# This Years Big Game Hunts, What are the plans and tactics?



## ShoerFast

What are the plans and tactics for this years hunts?

This year took a few years of planning. Taking a bunch of kids from a huge equestrian youth group and their first-time hunting folks into one of Colorado's Wilderness area. 

Took a lot of planning , and we missed out last year as a come of the kids did not complete their Hunter Safety Course on time.

We are planning a huge truck camp and ride horses into the wilderness every morning. 3 ~ 4 miles seems to be a good distance to beat the crowds that walk from the roads. And a fair distance to pack out game.

I lucked out, I did not think I had enough points (you accumulate points in Colorado for unsuccessful application draws, opposed to the lotto system in some states) but drew everything I hoped for!

2nd Rifle Season is the first combined deer and elk season. Elk are more plentiful , deer being the harder to get tag.

I have:

Buck Mule Deer (the hardest tag to get this area)

Cow Elk herd reduction tag.

Bull Elk (4 X 4 (4 antler points each side) or better.) .

Black Bear tag. 

With a possible option on another cow Elk tag, like maybe a 20% possibility .

This will be a hard hunt, if I got my cow tag, the kids may have also, there is some preference to youth tags.

I am hoping for a group of about 12, there will be room for guest, if anyone is interested ?

What hunts can you share the excitement, what you planning?


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## PasoRoblesJimmy

Those kids will remember their wilderness experience for the rest of their lives. Wish you all a safe trip and safe hunting.


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## Genius.

I've never been much to hunt. Deer season is always right during harvest so I'm always working. We finally got some good help around here, enough that I can take a day or two off.

I think I'm going to try deer hunting this year. 

I'm going to start putting my name in our states lotto to get points to go bear hunting too.


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## ft. churchill

I'd love to go but I'm already all in for a Wyoming hunt on the Powder River country, near Kaycee. I grew up in Colorado, finished high school in Delta. We used to hunt the Flattops wilderness area and the Crooked wash country over by Elk Springs. Where abouts are you folks going? Write back as I'd love to hear more about your trip.


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## ShoerFast

ft. churchill said:


> I'd love to go but I'm already all in for a Wyoming hunt on the Powder River country, near Kaycee. I grew up in Colorado, finished high school in Delta. We used to hunt the Flattops wilderness area and the Crooked wash country over by Elk Springs. Where abouts are you folks going? Write back as I'd love to hear more about your trip.



Hunting GMU #15 , the Sarvis Creek Wilderness Area, South of Steamboat Springs and Rabbit Ears Pass.
And 

I never set foot in Unit #15 , but have guided areas just to the north,and to the west and have hunted for myself just east. Shot my first bull elk on Gore Pass just to the south, a nice 6x6!
So it is about time! Every chance I get, I hope to scout it out through the summer, and have started my Google Earth research and tapped the stories (from 15s Outfitters) and harvest (Decision of Wildlife studies)pictures and info from the web.

Showing the kids the maps and info, pointing key ideas out. A couple of them want to check out a few areas off the main trails, and ambush elk as the majority of the hunters push elk from easy access areas. I couldn't agree more.

A few web provided pictures (that I believe area more unit '15' like)....





























There is going to be a lot more beatle-kill, (then these pictures) that I found to be a huge positive for elk.

I hope to find a GP Medium or something huge from Davis Tent for this group. As the kids will be started off right with camp cores and duties. Firewood for a huge wood stove will be just one task.



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## ShoerFast

ft. churchill said:


> I'd love to go but I'm already all in for a Wyoming hunt on the Powder River country, near Kaycee. I grew up in Colorado, finished high school in Delta. We used to hunt the Flattops wilderness area and the Crooked wash country over by Elk Springs. Where abouts are you folks going? Write back as I'd love to hear more about your trip.



Best Outfitter I ever Guided for operated in your homeland. B&W Guide Service, out of Sawpit Colorado.
We could hit an easy 50% Hunter success rate from our base camp and the Mount Wilson Wilderness area..

I love that area as well, but it is a lot more of a drive from the Golden area.


