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2003 HUNT PHOTO GALLERY Guest Quote. . . "My brother and I had a great time hunting at Buffalo Creek. You and the guides were great also, easy-going and knowledgeable. The accommodations and food were first rate. This was my brother and I's fourth elk hunt since retirement. But this is the first hunt we were totally satisfied with. I saw more elk in one day at Buffalo Creek than the previous three hunts combined, plus each of us harvested a fine bull. The habitat and elk management programs you have initiated at the ranch can only ensure great hunting for years to come. Our sport needs more people like you and Dick. Thanks for the memories. -Tom"

First season hunters, the Janicki family, proud of their 4 wheeling "most in class" category win, and Junior's first elk.

Also new this year was a fully outfitted meat processing facility and walk-in cooler and freezer units. While we've always taken great pride in caring for our clients' meat from the field, we knew we could take it a step further. The problem with sending meat to the processor as we have done in past years, is that you never know if you receive the meat you shot or if it was properly cared for. Our new unit takes the guesswork out of the process, ensuring our clients take home great meat in addition to great memories and trophies. The meat processing is included in our hunting packages and guarantees that the elk you eat is the one you shot and that it was cared for impeccably from the field to the freezer.

THE MOOSE HUNTS It was a banner year for moose hunting. If you're not familiar with Colorado hunting regulations, you should know that getting a moose tag is a lot like winning a state lottery, so requests for these hunts are sparse. This year was different however, and we had to turn down hunters in order to maintain the quality of our hunts. This fine bull was taken by Dick, one of our favorite hunters--TRULY! (pictured on the main big game hunting page and every page thereafter). This sportsman knows hunting like no other, knows the ranch property he's hunting and usually doesn't stop until the last day of hunting, because he's confident in his ability to find game. This skilled archer stalked this bull in the willow bottoms, then downed this handsome creature with a 40 yard shot with his bow. A remarkable experience for our guide, John, to share the hunt with this upstanding gentleman and true sportsman. We all look forward to his return.

First rifle season presented a unique challenge to Colorado. HEAT! Barring a brief snowstorm one morning, the hunt was unseasonably warm and conditions were difficult. . .sneaking quietly through the woods did not seem possible. The good news is, the elk were rutting later than usual, which added excitement to the hunt. The first of our four seasons brought back the Janicki brothers, and in tow, their son and nephew from Michigan. We also had two other Michigan hunters who've been with us in previous years. During this unseasonably warm week of hunting, we broke that magical 100% success rate we have carefully maintained since the inception of this ranch, but all the hunters saw plenty of elk and had shot opportunities. We missed a few shots, passed on a few smaller bulls, and couldn't quite get the perfect shot on a few larger bulls, but we had elk bugling throughout the season, saw some great bulls, and had a super hunt. So, our warning to hunters who see our 100% success rate: "Hey, they're wild animals, we can't guarantee it," was finally proven. But what's the old adage? That's why they call it hunting.

Tom Janicki, pictured left, came back this year not exactly expecting to top last year's bull. Let's face it, a 7X8 is a once in a lifetime encounter. But we feel he didn't do too bad considering. Who's going to complain about a 6X6? That's a dandy bull, and a dandy record. Two years. Two bulls. A 7X8 followed by a 6X6. His first evening hunting, Tom tried out one of our new blinds, and got to watch a large herd feed in front of him in the famed "Wapiti Park." Last year, Tom found his bull feeding alone and quickly made the shot. This year, he had to glass the 100+ herd and try to get a clear shot on one of the many bulls. Toms says the blind was shaking and rattling so much due to his excitement, he was afraid he'd scare off the herd! He says it's a lot easier to stay calm when there's just one animal to shoot at than when you sit and watch a herd for 30 minutes. Tom made a great 200 yard shot on this fine bull. Tom's brother, John was sitting on stand about 700 yards from Tom and had the herd move past him but wasn't able to get a clear shot at any of the bulls. Tom has always proved the "luckier" of the two brothers and John readily admits it!

