I was researching where to apply for moose licenses and had never really thought of using any of the resources to research Colorado since I live here. I was reading in my
Huntin’ Fool magazine about
moose in Colorado and remembered some vendor had mentioned to me at an outdoors show in January/ February that a northcentral Colorado moose unit was a great place to hunt them, so I looked up the Colorado resident information and saw there were eight licenses. I figured I’d give it a try with this year’s application.In June, I went to my mailbox and had a letter from Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW). I figured it was my small game license but was very happily surprised when I opened the letter and saw that not only did I have a moose license, but that it allowed me to hunt archery, muzzleloader, and rifle provided I use the correct weapon for the appropriate season dates.I called and talked to the one outfitter, Scott Limmer (owner of Comanche Wilderness Outfitters), who has the wilderness permits for my unit. He gave me some good advice and honest information on sizes and success rates. He also said, “Youshould just come hunt with us.” A few weeks later, I hired him. That turned out to be a very smart move.The day before the season, I got to the outfitter’s ranch at 6 a.m. They loaded the horses/tack, and we headed to the camp. We got all set up, strung a highline, and took care of/tied the horses, had some lunch, and then headed out to scout. I sat in a beautiful valley in one of the wilderness areas and only saw four deer/elk hunters.On Saturday, my two guides and I rode horseback approximately 23 miles in two different areas and hiked four to five miles at around 11, 000 feet. We saw absolutely nothing but beautiful country.The next day, Scott said, “We are going to give the horses a break this morning.” We hiked/hunted up Corral Creek very near our camp. Starting out at about 5 a.m. in the dark, we began the day’s hunt. We saw a cow right at daylight about a mile and a half in and watched her for a good 20 minutes to see if she had a bull in tow.Moving slowly on up the Corral Creek valley on a game trail, edging the timber on the north side, Scott sent my other guide, Mike Devito, over to check a somewhat hidden big meadow on the south side. He saw and alerted us to a decent big body, albeit small rack bull standing on the edge of a huge grassy inlet on the south side of the valley. We watched that bull for about 15-20 minutes while Mike came back to us and just in case that bull was with another bull.Moving on up the valley, Scott stopped and said, “We will go all the way to the end of this valley. We are doing this because when you are at the head of the valley, you can’t really see any of or into all these small and large grassy inlets. After eating willows for a few hours or all night, moose like to lay down in those inlets near the timber.”It wasn’t another 200 yards and past two or three small inlets on our side of the valley from where we had the valley discussion that Scott saw a cow and bull bedded. She was facing us, and to the right of her a bit further away, the bull was bedded broadside. Scott jumped back behind the brush towards me and said, “Get ready, big bull.” He peeked out and ranged the bull at 52 yards. He told me to step out and quickly be ready to shoot if he stood up. If she stood, he would probably stand. I stepped out, muzzleloader shouldered, but there was no movement from him or the cow. Scott then cow called. The cow tilted her ears and looked right at us. The bull moved his head a little but nothing else. Scott grunt called, but the bull only moved his head a little; however, the cow stood up. Scott took his spotting scope tripod and raked some brush. The bull rolled up out of there, and the cow took off with him in tow. They only ran about 15 yards and stopped broadside. I was following with the sights on his shoulder, so as soon as he stopped, I put a 290 grain Hornady bore driver perfectly in the heart/lungs, but because of the smoke, we couldn’t see the hit or any reaction. He then ran about 15 more yards and stopped. The cow just stood still and did not run. Scott told me to hurry up and reload. After a few seconds, the cow ran about 30 yards past my bull and he just stood there. I put a 338 grain Platinum Power Belt a little back but into the back of his lungs. The cow took off at the shot, and the took about five steps and lay down. Within just a few seconds, he laid his head over and was done. All of this only took about a minute and a half.The high fives, prayers of thanks, pictures, and hard work began. We quartered him for pack saddles, put him in game bags, and piled up the meat and the caped head and covered it all with spruce and pine boughs. We then headed back to camp for the horses.I learned a lot about moose in four days of scouting and two days of hunting. Hunting them is far different than elk or mule deer or probably anything else.Scott and Mike were awesome, and I’d highly recommend them. Great guides/hunters/horsemen and just great guys! Everyone who saw my bull in person and dozens of hunters who have seen his pictures said he was a “book bull.” That’s nice, but what he is to me is a couple years’ worth of meat, a unique and beautiful animal that thankfully was taken quickly and cleanly with the utmost respect, and a lifetime memory of firsts – first moose hunt and first (probably only) moose, first animal I’ve taken with a muzzleloader, first time hunting on horseback, first time seeing Poudre Canyon and the north end of Rocky Mountain NationalPark, and the first time getting to know an old acquaintance, meeting a new one, and making two new lifelong friends.I carried a Puma White Hunter Stag hunting knife with me the whole time I scouted and hunted in honor of my best friend, Johnnie Ryan, who passed long before his time in 2014. His wife, Susan, gave it to me after he passed as he and I had long talked about going to Alaska to moose hunt. We never got to go, but I had him with me on this hunt and have to believe he brought me good, no, great luck. Scott, Mike, and I raised a glass to him the night of the 10
th after I got my bull.I would have really liked to have been in the field more than two days hunting, but you have to take the opportunities when life offers and blesses you with them. I am very happy and feel extremely blessed with my 23 years of applying, truly once- in-a-lifetime bull. Thanks to all my friends and family for their enduring support!