Hey guys, me and 3 other buddies plan to do a DIY CO OTC Archery Elk hunt September 14-20 (6 days of hunting). We have narrowed down the OTC units to 521, 421, 53, and 42 although we have done alot of research, we have never hunted elk before. We have narrowed down to these units because of harvest reports, elk population reports, accessable land through the onX map scouting, and I have family in Glennwood Springs. Are there any tips/advice one would give for the best strategy/unit areas to try (open to PMs)? We are pretty sure our toughest hurdle will be finding elk with no experience doing this before so looking for a little guidance.
Everyone always says to get away from the road and away from crowds, get in shape and really burn some rubber when it comes to OTC units. We are up to the challenge, all under the ages of 26 and we all are prepping our bodies for the fall physically, but we understand our big disadvantage is the lack of experience and hesitant to do a 5+ hour hike into somewhere that won't produce any elk.
Should we run and gun to different good looking areas/units? Hike in 5+ miles to an area and camp for 5-6 nights? What units give us the best odds for either strategy? We aren't looking for your spot, we are just looking to find a few pointers from someone who knows the area or knows what we need to do in order to increase our chances of getting a shot at something.
Everyone always says to get away from the road and away from crowds, get in shape and really burn some rubber when it comes to OTC units. We are up to the challenge, all under the ages of 26 and we all are prepping our bodies for the fall physically, but we understand our big disadvantage is the lack of experience and hesitant to do a 5+ hour hike into somewhere that won't produce any elk.
Should we run and gun to different good looking areas/units? Hike in 5+ miles to an area and camp for 5-6 nights? What units give us the best odds for either strategy? We aren't looking for your spot, we are just looking to find a few pointers from someone who knows the area or knows what we need to do in order to increase our chances of getting a shot at something.