This was Tom Denewith's first elk hunting experience and to say that things turned out well for him would be an understatement. On his first evening, Tom was surrounded by a whole herd of elk moving through the dark timber. At least seven different bulls were screaming as he pursued the herd until a 100 yard shot opportunity through a small opening landed him this beautiful 5X6 bull. The bull rough scored at 305. Not bad for your first day of elk hunting.

John Janicki, Jr. Even though this was John's first elk hunt, it didn't take long to realize this was a seasoned hunting veteran. His gear selection was impeccable and his prudent questions had him ready to pursue elk before the first morning arrived. The evening of opening day proved to be a great one for John. He bagged this beautiful 6X6 with a rough score of 310 -- just enough to beat his cousins', Tom. John made two good shots in the kill zoneduring the last hour of light but it was one of th ose bulls that demonstrated just how tough elk are and how far they can go after being shot. We tracked blood late into the night only to come up empty-handed. Persistence, great tracking by our guides and a little bit of luck paid off the following morning when we found his bull about a quarter mile from where he shot. What a bull for a first one. I bet John is hooked on elk hunting for life.

2nd Rifle Season: If we thought it was unseasonably warm during the first season, it paled in comparison to the second. Temperatures soared into the 70's during the day and presented us with the toughest hunting conditions we've ever encountered. Again, due to the combination of a late rut with the very limited hunting pressure we put on our herd, we still had bulls talking. Pursuing a bugling bull is always a rush. We're proud of our stringent hunting management program and the "proof is in the pudding" as we consistently have elk bugling during the first two rifle seasons long after they've quit talking on the surrounding public land. We feel this management is what separates us from a public land hunt or a private land hunt with too many hunters on the given amount of land. We believe it's simple: elk that receive little hunting presssure exhibit more natural behavior and present our hunters with a higher quality hunting experience.

Despite the tough hunting conditions, we were fortunate to have a returning group of seasoned veterans that overcame the tough conditions and everyone went home with their tags filled. Congratulations guys and gal --you did a great job and it was truly a pleasure to have you in camp.

Tim O'Neill accompanied his brother, Dennis and brother-in-law, Mike, on their hunt last year as a "non-hunting companion." While toting a camera instead of a rifle, he saw hundreds of elk and vowed to return in 2003 with a rifle alongside his camera. Take a look at this monster 5X5 and you'll have to agree he made a great choice. Tim had a shot at a nice bull the first evening of the hunt, but bad luck kept him from getting his first bull. He redeemed himself the next day by making a difficult 80 yard shot in very thick, dark timber after his guide pointed out this beautiful bull to him. Hunter and guide did a great job moving through the dark timber on Buffalo Ridge to get withhin range of this guy considering there were over 200 other elk tagging along with this bad boy! Last year, his brother Dennis took home a dandy bull, but this year's bragging rights go to Tim.

This is Chris' third consecutive year with us. For the past two years, Chris bagged his elk on day three of his hunt. Sure enough, this year, day one: nothing. Day two: nothing. Day three: Chris wakes up knowing it's THE day. And THE day it was. He started by bagging this mule deer by 9:00 a.m., and to keep the species tradition in tact, got his elk bull early in the same afternoon.

We must brag up the skill of our resident guides whenever we get the chance and this particular hunt is ideal. The weather was so hot and dry, walking the forest floor was like crunching over corn flakes. Soon after Chris and guide Paul entered into the woods, they heard a few elk crashing over the timbered hillside. Undaunted, Paul began a barrage of cow calling from both of his hand-held calls and the diaphragm call in his mouth. Immediately, the elk stopped, calmed down, and a couple of bulls came walking back up the hill to investigate the source of the cow calls. Chris took this fine bull with a single shot of his 7mm as soon as it stepped into a small clearing. A great guide who lives here with the elk year 'round, lightly pressured elk finished by a steady aim makes for a great hunt.

