LEJ said:

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BurrOak has one too. I think we both have the same frame and pack.

I've got the SG Krux Evo frame with the Evo 40/56 bag, plus 2 belt pouches, guide lid and hydro holster. I also use the load cell dry bag, no exterior cover.

I ran into 2 big ol boys from Oklahoma on the mountain last year. When they asked me how I liked the setup I challenged them to a knife fight over it. They chuckled and declined. We went our separate ways.

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Yeah, we have the exact same setup. Works pretty damn well. Very pleased.

shaynew1 said:

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Whatever you do don't buy a kifaru

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Why is that?

Because they come out with new bags on the reg you'll think you need

I've had a couple different ones over the last few years and a 22 mag on 22" frame is perfect for what I've been doing. I love it.

But I covet the new Stryker for day huntin.

BurrOak said:

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shaynew1 said:

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Whatever you do don't buy a kifaru

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Why is that?

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OG OB Kifaru pusher right here.

I didn't have monies to buy one for a long time

Texas is a Western State... kinda.

Got my AZ elk and pronghorn points today.

I gotta get my rear in gear.

Bought my elk points for zona

https://the-journal.com/articles/167414-local-elk-herds-decline-colorado-parks-and-wildlife-seeks-solution?utm_campaign=03b7204e36-newsletter-2020-02-07&utm_content=local-elk-herds-decline-colorado-parks-and-wildlife-seeks-solution&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Full+List&utm_term=0_9d724e6613-03b7204e36-28569635&fbclid=IwAR1vWoLB4f09fx8ld7BFm8rWV9Tyqo12DbQyzY3qghs7kXpNd-l9bdTE9XM

I haven't even finished this article but if you want to bow hunt elk in SW Colo you better read it!

It's them damn Texans, among other things.

Anyone hunted any 0 pp mule deer rifle units in Colorado? There a few and I figure why not give it a go.

Just do it. You won't regret it.

LEJ said:

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It's them damn Texans, among other things.

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Every year hunting numbers decline. It's the"among other things" including a hard winter not long ago coupled with little to no actual management and development on wintering areas.

'Tis a joke. He's one of those damn Texans.

AgLA06 said:

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LEJ said:

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It's them damn Texans, among other things.

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Every year hunting numbers decline. It's the"among other things" including a hard winter not long ago coupled with little to no actual management and development on wintering areas.

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This is what feels so counterintuitive to so many of us. Hunter numbers ARE on decline, but it doesn't feel that way at the trailhead. A lot of us in Texas grew tired of the deer lease/feeder culture and the $$$ that came with it and decided we would rather take one or two big trips a year out west. Combine that with the Rinella/Newberg affect (i include myself in this btw) and technology shortening the learning curve and that's why archery OTC tag purchases have gone through the roof in CO despite stale license sales overall nationwide.

I think "among other things" is a factor, but I can see the increased foot traffic in September playing a role as well.

Fair. I'm one of those as well.

The harvest numbers just don't seem to back that up. Lots of pumpkin heads parked on roads and trail heads don't necessarily equate to killing elk.

I go to a wilderness area so it isn't as bad. However, I've never seen another hunter off the trails. The last trip I saw 3 other hunters the entire week and all three were just walking the trail loop.

AgEng06 said:

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'Tis a joke. He's one of those damn Texans.

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I know. We've talked shop previously.

That talking point just drives me nuts. Texans have always gone to Colorado to ski and hunt. Hell the old joke is we included a lease back after we sold the land to them.

I agree more people are getting into western hunting. It's the east coast and gulf coast boys that are noticably growing in numbers.

It's not the killing of elk but the "harassment" (pressure) during the rut that's the major issue here.... at least that's my takeaway from the article.

Development (which affects elk during migration) is not going to slow down. Limited archery tags (during pre and peak rut) may actually make sense. Reactivating a spring bear season might make sense as well.

FC12 said:

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Anyone hunted any 0 pp mule deer rifle units in Colorado? There a few and I figure why not give it a go.

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Yes I have. Not impossible, but don't pass a legal animal.

LEJ said:

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It's not the killing of elk but the "harassment" (pressure) during the rut that's the major issue here.... at least that's my takeaway from the article.

Development (which affects elk during migration) is not going to slow down. Limited archery tags (during pre and peak rut) may actually make sense. Reactivating a spring bear season might make sense as well.

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We will never have another spring bear season here in Colorado, no matter how much sense it makes. It was a constitutional amendment that ended it. Not going to overturn that. Far easier to pass than overturn.

It is only a matter of time before Colorado goes to draw for all tags, just like every other western state.

Late getting into this thread this year, glad to see yall are all fired up already
Congrats on the baby!
Plan is to hunt CO first rifle again this year, got a couple people I've promised I'd take up there so hopefully this year goes better than last

BradMtn346 said:

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LEJ said:

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It's not the killing of elk but the "harassment" (pressure) during the rut that's the major issue here.... at least that's my takeaway from the article.

