Live Hunt: Bulls For My Buddies

By Aron Snyder
March 8, 2011
My 2010 elk season was a bit different then the norm. I decided to take a step back from the driver's seat and spend my season helping some great friends fill their life long dream of killing a bull in the Colorado wilderness. It was an amazing feeling to help my friend out and it made for a season I won't soon forget.
My first hunt would be with an Air Force buddy of mine named Jason. He was deployed in Iraq and we kept in touch over email. I promised myself I'd help get him a Colorado bull when he came home.
This was my closest water source. I could smell the "beaver fever" in the air.
My home for the next couple days.
I had one day to hunt by myself before Jason got in. I missed a good bull opening morning, but filled my "list B" cow tag quickly.
Now she is hanging in a tree.
Here I'm getting prepared to pack her back to the trail head.
J dog has arrived!
I know there is water down there somewhere dang it.
Looking for Mr. Wapiti.
Nothing like a little snow in August.
Backcountry television.
The wild wilderness
A view from the top.
Heading back in to find Wapiti.
Breakfast.
Grouse for dinner
A little Aquamira goes a long way. One of the best ways for water purification in the backcountry.
The tools of the trade.
Go team Hilleberg.
Red is my friend. Jason was unsure of the hit, but when we walked up on this we had a good feeling we would retrieve the bull quickly.
J and his first archery bull.
The work has begun.
Getting it off the bone as fast as we can.
The work continues through the night.
Still going.
It's sleepy time now.
Put the GPS down J. You don't know how to use it anyway.
After We put down Jason's bull I was off to meet up with my buddies John and Jerry. They're two Midwestern boys who always dreamed of taking a bull with a bow. I'm set to make that dream a reality. I'm cleaned, shaved and ready for round two.
Rubbing al little extra "funk" on the estrus call. I was more than happy to be a guide for John and Jerry. They had hooked me up with some prime whitetail hunting in Wisconsin and it was my turn to pay them back.
It worked! The bull came straight into the call and Jerry made a perfect shot on him.
An amazing backcountry bull for Jerry.
Wisconsin boys can "GET-R-DONE" in the wilderness too.
I was very proud of my calling job.
The pack out begins.
John is up now and we are in the right spot.
Did anyone else just see that? I didn't miss... I promise!
John has got his game face on now.
A good photo of the aspens that John's bull walked through before the shot.
The set up was perfect.
Another Wisconsin boy taking home a Colorado trophy.
We had 190 pounds in Jerry's pack. The only problem is that I'm the guy packing it out.
The pack did not make it to the truck before the shoulder straps ripped off.
So many game bags in trees that it looked like christmas ornaments.
The "crew"

During the 2010 elk season I decided to help guide some good friends to big Colorado elk. It's always good to be on the mountain, whether you're behind the string or not.

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