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## Rudedog

Must be great to live out west. Sure looks it.


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## ShoerFast

TheGenius said:


> I've never been much to hunt. Deer season is always right during harvest so I'm always working. We finally got some good help around here, enough that I can take a day or two off.
> 
> I think I'm going to try deer hunting this year.
> 
> I'm going to start putting my name in our states lotto to get points to go bear hunting too.



Deer I know, maybe 10% about how to be successful?

Whitetail have some of the best noses in the animal kingdom!

It is said they can smell what you had for breakfast, before you get out of your truck to hunt them.

With out much imagination, you know their patterns and transitions areas? The areas they use to move from one of their zones to another?

Lot of times their so built on a pattern they have paths/trials rutted permanent paths.

Check your laws, in Minnesota (where I am from) we built elevated platforms, permanent tree-stands and draped forms of natural camouflage where we could. 

But more importantly then how it was built or camouflaged, it is critical it be built 'down -wind' from where you expect to see the deer.

Whitetail bucks get rather anxious around rut. Don't expect a good sized buck to make a mistake, but if he ever does, it will be during rut.

I believe that if you do everything right, hunt the best you can. You get one chance on a nice buck! One split second to prove all your time and hard work!

And that split second is some of my favorite lifetime experiences!


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## ShoerFast

Rudedog said:


> Must be great to live out west. Sure looks it.



Thank you for your service! 

I love the west, moved here 24 years ago and am starting to believe I will not live long enough to see everything I want to see. Or explore all I want to explore.

It is a very well kept secret, the west is!


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## Genius.

ShoerFast said:


> Thank you for your service!
> 
> I love the west, moved here 24 years ago and am starting to believe I will not live long enough to see everything I want to see. Or explore all I want to explore.
> 
> It is a very well kept secret, the west is!



I have one sister in Denver, she loves it, they are always out hiking, camping and exploring the mountains.

My other sister and husband went out to Denver last year, they loved it so much it sounds like when he finishes dental school they will be moving out there.

Some day I'll get out there.


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## Genius.

ShoerFast said:


> Deer I know, maybe 10% about how to be successful?
> 
> Whitetail have some of the best noses in the animal kingdom!
> 
> It is said they can smell what you had for breakfast, before you get out of your truck to hunt them.
> 
> With out much imagination, you know their patterns and transitions areas? The areas they use to move from one of their zones to another?
> 
> Lot of times their so built on a pattern they have paths/trials rutted permanent paths.
> 
> Check your laws, in Minnesota (where I am from) we built elevated platforms, permanent tree-stands and draped forms of natural camouflage where we could.
> 
> But more importantly then how it was built or camouflaged, it is critical it be built 'down -wind' from where you expect to see the deer.
> 
> Whitetail bucks get rather anxious around rut. Don't expect a good sized buck to make a mistake, but if he ever does, it will be during rut.
> 
> I believe that if you do everything right, hunt the best you can. You get one chance on a nice buck! One split second to prove all your time and hard work!
> 
> And that split second is some of my favorite lifetime experiences!



Where I am we are limited to shotgun only hunting. It sucks.

On my property everyone says it is a deer highway. My property is in between a forest and huge river and they head to the corn fields from my property.

It is not uncommon to see groups of 20-100 at any givin evening or dawn. I have huge trails through my woods.

My buddies usually get 5-10 a year here. 

Those deer are smart though. Come Nobember 15 they sit in groups in the middle of a field. Just far enough out that a shotgun can't touch them. If only we could use rifle...


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## ancy

Bow elk in CO and large whitetails here in IA.


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## jdc123

TheGenius said:


> Where I am we are limited to shotgun only hunting. It sucks.
> 
> On my property everyone says it is a deer highway. My property is in between a forest and huge river and they head to the corn fields from my property.
> 
> It is not uncommon to see groups of 20-100 at any givin evening or dawn. I have huge trails through my woods.
> 
> My buddies usually get 5-10 a year here.
> 
> Those deer are smart though. Come Nobember 15 they sit in groups in the middle of a field. Just far enough out that a shotgun can't touch them. If only we could use rifle...



