Colorado 3rd Season

[teej89]

My dad and I are off for our first DIY elk hunt, leaving in 14 days... we're paying a rancher a trespass fee and she sets us up in trailers, there will be other hunters with us but there is a max, i'm just not sure what it is I think she said 12. We're getting there thursday, she owns maybe 14k acres but it backs up to 10k of inaccesible BLM land. Her land is fairly flat and we're assuming most of the guys there are going to hunt that, my dad and I however have had our eyes on the BLM land, it's maybe a 2 mile hike to get to the bottom third of it from where the road ends on her property. I was talking to her and she said when we get one just let her know and she'll bring horses and pack it out, unless I kill one in this basin, if so I may as well pack a fork and eat it there. That perked our ears and instantly we sought after this one basin, it looks awesome on google earth, rugged, steep and has water in the bottom. After that we found 10 other glassing spots on the BLM where we can sit and glass multiple drainages and used google earth and found some drainages with a lot of blown down trees, figured bulls may want to hide in the blow downs. Our first two days there we're going to split up and check out these glassing spots individually and see what we come up with.

So that's our game plan, now I'm just curious with this warm weather they're having that's probably going to have a huge impact on the migrating elk correct, we're hunting near meeker? Also what is your game plan during the day? We figured we'll get to our glassing spots well before daylight and glass then also be at them for the last sun light but what do you do between those times and what/where are you looking for them?

Thanks guys!
T.J.

 

[Rocky176]

It's all a learning curve, you are learning the property, animals and other hunters. Get high and glass, check sign, cover and water sources. Have you talked to other hunters who have hunted the property in the past. I hunker down during mid day and glass and rest. That is a huge property to hunt, think about getting a couple of ground blinds and mr buddy heaters. Place them at strategic locations on the ranch and you will have a place you can rest, get warm and still be hunting. I've hunted third season at 10 below zero and having a place to warm up on the ranch lets you stay a field all day. Good Luck.

 

[jlmatthew]

Don't count on the warm weather, its may be warm now but can be a winter wonderland tomorrow.