Podcast 26 – 2018 Colorado Archery Bull with Drew Rouse

When I think of the Colorado high country in September, I envision screaming bulls in an aspen bench running all around me during the rut. This dream was Drew Rouse’s reality this past Fall when he was able to draw a unit 61 archery elk tag and embark on the hunt of a lifetime. 

On today’s episode, Drew takes us on a walk through his most memorable moments of this past September and the multiple encounters he had with big public land bulls. We also talk about his background and the previous podcast we recorded where he talks about Reel Game Calls in Episode 18. He then tells the story of his 320” 6×8 bull and the details of how everything unfolded on the very last weekend.

For more information on Drew’s company, Reel Game Calls, visit www.reelgamecalls.com.

Topics Covered In This Episode Include:

• The 2018 drought in Colorado and how it affected elk hunting for both myself and Drew
• Drew’s latest venture, I Fight For Elk Colorado, a non-profit to help improve elk populations and elk hunting in Colorado
• Things we can all do to help educate people on impacts on elk due to hiking, camping, four wheeling, and other recreational activities
• The state of predator management in Colorado and what Drew thinks we can do to improve our hunting
• Shed hunting restrictions and how that isn’t enough for protecting elk in the wintering zones
• How Reel Game Calls was started and Drew’s background prior to getting into the hunting industry
• New game calls for 2018 and what is coming down the pipe for 2019
• The highlight of my elk season where I called in a big bull for my buddy Ryan using a mix of the Elk Reel cow call and the OTC RPG Compact Bugle
• Other testimonials from Drew’s customers and how great it feels to hear peoples success stories
• How Drew was able to pull a Unit 61 Colorado Elk Archery Tag and the process behind getting started hunting that unit
• Scouting in the Spring and trying to learn the unit as best as possible before hunting
• The struggle of hunting in a unit with a large fire and drought and how he has able to use that info to adjust hunting plans
• How Drew nailed down a specific area to hunt within a large unit
• The heart-pounding encounter of Drew’s 6×8 bull he shot with a bow, which took three arrows to put down
• Recovering the bull and the grueling pack-out in an area that was secluded with nasty downfall and steep terrain
• The strategy of how Drew he was able to find his bull and how he was able to access the area
• Crazy elk encounters he had while hunting a coveted draw area
• How unit 61 has changed over the years and how it compares to how it was 10-15 years ago
• Testing new “hands free” elk calls that are coming out for 2019 and the last three years of product development
• Anticipating the release of Drew’s 2018 elk hunt video that will hopefully be launching in the near future