The closer we get to the fall hunting seasons the more anxious I am for them to arrive. For that reason and many more, it’s easier to go looking for them instead of waiting for them.  Specifically, I am talking about heading to Colorado for an archery elk hunt. It’s sort of like the NASCAR where they have their “Super Bowl” first in the form of the Daytona 500. In the same way, I am starting off my fall hunting season with a Colorado archery elk hunt.

First, I will introduce the starting five with my brother Whammer as a last-minute addition. He is just a short timer in that he is only going to be in camp for a couple of days. He is traveling with his wife and will coincidentally be in the same area. He will be able to drop by for a short hunt and maybe a meal. That makes him exempt from providing a meal but we all know how to prepare the brats so it’s not a big deal. That, my friends, is a passive aggressive shot at Whammer.

Dan, or Snake, as he is known to everyone but family members, is a returning letterman. He is unofficially a Beck brother and we’ve tried to trade a sister or two to make it official but no takers so far. He is the only one in camp who wouldn’t put a rock in someone else’s backpack but is also a likely target for the same treatment.

My younger brother Garret will be along for this trip and I can’t say enough great things about him. He is far and away the best hunter in the group and I could extend that compliment to fishing as well. If I could only be half as good as him, I would be ecstatic. (Garret is the unofficial camp chef and he is truly a dang good one. The one constant rule in any camp is never %&$# off the camp cook).

Rob “the elk guy” rounds out the starting lineup. He grew up a bit north of us and then moved way west settling on the far side of the Continental Divide in Colorado. He is also a candidate to become an unofficial Beck brother but the deal is contingent on us taking his older brother as well. That price is just too steep.

This somewhat annual hunt has been going on for over 20 years now. Whammer is the all-time club house leader in number of bulls harvested with Garret close behind. The rest of us are on the scoreboard so we have all tasted the thrill of victory.

Going to the mountains and bagging an elk using a bow and arrow is about as thrilling as it gets in the outdoor world. The resulting outdoor high is intoxicating and lingers for weeks but a victory in the mountains doesn’t come every year. What is consistent is the terrific time had by all, regardless of how many elk come home with us. My brothers and “half” brothers are spread across the landscape and this trip is one of the reasons we gather and hang out together. That’s a pretty good high as well.

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