Will they let you use slugs? If so, a pretty accurate setup can be put together with a dedicated slug barrel and good scope. I don't have much experience with it, but I've been told the effective range is similar to a modern inline muzzleloader, maybe less, but definately a 100 yd gun. That may not help if they're hanging out in the middle of a huge field.:msp_smile:


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## jdc123

My plans for this year are the same as every year, Mississippi whitetails from October 1st to January 31, bow, rifle, and primitive weapon, and good Lord willing some fat doe is gonna fall to the Super Blackhawk Hunter.


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## Fifelaker

TheGenius said:


> Where I am we are limited to shotgun only hunting. It sucks.
> 
> On my property everyone says it is a deer highway. My property is in between a forest and huge river and they head to the corn fields from my property.
> 
> It is not uncommon to see groups of 20-100 at any givin evening or dawn. I have huge trails through my woods.
> 
> My buddies usually get 5-10 a year here.
> 
> Those deer are smart though. Come Nobember 15 they sit in groups in the middle of a field. Just far enough out that a shotgun can't touch them. If only we could use rifle...



You can use a muzzleloader or a straight walled pistol with a scope can't you. You could drive a little north we can use riflesotstir: But I degress I mostly use buckshot in the swamps I hunt.


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## ShoerFast

ancy said:


> Bow elk in CO and large whitetails here in IA.



Where in Colorado do you bow hunt?


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## tree md

Just paid up my dues on my 4000 acre hunting lease that I have been hunting the past 8 years last week. It's right outside my back door so it is convenient; I can be in my closest stand in about 10 minutes. The lease has been trophy managed since 1986. Already watching the bow hunting shows and getting excited.

I am hoping to make it out to CO one day and get an Elk tag. Was supposed to go with a buddy a few years back but got hung up on a large job and couldn't go. Plus I lost my hunter safety certificate (took the course in 1978). My buddy was telling me you can buy archery tags for cows over the counter. Probably going to have to take another hunter safety course before I can go. Problem is I am still busy with trees during archery elk season. Really hoping to make it out there someday.


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## ShoerFast

tree md said:


> Just paid up my dues on my 4000 acre hunting lease that I have been hunting the past 8 years last week. It's right outside my back door so it is convenient; I can be in my closest stand in about 10 minutes. The lease has been trophy managed since 1986. Already watching the bow hunting shows and getting excited.
> 
> I am hoping to make it out to CO one day and get an Elk tag. Was supposed to go with a buddy a few years back but got hung up on a large job and couldn't go. Plus I lost my hunter safety certificate (took the course in 1978). My buddy was telling me you can buy archery tags for cows over the counter. Probably going to have to take another hunter safety course before I can go. Problem is I am still busy with trees during archery elk season. Really hoping to make it out there someday.



Right around July 10th or so, left-over cow tags are offered for sale.

It would be announced a couple weeks before what is available.

Here is the site to watch, or government the Division of Wildlife a call.
Their some good people, met what you would expect from a government agency :

Hunting


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## ZeroJunk

I'm going back to the Scapegoat Widerness, part of the Bob Marshall Wilderness complex in Montana. I have hunted either Biggs Flats, Cox Creek, or Whitetail Creek in the Bob Marshall most years since 1985.

It is interesting that a deer tag is harder to get than elk in some places. We have no limit on deer here now. You can shoot them until you get tired of it. Just chased some of the bastards out of my wheat field a few minutes ago.


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## ShoerFast

ZeroJunk said:


> I'm going back to the Scapegoat Widerness, part of the Bob Marshall Wilderness complex in Montana. I have hunted either Biggs Flats, Cox Creek, or Whitetail Creek in the Bob Marshall most years since 1985.
> 
> It is interesting that a deer tag is harder to get than elk in some places. We have no limit on deer here now. You can shoot them until you get tired of it. Just chased some of the bastards out of my wheat field a few minutes ago.



You need you one of these to run your deer off!

This is my buddy about a year ago at about a year old.

