2009 HUNT PHOTO GALLERY Guest Quote. . . "This hunt was all about the animals and the strategy to take one.  It is a unique, well managed property with knowledgeable dedicated guides to help make the hunt the best ." Chris Payne, hunter second season

The First Season Rifle Hunt      (October 10-14, 2009 )
Antlers pictured on left are the actual antlers harvested First Season 2005

Once again, first season brought some familiar faces in the form of returning hunters.  The Menard's returned for their 8th year, bringing along Chris' younger brother JR for his first elk hunt.  Returning hunter from New York, Ed Richards, brought along his buddy, David Serth; another virgin elk hunter.  So with camp full of both rookies and veterans, guides chomping at the bit, and the ranch loaded  with elk, everyone was extremely excited for opening day!

Chris Menard- First Season                                pictured below with "Clubby"

What an opening day it was! For Team Menard that is... With all the big trophy bulls Chris has shot in the past, the guides were feeling pressured to try and find another one bigger than the last.  While scouting a few days prior to opening day, Mike and Mark were checking out the Illinois River Ranch and spotted several nice bulls along with an odd club horn bull.  The bull had a nice 5 point rack on his right side and   an odd drop tine/club horn on his left.  After telling Chris about him, Chris was interested in seeing "Clubby" so Paul took Chris and Andrea over to the Illinois at first light.  Immediately upon entering the ranch they stopped the truck and could hear bugles to the north, so they decided to drive up the the "bench" where they could glass over the hay meadows and willow bottoms and make a plan.  While nearing the bench, Paul mentioned the fact that there could be elk on top of the bench.  As soon as he said that, the group crested the ridge and there was old "Clubby" himself along with a few cows no more than 150 yards away!  Immediately, Paul put her in reverse and backed out of sight.  The Menards got their stuff together and put on the stalk.  The elk had moved north a ways and they had to use the bench between them and the elk for cover and moved to within 400 yards for a shot.  Chris hit the bull hard, but it wasn't enough for a clean kiss, so they put another stalk and after a few more long shots, he connected again, putting the unique bull to rest.  What a trophy!  You don't see many like that everyday.  At least it's something different for the Menard wildlife collection back home.  Half an hour into the first day and the first bull hits the dirt.  Now onto Chris' younger brother, JR...

JR Menard - First Season
pictured right

JR and Matt decided to head to Pole Mountain, a seperate 1200 acre piece of property never elk hunted by BCR guests before.  As soon as the duo opened the doors of the truck, they were greeted with the cacophone of a huge herd of elk at dawn.  Within the first half hour of their hunt, JR, the virgin elk hunter, had heard every kind of sound an elk can make and witnessed a herd of over 400 head doing their thing!  At first light, they crept up to the "knob" to get a look at the scene.  Upon cresting the knob, they spotted a small bunch of elk with a dandy 6 point bull just a mere 300 yards down the hill from them.  With JR feeling uncomfortable with such a long shot, and Matt confident they could close the distance, they backed off and tried to move down the ridge for a closer shot.  It wouldn't be that easy as the small herd decided it was time to head down hill towards the huge herd.  They continued, but eventually some elk spotted them and spooked the entire herd up the ridge and out into a wide open sage flat where they decided to spend the day.  This left JR and Matt to try and sneak up on a herd of that size while they were nearly all bedded and looking downhill in the direction of the hunters.  No easy task, but with patience on their side, they took their windows of opportunity as they came and slowly closed the distance from a mile to nearly 400 yards.  The entire hunt was what we call front row tickets to the "elk show".  The duo got to watch bulls fight, chase cows, hear every sound in the elk vocabulary, it was constant entertainment and excitement!  This stalk included slow walking, crouching, crawling and even belly crawling through sagebrush.  Finally, with Matt and JR nearing starvation from lack of lunch, or any food for that matter, and hunting the same herd for nearly 8 hours, the elk decided it was time to move.  They waited for the tail end of the herd to crest the top of a nearby ridge and put the hustle on, hoping to get within range of one of the several "mongos" in the herd.  Nearing the ridge they could still hear bugles so loud that the ground felt like it was shaking as they got closer and closer.  The eased up over the ridge, and with Matt leading the way, was met with the long polished times of a big 6 point staring in their direction along with several cows that were barely over 100 yards away.  Matt backed down and told JR that the elk were on to them and he would just have to ease up and make a quick shot on the bull before they spooked.  The next time JR eased up ready for the shot, the elk were feeding and paid no attention to the hunters skylined on the ridge; giving JR plenty of time to make a perfect kill shot on a nice 6x6 bull that only went 20 yards before piling up.  The two were elated to have put that much time and effort on one hunt and to have the happy ending you always hope for!

