Heading to SW CO for a 1st Rifle Elk Hunt from MN. Can anyone report current conditions after the snow storm. Heard a rumor there's still 2 feet of snow up high. Has it moved the elk lower? I also heard from a seasoned elk hunter in Northern CO that he observed the elk had vacated the grasslands above treeline because of poor feed from the drought. Any current reports would be great. Excited to head out in 2 weeks !
SW Colorado? Updated w Hunt Results !
- Thread starter Trigger50
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mdeerjunkie
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I just hunted in the San Juan’s around Creede and lake city. There was no snow left even up high. And the reports from most of the hunters I ran into said that the elk were up at about 12,500 ft due to there being water up there again.
AvidIndoorsman
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Elk up high Texans down low, situation normal.
mdeerjunkie
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is it a 76 tag?
noharleyyet
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They go low, we go high....
Lol, this Texan will be up high. Of course I grew up in Golden so I am not a "true" Texan, just couldn't take the Califonication of Colorado. Damn hippies.
AvidIndoorsman
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Perfect I’m gonna sit at the bottom and wait for you to scare a rag horn down to me
, figure the llamas should be able to pack in at least 4 days of brews so take your time, no reason to rush a hunt.Perfect I’m gonna sit at the bottom and wait for you to scare a rag horn down to me
OK deal. If I shoot one up high can I borrow the Llama's?
AvidIndoorsman
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Sounds like I got a taker for a beer run
mountainlaurel3
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Saw a nice 6x6 the other day... strapped to the top of a car leaving the area. The snow didn't seem to make much difference around here, still very dry.
No helpful tips, but I've got strong legs and acclimated lungs if you shoot something (in 74 or 75) and can't find the llamas!
No helpful tips, but I've got strong legs and acclimated lungs if you shoot something (in 74 or 75) and can't find the llamas!
COEngineer
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Really dry. Very little snow left. Only elk I saw were near 12,000'.
Browning55
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Been bouncing around SW Colorado most of archery. What I can tell you is there is no general rule right now. Pressure water and feed seem to be the ticket. We killed a bull on my buddies tag at 8900ft and then followed that up with a cow at 10.5ft, go figure. hunters were staying high and there was better water down low in the case of the bull... those elk had been hanging out there all season, there was water everywhere I was hunting and the feed stayed green all summer so they didn't need to move high. I went to another section in same unit and it was night and day.... elk were pocketed between 10k-11k. The cows wanted to be lower but the insane crowds pushed them all over. I have never seen crowds like this year.
so my suggestion is to methodically work your hunting area and do not fall trap to they "should be here" or reports say all the elk are high or low. This year it seems Pressure, water, feed have been the order of importance in finding elk. There is another spot I frequent in Colorado on OTC and the crowds up in the wilderness areas have been ridiculous. The Instagram hunters and "hunting bros" are all out there trying to out hike and out backpack everyone. I was up there just checking in on things as I don't have an otc archery tag this year and was laughing.... there were elk piled up in a drainage less than a mile from the parking lot and in plain view of the towns lights. Elk are where the elk are.
so my suggestion is to methodically work your hunting area and do not fall trap to they "should be here" or reports say all the elk are high or low. This year it seems Pressure, water, feed have been the order of importance in finding elk. There is another spot I frequent in Colorado on OTC and the crowds up in the wilderness areas have been ridiculous. The Instagram hunters and "hunting bros" are all out there trying to out hike and out backpack everyone. I was up there just checking in on things as I don't have an otc archery tag this year and was laughing.... there were elk piled up in a drainage less than a mile from the parking lot and in plain view of the towns lights. Elk are where the elk are.
1100RemingtonMan
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Looking to 77 in third season OTC please leave one for me. I hope they get another snow by then.
jdf
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Been here for almost 2 weeks. Super dry
Filled archery elk tags, bear tag and deer tags at 8400 ft.
Heard bulls and had encounters every day.
Great trip
Filled archery elk tags, bear tag and deer tags at 8400 ft.
Heard bulls and had encounters every day.
Great trip
Bowhuntrben
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Way to go!
TrumpkinTheDwarf
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That is a slammer of a bull in CO! Well done.
mdeerjunkie
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That’s great!
That’s a stud of a bull!! Congrats.
