My first time hunting in Colorado

[SavageFan80]

My son and I are planning on hunting 2nd rifle in gmu 75/751 for elk/deer we are not afraid to hike several miles to camp. Any things to consider (gear list) or suggestions and or advice would be greatly appreciated. I have been studying maps and looking for flashing points and also water

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

Welcome to the forum... your best tool is going to be the search box.

For gear lists check out Randy's bag dumps on youtube, for unit specific information start with the Colorado hunt atlas https://ndismaps.nrel.colostate.edu/index.html?app=HuntingAtlas

 

[Pucky Freak]

^^ You should find a lot of what you need through these links. Feel free to post more specific questions once you've dug into the research, and you're likely to get more replies from HT community.

Welcome!

 

[SavageFan80]

^^ You should find a lot of what you need through these links. Feel free to post more specific questions once you've dug into the research, and you're likely to get more replies from HT community.

Welcome!

Thanks for your response

 

[bushman13]

My visions for my first elk hunt were shattered on the very first day. It went from Indian summer to dead of winter, in one mid October day. All plans are thrown out the window when you are trying to keep from turning into an icicle. My suggestion would be to put weather at the top of your list and have multiple backup plans. These back up plans should include multiple spots in different elevations and also camping by the truck.

My son and I are planning on hunting 2nd rifle in gmu 75/751 for elk/deer we are not afraid to hike several miles to camp. Any things to consider (gear list) or suggestions and or advice would be greatly appreciated. I have been studying maps and looking for flashing points and also water

 

[SavageFan80]

My visions for my first elk hunt were shattered on the very first day. It went from Indian summer to dead of winter, in one mid October day. All plans are thrown out the window when you are trying to keep from turning into an icicle. My suggestion would be to put weather at the top of your list and have multiple backup plans. These back up plans should include multiple spots in different elevations and also camping by the truck.

I have 0 degree mummy bags but I have a seek outside tipi with stove combo for the weather

 

[bushman13]

That might keep you alive, but my advice is to keep you from being miserable. 5 miles down the trail in 2 feet of snow will zap all your energy quickly. Mix in a foot of mud on the trail from the horse outfitters as well. It's not how you dream it in the crowded units.

I have 0 degree mummy bags but I have a seek outside tipi with stove combo for the weather

 

[SavageFan80]

That might keep you alive, but my advice is to keep you from being miserable. 5 miles down the trail in 2 feet of snow will zap all your energy quickly. Mix in a foot of mud on the trail from the horse outfitters as well. It's not how you dream it in the crowded units.

So 75/751 are very crowded and I wont be able to find spots without other hunters ?

 

[bushman13]

I was generally speaking about CO OTC units. No actual clue on those 2 units, I can tell you which OTC unit not to go to though.

So 75/751 are very crowded and I wont be able to find spots without other hunters ?

 

[SavageFan80]

I was generally speaking about CO OTC units. No actual clue on those 2 units, I can tell you which OTC unit not to go to though.

We live in Pennsylvania so we are use to overcrowding I am willing to bet I have a better chance of rubbing elbows with other hunters here then Colorado

 

[bushman13]

I hear you, but it was a shock for me. I grew up hunting whitetails in crowded private deer lease areas in Georgia and also uncrowded private land in FL and Ga. Nothing compared to the orange army that I experienced in my first elk hunt. I hadn't even heard the term "orange army" before moving out to Co.

Honestly the game is flip flopped out here. Back East if someone told you they got a deer on Public Land, the response would be "I'm sorry, I didn't know things had gotten so bad." Out West it's a total badge of honor to get a public land animal and I would guess a little cringey to pay 10k for your first elk. It's a badge of honor because how difficult it really is.

We live in Pennsylvania so we are use to overcrowding I am willing to bet I have a better chance of rubbing elbows with other hunters here then Colorado

 

[WIbiggame]

We live in Pennsylvania so we are use to overcrowding I am willing to bet I have a better chance of rubbing elbows with other hunters here then Colorado

I know you said you guys are willing to hike 5+ miles in. Please please dont take this as me being a jerk or condescending; but from another easterner (WI) have you ever been out west and gone 1 mile off a road or trail?

I ask bc there is absolutely no way to prepare for how BIG it is out west. I am in awesome shape and was fully prepared to "out hike everyone" got out west 6 years on my first hunt and was happy to make it 2 miles from the trailhead at the end 9 days.

Now fast forward 6yrs and i can get in 5 miles (you dont always need to) by going 5+ you might out walk all the humans but are touching the horse hunters.

