I’d like to thank the two of you for a “complete” outdoor experience. With hunting conditions we could define as difficult at best, Wes’s intensity and determination resulted in the harvest of my first mule deer buck with archery tackle. Had we drawn up a plan and tweaked it for a year in advance, it wouldn’t have worked out as well as our hunt did the morning of only the second day!

It’s only through being totally familiar with your quarry and its home range, coupled with a genuine desire to provide a shot opportunity, that this kind of success can occur. I thank you Wes for providing me with my opportunity!

As exciting and productive as the hunt was, it was only the beginning. Both of you went out of your way to include and provide me with activities during the three days I had in Wellington following the hunt. From the scouting at the ranch to the lunch outing in Fort Collins and the day of fishing and sightseeing in Rocky Mountain National Park, it all contributed to the “complete” outdoor experience I described. I’ve hunted on 3 continents and in 5 countries. I can only further describe my time with you as one of the best I’ve experienced. You and your operation are top shelf!

I look forward to the day when we can get together for another adventure.

– Phil Judice

The goats weren’t very cooperative as far as patterning at water holes but Jeremy hung in there like a champ. I sat over a water hole from ding to dong the first day. Then moved about a half mile for the first half of the second day.

About 2 Jeremy came and picked me up for some spot and stalk action. We went on 6 stalks. Got within 65 yds on one but couldn’t get drawn. I actually took a shot at 67 on another goat but the wind had its way with the arrow. “Wiff”

About 4:45 we were cruising along looking for another goat to put the slip on when Jeremy spotted a great goat that looked like he was working toward the water hole I had sat on the first day. He was about 500 yds from and in plain sight of the blind. We figured we would drive up to the blind, I would hop out and jump into the blind and if the goat was still standing there when Jeremy drove off he would probably come on in.

Well it worked!!

I got in the blind at 5pm and watched “Handle Bars” work my way for 2 hours. At 7:01 pm he was standing broadside at 43 yds. As my pin settled behind his front shoulder he put his head down to take his last bite of sage. Twelve Ring!!!!! He jumped then walked 20 yds and fell over. My best goat by far at 14 1/2″

Dad put in some heavy duty hours in the blind. Ding to dong in 90 plus degree heat 3 days in a row then for the first half of the last day but never got to come to full draw. He did have some goats working the blind at the end of the first day. Maybe next time.

Thanks again! It was a great to to be in one of your camps again.

Troi

The unusually hot week meant antelope hunting success would come for John out of a Double Bull blind over a waterhole.

Ironically, the unusually hot week meant elk hunting success would come in a similar, but less traditional manner. With elk not responding to cow calls at all this week, and in fact, very few cows to be seen, John’s success came early morning from another blind, this one on a crossing into the elk’s food source.

Congratulations, John, on your first pronghorn and elk! Thanks for coming to Colorado to share the adventure with the Atkinson Expeditions team. And thanks to Jules, for being our upbeat good luck charm all week!

Jason Connects on a Hot Day!

Clint's Patience Rewarded!

Temperatures in the low 90s today made for great success on antelope waterholes. It doesn’t, however, bode quite as well for elk hunting!

The archery elk and mule deer opener was this morning as well. It’s always an exciting season. Follow Pat Lefemine of Bowsite.com on his third elk hunt with AE! Pat broadcasts his hunt semi-live on his website homepage, www.bowsite.com. Check it out!

Also chasing elk with a bow is John from Alaska, who was successful in his pursuit of the pronghorn earlier this week. Congrats and good luck, John!

And last but certainly not least is Brad, who’s here from the DC area with his traditional stick and string, after a nice muley. We’ve been watching a couple with him in mind for weeks and one of them, Blades - whose pic you can see in Scouting Photos, is hitting water in the daylight.

As always, thanks for following!

So today history repeated itself.
Wes found a goat living in the wrong spot, and these two guys got it right again.

?

Now their question is, what humble pie might be waiting around the corner for them?
Where they blow the stalk, or blow the critter off the ranch for 5 days?
Oh yes, and you can be sure that this will be an upcoming webisode.
Because it’s not perfect unless you got it on camera and perfection is in their genes.
Stay tuned for more great archery action from the AE team!

Thankfully, we had a group of outstanding, understanding bowhunters. You know who you are and thanks for hanging in there and keeping your and our spirits up! After torrential downpours, 2 attempts at 3/4 draw, passing on 4 small bucks, a couple of blown stalks, a couple of long-shot misses, lots of improvisation and hard work by Jerome and Wes, we felt a little beat-up.

So Rob drawing first blood at the end of the week was a welcome sigh of relief. Congrats, Rob, what a great buck! The dry spell (wet spell?) is broken, and the hot, dry weather is back!

August 15th, it came so quickly once again. Turkey season was followed by marathons on the phone and in the office, interspersed with a few flyfishing interludes this summer. The night before what feels like an epic Opening Day was filled with excitement and responsibility. We’re overwhelmed by the opportunity to do what we do … and grateful to all of you out there who contribute to our being able to do it another year. We don’t take that responsibility lightly.

First of all, we’re thankful to a Creator whose work we witness in awe every day, and to whom we give credit for our incredible blessings.

Next we think of our amazing team - Rob, Jerome, Miles, and others - who carry this business to new heights of professionalism and integrity. Not to mention our partnerships with various industry professionals whose high standards make us proud of our association with them - the Sitka team, Sportsman’s News, Elkhorn Rod and Reel.

But finally and importantly, we appreciate our clientele. Thanks for supporting us in these economic times, for trusting us to create memorable outdoor experiences for you, for returning year after year, for becoming our friends. Thanks to those of you following from afar via the internet whom we haven’t yet had the privilege of high-fiving in the field. We promise you won’t be disappointed this year as you once again follow our website expecting great stories, world-class photos and adrenaline-packed webisodes.

The preparation’s in place, the energy’s good and the excitement’s running high for an exciting four and a half months of big game hunting. The live updates and photos on the homepage have already begun, from trail camera photos like these:

To live scouting photos like these:

We have lots of great ways for you to feel like you’re in the field with us - watch our webisodes that will be updated throughout the season, follow the live updates on the homepage or Twitter, sign up for our newsletter, and put our blog in your RSS feed.

Here’s to a season full of safe, successful hunting and fishing moments to remember!