The day before the season opens, we will meet in the morning at the trailhead, load the pack horses, and ride 6 miles into a full service camp. This will be the base camp for all hunting activities. We will get to know each other over dinner. The next day we will arise at 4:30 for coffee and breakfast plus accomplish any last minute preparations for the day. Our day packs will contain all we need for a full day of hunting including a lunch, snacks and water. Water is critical since dehydration is more pronounced at higher altitudes. We will split into groups of a guide plus 1 or 2 hunters and hike up drainages to get the elevation needed to pursue a bugling bull, sit a game trail with fresh track, or to glass larger areas trying to spot game moving from their nightly feeding grounds to cool bedding areas in stands of timber. Depending on the season, the guide may have the opportunity to call a bugling bull to our location, providing a truly unforgettable experience as the responding bull anticipates a challenge from another bull for mating rights with one or more cows. The guides and hunters will develop plans on how to continue the hunt through the remainder of the day, depending on the morning experiences. One possibility is to sit near a wallow waiting for a bull to leave his cows for a refreshing dip in water on a warm day. The hunts will continue until after sunset at which time we will make our way back to camp for a prepared dinner, sharing stories of the days hunts, planning the hunt for the following day, and enjoying the fellowship that develops in a hunting camp.
We will repeat the above routine each day, modifying our tactics to increase our opportunities. One possible change is we may hike into a forward "spike" camp where we will conduct the evening hunt and sleep for the night. The next morning we will have convenient access to a new hunting area.
The day after the hunt ends, after breakfast we will break camp taking particular care to eliminate any evidence that we were there, load the pack horses with game, trophies, gear, trash and remaining food, and ride back to the trailhead. The guides will help load each clients vehicle. We look forward to sharing final congratulations for a successful wilderness hunt and an unforgettable wilderness experience in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. As your outfitter, the entire staff at NCO looks forward to sharing the satisfaction of a successful hunt with our clients.