With two bulls under her belt from her previous two years here, this seasoned elk hunting veteran was determined to keep her perfect record intact. We placed one of our new blinds (sitting atop a 15 foot tower) in an area that Andrea had good luck in the previous years and dubbed it "Andrea's Tower." The blind gave Andrea a birds' eye view in all directions for over 400 yards in her favorite area. She did get to view a lot of elk several different times from her vantage point. Unfortunately, the magic didn't fully unfold since she didn't manage to bring one down. Andrea didn't let these close calls squelch her spirit. She remained steadfast in her desire to be three for three. She proved her hunting prowess in the waning hours of her last evening by taking this fine bull. Andrea had to belly crawl for over 400 yards with her guide Jeff to get into position as the bull elk grazed along a river bottom. One clean shot dropped the bull in its tracks. Andrea and Jeff sat still after she shot to watch the other elk that were feeding along with her bull, and as fate would have it in the sport of elk hunting, a large 6X6 stepped out from behind a willow bush to investigate her bull lying on the ground.

We are now convinced that both Andrea and Chris (her husband pictured above) are commited to tradition. And Andrea kept up another one. Yes, she arrived on the ranch with a perfect manicure and somehow maintained it through a grueling 5 day hunt. (For those of you who haven't followed year by year stories, we blew up a photo of her manicure in 2001). Well, folks, this year, Andrea's hunt happened to fall on Halloween, and those nails are a brilliant orange. I forgot to ask her if it was Halloween or hunters' orange.

After last year's succesful hunt with us, and by successful I mean a huge bull AND a great buck, Dennis O'Neil knew he had his work cut out for him if he was going to top last years' success. Knowing the quantity and quality of elk on our ranch, Dennis chose to pass on a 6X6 the first day as it wasn't quite as big as last years' bull. Rarely is elk hunting easy and the tough weather conditions stacked the odds even more in the elks' favor. On the final morning of his hunt, Dennis found himself at the edge of a herd of about 200 elk as they were feeding their way from the hay meadow to the timber at first light. As shooting light approached, many of the elk had reached the safety of the timber and the rest were quickly following. There was only grass meadow between Dennis and the elk so a stealthy stalk was out of the question. Nothing left for Dennis to do but make like a cow (beef cow that is) and crawl across the meadow on all fours to get to a point where a shot was possible. It worked and Dennis got his elk! While not quite the size of last year's bull, it was a great hunt and Dennis did a great job of getting himself in position for the perfect shot.

Mike Myers enjoyed his first elk hunt last year with us and took home a nice 5X5 bull along with newly gained experience and great memories. He returned for more of the same this year and wasn't disappointed. In the evening hours, Mike and his guide spotted a couple of bulls feeding their way through small aspen patches and the sagebrush area around "Whiskey Bill's" cabin. It looked like a good opportunity excpet for one glitch -- they were on top of a mountain a half a mile away. They made a quick descent and were able to intercept the bull before the herd reached another stand of thick timber. Despite lack of oxygen from the quick and steady stalk, Mike was able to pull off a great shot at 350+ yards to bag his second bull in as many years of hunting elk. We think Mike is firmly hooked on elk hunting. We all look forward to sharing many adventures with him.

3rd Season: Finally -- SNOW and some classic elk hunting weather arrived. We had a great group of four guys fro upstate New York that were recommended to us from last year's group -- the Szots. The elk were uncharacteristically running in some rather large herds and more and more elk were continually calling the ranch home, appraently being pressured on from the surrounding public lands. All but one hunter filled his tag, but opportunities did present themselves. Unfortuantely, his scope fogged up on one shot and on another occasion, there were just too many elk--he never had a clean, safe shot with a bull separated from all the cows and calves. He did the prudent thing and passed a shot rather than wounding another animal. We give him credit for a wise, considerate decision.

