VO Team

D. Bay 2010

There is no sweeter sound of Fall than that of a bull elk’s bugle northwest Colorado. It makes a smile creep across your face and the hair on your stand to attention. As guides, we have the best jobs around. As I like to compare it, it’s like being professional ball player getting paid for doing what you love. There’s a catch, we don’t get paid like the ball players.

This post finds us in the middle of our elk season and already we are dreading the end. Keep looking for the updates with the photos, there are some good bulls. Until next week – Happy Hunting!

The VO Crew

Check out the bulls in the photo gallery.  We’re no Ansel Adams, but you will get the point.  Happy hunting!

The VO Team

VO @ Wolf Mtn Ranch, 2009

I’m sorry about the delay in getting updates out to you.  As mentioned in a previous post, we are not techy nerds.  We are “rednecks’ that like to hunt, and have only enough computer savvy to be dangerous.  I just happen to be the “redneck” with the most computer knowledge out of all of us.  Heck, I may get us on Facepage or a Tweet account.  You never know.

I picked the title of this entry for a couple of reasons.  First, many of you know that I have been in a battle with brain cancer.  Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers.  THEY WORKED!  As of Wednesday, the report from the doctor is that the cancer (what’s left) is dying or dead.  I’ve got a lot rehab ahead of me, but am heading to camp today!   Wahoo!!!

The second reason is – It’s the start of new year hunting!  Gentelmen start your guns, all right that’s the good ole boys but you get the point.  I will be giving weekly updates, with pictures, to keep you abreast of the season.  If you happen to flipping through the tube and land on the VS network, keep an eye out for Lonny, Dirk or myself. 

Gotta go!  I’m late for showing up at camp.  I’ll provide updates when get back to town.

Happy Hunting!

Brad  

So take a look at the links and they may open your eyes, as with mine, to some interesting information regarding our gun rights and the future thereof. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDMeDmV0ufU

http://www.snopes.com/politics/guns/blairholt.asp

www.opencongress.org/bill/111-h45/text

If you feel passionate about your freedom and rights, we encourage becoming a member of hunting organizations or gun clubs (such as SCI or the NRA).  We hope this is informative and helps.  Feel free to give us some feedback.

Brad and the VO Crew

EOS Tactical by Princeton Tec

I have to say that headlamps have come a long way from the days where I had to wear the battery on my belt and a hard hat with the lamp mounted on it.  That’s right, you may remember the kind with the cord that ran down your back.  The other alternative was a heavy handheld flashlight.

We were fortunate enough to hook up with my favorite light company this fall, Princeton Tec.  I’ve personally been using their lights for years but I’ve failed to upgrade my 8 year old headlight because they seem to last forever.  Wow!  They are lighter, smaller and more versatile than ever.  I passed one to every guide to put the test and in Fall conditions.  Now considering the weather that we experience from September – November, it’s shocking that anything lasts.

Now the first thing that we noticed was the weight of lamp or better put the lack thereof.  Coming in at a whopping 105 grams, Dirk’s empty chew can weighs more.  Seriously, carrying as much gear as we do every gram counts when hiking through the woods.  The second thing we discovered was the settings for the various levels of light.  When we get a critter down after dark, we need some light on the situation as you all understand.  When we are trying to sneak out without the critters spotting us, we need less.  It’s got both!  Did I mention the colored lense when you are trying to be really sneaky, it’s awesome and I used when exiting the hunting grounds.

After getting with our guides, I got some feedback.  First everyone ditched their old light systems and second they pointed out the awesome features listed above and how convenient the light is.  In addition, I never have replaced my batteries.  So take it from our VO Guide Team, who start and end our days in the dark for a good portion of the year, not only do we approve we recommend the EOS Tactical by Priceton Tec.

The VO Guide Team

Wednesday morning finds my phones ringing off the hook starting at 6:45am.  The phones being downstairs, I took my time having to stop by head and I had to get some clothes on.  I started checking the caller ID’s to find out that it was a flurry of calls made both Dirk and Lonny.  Then it dawned on me – Dirk was at the ranch looking for lion tracks.  With his digits fresh on my phone and a quick redial it was confirmed — Game On!

Lonny was already in the process of getting ready to head over and pick me up, so I scrambled to get my gear together.  Before you knew, coffee in hand, Lonny and I were heading west to who knows what excitement.  In the opposite direction and a little ahead of our schedule was Rod with his dogs in tow.

We arrived on the scene with fresh lion tracks crossing the road and up a steep hill to a cliff band of rocks a few hundred yards away.  Immediately we see the two skinny’s (Rod and Dirk) up among the rocks.  As time passed, Rod made his way down and let Dirk sort out the tracks.  In true fashion of a good hound, Dirk was barking down from the cliff band his discovery.

