Hello All

[Flyingjon69]

long time reading post, retired military, looking to try DIY elk hunting, located in west central Indiana, life long whitetail hunter.
I have ready about every post about hunting Colorado.
my question I have is?
once a unit has been decided, how do you know where to park? or find the trail heads?
I am leaning to the national forest area, all the maps I have found are not very detailed.

 

[Hunting Wife]

You need to get OnX maps. Roads, trails, everything you need to see to figure out how to access your areas.

Or you can buy Forest maps from the Forest Service. Call the office of the Forest you are looking at. You might be able to order them online as well. Those should have all that info too if you’re talking about just National Forest, and if you prefer paper maps.

Welcome to HT.

 

[Western Traveler1]

long time reading post, retired military, looking to try DIY elk hunting,
once a unit has been decided, how do you know where to park? or find the trail heads?
I am leaning to the national forest area, all the maps I have found are not very detailed.

Welcome to HT
Here ya go

Maps | US Forest Service

Standard Map Products The Forest Service publishes a variety of map products to help you plan your next adventure or enjoy your next visit!

www.fs.fed.us

 

[ntodwild]

Welcome to the forum. Google earth can be helpful but there is no way of knowing weather a road is open or accessible via google earth. As HF stated there are some cell phone applications, both On-x as well as Basemap (subscriptions required) that do an amazing job with overlay GPS technology, private, public land boundaries, access and egress of all types (horseback, foot, mountain bike, 4x4 and more) and even posts private land owner names and phone numbers. These are fantastic applications/software and are almost priceless if you hunt near private lands. USFS TOPo maps are easily obtained through state and local municipalities and the amount of knowledge you can acquire just by making a phone call to an area ranger district or wildlife biologists is priceless as well.

Good luck planning your hunt.

 

[Pucky Freak]

Welcome to HT!

 

[pabearhunter]

Welcome aboard.

 

[Rzrbck918]

Welcome to HT! I’m from Oklahoma and I can personally vouch for the benefit if On-x. Being so far away it was the best $20 I spent prepping to hunt the west. Watch discount sites or use the hunt talk code to get a discount if you can’t find one based on your service. You should be able to get the single state version if your only interested in Colorado. Also consider calling the forest rangers or wardens and ask for information. Good luck.

 

[SteelWool]

All tails app. Works great.

 

[marshman]

All of the above is the correct information you need to do e research. If you are really serious about this hunt and want enjoyment and maybe success I would really recommend you consider this to be a two trip affair, the first one to put boots on the ground in the area(s) you have narrowed down with e scouting, and the second for your hunt. If this isn't feasible for you consider going really early before your hunt to do the same. I have been in this situation and the pre season scouting trips have been priceless.
Just returned from this years scouting trip in Idaho.

 

[JohnCushman]

Welcome!

 

[Western Traveler1]

All tails app. Works great.

I think he means AllTrails and it is a good app to have.

 

[bushman13]

lol, where has this app been my entire life?

All tails app. Works great.