Colorado Hunting

Post by Henry

Recently our friends from Alabama, Ken and Trisha

Trisha and Ken
(Photo Provided by Trisha)

have caught up with us here in Colorado and we’ve become avid hunters.  Big game mostly.  We’ve had the best luck with Moose, Elk, and Pronghorn, though we’ve been hunting for Bear, Bighorn Sheep, and Mountain Goats, too.

Sorta Skinny Moose

Pronghorn

Elk Bulls Resting

Most of our hunting has been in and around Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) and our weapons of choice are cameras and binoculars.

We’re not the only hunters out there, as this is summer vacation time and RMNP is swarming with tourists.  Usually spotting wildlife is as easy as coming around a bend in the road to find fifty (50) cars pulled over and lots of people snapping pictures and pointing out where exactly to look for a moose and her calf or some elk.

Mama Moose

Baby Moose

One time we even started a Moose Jam.  Driving down the road, Loretta spotted a moose coming out of some brush and we were the first car to pull over. 

Moose Country

In a matter of moments, probably 40 cars are parked on both sides of the road, with moose paparazzi everywhere.  Even a park ranger showed up to direct traffic.

Other times while hiking down a trail, folks coming from the other direction will tell you about wildlife they saw that might be seen on the trail ahead.  On two (2) occasions, we’ve encountered bull moose feeding nearby while on a hike.

Bull Moose
Close to Trail

Magnificent Male Moose

Hunting for wildlife is not limited to just big game.  Smaller critters like marmots, pikas, ground squirrels, and chipmunks can be equally entertaining and exciting.

Chipmunk

And that’s the thing.  Seeing wildlife is exciting.  No matter who it is, both young and old are grinning from ear to ear when watching wild animals in their natural habitat.

Probably the easiest hunting in RMNP is not the wildlife, but the scenery.  It’s everywhere!  From the lower elevations filled with evergreen trees, meadows and rivers to the above tree line alpine elevation with snow patches, ground vegetation that takes hundreds of years to grow and endless mountain vistas.

Rocky Mountains
with
Bull Elk Resting at Base of Mountain

Alpine Country

Rocky Mountain Meadow

Rocky Mountain Vista

RMNP is one spectacular, scenic park for hunting wildlife.  We’ve bagged some good ones, but we’ll keep searching for the elusive few to add to our trophy case.