Development (which affects elk during migration) is not going to slow down. Limited archery tags (during pre and peak rut) may actually make sense. Reactivating a spring bear season might make sense as well.

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We will never have another spring bear season here in Colorado, no matter how much sense it makes. It was a constitutional amendment that ended it. Not going to overturn that. Far easier to pass than overturn.

It is only a matter of time before Colorado goes to draw for all tags, just like every other western state.

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Didn't realize it was shut down that way. Thanks for that tidbit. That certainly adds another several layers of difficulty.

Not sure if any of you have kept up with the saga regarding the new EXO K3 frames. One of the major changes was switching from titanium to a new type of aluminum. There was skepticism of the durability of an aluminum frame but the guys at EXO explained it was new technology and they put 75 packs with the new aluminum frames through a pretty demanding test last offseason and felt comfortable enough to go forward.

For the most part there have been no problems, and the aluminum saves a few ounces, but a few weeks ago they sent an email out explaining that they were seeing a very small amount of failure in the frames due to cracks and were replacing ALL K3 frames no questions asked.

It appears that the failure rate is about 1/150. A real gut-punch for a small American made and run company but they are standing by their product.

I just so happened to be one of the 1/150 that this happened to. Somehow I can't get that kind of luck in the draws but when it comes to pack failure I'm the lucky boy or girl. I did a write-up regarding the incident on rockslide. The link is below, I'll also paste it in a separate post as this one already got a little wordy.

I'm TexAg07 on Rokslide
Rokslide-EXO K3 frame replacement

I had one of the 150 that cracked. A lot has already been said about the customer service level this company has reached by pre-emptively replacing all frames but let me tell you a little bit more about what they did for me.
I received my pack just a few weeks before 1st rifle in Colorado. I did a few hikes to try and get to know it and get it fitted properly but replicating a DIY elk hunt in the the San Juans when you live at sea level in Houston is tough. The day before the season opened, just after arriving to our area I did a scouting hike with the pack about 6 miles round trip. We liked what we saw on that scout and that afternoon were back at the trailhead packing 5 days worth of gear before heading back in. While we were finishing up I noticed something.


This was the first time I noticed this. I need to mention that several times before this, both at home in prep and earlier in the day while scouting, that my pack felt "wobbly" and "uneven" but this is the first time I actually saw the crack. That uneven or wobbly sensation could have been due to this being my first EXO, and first "nice" pack in general or could have been due to it already being cracked. So I can't say for sure whether it arrived to me like this, happened in Texas, happened in transit, happened that day, but I can say that IMO the crack didn't happen due to extreme load or pressure but due to a flukey type microscopic defect that seems consistent with what the guys at EXO are describing.
I immediately emailed pictures explaining that it was the day before the season and I had a problem with my new pack. Within 90 seconds I was receiving a call from Boise, Idaho on my cell phone. It was Mark at Exo. I described as best I could what I was seeing, and my best guess as to when it may have happened, but that didn't seem to matter at all. Mark was only concerned with how soon he could get me a new pack. Only a hunter would understand this, your general customer service rep would not understand the urgency. I happened to be hunting just outside Telluride and being a weekend we had a day delay but Mark decided right then and there to overnight me a new frame AND PACK to the Hotel Telluride for me to pickup whenever I came off the mountain. He knew I may very well be up all 5 days of the season, but he also knew there was a chance I could come down in a day or two to change spots if things were slow. And that's exactly what happened, day 2 of the season we came down and picked up my pack at the Hotel before heading to a different area in the unit. Again, that's something only a hunter would understand.

In the meantime I hunted the first couple of days with a duct-taped frame and I'll be honest it performed just fine. The most I ever had in the pack was for the hike in and that probably wasn't more than 40 pounds but I thought it was worth mentioning.
I didn't have the pleasure of packing an elk out, I'm 0-2 on elk so far. But I can say it wasn't due to my gear and I am an EXO guy for life after this experience.

I have an access question.

On BLM and National Forests, if there is an established 2-track "road" can you use it if it is not gated? I understand that you have to be mindful of where it leaves public and goes to private land.

If it's a maintained FS or BLM road you can use it, even if it crosses private land. Just don't go outside the boundaries when passing through private.

That being said, landowners will sometimes close and lock gates across public roads. If you run into that, call the FS or BLM, give them the road number, and raise holy hell about it, since it's illegal.

Log said:

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If it's a maintained FS or BLM road you can use it, even if it crosses private land. Just don't go outside the boundaries when passing through private.

That being said, landowners will sometimes close and lock gates across public roads. If you run into that, call the FS or BLM, give them the road number, and raise holy hell about it, since it's illegal.

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I'm going to take it a step further and say that if it is a named or numbered road, it is usually open to the public, but there are a lot of roads on maps and apps like OnX that are private roads and you cannot use them to cross private.

Once you are on public, it varies depending on the travel plan in place for that forest or BLM district. Again, staying on numbered or marked trails keeps you safe.

Some states also require that a private road or area be marked, in order to restrict access... I think.

Let's figure this out for every state. Get on it people!