I have been chasing elk in the Colorado mountains since the early 1990s. The elk and the rugged mountains where they live haven’t changed much since that first trip I made out west. However, the tools that are available to hunters today have exploded in the last 10 to 15 years. This tool list is endless, from the gear, how-to videos, podcasts, mapping software, etc. Guys can now learn in a month what it took some of us many years to piece together. I could talk about all of these amazing things, but, in my opinion, the most advantageous tool that has changed elk hunting is the mapping apps. I have numerous stories where these new mapping tools have aided in our elk hunting success. There are some hunts, like the story of “Foghorn” below, that would have never happened without these incredible tools.
It was early bow season, a full moon, and hotter than mid-July back in our home state of Virginia. My hunting partner, Paul, and I were camping about two miles in the backcountry. We were seeing some sign, but the elk talk was scarce at best. On day four, just as it often does, the light switch flipped. My first bugle of the morning was answered by two bulls. Fortunately for us, they continued to answer each other, allowing us to close the distance. We were hunting the rugged, deep canyons of the San Juan mountains. Both bulls were across one of these deep canyons. We soon found one of the bulls and his six cows in our glass. They were 800+ yards line of sight, but an 800-foot elevation drop and a 700-foot climb separated us (all which our maps showed +35 to 45-degree slopes).
The other bull was down the canyon and lower in elevation. The lower bull had a unique bugle, one that that resembled the sound of a foghorn that a ship would use to warn boaters in a busy harbor. It was only fitting to name this bull Foghorn. We hadn’t laid eyes on him yet but could only imagine what kind of head gear this old monarch was carrying. The other bull with cows was heading down the canyon towards Foghorn. We were quickly buried into our phones looking at the maps. Using the map’s slope analysis, we found a ridge that we believed would allow us to reach the creek. We quickly built the route that we hoped would not get us “cliffed out.” We had to climb 200 to 300 feet back to the head of ridge we were on and circle over to another ridge that would hopefully lead us closer to the bulls.
We were probably 45 minutes into our route, and as we were dropping in, Foghorn bugled across the canyon from us. We continued to lose elevation and found a point where we could look across the canyon where we believed he may now be bedded. I gave a bugle, and he answered. We felt for sure he was now bedded on the north face dark timber depression on the opposite ridge across from us. We both dropped pins on our maps where we felt like Foghorn was bedded and then compared our spots to ensure we had his location nailed. We then determined, with the midday thermals, our best approach was from the east slightly above the bull’s location. Now we needed to pick a location that would put Paul in a good spot to put an arrow in Foghorn.
Using our binos, we picked a tree just over the rise that would put Paul in the depression with the bull. I planned to stay back slightly behind the rise and do the calling. I ranged the ambush tree we had picked, and it was 680 yards. We then used our map’s compass/rangefinder feature to drop a pin on that exact spot. The map’s line tool indicated the now pinned tree was within 125 yards from where we had the bedded bull marked. We then used the slope analysis and route builder tools again to plan an approach down the remaining 600-foot elevation drop and up the 400-foot elevation gain to get to our ambush location.
An hour later, we were in position. After 30+ minutes of raking and calling, Paul was able to send Foghorn to meet his maker within yards of the ambush spot we had pinned on our maps from 680 yards away. I truly believe Foghorn wouldn’t have died that day if it wasn’t for the mapping tools we used. Of course, we also used the maps to help find the best way to pack the bull out of that hellhole.
Like I said earlier, I have been chasing elk out west for over 25 years, and the mapping tools available today is no question the biggest game-changing development to come along. If you are planning a hunting trip out west, you can’t afford not to put this one in your toolbox.
P.S. Foghorn turned out to be a decent 5x5 bull. Nothing like we imagined, but his size didn’t change the excitement of a truly incredible hunt.
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