Andrea Menard- First Season
pictured on left

As for the third leg of Team Menard, Andrea was with her favorite guide Paul back at the Buffalo.  They were working their way down to "Whisky Bill's" draw when they heard the faint sound of elk bugling towards Buffalo Peak.  With daylight fading, they hustled towards the bugles.  After closing the distance quickly, Paul spotted the herd of several bulls and a pile of elk within 60 yards from their position.  They quickly spotted a big 6 point that Andrea had her heart set on.  He just wouldn't give up the perfect shot.  They just watched the bull parade back and forth along the ridgeline bugling and checking his cows but never stopping to provide Andrea with a clear shot.  Andrea stayed on him and watched him through the scope just waiting for that perfect opportunity.  Paul tried everything from cow calls to bugles in an attempt to stop the bull long enough for Andrea to make the shot.  Finally, Andrea watched the bull turn and slowly walk along the ridge, and at 250 yards, Andrea knew she could make the shot even with the bull walking.  In the meantime, Paul has his glasses focused on a small 4 point feeding 60 yards away when Andrea saw her shot and took it.  Startled but pleased, Paul asked Andrea if next time she would let him know when she was going to shoot!  They worked their way up to the ridge to find the bull piled up close by with Andrea putting a perfect heart shot that quickly expired the bull.  Day one was a wrap with Team Menard filling all their tags, that bottle of Crown Royal had better watch out!  Congrats crew, now what to do for the next 4 days?

David Serth - First Season
Pictured on right

Back to the other hunters that remained, David and Ed.  On Day 2, Matt was now put at David's side to try and get him his first bull elk.  It didn't take long.  At first light, Matt and David were hoping the elk from Timothy Ridge had moved down into the bottom meadows during the night, and they could "T-bone" them on their way back.  To no avail, the elk had already fled back to the ridge, eliminating an opportunity for the hunters.  Fortunately, across the ranch, Bruning had been glassing a nice herd of about 100 head with several nice bulls feeding along the backside of Buffalo Peak.  After the attempt failed on the Timothy herd, Mike picked up Matt and David and took them over towards the herd on the Peak.  They got the wind right and started closing the distance as the herd neared the timber to bed.  By the time they got close to the herd, several elk were already working their way into the timber.  The elk saw the hunters before the hunters could see them, and the few cows that were leading the pack spooked into the timber.  The rest  of the herd was confused and did not know the cause of the disturbance, but followed the leaders toward the timber and safety, but where was the danger?  Matt positioned David into a shooting lane at the edge of the timber as they watched the elk scatter towards safety.  Most of the elk were passing through the timber and all the two could see were legs.  Suddenly, further up on the ridge, Matt spotted a nice 5x5 working his way across the hillside in plain view!  David got on him and a few cow calls got the bull to stop and offer a perfect broadside shot at about 200 yards.  David's heart was racing and he watched as his crosshairs danced across the bull.  Finally taking a deep breath and settling on the bull, he squeezed off a shot and dropped his first bull elk in his tracks with a neck shot!  Day 2 and off to a good start for the season; 4 out of 5 in the bag!

