Grand
Mesa

The worlds largest flat topped mountain is much like Minnesota or Wisconsin. It has lakes, forests of pine, hemlock, spruce and other trees. Elk, deer, bear and other wild animals are plentiful.

I remember one hunting trip on Grand Mesa in the fall on horseback that we spent several days hunting elk. We slept at night in a tent with coyotes howling around us and a small wood stove to keep us warm. . One evening as we were on the mountain side at the end of the day we were headed back to camp on the horses but two of us became aware that we were headed down the mountain and not up which is where the camp was located. Then we noticed that the one that was suppose to be leading us had fallen asleep on his horse and the horse had enough of hunting and was headed back home which was down the mountain near Cedaredge. This was all during a heavy snow which made even more memorable.

On another day hunting we were on a mountainside in a forest of quaking aspen when a large herd of elk came charging up the through the trees. I got behind the closest tree and could have almost reached out and touched them as they ran past. And I never even got a shot off.

On another occasion we were back on horseback riding on Grand Mesa when we came across some hunters from Tennessee who had shot an elk but were having trouble loading the elk on thier horse. It was one that they brought with them from Tennessee and it was a beautiful morgan with 4 whiite stockings and blaze on his head. The owner had lost his patience trying to get the horse to settle down but to no avail. My friend traded him horses and then showed him how to run his hand in the blood of the elk and then the smeared the blood on the horses nose so it was all he could smell. After some time he settled down and they were able to load the elk.