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Need to find new area

Gun Dog

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Sep 8, 2002
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I need to find a better place to hunt elk. There are 5 of us. Three are retired and in their 70's. One is 26 and I am in my early 40's. Have been going to northern colorado for 4 years and hunt the heavy timber. It is getting old not seeing much. Finally figured that we needed cow tags and got one cow last year. This year nothing at all. Never saw a thing the first rifle season. Would like an area that we have a good chance at something. We usually now get two cow tags and three bull tags. There has to be a better place. Need to go on public land because private land is out of our budgets. Any ideas on where to go would be greatly appreciated. Colorado/Idaho?? Where. I don't expect you guys to give away your areas but if you have ideas I would appreciate it. I want my dad to get a bull bad. It would be nice if the older guys could get one at least.
 
Where exactly have you been hunting? North of Steamboat in the Routt? Arapaho NF? Roosevelt NF?.......it would help to know where you've been so as to point you in a better general area.

Offhand, I would tell you the forest west of the Flat Tops is generally very good. Lots of folks but lots more land with plenty of elk. The west slope is much better than the front range and the southern tier of the state...especially southwest can be really good. No where will easily yield a bull to older folks who have limited mobility....unfortunately, the elk will avoid the roads and the hunters in pretty much all the areas of the public ground in Co. I could point you to some good general areas I used to hunt. Do you have ATV's? Horses?......

Are you guys Colorado Residents or Non-res?

<FONT COLOR="#800080" SIZE="1">[ 10-23-2002 11:37: Message edited by: Deerslayer ]</font>
 
Gun Dog, you might look into the Tex Creek Zone, southeast Idaho. There is good elk hunting there, and in some places, a person of limited mobility might have a good chance at a bull. These are F&G units 66 & 69, and they lie generally south, southeast, and south west of Idaho Falls, Bonneville County. That's pretty close to the southwestern Wyoming state line. I know there are quite a few elk over there (including moose), and I have a friend who just killed a nice fat "big six' elk there yesterday. Caribou Nat'l Forest.

There's private land (hard to get on to), Caribou Nat'l Forest, BLM land, and the Fort Hall Inidan Reservation.

I'm elk/deer hunting the Sawtooth Zone which is pretty steep and rugged (ask Moosie!!) and the first three days there were pretty warm and very dry. My buds and I did ZIP! But I'm going back up next week for a few days, so we'll see what happens. We are really hoping for some weather, but who knows??

As asked above, are you using ATVs or horses?? How are you camping??

From what state are you coming??

Best of luck. L.W.
 
An area that gets a lot of hunters, but also produces a lot of elk, and a lot of big elk, and is a migratory hunt, is area #79 in Wyoming. It is in Grand Teton National Park and it is a pretty long season. The older gents would not have the steep rugged crap to deal with, unless they wanted it. It is only 30 min from a motel if that would be your choice and there are people in the area that get the animals out for you if you want. This area also has a deprvation hunt for cows and calves every year. Hope this helps a little.
 
Start applying for limited entry areas.
The more app.s you put in, the better your chances of drawing, and if you don't draw, you can still go over the counter in Co. or Idaho.
 
You could hunt in southern Wyoming, just north of where you are hunting now. You can pick your poison. If you want to hunt heavy timber it's available. If you like a little more open country you have that too. In the past couple of years there has been a very high population of elk. Wyoming imposed an any elk season for the first 4 days this year. My family has been hunting here for over 30 yrs now and we average 11 out of 13 tags filled every year. I will tell you, you probably will not see an 330+ bull here as the hunting pressure takes the bulls before they get an opportunity to get mature. But you will have a great opportunity to harvest elk , if thats what you are after. I have never hunted in Colo, so I cannot say if you will have any more hunting pressure than you do in your hunting grounds now. I figure that you will not. I would be glad to give you more info should you request it!
 
We hunt the northwest part of unit 161 right close to the wyoming border. We camp (Wall tent). We don't use horses but have talked about it. We have horses at home but live 23 hours away. We have an atv but leave that at home too. SO we could bring the ATV. We are non Res.
 
Wyoming is good, but has an early draw (January) so if you like the convienance of Co's over the counter system, you won't be looking at Wyo.

Like Anaconda says..your best bet is to build up points to get on easier hunts......but in the mean time, the west and south part of the state has great hunting with a little easier tterrain than most of the north. The area just west of the Flat Tops can be outstanding but I would recommend the First Seperate season because they get shot to hell and are ghost-like after that. The Rifle area is also great, and has a little more forgiving terrain than the north.
 
Gun Dog.......the last mail you sent me says "not available at this time" when I try to open it.

Try and resend it .....if I don't get it tonight I'll help you when I get back in a week and a half.......
 
Gun Dog.....you have mail...... ;) Enjoy that until I return from my trip and we'll talk some more.....
 
Got it. Good luck on the hunt. Our Deer Season starts here the 9th. Can Not stand the wait. I would hunt all year if I could find a job that let me.
 
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