Have realistic expectations for your first hunt, spending a great time with your son in some of GODS most beautiful country. dont put to much pressure on yourself.

 

[SavageFan80]

I know you said you guys are willing to hike 5+ miles in. Please please dont take this as me being a jerk or condescending; but from another easterner (WI) have you ever been out west and gone 1 mile off a road or trail?

I ask bc there is absolutely no way to prepare for how BIG it is out west. I am in awesome shape and was fully prepared to "out hike everyone" got out west 6 years on my first hunt and was happy to make it 2 miles from the trailhead at the end 9 days.

Now fast forward 6yrs and i can get in 5 miles (you dont always need to) by going 5+ you might out walk all the humans but are touching the horse hunters.

Have realistic expectations for your first hunt, spending a great time with your son in some of GODS most beautiful country. dont put to much pressure on yourself.

Thanks I travel for work and have had time to hike in the west before just not to hunt. so far my 2 biggest concerns are weather and altitude that we are not use to. This trip.is mostly about the 30hours of windshield time each way and 8 days of wilderness before he runs off to college if you have any more advice or concerns please let me know it will only help us enjoy our trip

 

[WIbiggame]

Thanks I travel for work and have had time to hike in the west before just not to hunt. so far my 2 biggest concerns are weather and altitude that we are not use to. This trip.is mostly about the 30hours of windshield time each way and 8 days of wilderness before he runs off to college if you have any more advice or concerns please let me know it will only help us enjoy our trip

Awesome thank you for not taking that wrong! Seems like you are doing it for all the right reasons. Our first trip was the same brother and I went with dad to a spot he hunted 25yrs before no game taken but memories none of us will forget!

As far as weather just be prepared and remember pride has killed a lot of people. If weather comes in dont push it like mentioned above head back and truck camp.

Also alot of your time will probably (unless you are lucky) will be spent looking for instead of looking at elk. The mountains can play some funky mind games on ya. Especially after 3 days of not seeing anything and trying to wake up and leave a warm tent to trek back up the mountain.

 

[Ben Sellers]

Other's have said what I'm about to say including Randy Newberg, but here's the take from a newbie who's hunted elk 1 time in a unit neighboring the one you mentioned. I would NEVER risk the enjoyment and success of my hunt on picking a back-country camping/hunting area only using a map and Google Earth. What I though would be doable country before I went last year was not even close. I would plan on base camping and if your feeling spry, take a bivy setup with you so that if you get into an awesome place way back in there, you can stay a night or two. I have too little time, have worked too hard, and have driven too far to realize that I choose an area that has no elk sign, is a cliff, has no water, has an outfitter tent in it, or any number of things that make that spot a no go.

What was said above by others is right, you will be able to get away from many of the other hunters by getting farther than a mile back in. You will not be able to outpace or go farther back than the horse hunters. If you went 10 miles back, you would be likely to find horse tracks. This will likely be the case in any OTC unit in the state. We saw LOTs of people by the roads but had vast expanses to ourselves at times when we hoofed if back in to the rough country.

Five miles, on your first day, after driving 30 hours, not having acclimatized, with a pack loaded for a week in the mountains of Colorado is a huge task.

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

I would plan on base camping and if your feeling spry, take a bivy setup with you so that if you get into an awesome place way back in there, you can stay a night or two. I have too little time, have worked too hard, and have driven too far to realize that I choose an area that has no elk sign, is a cliff, has no water, has an outfitter tent in it, or any number of things that make that spot a no go.

All of this depends on the person, your gear, hunting style, and what you want out of the experience. I've never been able to make the base camp thing work. I've tried it a couple of times but the spots I want to hunt are always a couple hours in so I feel like I'm waking up at 3am and going to bed at 11pm and after a couple of days I'm just worked... not to mention the extra miles in and out every day. My car camping/basecamp set up is the exact same as my "bivy" set up, it weighs around 35lbs, 45lbs with rifle + optics.

My advice, if you want to backpack hunt go for it... but you need to get your load sub 50lbs. If you can't do that don't even try, if you don't have a lot of experience there are lots of great videos on youtube... Aaron Snyder does a great one, don't bring stupid shit like handguns, hatches, pots/bowls, lanterns, machetes, etc. Google "your unit number + outfitter" go on their websites, get the numbers and give them a ring. Ask about packout services and weasel info out of them. Within 5-10 min on the phone every outfitter I've called has told me exactly what drainage they put hunters into... don't hunt there.