Working raindeer at a year old, he is fantastic putting everything need you put in it's place, in it's 
Place!






Colorado is just made for elk, even in deer areas I see more elk then deer.

Here are a couple 'practice' deer.
Off season, no bolt in an unloaded rifle, cell-phone camera:


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## ZeroJunk

The closest is the first buck I killed. I usually shoot doe to eat, but the other two were real good bucks for around here. I won't shoot a buck unless he is better than one I have mounted and the odds of me killing another are pretty low.


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## ShoerFast

ZeroJunk said:


> The closest is the first buck I killed. I usually shoot doe to eat, but the other two were real good bucks for around here. I won't shoot a buck unless he is better than one I have mounted and the odds of me killing another are pretty low.



Fantastic Bucks! 

Wow is the first word that comes to mind!

An ex-girlfriend / friend is heavy into whitetail management. And her idea and an inside edge is to shoot a lot of doe to maintain a healthy competition among the bucks.

I seen the reverse effects in northern Minnesota and years (decades ) of 'bucks only' hunting.

I can see it partially in part now in Colorado. Colorado can see the almighty dollar , $Billions are generated on the elk harvest. And a fine line is drawn between ample harvest numbers, bull - cow ratios. And trophy bulls available to harvest .

The way their getting the long term plan done here is utilizing private land as development stages. And a free for all on public land. 

Rag-horns are a very established standard on Colorado pubic lands . With an amazing heard count!
Back in the day, it was a personal goal to show a client hunter a couple dozen elk on a 5day hunt.


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## ft. churchill

I like your strategy for your elk hunt this year. Mine went all bad in '07 out there west of Craig. We (my fiends and family) had been hunting a herd migration corridor for years. It was where the herds funnel into the winter range from the Hahn's peak area. It' a distance of 60 to 100 miles away from the winter range. "It's as sure as green grass in the spring" folks would tell me. Well the year I bought a cow tag for the choke point for the winter range, three big ranches went from agriculture over to game management operations. The elk went only as far as their lush pastures and stayed for the winter. Such is huntin'. Your plan sound solid to me though.


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## djones

My plan is to hunt Bow from sept to oct, muzzleloader for a week, then rifle for a month and then muzzleloader for another week if all goes as planned, but you must remember---Man plans and God laughs.


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## ShoerFast

ft. churchill said:


> I like your strategy for your elk hunt this year. Mine went all bad in '07 out there west of Craig. We (my fiends and family) had been hunting a herd migration corridor for years. It was where the herds funnel into the winter range from the Hahn's peak area. It' a distance of 60 to 100 miles away from the winter range. "It's as sure as green grass in the spring" folks would tell me. Well the year I bought a cow tag for the choke point for the winter range, three big ranches went from agriculture over to game management operations. The elk went only as far as their lush pastures and stayed for the winter. Such is huntin'. Your plan sound solid to me though.



Gotta love the elk population in the north west corner! Not a lot of monsters, and you do have to get into the elk.
Hunted Black Mountain two seasons ago, and drilled a nice 3X (if that is a word?) on the first morning. Most that hunt the rifle seasons in that area will take the first legal bull on public land. There is a lot of pressure.

Hahns Peak has some fun history!

If you look on a Coors label, (if their using a mountain in the design) your looking at the north face of Hahns Peak, from Elk Horn Mountain. I guided a couple seasons on Elk Horn. Coors made a bundle back in the day selling beer to the miners. They were taking 18% silver ore by pack-trains of donkeys all the way to the railed in Hot Sulfur Springs. 

When the elk herds migrate from that area, they gather from Hahns Peak, Elk Horn, Bears Ears Mountain and Shield Mountain. I could put an 'X' on a map where your going to have a very good chance on pressured elk way up top Shield Mountain and. If you care to pack in a little over 8 miles?

At the east base of Shield Mountain, Cattle Trail #1157 winds around to the Hole In The Wall area in Wyoming , often mentioned in many old westerns as out-law country.
#1157 is deep-rutted from the thousands of cattle driven through the area back in The day!