Ed Richards First Season
pictured on left

With Ed being the last man standing, he felt a bit awkward but we reminded him that we weren't even close to the halfway point and not to worry, his chance was coming. 

Matt just couldn't get enough of the elk action, so after begging to continue hunting, he was put by Ed's side as the guide.  The 3rd morning brought plenty of action but offered Ed no shots on bulls, but they followed the herd to their bedding grounds above Wapiti.  They knew that was the spot for their evening hunt.  That afternoon, as they set up in Wapiti, they were greeted with the occasional bugle from the dark timber above the open sage of Wapiti Park.  As darkness neared, several elk came out of the timber to feed, but the nice bulls were not present.  The hunters kept hearing the distinct bugle of what had to be a "stomper".  After Ed called the spot where he expect them to come from, here they came with several cows running into the open with a big wide 6x6 right in tow.  He soon stopped and offered a broadside 300 yard shot that Ed touched off and the bull immediately piled up; in the midst of the celebration, Matt noticed the bull get up to run away and never be seen again.  The whole crew searched into darkness to no avail and dedicated several hours the next morning in search but not even a drop of blood was found. 

With Matt and Ed both feeling down, they kept their heads up and started hunting again.  The final day came and so did the elk.  This day was devoted to the East Buffalo Drainage where a big herd had eluded Ed earlier in the week.  That morning they made their way towards a symphony of bugles which led them to a clear-cut crawling with elk.  They got into position and waited until a big bodied 5 point offered a shot at just over 200 yards.  Both Ed and Matt were shaking with excitement and Ed unfortunately missed the target.  Both confident that it was a clean miss, they kept in pursuit and were offered another chance at the same bull, this time 275 yards away.  Again, all they did was scare the bull sending the shots at his feet.  Ed was beyond frustrated in his shooting, and the guides too were wondering what was going on with such a seasoned hunter and shooter.  Ed was ready to give up elk hunting, but the guides talked him into sticking it out for the last night.  It was down to the wire and nearing the end of a great hunt with lots of highs and lows. 

Matt and Ed decided to stay mobile and ride around with Mike until they saw a good opportunity.  That opportunity came when they heard from Paul that a small group was feeding in the sage in the East Buffalo Drainage.  They wasted no time and put on the sneak coming over the ridge from the elk.  They worked their way to the edge of timber and popped out within 150 yards of the herd that had fed their way into the corner of one of our "drift" fences.  The elk were confused and of course the bull, another dandy 6x6, was surrounded by tightly packed cows.  Matt and Ed had to wait the elk out and finally a few cows made it over the fence and started to walk to the east.  After all the cows had crossed the fence, the bull took the back of the pack.  As soon as he made it over the fence, Matt knew it was time to get in position for the shot.  They moved to the top of the ridge without being seen and Ed had a good broadside shot at about 150 yards which he took as soon as the bull stopped at the sound of Matt's cow calls.  The bull ran away, obviously hit from the first shot, but after what they had been through the previous hunts, Ed continued to let the lead fly until the bull finally hit the dirt about 200 yards away, where they watched him quickly expire.  After all Ed had been through, it was truly unbelievable to see him keep his head high and continue hunting and finally succeed in the last hour of the last day with a nice 6x6.  First season came and went fast, as usual, but at least all the hunters went home packing meat and nice racks destined for the taxidermist.

The Second Season Rifle Hunt  (October 17-25, 2009)

Antlers pictured on left are from second season 2005 on Buffalo Creek Ranch

2nd Rifle Season brought one returning customer, Steve Cumming, who was responsible for the other 5 new hunters.  Steve, along with two other sales reps for Bayer Crop Science, Russ Tiller and Chris Payne, brought three of their best clients to show their appreciation.  With both rookie and veteran elk hunters ready for the Buffalo Creek Elk Experience, second season started with a bang!

