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I first hunted Colorado for elk in the fall of 2013...and never saw a thing. Cervus canadensis may as well have been Latin for unicorn, because we’d seen just as many of the latter as the former. And, despite my best efforts, that outcome remained in the back of my mind as I returned to the Centennial state in October 2015 for redemption. I was due to join Leupold Optics, Ruger and Nosler for a five-day adventure in the mountains of southeastern Colorado, alongside the fine folks from Fred Eichler's FullDraw Outfitters. As I came to find out, however, the story couldn't have gone any differently. How so? Check out the photo gallery embedded above for more.
Five elusive Coues bucks in three days? Odds for that are low in the Southwest habitat the diminutive deer call home. But that never stopped a family from trying.
What defines a trophy? It’s a question every hunter asks and answers throughout his or her career. In the beginning it may be any deer or any buck; the first wallhanger; the first head of Western game; a kid’s first deer; a limit of … whatever. Curious about an answer? Read on.