From a distance of six feet, professional hunting guide Don Koon says, ‘you can see the red in the bull elk’s eyes and hear his stomach digesting food.?
‘The elk play the game like their life depends on it,? said Koon, an Atlas native and Goodrich High School graduate. ‘If you’re not thrilled getting that close to an 800-pound animal’you should not be out there hunting.?
For the past 25 years, Koon has spent the majority of his vacation time away from his area wholesale plumbing business, guiding archery elk hunts in northwestern Colorado.
In 1983, Koon, along with six area hunters, booked a trip with Bearcat Outfitters to Craig, Colo. The company was founded in 1953 by Bob (Bobcat) and Vona Peters. From then until the 1980s, they provided hunts for elk, mule deer, black bear, bobcat and mountain lion.
‘I was impressed,? said Koon after the weeklong gun hunt. ‘Especially after we took six mule deer and six elk in a day-and-a-half’right at the end of the season, too. We were especially close to the elk’so close, I asked the guide if they ever considered guiding an archery hunt for elk.?
Bearcat Outfitters owners Seth Peters and his father Bob were reluctant to guide bow hunts in the 1980s due to the number of wounded animals then associated with hunting with recurved bows.
‘With the onset of compound bows and more clean kills, I asked if they would consider a few guided archery hunts,? said Koon.
‘We hit it off right away, and a few months later they asked me if I’d consider coming to work with them on these bow hunts.?
Each year, guests from Bearcat Outfitters harvest about 50 to 60 elk per season, with about 70 hunters. The company owns about 500 acres and borders a 1 million acre section of the White River National Forest.
Koon said that hunting at an altitude of 8,500 feet can be a challenge, even for those in the best shape.
‘It can take a day to get used to the mountains,? said Koon. ‘We offer a variety of hunts from staying in tents, or ‘spike camps,? where hunters stay in a tent and pretty much hunt on their own, to fully guided hunts in ?4? star accomodations.?
‘Whatever customers choose, we have 100 percent of our hunters see elk with about an 85 percent success rate.?