I do love that kind of country!

I am not embarrassed to post this Craig Co. Legal bull, this was the only bull for 9 hunters in this camp. 
That is just how it goes sometimes:







This one sure was an eater! 

This bull was pressured out of the several thousands of acres you mentioned.
This bull was just a half-mile into public-land from the Game Management Operation called the Craig Wild Bunch . 


Craig Wild Bunch 







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## ft. churchill

Mr. fast farrier, may I comment on what a fine lookin' example of a blue heeler you own. Do not worry about horn size, as I'm a no good dirty meat hunter. Looks like you got meat for your table and that what matters. I love the challenge of elk hunting. It's such a good excuse to be in the mountains with my wife. I got a huge bull back in 1975 east of Elk Springs. But here in Nevada it take 14 years on average to draw a bull elk tag. So I put in for the draw on cow elk and average a tag every two to three years. Besides it's plenty tough to seek up on a herd of cows. Good hunting to your party this fall and I'm proud of ya, taking all of those kids out to experience what our fathers did.


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## crowhorse67

we drew our either-sex tags for 1st rifle, going back in 18 miles with the horses again 

last year we didn't get our draw for 1st season, so with the drought and feedin' cattle we stayed home..... where our tent would have been had a 31" snow ..... kinda glad we missed that.


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## ShoerFast

crowhorse67 said:


> we drew our either-sex tags for 1st rifle, going back in 18 miles with the horses again
> 
> last year we didn't get our draw for 1st season, so with the drought and feedin' cattle we stayed home..... where our tent would have been had a 31" snow ..... kinda glad we missed that.



What unit you will you be hunting?

I don't mind the snow much. You do have to wait it out with vehicles, chain-up and let it settle with a few days of sun. I never been stuck somewhere for two long.

Horses and mules do fantastic with snow-pads and borrium. And no one can deny how easy it is to find elk after heavy snow! 

I just picked up an M-1950 military arctic tent. They have about 113 square feet of floor space. Very packable, short-wall tent!

Not sure what I am going to use as a stove yet. These tents won't take much, but I want the stove to hold a fire. I might have to build something tight, or modify the air-control somehow?






Should hunt 3 real well. I picked one like this one up for $100.00 as part of a horse-trading deal. 
I would not be worried about sub-zero temps or heavy snows with this one. It should do well in high-winds as well.


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## tree md

ShoerFast said:


> What unit you will you be hunting?
> 
> I don't mind the snow much. You do have to wait it out with vehicles, chain-up and let it settle with a few days of sun. I never been stuck somewhere for two long.
> 
> Horses and mules do fantastic with snow-pads and borrium. And no one can deny how easy it is to find elk after heavy snow!
> 
> I just picked up an M-1950 military arctic tent. They have about 113 square feet of floor space. Very packable, short-wall tent!
> 
> Not sure what I am going to use as a stove yet. These tents won't take much, but I want the stove to hold a fire. I might have to build something tight, or modify the air-control somehow?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Should hunt 3 real well. I picked one like this one up for $100.00 as part of a horse-trading deal.
> I would not be worried about sub-zero temps or heavy snows with this one. It should do well in high-winds as well.
> 
> 
> .



I slept in one just like that for over a month last Summer when I went to Alabama to work the tornados. All the hotels were full from damage victims and out of town workers. I don't like staying in the hotels anyway, always a bad element hanging out there. We used my buddy's arctic tent and stayed in a state park. The ranger would drop by every night and chat with us for an hour or so, he was always looking out for our tools and gear. Lol, he loved that tent. Said it was the coolest tent he had ever seen. They're really spacious. I slept on a cot with my 660 underneath me.


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## mitch95100

ancy said:


> Bow elk in CO and large whitetails here in IA.