John Teal had hunted elk before in New mexico but had never achieved the 6X6 he dreamed of. On this hunt, his two sons accompanied him on what was their first elk hunt. A couple of lone bulls were spotted early the first morning by a hunter who held only a deer tag. John took posiiton on the edge of the timber where the elk were heading and it proved to be a great move. Two elk came out of the timber and after quick antler evaluation, John downed this super bull with a single shot at 250 yards. He had the 6X6 that he came for! The other bull circled around him at about 150 yards and he still claims he's not sure if he shot the larger of the two, but he's certainly not disappointed either way--what a great bull and what a treat to share a week with this seasoned hunting veteran who had a plethora of hunting stories from his years of hunting in the Adirondacks.

First light of opening morning, Mike Teal, brother John, and guide John, spotted a small group of elk from an overlook, feeding in a river bottom. The wind was perfect, the stalk flawless, and the shot distance quite doable. only one problem -- no decent bulls were in the group so they backed out from the elk and looked further. By 8:30 they spotted another group of elk feeding high up on the side of Buffalo Peak. Joe took position in a blind while Mike and guide decided to climb swiftly to try and cut the elk off before they reached the dark timber. The climb was long and the pace quick and Mike did a terrific job reaching the elk as the last few entered the timber. Again, no decent bulls. They decided to enter the thick timber and try to circle in front of the elk as they headed to their bedding area. The plan worked and they got in front of the elk. As the elk moved through the dark timber, Mike picked out a bull and dropped it with a single shot. His years of hunting whitetails in the thick timber of the Adirondacks prepared him perfectly for this very brief shot opportunity. His guide John claims it was the best timber shot that he's seen in his 14 years of guiding. Congratulations Mike -- awesome shooting!

Mike Bradish. After years of pursuing whitetails, Mike was ready to try his luck at elk hunting and he certainly gave it his all. Mike climbed the hills and hunted hard with elk always just out of shooting range. On the third day, Mike and his guide, Mike, got into a large herd of elk (250+) and remained persistent and careful to get a clean shot at one of the many bulls. Mike made a truly unbelievable shot to get this bull. He plans to return another year with his son to try his luck again. Hopefully he can connect with one of the larger bulls that managed to elude him this year.

Barry Lancaster came from Iowa for one thing -- a big mule deer Well it didn't take him long to get what he came for, 3 hours to be exact. Within the first hour of his hunt, Barry had two 6X6 ELK standing broadside to him at only 125 yards. Did you read that right? Barry's hunting deer, those were elk. So carry on, he did. Barry and guide, Paul, were into deer soon enough and trying to decide which bucks were of the trophy size he sought. They spotted this super buck, but it moved into the timber before he could get a shot. After an hour or so of stalking they came upon the deer again. Barry faced a tough decision, having to quickly decide if it was the deer he wanted. Just a couple hours into the hunt and they'd already spotted 20 bucks,. Should he take this big boy or hold out for something bigger? Barry quickly decided to take the bruiser buck and easily downed it with a single shot. While not exceptionally wide, this super 5X4 buck has awesome mass and deep forks-- a real trophy buck. Barry has already booked his hunt for the 2004 season with one exception, next year he's doing a combination hunt and will have an elk tag with him also.

4th Rifle Season: Classic hunting weather, snowy and about 25 degrees, carried on throughout the 4th season providing great opportunties for tracking and stealthy stalking. The elk were abundant on the ranch. Many elk remained in large herds, but we started to see some bulls break off into small groups with some starting to run alone. This was the season that the ranch owner, a seasoned elk hunting veteran, reserved for himself and three other friends. The three friends got their elk with little trouble but the owner passed on many 5X5's and smaller 6X6's looking for something bigger than he has previously shot on the ranch. A true sportsman who loved every minute of his hunt without even pulling the trigger.

Dewain Combs: We're very thankful that Dewain was able to hunt again with us this year. Last fall he was in a serious car accident and has had to go through a lot of rehab work so that he could hike the hills of elk country once again. One of our blinds proved to be just the ticket for Dewain. During the first day of sitting in a blind, over 100 elk were spotted but the bulls were just a little out of range for a clean shot. The second evening proved luckier as the herd fed within 50 yards of the blind and Dewain took this fine bull at 150 yards with a single shot. Dewain also had a second tag for a cow and harvested her immediately after shooting his bull. Good shooting Dewain and continued good luck for a full recovery from your unfortunate accident.

