for this to be entirely between only me and the animals. I'll never forget this one! 18 years of preference points, or........get out the checkbook and buy a unit-wide landowner tag. I arrived several days early, and capitalized on the dry summer by finding a small area between the only two tanks that held water within several sections of land. A few quakie patches, some serviceberry, some oak, and lots of TALL sage. I only glassed and listened from a distance, and didn't enter their turfs or let them know in any way that I was there. I looked at 15-20 different 6-point bulls. Several times I had numerous mature bulls in the same draw in a bugling frenzy right in front of me. BTW, a bugling frenzy like this attracts other nearby bulls.........just sit and wait for them to arrive....even with their harems. Some were dang hard to pass as they bugled and raised heck and herded their harems out in the open during the evening show. I found this bull several days before the hunt...........but he moved onto some private ground and disappeared for several days. I passed on others in hopes that he would return............patience is indeed a virtue. Never did use my cow call as there was no need to. Used the heck out of my Leica Geovid HD 15 x 56's on the Outdoorsmans medium tripod, not to spot them, but to accurately size up similarly sized bulls. This bull was a butt-kicker and dominated bulls much bigger than his small body. I watched him do it. I didn't pull a tooth for proper aging, but his were very worn. I imagine 10 or so years old. He didn't live in the open, sagebrush country where he died. His beautiful dark antlers indicate that he rubbed on trees with pitch.......not brush........meaning pines or PJ's. He prolly lived in the nearby Dinosaur National Monument, and moved into this area cuz his water dried up or he couldn't find enough cows when September rolled around. I passed his sidekick with the same dark rack one evening 2 days before.........a beautiful, dominant 340 bull with long daggers and a very impressive, muscular body. In fact, the bullet from my .338 RUM flew right past the 340 bull to whack this bull. Most of the other bulls lived in this brushy area and had racks that were almost bone white. Light colored racks are hard to judge. It's hard to find a really big 380+ bull in Colorado, even in the limited quota trophy units of 2, 201, or 10. Even in wet years, the genetics just aren't there for bulls of that size like there are in AZ, Utah or the Gila. A 350 bull is a dang good one in Colorado. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Red Rabbit Report post Posted November 24, 2009 You made good use of your PP. Bet ya got a kick out of that no trespassing sign. RR Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shylopolito Report post Posted November 24, 2009 What a find! Congrats on an awesome bull! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pwrguy Report post Posted November 24, 2009 Great sign...Great bull too. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jakehaffey Report post Posted November 24, 2009 Awesome bull! Congrats! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
metau Report post Posted November 24, 2009 Grats on drawing that tag. Lived in CO for several years and I know how hard that is to draw for a Res, let alone a non-res. A wonderful bull, and ditto on the sign. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MuleyMan Report post Posted November 24, 2009 Grats on drawing that tag. Lived in CO for several years and I know how hard that is to draw for a Res, let alone a non-res. A wonderful bull, and ditto on the sign. Actually, I better clarify a bit. I did get out my checkbook for this tag.....................Oouuucchhhh! I have 12 points for elk in Colorado..........which won't ever get me diddly in my lifetime. On another note...........I whacked this buck in the same unit in 2000 after a summer of scouting and wondering about the great bulls I was seeing in the unit. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SDHunter11 Report post Posted November 24, 2009 That is one nice long buck! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest 300ultramag. Report post Posted November 24, 2009 yes 350! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dillon_camo Report post Posted November 24, 2009 That is a pretty bull. Congrats Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DUG Report post Posted November 24, 2009 Great bull! I thought Lark might have wrote that sign, but I think he is a little bit better speller than that. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chef Report post Posted November 25, 2009 Great bull AND buck! Congrats! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coues Archer Report post Posted November 25, 2009 Wow awesome bull and buck congrats great job. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
