duck911
Member
Sorry if you've all seen this cross posted on some other forums. The post was written so thought I'd just paste it up here too!
I had today off and the weather looked nice so I headed off on my second annual September Colorado High Country Marmot Hunt. Roughly about a year ago, I posted a story and some similar pics from this hunt last year. In that hunt, I shot a Dusky (blue) grouse and a marmot. In both the trip last year and the trip this year, the primary goal was to see/hunt/shoot a ptarmigan. I considered grouse and marmot would be incidental. I've yet to see a ptarmigan though so this will now be known as the annual marmot hunt (hehe)
I took a few pictures to memorialize the hunt and show anyone who cares how late Sept looks in the Rockies.
The hunt started by heading up towards the divide up in the Rockies above Denver. As will see, the fall colors are in FULL bloom:
The next three pics are of the drive heading up to the continental divide. The low scrub and willows are where I've poked around for ptarmigan, but again, no sign and no birds. I may make a trip back up there this year with the lab and let him run around and spend all day walking just for ptarmigan.
Temp was 32 degrees. I came across potential marmot spot #1. It was early enough, cold enough, and the sun low enough that I didn't spy any marmot. That was no surprise - this late in the year they usually come out once the sun warms up their favorite rocks...
Spot #2. Still too cold.
Surprise! A tree had fallen across the road. This pic was taken AFTER I hooked up the tow strap and yanked it out of the road. It started perpendicular to the road and blocked all access. The rootball was dry and the log had been there probably all summer. Once I moved it and drove past, I put the first tire tracks of the year into the valley.
Ahh! The grand entrance to marmot spot #3.
By now the temps were in the 50's and warming up. I saddled up the Remington 700 VLS 204 Ruger and packed my way into the valley. I came up to the first scree pile (where I killed my marmot last year), and stopped to glass. In no time I saw a fat one about 150 yards away. I dropped my backpack on a rock, cranked the Bushnell 3200 up to 15 power, and took aim. It was sunning on a rock broadside to me, but with his head turned slightly away. I aimed for right behind his ear and pulled the trigger. I can guarantee you he never felt a thing.....
Victory pics........... I didn't feel the need to post the graphic kill pics. Let's just say the 40 gr v-max more than did it's job. This little guy deserves a little respect at least.
Gotta get the .204 in there...............
I hiked up to a cliff ledge that was about 150 feet high, and looked over the next scree field. There, I found the motherload of marmot. I sat for 2 hours and counted 30-40 marmot. some were likely duplicates, but I had so far looked over only about 5% of the valley.
As you can see by a few of the many pics I took, I had every chance to plow another marmot (2 allowed per day in Colorado).
However, the marmot I shot last year and the one I shot today, both caused me to pause and reflect. Had they been prairie dogs I would have been pulling the trigger. But I respect these little guys for living where they do, and I am amazed at how they live in such a harsh environment. With all the critters I saw today I'm sure 1 more wouldn't have harmed a thing, but putting them in the sites as they sun themselves on the rocks................ Screw it, it was more fun to watch today! You can see by the rifle in the pic that I had a reasonable shot! haha!
On the way out I saw a dusky (BLUE) grouse jog up a hillside. I pulled forward a few hundred yards, loaded the shotgun, and circled up the hillside to intercept the bird.
My high school trigonometry must have sunk in years ago because I got the angles just right and nailed the bird at 30 yards after a short hike up the hill!
What a great day! EXCEPT............
On the way out, I managed to tangle with the log I pulled out of the road. I cut the corner too tight and jacked up the truck. DAMN!!!
After a $500 deductible, I don't even want to THINK about the cost per pound of that blue grouse!
All in all, a great day away from work.
thanks for looking!
--Duck911
I had today off and the weather looked nice so I headed off on my second annual September Colorado High Country Marmot Hunt. Roughly about a year ago, I posted a story and some similar pics from this hunt last year. In that hunt, I shot a Dusky (blue) grouse and a marmot. In both the trip last year and the trip this year, the primary goal was to see/hunt/shoot a ptarmigan. I considered grouse and marmot would be incidental. I've yet to see a ptarmigan though so this will now be known as the annual marmot hunt (hehe)
I took a few pictures to memorialize the hunt and show anyone who cares how late Sept looks in the Rockies.
The hunt started by heading up towards the divide up in the Rockies above Denver. As will see, the fall colors are in FULL bloom:
The next three pics are of the drive heading up to the continental divide. The low scrub and willows are where I've poked around for ptarmigan, but again, no sign and no birds. I may make a trip back up there this year with the lab and let him run around and spend all day walking just for ptarmigan.
Temp was 32 degrees. I came across potential marmot spot #1. It was early enough, cold enough, and the sun low enough that I didn't spy any marmot. That was no surprise - this late in the year they usually come out once the sun warms up their favorite rocks...
Spot #2. Still too cold.
Surprise! A tree had fallen across the road. This pic was taken AFTER I hooked up the tow strap and yanked it out of the road. It started perpendicular to the road and blocked all access. The rootball was dry and the log had been there probably all summer. Once I moved it and drove past, I put the first tire tracks of the year into the valley.
Ahh! The grand entrance to marmot spot #3.
By now the temps were in the 50's and warming up. I saddled up the Remington 700 VLS 204 Ruger and packed my way into the valley. I came up to the first scree pile (where I killed my marmot last year), and stopped to glass. In no time I saw a fat one about 150 yards away. I dropped my backpack on a rock, cranked the Bushnell 3200 up to 15 power, and took aim. It was sunning on a rock broadside to me, but with his head turned slightly away. I aimed for right behind his ear and pulled the trigger. I can guarantee you he never felt a thing.....
Victory pics........... I didn't feel the need to post the graphic kill pics. Let's just say the 40 gr v-max more than did it's job. This little guy deserves a little respect at least.
Gotta get the .204 in there...............
I hiked up to a cliff ledge that was about 150 feet high, and looked over the next scree field. There, I found the motherload of marmot. I sat for 2 hours and counted 30-40 marmot. some were likely duplicates, but I had so far looked over only about 5% of the valley.
As you can see by a few of the many pics I took, I had every chance to plow another marmot (2 allowed per day in Colorado).
However, the marmot I shot last year and the one I shot today, both caused me to pause and reflect. Had they been prairie dogs I would have been pulling the trigger. But I respect these little guys for living where they do, and I am amazed at how they live in such a harsh environment. With all the critters I saw today I'm sure 1 more wouldn't have harmed a thing, but putting them in the sites as they sun themselves on the rocks................ Screw it, it was more fun to watch today! You can see by the rifle in the pic that I had a reasonable shot! haha!
On the way out I saw a dusky (BLUE) grouse jog up a hillside. I pulled forward a few hundred yards, loaded the shotgun, and circled up the hillside to intercept the bird.
My high school trigonometry must have sunk in years ago because I got the angles just right and nailed the bird at 30 yards after a short hike up the hill!
What a great day! EXCEPT............
On the way out, I managed to tangle with the log I pulled out of the road. I cut the corner too tight and jacked up the truck. DAMN!!!
After a $500 deductible, I don't even want to THINK about the cost per pound of that blue grouse!
All in all, a great day away from work.
thanks for looking!
--Duck911
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I was on the back side of the Mesa capming a few weeks ago & went to a good Marmot area, but the wind was howling & I didn't see a one.. I was hoping to roast one on a spit over the fire!