Bill Stewart. This was Bill's first elk hunt, but he took well to the hills of elk country. In fact, this senior hunter can hike these hills much better than most people half his age. Bill got into a herd of elk the first day and got a shot at a nice bull but the distance was further than he estimated and he shot under the animal. On the top of Buffalo Ridge the next morning, he made no mistakes as he took this bull with one shot at a distance of 150 yards Despite it being a smaller bull, this elk must have had some serious spunk and fancied himself a ladies man as many of his pionts were broken as a probable result of fighting with bigger bulls in order to gain the affection of the cows.

Matt is a seasoned big game hunter and no stranger to pursuing the wily wapiti. The multitude of hunting stories he brings from around the world ensured there were no dull moments at the dinner table. The first couple of days Matt wasclose to elk but never had a shot opportunity. He got to see the largest bull spotted this year as it ran out of shooting range, but luck was not on his side. On the morning of the fourth day, he and guide Mike snuck upon a small group of elk feeding in an opening. They saw this fine bull as it worked its way into the timber and Matt demonstrated his shooting ability by quickly downing the animal with a 150 yard shot. Upon approaching the bull, both Matt and Mike were surprised to find that it was only a 4X4. Before shooting they studied it long enough to determine it was a legal bull and figured because of its length and mass, it must be at least a 5X5. Definitely one of the nicest 4X4's we've ever seen. Its long and heavy antlers demonstrate the great genetics in our area as this bull was only 3 years old.

Every so often, one of our guides gets the opportunity to hunt a buck or bull on the ranch and this year Paul Schleppy got the nod to go get us a buck to display in our new lodge addition. There was one catch though. He couldn't begin his hunt until our guests left on Thursday morning and the season only ran to Friday evening. No problem for this hunting guru/guide. He would rise to the occasion and get us a respectable buck mount for the lodge, even if he only had 36 hours to do it. Paul covered many miles Thursday evening and Friday morning and viewed a lot of bucks. In the eleventh hour of his hunt, Paul came across this buck feeding in a thinned section of timber with a dozen other bucks! With daylight waning, hesteadied his rifle and took this awesome buck with a single shot at over 350 yards.

We only harvest 3 to 4 bucks per year on the ranch and our strict management has paid off with an ever increasing number of large bucks seen every year. After hunting season is over and the deer rut begins, we usually see the real monster bucks with spreads greater than 30". The Buffalo Creek Ranch has great mule deer habitat, great genetics with bucks sporting heavy racks, and we're looking forward to taking some awesome deer in future years. Good job Paul on a great year sharing your hunting expertise with all of our hunting guests.

Mike Schleppy. Yes, this is Paul's big brother and an equally fanatical hunter. This year it was Mike's turn to pursue an elk and he did it superbly -- right unti the point he pulled the trigger. (Just kidding, Mike.) He bagged this fine bull but he was ever-so-close to a bull of a lifetime that he swore would have scored nearly 350. (This isn't a "fish that got away story" as this guy knows his elk and his brother also saw the elk and verified its size). He cut four sets of bull tracks in the heavy timber of Buffalo Ridge in the early evening. As he followed the tracks with utmost stealth, he soon found where the elk had bedded down for the day and followed them as the elk made their way on to feed for the evening. He snuck upon the elk as they moved through the thick timber and spotted the monster bull with 3 other bulls with him. At one point, he passed a neck shot on the big boy knowing he would get a better opportunity; the bull had no idea he was lurking in the timber. Shortly thereafter, he had the kill zone in his scope at a short distance. Only one problem, the timber was so thick that he couldn't tell if it was the 6X6 or the 5X5. Well the picture tells the rest of the story. A nice bull Mike, even if it wasn't the monster one!

Thank you all for visiting us, whether you were in our lodge or on our website. We hope to see you again soon at the Buffalo Creek Ranch, where the Continental Divide Meets the Sky.

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