Chris Payne- Second Season  
pictured on right

Day 1 started and ended early for the first lucky hunter, Chris Payne.  Chris, along with guide Mark leading the way, worked his way up into the East Buffalo Drainage at first light.  Mark decided to position them on the edge of the timber to sit and wait for some elk to work their way to the timber to bed.  It didn't take long before a herd of about 25 cows and spikes with a nice 6x6 bull in tow to come over the ridge.  From their position, Mark knew the herd was destined to not come within range, so they quickly hit the timber for cover and attempted to close the gap within good shooting range. 

They crept through the timber while keeping an eye on the herd.  Soon they closed the gap to within 300 yards and waited for the bull to give them a shot.  A 250 yard broadside shot was all they could ask for and Chris squeezed off a total of 2 shots to put the big bull down.  Not bad for your first elk, Chris!

Steve Cumming - Second Season
pictured on left

In the meantime, Steve Cumming and John were in pursuit of Mule Deek over on Buffalo Peak.  They were really after a buck that the neighboring rancher had given the name the "Elk Buck", a deer so large that it looked like an elk!

Shortly after daybreak, they spotted 2 very nice bucks hanging out together.  They had plenty of time to size the bucks up as they watched them feed on the hillside roughly 300 yards away.  Although neither proved to be the "Elk Buck", one of them was too big to turn down.  Steve was a little shaky on the first shot which missed its mark, but the second was right on the money and took out both lungs, bringing the buck down quickly.  The buck was a dandy, measuring at nearly 27" wide with heavy mass from tip to tip.  Definately a nice addition to the buck Steve harvested a few years ago!  With the deer tag filled, it was time to switch over to elk mode for Steve!

Robert Underbrink - Second Season 
pictured on right

Day 2 was destined to be Robert Underbrink's lucky day.  VP of the famed King Ranch's agriculture sector, Robert is no novice hunter, however he was about to take advantage of his first opportunity to harvest a bull elk!

The evening of day 2 brought Robert, and Paul as his guide, to Wapiti Park.  As soon as they began their hunt, they could hear the bugles of several bulls scattered throughout the timbered hillside above Wapiti.  They positioned themselves within the willows, awaiting the elk to exit the safety of the timber.  The bugles got progressively louder as the elk got closer.  Soon cows and calves poured out into the open and the bulls soon followed.

One bugle in particular caught the attention of Paul, a deep growl that had to mean a big bull.  They waited until the deep roaring bull came into view, a big 5 point still in rut mode.  Paul and Robert worked their way through the thick willows to try and get a crack at the wide, heavy 5 point bull.  A few seductive cow calls got the bull's attention and before they knew it, he was standing broadside at less than 100 yards from Paul and Robert.  When Paul gave Robert the word, one solid shot was all it took to pile the bull up in his tracks!  In all of Paul's elk hunting experiences, he had never seen a bull go down like that!  Great shot and what a bull... Congratulations Robert!

Dan Corey, AKA "One Shot, One Kill Dan" - Second Season
pictured below

Day 4 was here and the crew still had several tags unfilled, however many opportunities were there for each hunter who opted to hold out in hopes of a larger animal.  The morning of day 4 brought Dan Corey, a potato farmer from Maine, and his guide Matt to the hay meadows to try and get a crack at the "Timothy Herd".  Dan had high expectations and had passed on many smaller bulls in the previous days, including a nice 5 point that Matt had called to within 50 yards.  He was either going home empty handed or with a big, heavy 6x6! 

They headed out well before first light in hopes of using the early morning darkness as cover to get close to the herd.  As they worked their way across the meadow, they could hear the bugles from numerous bulls in the herd which helped them pinpoint the herd's location.  They circled wide to find cover and get the wind in their face.  As the morning light pushed away the darkness, the elk were en route to the safety of Timothy Ridge.

Using a willow lined ditch, Matt and Dan worked their way closer and closer to the herd hoping to beat them to the ridge.  They got within 250 yards of the herd and Matt was quick to spot this big 6x6.  Once Dan was lined up on the bull he had a split second to make a quick shot as the bull was slightly quartering away, ready to jump the fence. 

