Colorado Elk Hunting: Food, Cover, Water (Episode 304 Transcript)

This is the video transcript. To watch the video for this episode click here.

STEFANOFF: (Whispering) Oh my gosh. I was shaking. (Inaudible) 15 yards. He just stood there.

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GRANT: Deer season starts September 15th here in Missouri, but before it starts, we decided to change things up a bit this year and head to Colorado for some elk hunting.

GRANT: We met up with GrowingDeer pro staff members, Daniel Stefanoff and Brandon Pittman in Oklahoma and continued on to Colorado.

STEFANOFF: (Inaudible)

GRANT: We arrived late that afternoon at Stephen Flowers Outfitters and the first thing we wanted to do was shoot our bows to make sure they were still sighted in.

GRANT: We were joined by several of our pro staff members and other friends, so we busted up the next morning and headed out to different parts of the mountain to chase elk.

GRANT: Daniel was filming Gene, and the first night, they were overlooking a waterhole and had a neat encounter.

GENE: (Quietly) We’ve made it to our waterhole, and we’ve got a couple bulls – maybe even more than a couple. They’re bugling, and chuckling, and cow calls. So we’re in the right spot, and as hot as it is, I bet anything they’ll be down here. You know, maybe a half hour, or so. Who knows? But they’re on their way, for sure.

GENE: (Whispering) (Inaudible)

GRANT: Fortunately, for this bull, Gene decided he was still a bit immature and gave him a pass.

GENE: (Whispering) That was pretty exciting. We just had a little rag horn walk through the pond in front of us. He’s not what we’re looking for, but that was pretty cool. 22 yards. Way fun. Lots of bulls.

GRANT: Just like with whitetail hunting, location is the key for a hot spot with elk.

GRANT: All wildlife need food, cover and water. And hunters should look for areas that offer all three of those resources in a location where they can approach without alerting the game.

GRANT: Gene was hunting in an area that had been recently impacted by a wildfire, and results was lots of fresh browse on that side of the mountain.

GRANT: Throughout the week, Gene and Daniel were hearing bulls, seeing bulls and in the middle of some good action. They felt it would only be a matter of time before they got close to a mature elk.

GRANT: After a few days, they learned that just getting a mature bull in range didn’t mean success. They finally got that mature bull about 30 yards out, but there was too much brush in the way for the camera to have a clear view.

GENE: (Whispering) That’s what we’re here for. There’s not much you can do when they come in behind ya.

GRANT: …’Cause most people would’ve took that shot.

GENE: Oh, I could’ve kill, I could’ve killed him. I mean, he’s 26 yards. I ranged him. I poked through that hole range 26 yards.

GRANT: When in a group of hunters, I find it’s always interesting to hear the different stories and which ones have encounters. Even though we’re all, basically, hunting the same mountain, it was obvious that Gene Price, from Trophy Rock, was in the hot spot.

GRANT: In what kind of habitat are you in there? Is it timber?

GENE: It’s burn.

UNKOWN: It’s burn.

GENE: It’s a burn. It’s a burn with a pond.

GRANT: While Adam and I were working to get in front of some elk, Daniel and Brandon were doing the same thing a couple of miles away.

STEFANOFF: This morning, we saw two bulls and a few cows. They were down in this valley, so on our way down to the valley, uh, Justin, our guide, spotted an antler shed off of an elk, so, uh, we’re gonna go down and, and recover that.

GRANT: During the third morning of our hunt, Daniel, Brandon, and their guide finally felt they’d put the pieces of the puzzle together and were close to a responding bull.

STEFANOFF: (Whispering) It’s day three of our hunt. The bulls that we were going after yesterday – we’re hoping that they bedded down in the valley. The winds picked up really, really strong yesterday, so we’re hoping that they bedded there and that they’re gonna puddle back up into the last position that we saw ‘em yesterday to feed. So we’re just gonna get quiet, sit here, wait, and listen, see what happens.

STEFANOFF: (Whispering) Cows.

STEFANOFF: (Whispering) Yeah. There’s two.

UNKNOWN: (Whispering) (Inaudible)

STEFANOFF: (Whispering) Oh wow.

STEFANOFF: (Whispering) Holy cow.

GRANT: As the moments got more intense, the elk steps out at the place they least expected him to.

GRANT: This big six by six elk steps out at 15 yards away from Daniel.

STEFANOFF: (Whispering) I got him!

STEFANOFF: (Whispering) I drilled him, man. He was right there! He was staring at me. He was staring at me for like two or three minutes. I mean it was just…

JUSTIN: Did he bugle in front of you?

STEFANOFF: (Whispering) Yes.

JUSTIN: (Whispering) That’s good blood. Good blood.

STEFANOFF: Right here, right here, right here, right here.

STEFANOFF: Man.

STEFANOFF: Man. Great job, guys.

STEFANOFF: Ah! Golly. He’s beautiful.

STEFANOFF: Ah, yeah.

JUSTIN: Congratulations, sir.

STEFANOFF: Thank you so much. Man, you did a great job. You put us on ‘em every day. Working hard. Man, I appreciate it.

GRANT: This was Daniel and Brandon’s first elk hunting trip. First trip where they traveled to film a hunt, so it was really cool to set back and watch them celebrate.

GRANT: Great job, Daniel and Brandon, on a fine Colorado bull.

GRANT: Adam and I enjoyed sharing the hunt with friends, seeing all the different critters and celebrating Daniel’s success. The GrowingDeer Team hunted with outfitter Stephen Flowers. You can learn more about his operation at elkelkelk.com. Whether you’re hunting close to home, or going on a travel hunt, I hope you take time every day to enjoy creation, and most importantly, slow down and listen to what the Creator is saying to you. Thanks for watching GrowingDeer.tv.