DAN SIMMONS Sportsman's Quest MORE COLUMNS Advertisement

As the big game season draws to an end, it's not too early to start planning for next year.

One of the hunts on my list is to follow in the footsteps of my friend Jason Higgins. For several years, he's hunted Colorado and taken advantage of their abundant elk herds, as well as their generous over the counter, or landowner, tag allocations.

This year, he once again hunted on a ranch in the Citadel Mountains with his friend Mike Kidd. In previous years he successfully hunted this area for both cow and bull elk, as well as for trophy deer.

As we all know, a hunt is more than just collecting meat or a trophy. It's an opportunity to explore new territory, meet new friends and re-connect with our simpler, natural instincts. Jason calls it, "getting back in touch with one's self." We all understand that, too.

On this November trip, Jason and Mike, working together, enjoyed the planning and preparation stage of an adventure.

Rifles and ammunition were selected, and tested, elk calls were tuned and practiced and the proper layered hunting clothing was taken from storage and made ready. They were ready too.

First, it was a comfortable drive through awesomely beautiful country to Rifle, Colo., then north to Meeker, Colo., where they bought tags and gathered local information from this hunter- friendly community.

"The weather has been warm, and hunting was a bit slow," they were told, "Everyone's waiting for the first heavy snow in the high country."

When the boys arrived at their destination, they were made comfortable in the rustic bunkhouse and met their fellow hunters who would be sharing the 60,000-acre working ranch.

The next morning it was up at "last dark," and a drive to the next valley where they began hiking, looking for sign and always glued to their spotting scopes.

Only deer were sighted on this first day, lots of them, but this was an elk only trip.

On day two, they hit the high country and started seeing both bull and cow elk. It was getting late, but they knew where to start the next day.

At first light on day three they were on the previous day's hillside and waited. Throughout the morning small groups of elk walked through the valley below, but not the one Jason was after. Then in the early afternoon two large bulls emerged, at about 325- yards, from the cedars below.

Jason's Remington model 700, in 300 win. mag., which he had purchased at the silent auction of the previous year's Safari Club International banquet, was ready.

He found a comfortable prone position and waited for the largest bull to give him a broadside shot, carefully squeezed the trigger, as if shaking someone's hand, and he heard the bullet hit solidly.

The elk stumbled, re-gained its balance and ran toward the hunter. At 275 yards, a second shot hit within inches of the first and it was over.

Well, not really over. Then the work began. They field-dressed and quartered the animal, loaded it on a small pack hauler and delivered it to the small town of Maybelle , Colo., where it was put in cold storage while Jason helped the other hunters scout, hunt and pack their game.

By the seventh day, it had turned bitterly cold, with six to eight inches of snow and the elk were on the move. The ranch manager dropped by the bunkhouse on the eighth day and let the hunters know that three to four thousand elk crossed the highway near Meeker and were on their way.

"Get ready boys," he counseled.

Then they came. Jason spotted for his friends and they collected a nice 5X5 bull. On the next day Jason found himself surrounded by two groups of 15 elk. He got his second; a healthy cow at 150 yards and the elk wagon was called in once again.

Their hunt started with the temperatures in the 70's and ended with a low of 8 degrees and a high of 20 degrees.

The layered clothing was the right choice and their trip back home, to warmer climes, with the truck heavily loaded with winter meat, was pleasant.

Next year, you can bet there will be three of us on the trip. That is, of course, if I once again don't draw a local elk tag. Who knows, lightening may strike twice and our state's tag lottery is the best.

Events

The Safari Club International Desert-Las Vegas Chapter banquet will be held Jan.17, at the Rio Convention Pavilion. For more information call Dave Small at 702-383-0321.

* The 5^th Annual Grand Slam Club/Ovis Hunter and Outfitter Convention is Feb. 18 - 21, 2009 at Bally's Las Vegas. There will be exhibits, auctions, seminars and hunts. For more information go to www.wildsheep.org.

Recipe of week

For some unknown reason, I usually end up as camp cook on these hunts and I admit I like it, but don't tell the others. I make them do breakfast with lots of hot coffee.

Here's one recipe I'd like to put together on the next trip. It comes out great, and is really quick and simple, perfect at the end of a hard day's hunt. It works pretty good at home in the kitchen, too, where you can use pork and beef steaks.

Colorado Elk Steaks

Four pounds of elk steaks, 1-inch thick; For flavored butter mix together 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1 Tbsp thyme; 1 Tbsp marjoram; 1 Tbsp dry mustard; 1 tsp ground black pepper; 1 tsp salt; 1 Tbsp chopped cilantro; 7 Tbsp butter, softened; For basting sauce, mix together: 2 Tbsp red wine; 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar; 1/4 cup red currant jelly; 3 Tbsp dry mustard; 2 Tbsp chopped cilantro; 2 cloves garlic, minced.

Prepare flavored butter; cut through one side of elk steak to form a pocket; place 1/2 Tbsp of butter mixture into pocket; prepare basting sauce; baste outside of elk steaks with mixture and let sit in refrigerator for six hours. Remove from refrigerator and grill over medium coals for seven minutes on each side, basting with remaining sauce.