The shot hit home and the bull ran out of sight.  The two patiently waited as the now alarmed herd ran right at them, the bull took his final crash.  They watched the herd run for safety but never saw the bull they shot at with them.  They eased over the ridge to find the bull had expired less than 20 yards from where Dan shot him.  Dan's only comment was "Perfect!"

Russ Tiller - Second Season
pictured on right

After a few days of tough hunting, Russ Tiller was now paired up with elk guru, Paul.  They headed to the backside fo the ranch where a good herd had been hanging out untouched for several days.  It was early afternoon and the elk were already waking up and the bulls were vocal.

Bugles sounded off all around them as they navigated their way through thick timber and clearcuts to move in on part of the herd.    It took most of the afternoon to negotiate their way towards the elk.  Darkness was closing in and they were running out of daylight fast.  They picked a small opening next to some timber where a  sizeable 5 point bellowed consistently just out of sight.

Paul's seductive cow calls were enough to get this bull to come within 60 yards of where they were set-up.  The only shot Russ had was a frontal shot from the neck up.  Russ put his crosshairs just below the muzzle and let him have it!  Although Russ had harvested a monster bull several years ago, he was extremely pleased with his bull and his hunting experience at Buffalo Creek, as indicated by his smile.  Way to go Russ!

Steve Cumming - Second Season
pictured on left

And then there were two.... One more day and 2 bull tags to fill... Steve Cumming and Case DeYoung.  Both hunters had a ranch full of elk and a few eager guides to get the job done.

The evening scouting from the night before showed promise as a big herd had worked their way onto Buffalo Ridge.  Steve, with Matt as a guide, was headed for the ridge before daylight in hopes of getting between the elk and the timber where the elk were expected to go.  As usual, plans often change when you are chasing these elusive critters.

As daybreak flooded the valley, Matt and Steve could see the massive herd as they fed contently on top of the ridge.  The elk took their time and Matt soon realized that the elk were looking to head for some patches of Aspen trees for cover rather than the dark timber that was expected.  They knew they had to make a move before the elk entered the shelter of the aspens. 

Using treelines and depressions in terrain, they stalked to within 300 yards of the front of the herd.  Steve was set up on the shooting sticks and Matt picked out a dandy 6x6 that was feeding amongst a bunch of cows that were filtering into the aspen grove.  Steve waited for a nice broadside shot and his 270 barked before the bull could reach the timber.  The bull was hit but would not move and soon elk were scrambling.  Steve had to wait for another clear shot on the bull.  After another shot, the bull stood in the same place, but was still up.  Soon the herd cleared out and headed down the west side of the ridge; where Case and Paul waited.  Steve's bull attempted to follow, but was too slow to move, allowing Matt and Steve to put another sneak on him and get within 150 yards to finally put the bull down.

Case DeYoung - Second Season              pictured on left

While Matt and Steve were on one side of the ranch, Paul and Case were waiting on the West side where the elk (spooked by Steve and Matt) were now coming straight for them as they lay in the middle of the hay meadow....

Case and Paul had to make it across the meadow before daylight.  Elk feed in the meadows all night and bed on Timothy Ridge during the day.  In order to get between them and their bedding grounds, you can't let them see you and darkness is to the hunter's advantage.

Paul's tale....  We sat in an irrigation ditch with tall grass in front of us for cover.  Elk fed toward us in mammoth numbers.  Before we knew it about 30 cows had spotted us; they all grouped up.  The chance for a shot was gone in an instant!  As they ran back across the meadow it seemed as if our luck had ran out.  Over the ridge they were headed for Steve, who at that moment had shot a 6x6 bull; That re-directed the elk right back at us.  Most of them were out of range, but a cow, calf and a 5x5 bull came straight at us.  Within minutes, Case had the 5x5 bull on the ground.  Of course, after we approached the elk, the rest of the herd came within 2oo yards of us.  Waiting patiently in the cold, we were finally able to sneak around the herd to get to the fallen elk.

