2000 Hunters

The year 2000 proved to be an exciting year for us. Before this year, we ranched and outfitted on the Whistling Elk, a nearby ranch, for over 10 years. So we'd been exposed to all the rumours. . "Buffalo Creek is fantasy hunting. . ."the outfitter has 100% success rate. . .", "all the elk are over on the Buffalo Creek. . ." and on and on. But like most legends, and the Buffalo Creek inspired many, we thought it might just be based on some fact with fiction mixed in.

When the owner of the Whistling Elk told us, the management team, that the Buffalo Creek ranch came up for sale and he wanted to buy it, one of us grinned from ear to ear (John), and the other one of us (me), just said, I'll believe it when I see it. Deemed the most beautiful and elk prolific ranch in North Park, I didn't trust my luck that much. Two days later, the deal was done.

So here we have a legendary elk hunting mecca, paired with an avid hunter/owner who doesn't need to pack in the hunters for income, but who's willing to share his blessings with a few hunters, and a manager trained in sound management principles for our wildlife and their habitat. I won't bore you with all the details, but just a few: cattle herds are kept to a minimum and moved frequently to help the grass stay healthy, turnips are planted and on and on. For the year 2000, we have only 5 rifle hunter/guests to see what the ranch can do, and as legend would have it, five elk were taken. We had one combo hunter, so add a deer to the total. (see combo photo on previous page)

John is still grinning from ear to ear and every day I look out my breakfast window over a 45-acre lake and up into the snow capped Continental Divide, I still can't believe it.

. . . and so the legend continues. . .

"Texas" Jack with his 2000 bull. This is his second year hunting with John. He loves the new ranch. In the background, you can see Buffalo Ridge. This open ridge runs along the north end of the ranch, eventually fading away into dark timber and steep mountains up into the Continental Divide.



Larry tagged along with his father-in-law, "Texas" Jack for his first elk hunt. What is family for anyway? This bull was taken while on stand up on Buffalo Ridge.

Howie sighted a herd of elk
at sunrise and tracked them
throughout the day. After
a day of rigorous hiking, he got
his bull at 200 yards. We try not
to have favorites, but we're only
human, and we were ecstatic when Howie got his elk. Not only did
he have a phenomonal hunt, but Howie
has fished with us in our private fishing
club for two years now. Like Jack, our return hunter,
guests quickly become our friends.

Robert had an interesting hunt. While normally elk aren't bugling during rifle season, the elk forgot to read the rules and it was the bugle that drew Robert to this herd, where he got his bull at about 200 yards.

Buffalo Creek Ranch
P.O. Box 2
2320 JCR 28A
Rand, CO 80473
Phone: (970) 723-4045
Fax: (970) 723-4045
   

John Ziegman, General Manager
e-mail: John@buffalocreek.com

 

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