My cousin wasn’t too pleased with me when I had to report that I had to pass up on the early muzzleloader deer and black bear season this year.

My brother and I took a chance on the first rifle season in Colorado, which incidentally runs on the same dates. As luck would have it, we both had the good fortune (or not) to draw tags for Unit 70.

I don’t ever want to hear about non-resident fees being too high in Pennsylvania again. Colorado makes you buy a $100 small game license just to apply for the elk tag, which is another $700. So, when I hear about non-resident fees, I am certainly not all that sympathetic!

My brother is a big planner when it comes to road trips and I am convinced that a 1,700-mile trip each way qualifies for a road trip. He wants to drive and take a small trailer with a freezer and generator as well as our hunting supplies.

My job was to get the rifles and ammunition organized, sighted in and packed in safe gun cases. We would share the fuel costs and tolls, if any, and each of us would have our elk (if any) processed. I told him that I was going with him as a support, not really wanting 500 pounds of elk venison.

He about fainted when I told him that we could fill the freezer, but if there was extra, I would look to donate it to a food bank in the area.

My wife isn’t all about 10 pounds of red meat each week and with the Pennsylvania deer season coming up, she isn’t concerned about meat from Colorado. I will donate if I can share with folks that enjoy wild game. Every year I have requests from non-hunters for fish and game from the wilds of Pennsylvania.

I guess I started it by giving them some sample packages from many of my field and stream journeys over the years. One requests trout every year, another walleye, perch and crappies, venison and pheasant. We do eat all of those, but have a special recipe and time that we like to enjoy the game dish.

We have a list of items that we need to pack and my wife gets nervous if I am not right on it. I like to plan to do so on a rainy day because I am indoors, anyways.

When I pack the supplies, I am methodical about it. I have a big plastic tote for all the hunting clothes and boots, a satchel for street clothes and changes, and a small tote for ammo and hunting gear like knives, calls, range finder and binoculars.

My brother was nervous about finding game bags that could cover an elk quarter, so he ordered a bunch from Cabela’s. I had to remind him that a quarter meant four bags and he got mad at me. I think that I still have game bags from a moose hunt in Alberta that proved to be futile for me … I’ll use them!

The road trip to Colorado will take us to the southwest corner of the state and we will avoid the Denver route. The last time I went to Denver it was threatening snow and I had to buy chains for my truck.

Fortunately, I did not need them and returned them unused and unopened a week or two later!

Being a greenhorn, I didn’t realize that you have to let modern vehicles adjust their computer fuel blend and I was struggling along the Rockies until I stopped for a rest and fuel break. A wondrous thing happened and the fuel injection system made the adjustment all by itself while we were having a cup of joe and a sandwich.

My buddy Beaver boy later told me that he knew about this from earlier trips … I thought why share that information … so I am sharing it with those who don’t know everything!

Finally, I received a letter this week from the Colorado Parks & Wildlife about 2021 chronic wasting disease testing. The letter read, Colorado Hunter: Your hunt code has been selected to participate in Colorado’s 2021 mandatory sampling effort for chronic wasting disease (CWD). If you harvest an elk in the 2021 hunting season, please submit the animal head to a Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) submission site for testing.”

They also want the location of harvest (GPS coordinates or map location). Test results may take longer than three weeks. Hunters who process their animal before learning that it tested positive for CWD are eligible for a limited refund for meat processing costs.

It certainly complicates hunting experiences everywhere to deal with the CWD in our commonwealth as well as other states. Remember to minimize potential exposure to CWD and other diseases of concern we are advised to avoid and not shoot, handle or consume any deer or elk that appears to be sick or acting abnormal in its natural environment.

Until we meet again, wish me luck and I will give you an update in our next column!

Jay Hewitt is an outdoors columnist for the Butler Eagle.