Group Photo:  I had to include the group photo below.  The week these hunters spent with us was incredible!  Chris Payne and Robert Underbrink had to leave early in the week, but that didn't keep them from being a part of everything; I would receive emails in the mornings detailing the hunts before I even arrived at the ranch!  I'm so glad I had the opportunity to share this experience with all of you!

From Left to Right: Russ Tiller, Bruning Rengal (guide), Dan Corey, Matt Anderson (guide), Steve Cumming, Paul Schleppy (guide),                                      Mark Garrison (guide) and Case DeYoung.

Second Season 3 Day Hunt

Steve Reynolds was back for more elk action and his 5th year hunting at Buffalo Creek.  He talked his good friend Judd into tagging along for his first elk hunt.  More  familiar faces to Buffalo Creek were Jerome "Pee Daddy" Foti and his wife Nadia from Louisiana, who first came to the ranch 2 years ago on a combo deer/elk hunt.  With all the hunters eagerly arriving early on Thursday, it was time to scout and prepare for the hunt.

Judd Golka- Second Rifle Season 3 Day Hunt                                                                                                                            pictured below on right

Judd was paired up with Mike, and they worked their way up to East Buffalo.  They didn't waste any time and were thick into the elk just before dark.  Judd shot a nice 5 point bull, but the shot was deflected by some thin brush.  They knew right away where they wanted to be at daylight the next morning.

Getting there would prove difficult because as Mike and Judd parked the truck and were getting ready to head up the drainage, Mike spotted a herd of elk standing in the open on a ridge just over 250 yards away.  Judd got ready and Mike lined him up on a wide 5 point with white tipped antlers.  Their hunt was over as fast as it began when Judd put a great shot on his first ever bull elk!

 Jerome Foti - Second Rifle Season 3 Day Hunt
pictured below

Jerome Foti was returning to the ranch with different motives than the last time.  Due to a last minute concellation, Jerome was able to come hunt with us.  Two years ago, Jerome successfully harvested a nice Mule Deer buck, but no elk.  He was holding out for a monster and although had several opportunities at some nice bulls, none were big enough to pull the trigger on.

This time around, Jerome, once again paired with Matt, was ready to shoot a mature bull characteristic of the area.  They set their sights on a large herd that had called Buffalo Peak their home.  After several good hunts and seeing some good bulls but never closing the deal, they never spooked the elk.  Treading lightly, and patiently waiting, their opportunity came the morning of Day 2.

The herd had made their way to the West side of the peak.  Knowing they were there, Matt and Jerome still decided to circle around the peak to see if they could find "Whale Tail", a big 5 point they had spotted the night before.  To no avail, Matt reluctantly admitted to going against his first rule in elk hunting "NEVER leave elk to find elk."  They made their way back to the west side of the peak where they first spotted the herd at daybreak. 

Getting there was difficult as they had to side-hill all the way around Buffalo Peak.  Soon they were into the tail end of the herd as the elk made their way towards the dark timber.  The wind was just not in their favor and they spooked some of the herd.  The herd crossed through an opeining within 200 yards but the only bull that offered a shot was a small 4 point.  They spotted a nice 5 point, but couldn't get a shot.  As they watched the elk disappear into the timber, Matt heard some elk coming out of the aspen grove 150 yards below them.  Matt told Jerome about the elk and told him to stay still until a bull came out.  Through the aspens, Matt could make out nice long tines of a mature bull; he whispered to Jerome that a "shooter" bull was coming out.  Jerome turned and readied for the shot.  The bull stopped but so did a calf right next to him.  The calf must have heard the hunters cursing under their breath because she stepped forward, giving Jerome a clear shot.  They both heard the bullet hit and watched the bull hump up and run into the next patch of aspen.  All the other elk cleared out, but the bull never came out of the aspen.

