Posted 2:13 am Sunday, October 05, 2008
Tyler Hunter Takes Trophy Elk On Northern Colorado Hunt
There is little doubt that Tyler's Bill Blomdahl will close the fall hunting season on a ranch in South Texas.
He opened it in a big way on a ranch in northeastern Colorado where he took a 6X7 elk rough scored at over 400 inches. Probably the most surprising thing about the big bull was that it was the first elk for a hunter known for his propensity for taking trophies.
The hunt started off lucky for Blomdahl, who was plucked from a waiting list when another hunter had to back out.
Blomdahl first learned of the Trophy Mountain Ranch near Cowdrey, Colo., on a television hunting show. Impressed with what he saw, the Tyler oilman began to do his homework, researching the ranch by talking to others who had hunted there.
The ranch is located about 22 miles north of Walden, Colo., on Independence Mountain. The high-fenced ranch sits within the Routt National Forest in what is known as Colorado's North Park.
Although the ranch is surrounded by 15 miles of fence, finding a trophy bull is no guarantee. And for the 56-year-old Tyler hunter, neither was survival as he made daily walks across the tops of mountains on spot-and-stalk hunts.
COLORADO TROPHY: Tyler’s Bill Blomdahl struck gold on his first elk hunt to Colorado where he took this 400-plus inch 6X7 bull.
Blomdahl arrived at the ranch Sept. 21 just in time for the peak of the bugling activity.
"We went up and down the mountain on Sunday afternoon and Monday. We saw some elk but nothing good enough to shoot," said Blomdahl.
Blomdahl, who hunted a different part of the ranch each day, said most of the hunting was on top of the mountains at about 9,500 feet.
"It is very taxing on you. My guide was huffing and puffing some and he was 20-something," the hunter said.
Because the rutting activity was so intense, Blomdahl and his guide would walk high across the mountains listen for bugling. If they heard what sounded like a mature bull the guide would use a combination of bull and cow calls to try to pull the elk up to them. In some instances they would have to work their way down to get a glimpse of the bull.
"We saw six or eight bulls on Sunday. Monday we saw about 20 bulls and some calves and cows. They were all in the low to mid-300s. I was looking for something over 400," the hunter said.
Blomdahl said the Texas equivalent to this type of elk hunt would be spring turkey hunting when the toms are gobbling. The rewards of a successful hunt are of course somewhat larger.
"It is so different and exciting hearing all the bugling and all the cow calling and seeing the beautiful scenery," he said. "It is like turkey hunting because you get to call and respond. It if sounds like a big one you go and see how good it is. That is why it is so exciting."
On the third morning of the hunt the cool mountain air turned cold and the bugling intensified even more. The ranch owner directed Blomdahl's guide in the direction where a bull that might fit the hunter's criteria had been seen. Whether it was still on that part of the ranch was anyone's guess.
"We worked the top of the mountain bugling. While we were on the top of the mountain we saw it in a meadow about 200 yards away. The guide started calling it in using a combination of bull and cow calls. I thought I was going to have to shoot it head on because it just kept coming straight to us," Blomdahl recalled.
The guide told him to hold off on a shot to see if the bull would get curious and turn if he quit calling. Sure enough it did, and Blomdahl was able to carve out a 60-yard shot through the spruce and pines.
The 6X7 bull more than lived up to Blomdahl's expectations. With eye guards measuring about 30 inches, something the ranch owner said he had never seen, guides guessed its antlers would measure 405, maybe 410.