Upon his return to the truck, it was decided to circle the area with snowmobiles to ensure our feline was in the containment area.  As luck would have it, it was determined by a quick loop that it was time to let the dogs go to work.  Now I have to say that “hill” I mentioned earlier is more like a mountain and not only was it steep but also deep with snow.  Being in the middle of a round of chemo (makes me lazy), I found myself scratching my head thinking how am I going to pull this off.

Well now for the rest of the story.  Rod and Dirk volunteered to take the dogs up to freshest set of tracks and turn them loose.  Upon releasing the hounds, it was no time before they jumped our quarry.  It just so happened that the cat had been in the rocks not 125 yards away from where Dirk had been yelling orders down to us an hour ago.

Now I must say that Rod has some of the finest hunting dogs in the country.  Not only can they track but we soon found out that they could herd as well.  I think that Rod must have had a chat with them because as soon as they busted the cat it headed right for us spectators.  And yes, I said spectators.  By this time, it was not only Lonny and I waiting on the action but neighbors and county employees as well.

Well by now it’s starting to get a little exciting and just to fire us up some more, Rod shouts on the radio “Get ready, he’s coming your way!”  At this time we’re hearing the dogs and are trying to anticipate where this lion is going to pull off a meet and greet with us.  I’m running down the road with a pistol in my hand, Lonny is screaming by me on a snowmachine, the county workers go flying by in their truck and the neighbor is running right behind me.

Somehow we all convene in the spot where the savage beast decided to make her stand.  She chose a pine tree only about 50 yards off the road (I was thinking that someone was thinking about me above).  That was a long 50 yards in thigh deep snow uphill.  The rest is in the pictures.  I owe it all to the support (I mean that in more than one way) crew.  They really look out for me and I thank them for it! 

By the time we got to town a crowd had gathered at the taxidermist office to see the feline and hear the story.  I think I overheard Chad mention that we could have used some bleachers to accommodate everyone.  Enjoy the pictures and I hope they were worth the story.

Have a great weekend!

First off, “the bosses” had us all decorate our homes with the typical holiday decorations.  Lonny was surprised by his “boss” by the intrduction of a smaller tree.  Larry’s “boss” once again had picked the exact location for the lawn decor for everyone to thoroughly enjoy as you pass by their lovely home.  My “boss” gets really excited by Christmas and tends to make every branch strain for the strength to hold up all of the ornaments.  However it was mentioned that our tree looked like an advertisement for the Cabelas ornament store thanks to “mother-n-law-boss”.

That just got things started.  Then comes the Xmas parties.  Now having us gone for a few months in the fall comes with the necessary price that we have to be seen in public with the “boss” once we return.  What better part of the year to take advantage of this than the Feliz Navidad season when everyone has an excuse to host a party.  I think that is important to the “bosses” to show that we really exist or survived.  We resist, but it’s a futal effort and thoughts of next hunting season keeps our strength up.

Now the big week comes between Christmas and New Years.  By now, we’re getting used to the fact that we are no where near being in charge but we see the football game in passing to take the trash out, or out to shovel the walkway of snow once more, or take out recycling, or run to the grocery store again or pick up the dog toys once again so nobody gets hurt.  You come to appreciate the chores that the “boss” sends you on like snowblowing where you can’t hear anyone or speak to anyone and your mind can wonder back to the last hunt of the season.  Then you run out of gas and it’s back to reality.

After the smoke clears, you reflect back on the past several weeks and realize that it was a clean shot and you came away with a successful hunt.  I know that had family in town from both sides and it was one of the best holiday season that I’ve experienced.  Maybe having acquired my medical condition a year ago put it in perspective for me and my “boss” but we try not to take the important things for granted like our family and extended Steamboat family.  We here at the VO family hope that you had as equally as good as holiday season that we experienced.  May you have a healthy and prosperous 2010!

The VO Team

I’ll share the full story in another update, but I have to give a big thanks to Bo Finley with All Things Outdoors, Triple Cross Ranch and guess you would call him my guide Jay Presti and my sister, Leigh Ann, for an awesome trip to Texas for a Whitetail hunt of a lifetime a couple weeks ago.  The hospitality and the opportunity was greatly appreciated to take the biggest Whitetail I’ve ever harvested. 

Stay tuned for more news and updates.  I’ll be making the attempt to put together a “Best Of” album from VO this Fall.  I hope that everyone continues to have a good Fall/Winter of hunting.

Happy Holidays from everyone here at VO!