Sure that the bull was down, Matt and Jerome sat and waited before Matt went to look for signs of the elk.  Matt had just entered the aspen grove searching for blood when the big bull jumped out of his bed and headed down hill through the aspen, avoiding offering Jerome a shot.  They couldn't find a blood trail, but knew the bull was hit and they HAD to find him.  They worked their way down through the aspens in the direction the bull last took off.  Several hundred yards dowhnill Matt spotted the eyes and ears of the bull that had bedded back down under some large spruce trees.  The only shot Jerome had was a neck shot and he put the bullet right where it needed to be to finish the bull off.  Neither Matt or Jerome knew just how big this bull was until they walked up to him; it was HUGE!  A massive 6x6 with all the characteristics of a Colorado Trophy Bull, later rough scored at well over 320 in Boone and Crocket!  Congrats Jerome on the bull of a lifetime!

Steve Reynolds - Second Rifle Season 3 Day Hunt

Veteran Hunter and longtime friend of Buffalo Creek Ranch, Steve Reynolds, again experience a truly "awesome" hunting experience, although he left the ranch without a bull.  The most notable bull that Steve had his crosshairs on was a bull that had a beautiful 6 point rack on one side, but the beam was broke off on the other side.  He passed, but later reminisced on how cool a mount it would make if only put half the head on the wall with only the huge beam showing.  Being a true sportsman and loving the "hunt" more than the "kill", Steve hunted hard during his 3 days and passed on several bull as they were all smaller than other bulls he has harvested in years past at Buffalo Creek Ranch.  He'll be back next year for yet another try.

Third Season Rifle Hunt                                                                                                                                                              (October 31 - November 4, 2009)

Third season brought the Reasners, 3 generations of hard-core hunters from Ohio that were quite experienced in Western Hunting for elk.  The Reasners were only able to come for 3 days of the season, but they made the best of it.

Danny Reasner - 3rd Season                                                                                                                                                        Pictured on right

Danny took this nice bull on the first evening of his hunt.  While hunting with Paul on Buffalo Ridge, there were a couple dozen cows and bulls on the skyline.  They put a stalk on a couple of bulls that were hanging out below them and got within 60 yards as they stayed in the timber watching the bulls feeding in the open.

Danny and Paul watched the bulls for about 10 minutes and picked out the larger of two 5x5 bulls.  Danny put down the bull with one clean shot at about 70 yards.  Unfortunately, upon field dressing the bull, they found 6 inches of an arrow shaft and broadhead still in the animal and the meat was tainted.  The Colorado Division of Wildlife issued Danny another license so he could hunt for some meat.  Although he saw plenty of bulls, the stars never aligned correctly where he could get a shot.

 
Cecil Reasner- Third Rifle Season                                  pictured on left
 

Cecil got into a herd in the meadow at first light and stalked them as they moved their way to a bedding area, in the direction where his son and grandson were hunting.  The numerous bulls were quite vocal and were intercepted by the herd that the other hunters were stalking.  Confusion set in as there were soon elk going everywhere.  While there were bigger bulls in the group, Cecil settled on a confident and do able shot on this bull at 100 yards and dropped him in his tracks.  Nice job well done by this veteran hunter.

Dan Reasner- Third Rifle Season

Dan got into a large herd (about 250 elk) with his guide Mike, but soon found that seeing a lot of elk does not make for a given kill.  It's easy to get a shot, but hard to pick one out for a clean kill when there are so many milling around/feeding in a herd.

Dan didn't leave the ranch with an elk, but I sure hope this family of hunters is able to make it back to the ranch and have a little better luck!  I couldn't resist including this family shot with Cecil, Dan and Danny together with Danny's elk!

Thank you for looking at our 2009 hunt photos, I hope to add pages for 2007 and 2008 soon.  If you were a hunter with us in 2009 and would like to comment on your story, please email Wendy .

If you are a hunter who would like to be featured in 2010, please call us at 970-723-4045 or email john@buffalocreek.com to book your hunt!