Some of our Whitetails are as big as there Elk!!! lol
I was lucky enough a couple years ago to shoot a pair of 8 point buck that were locked together from fighting...
Cabelas was willing to pay pretty decent to buy those


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## crowhorse67

ShoerFast said:


> What unit you will you be hunting?
> 
> I don't mind the snow much. You do have to wait it out with vehicles, chain-up and let it settle with a few days of sun. I never been stuck somewhere for two long.
> 
> Horses and mules do fantastic with snow-pads and borrium. And no one can deny how easy it is to find elk after heavy snow!
> 
> I just picked up an M-1950 military arctic tent. They have about 113 square feet of floor space. Very packable, short-wall tent!
> 
> Not sure what I am going to use as a stove yet. These tents won't take much, but I want the stove to hold a fire. I might have to build something tight, or modify the air-control somehow?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Should hunt 3 real well. I picked one like this one up for $100.00 as part of a horse-trading deal.
> I would not be worried about sub-zero temps or heavy snows with this one. It should do well in high-winds as well.
> 
> 
> .



Hey HoofButcher, lol
We go back in the Weminuche from Pagosa. Two of us take 4 horses in, pretty good country back in there. After 3-4 miles in the neighbors drop off considerably . Hard to beat a sunset watchin' elk through the glass while your eatin' supper of ribeye and shrimp grilled over the coals.
We killed 2 bulls opening mornin of 08 season and packed em out in the storm that day. The wind was strong enough it was breakin' green aspen off all around us. We put 28 miles on the saddle horses and 21 on the two packhorses carryin' a bull elk apiece that day.
I've been using a 10x12 I had made by Kirkhams in Utah, fits on top of a set of hard panniers real nice. It holds us and our gear with enough room to cook on top of the panniers in the corner.


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## ShoerFast

crowhorse67 said:


> Hey HoofButcher, lol
> We go back in the Weminuche from Pagosa. Two of us take 4 horses in, pretty good country back in there. After 3-4 miles in the neighbors drop off considerably . Hard to beat a sunset watchin' elk through the glass while your eatin' supper of ribeye and shrimp grilled over the coals.
> We killed 2 bulls opening mornin of 08 season and packed em out in the storm that day. The wind was strong enough it was breakin' green aspen off all around us. We put 28 miles on the saddle horses and 21 on the two packhorses carryin' a bull elk apiece that day.
> I've been using a 10x12 I had made by Kirkhams in Utah, fits on top of a set of hard panniers real nice. It holds us and our gear with enough room to cook on top of the panniers in the corner.



That's hunting!

I worked for Back Country Outfitters out of Chimminy Rock a few years back.
There resort is right on the Piedra river, good access into the Weminuche if you take the forest access road due north of the resort. About 14 miles back there is a real nice livestock/hiking bridge crossing the river into the wilderness. 



I can't give many hints to the main camp (8 miles in from the bridge) but it sounds like you have the unit figured out! 

Back Country Outfitters and the Weminuche was about as hard an area to guide in as I ever seen!

28 miles of wilderness (the Weminuche) is up there on my single day harsh terrain record, lovely country!

If you get some time?
Right as you cross the bridge, there is a trial due north along the river. Short hike and your right on a hot springs, for achey bones.


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## crowhorse67

That year we rode in from the trailhead down at the Resevoir from the West , you can prolly figure about where we were if you guided in there. We were riding 2 full brothers and packin' 2 half/bros. all outta the same stud and under 5 yrs old. We rested 'em on Sun. an headed back in Mon. at daybreak. Rode to camp packed up and rode back out for a 36 mile day, my buddy said he never been that far in 1 day and didn't want a repeat, 14 1/2 hours.  These colts outta that stud can cover some country.


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## ShoerFast

Not knowing the stud, or having seen the horses.
Let me bet?
Good solid round barrel along the lines of a more traditional Quarter horse/stock horse type?
With a good short round-boned cannons, lots of muscle and deep in the chest?


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## crowhorse67

You nailed it....
My 2 are 15 hands 1200 lbs, his are 16 and 16-1 1320 an 1340. Each of us have a full brother, can't believe the size difference .... mine is a lot easier to get on.
they carried about 400 lbs down the Piedras that year. Most people underestimate a horses packing abilities. They can carry a lot for a little while, or a little for a long while.


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