OUTDOOR Tales and Trails

BY DAVE BECK

In my outdoor world there isn’t one single event that I can point to as the Super Bowl of the hunting or fishing season. I rank the events differently in my head. For example, at the start of a new year I always think the winter walleye fishing season in Red Wing is where I need to be. That is my favorite thing to do until shed hunting really gets going in February and then that becomes my priority. I can say the same thing when turkey hunt – ing rolls around and then mushroom hunting, and then the trout opener, etc., etc., etc., ending with the late bow season in December. So where am I right now on the outdoor calendar? Today it’s bow hunting for elk in Colorado. I was fortunate enough to draw a tag to hunt in southwest Colorado. In general terms I will be near Durango but more specifically, I will be close to Delores, Colo. Delores is to Durango as El Paso is to Ellsworth. Then again, as long as I’m in the mountains and there’s elk around, I don’t have any other preferences. The players are different and fewer on this hunt compared to previous years. My brothers Whammer and Garret have decided to pass on elk this year. Uncle Frank didn’t draw an elk tag but is going along because he has a bear tag in his pocket. All of the above are in my top three for hunting partners so even without Whammer and Garret, the travel to and from Colorado, as well as the hunt, should be interesting. Hunting the Rocky Mountains is very different than any kind of hunting that we can do here in the Midwest. The mountains being the key word. I’ve always said that the only thing that can prepare you for the mountains are the mountains and only when it’s time to come home do I finally feel comfortable out there. I mean, there is a reason why Olympic athletes train out there. To quote Jimmy Dugan from the movie “A League of Their Own:” “The hard is what makes it great.” As far as strategy goes, it’s simple: it’s go ing to be blazing hot which means most of the time will be spent sitting near water. Even though the rut should be just kicking in, most of that activity is going to be at night because of the warmer temperatures. So that’s it. That’s the who, when, where, and how for the elk hunt. Like every other elk hunting trip, I am excited about getting out there and hunting the mountains. To refer back to something that I said right off the bat: as soon as I jump in the truck to head home and the elk hunt is in the rearview mirror, that’s when I will get excited about Wisconsin’s first white-tailed deer bow hunt of the year. Didn’t get enough Dave this week? Visit “Outdoor Trails and Tales with Dave Beck” on Facebook for photos and video of Dave’s adventures. You can share your own photos and video with him there as well, or by email ing him at [email protected] Also, check out OTT content on Instagram @thepiercecountyjournal