Since your new to the area + weather is variable e-scout 6 or so spots at multiple elevations and with various types of terrain. Start up high and work your way down. Use google earth to scout terrain, change the elevation exaggeration to 1.5... that will give you a sense of how steep it's going to be. You are probably going to be averaging 2 mph on a trail, .5-1 mph off trail, .25 mph in timber/oakbrush. Try to find spots that are 2-3 hours from the road, and give you a good vantage point.

Like Ben said being mobile is key, but that doesn't rule out backpack hunting... you just can’t load yourself down so much that you 'have to make camp' in a crappy spot because you’re too exhausted to do anything else.

 

[Ben Sellers]

Maybe I should amend my statement a little. I would never, at my level of experience and knowledge of the mountains and elk, camp way back in a spot I’ve never been (unless it’s with someone who’s been there before).

People with more knowledge, skill, or luck might be able to make better estimates of what a place will be like. What I saw when the sun came up my first morning was WAY more steep and deep than I expected.

 

[Scuda20]

Fellow east coaster here and will be doing the same 30+ hour windshield time 2nd rifle 75/751. I am by no means an expert but hunted that unit 2 years ago at a drop camp during 3rd season. Had variable weather from mid 60's and sunny to rain to snow 28 degrees at higher elevation. Saw sign at all elevations from 7K to 11.5K feet. 75 head herd was still at 11.5K but was moving lower. The other camp shot a 5x5 at 8K feet in dark timber and I saw the others large 6x6 but at 650 yards that wasn't a shot I was taking.

There are certain areas.... a few little lakes off the forest roads that is a sea of orange but overall, while we saw dozens of hunters,atv's constantly on/around the roads, once we hiked back in, I never encountered another hunter. There are plenty of bulls in the dark timber but my advice and plan is to go high, glass and stalk. From the middle and end of the forest roads in that unit there are plenty of high points and drainage's to glass from in the 1.5 - 6 mile range.

If you see a gray jeep rubicon with MD license plates, stop by and say hi.

 

[SavageFan80]

Thanks for the info I have about 10 spots picked out so we have options to move around and hopefully we draw a deer tag as well

 

[herb0166]

Last year a small group of us from MN went to Idaho into the Frank Church for our first western hunt. Hours of Hunt Talk podcasts were our guide. A buddy's dad actually guided this area years ago and said the same thing you read here "you have no idea how difficult and hard country you are going into". For me, this was more motivation than someone saying "there is an elk behind every ridge". We all went out with 50 lb plus packs, and hiked in 3 miles to a small camp we setup. It was hard as hell, but the fun adventure we had erased any memory of the difficulty, and I look back and only have good memories.

As for advise, if you are backpack hunting, prioritize your bare essentials: food, water, and shelter. For food, I need at least 3000 calories a day. Don't guess, but measure it out before you go, and make sure you have enough food. One easy way to reduce weight is to plan to do two 3-4 day "Trips" into a hunting area. This allows you to carry less weight in food, which is a serious amount of weight, and then stop back at the truck half way though to resupply. As for water, I put it at the top of my priorities. Maybe it is because I grew up canoeing and camping the boundary waters where there was more fresh clean water than you can imagine, and so I was out of my element looking for it. I would plan to setup camp near water because I am lazy and don't want to hike after I am at camp for cooking water, or for coffee water. IMO, the gravity filters are the best option - just don't let them freeze. Light, fast, and can hold enough water for a small group. Lastly, shelter - you need a system to stay dry and after that fails, a system to dry out. On our trip last year it rained/snowed every day, but we were ready for it. With a group of 4 we had one small tent and a tarp. I had the tent and the three other guys slept under the tarp. Its funny because this year I will be taking a tarp, and they are taking tents. There were a couple nights were it rained, and they did not enjoy it... Anyway, I don't think you need to be too crazy here, but have a plan, and have good rain gear. Firstlite, Sitka, and Kuiu have solid light rain gear in camo. You can also find tons of hiking companies sell "ultralight rain gear" which I am sure works great. I have heard some folks say "check the weather before you go and decide on rain gear". That isn't for me. Just carry the extra pound of gear as a serious insurance policy.

Lastly, it has been said hundreds of times all over the place, top gear needs are in order (IMO): pack, boots, optics, & guidance. IMO, optics are dependent on hunting style, but looking sure is easier than hiking... Don't skimp on these. Also, ONXmaps is the bees knees. Just make sure to download your maps before you leave home. Good luck!