Elk….Bow or Muzzleloader

[caddiscrazy]

My brother and I are looking to burn seven points in Colorado. We Both are primarily bow hunters, but we do hunt every year with rifles and muzzleloaders. This will be a first elk hunt for both of us. I have taken mule deer and pronghorn in Wyoming, so not my first trip out west. We have only done diy public land hunts. My question is this, do we put in for bow or muzzleloader for this elk hunt? I’m not sure if the trade off of drawing a better unit by choosing bow outweighs the extra range with a muzzleloader but maybe not as great unit? Just wondered what you all with experience think is the wiser choice?

 

[Bullshot]

If you are experienced bowhunters, I think that would be the way to go. Up close and personal is how Sept elk were made to be hunted! Nothing like it.

You do have to be OK with possibly seeing a bull out at 80, 90, 100 and knowing if you had a muzzy, it coulda been over. But I think bowhunters just hunt differently and often get the pleasure of many more encounters, thus great memories.

 

[Rack Daniels]

I agree with the above. If you’ve harvested animals with archery tackle, you've dealt with long days without even coming close to shooting anything, you’ve practiced using calls to replicate the sounds of your prey and draw them close, you HAVE to bowhunt them in the rut. Get close, feel it in your feet, in your chest. There’s nothing like it. Good luck.

 

[MTGomer]

Archery.

I hate muzzleloaders even though I keep hunting deer with them.

 

[Bullshot]

Archery.

I hate muzzleloaders even though I keep hunting deer with them.

I think this is a great comment to reflect on just how different hunting elk and deer can be. Deer hunting is all about stealth and finding an advantage. Archery can be viewed sometimes as giving up that advantage. Archery hunting for elk in the rut, however, puts you in the position of immersion, of interfacing and interacting with your quarry on a whole new level. Perhaps talking to them so they KNOW you are there, pretending to BE them, pissing them off, calming them down. All up close. It's way different, and makes a better and richer hunting experience in many ways. But yes it is often more frustrating and error prone too. I have and will do both, as circumstances provide, but if I had to choose only one and that was it, its elk with a bow.

 

[HappyCamper]

Nothing is created equal. Some general archery areas provide for limited muzzleloader tags. I would try to get the most value out of your points. Research the units in your point range and pick the best hunt your points can buy.

 

[brushcreek]

muzzleloader. elk hunts are a serious investment of time, energy and money. Give yourself the best chance for success and still hunt the rut.

 

[rogerthat]

I think this is a great comment to reflect on just how different hunting elk and deer can be. Deer hunting is all about stealth and finding an advantage. Archery can be viewed sometimes as giving up that advantage. Archery hunting for elk in the rut, however, puts you in the position of immersion, of interfacing and interacting with your quarry on a whole new level. Perhaps talking to them so they KNOW you are there, pretending to BE them, pissing them off, calming them down. All up close. It's way different, and makes a better and richer hunting experience in many ways. But yes it is often more frustrating and error prone too. I have and will do both, as circumstances provide, but if I had to choose only one and that was it, its elk with a bow.

The Colorado muzzy elk season is in September during the rut. You can spray your self down in estrus and really immerse yourself, pun intended, on those hunts too. My vote is muzzy and I love archery hunting elk.

 

[Mallardsx2]

I would definitely go with the muzzleloader tag.

 

[caddiscrazy]

I appreciate all the advice fellas. I imagine I will never accumulate seven points again because I will burn them at least every few years in Colorado after this. Even though it’s not a ton of points I just really want to get the most out of them. The last few years I try to burn points in at least one state a year to hunt something. Colorado elk just got to be something that went a little longer than I intended haha. We put in for a unit last year with gohunt showing 100 percent odds and didn’t draw. Seemed like draw odds got completely thrown out the window last year with the changes coming to Colorado draw. Hopefully this year the research I do isn’t a complete waste of time again

 

[Stocker]

Why take an unreliable inaccurate POS that will fail you at the worst time?

Take the bows

 

[longtail55]

Muzzleloader. If your planning on hunting DIY public land and only have limited time and do not have any experience or scouting you have to put all the odds in your favor.

 

[Stocker]

I wholeheartedly disagree with everyone who claims muzzleloader is an easier route.

If you are in any way proficient with archery equipment it’s the way to go. How many times have you heard about a bow having a catastrophic malfunction when someone is getting ready to shoot an animal? Definitely a few times, but it’s not super prevalent. Now how many times have you heard stories of a muzzleloader letting someone down? I’d guess 10-15% of all Muzzeloader encounters end in a less than desirable way. I have not gone 1 year of my hunting career that I haven’t experienced a muzzleloader nightmare or heard of someone close to me having one.

I firmly believe the people encouraging you to use the smoke maker are possessed by evil hunting spirits trying to suck more people down into the misery of a useless lead chucking smoke maker.

 

[nrpate05]

I'd go muzzleloader. I'd also look for a unit that is not OTC for archery to limit people in the woods.

 

[IDiot]

I've had my share of malfunctions with muzzleloaders and it's wildly frustrating BUT the range advantage is too much to pass up. Practice with the muzzy, learn how to prevent malfunctions and go hunting.

 

[The_Jim]

I dabble with archery but prefer to hunt with a rifle. My vote is still for archery over a muzzleloader. I own 2 of those damn things, we have a 1 month long muzzleloader deer season, and I still can’t bring myself to hunt it. I’m annoyed with muzzleloaders just replying to this post.

 

[Stocker]

I've had my share of malfunctions with muzzleloaders and it's wildly frustrating BUT the range advantage is too much to pass up. Practice with the muzzy, learn how to prevent malfunctions and go hunting.

Handle checks out………


1. Is the range advantage really that good? Colorado means open sights, so what kind of yardage are we talking? 100-120ish? So you’re taking a 10x risk of weapon malfunction to gain 50% distance advantage.


2. Are the ballistics at that range somewhat reliable? I don’t wanna steal someone else’s story that’s been on this forum but he had a bullet failure at 80 yards on a deer this year.

I’m not meaning to pick on anyone individually, I’m just on a crusade to rescue people from the clutches of muzzleloaders.

 

[witski65]

Depends on how much time you have to hunt. How about one of you hunts bow, one ML. Bull hangs up at 100 yrds. BANG!

 

[elkduds]

In the CO "drawing only" unit where I spend most of the fall, the increase in traffic and pressure during ML season is dramatic compared to archery. That pressure silences and relocates elk. My impression is that the weeks after ML are the best hunting during Sept, as the rut resumes after the orange tide recedes.

 

[NoWiser]

Speaking from experience, the odds of me malfunctioning with a bow in my hands is exponentially greater than the odds of a muzzleloader malfunctioning. I’d go muzzy. Others may not suck as much as me.

I’ve also found it very easy to get within 75 yards of an elk. It’s much tougher to get within 30 yards.