I have a general idea of where I'm going but I'm a flatlander. I'm not able to come scout before season.. I only archery hunt. This will be my 3rd year elk hunting. Last year was a bust didn't even see an elk..at this point I'd be happy with a cow.. anybody be willing to help a guy out?
Who wants to help plan me a trip to Colorado?
- Thread starter Bhunt247
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Pick a unit, look for areas where you can't drive a car. In those spots you can't drive a car find a spot that has some heinous terrain feature that would make it crappy to pull an elk out of that is at least a 90 min walk from the nearest access point.
Be at a vantage point above the hell hole before first light, sunrise will probably be ~6:45am so you want to be there at 6:00am. Meaning you need to leave your truck at 4:30am, so get up at 3:45 or 4am.
Find a couple of these spots and if you don't find elk in the first couple of hours move on to a new spot for the evening, stay till it's dark.
If you are at your truck and the sun is up it means you killed an elk or else you are doing it wrong.
The elk will be pressured so don't glass the pretty meadows they won't be there, instead glass the edges of the dark timber/oak brush thicket/ dense aspen grove, etc. Your assumption should be the elk will feed out into a meadow at night and you are trying to catch them out in the open in the first and last few min of the day. Once you know where they are go kill them.
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That is a pretty good summary of how to kill an elk. Solid advice!
cmbbulldog
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Do you have any points?
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If you are going to CO and not even seeing elk, you do not need help planning a trip. You need help on how to hunt. Some fair advice already given. You should research posts on hunting techniques not where to go.
My first trip I saw elk everyday. My 2nd trip different spot I went with someone who "knew what they were doing" and we didn't see any.. it was only a 5 day hunt and we didn't move I know now that was a mistake.
thusby
Well-known member
They are giant animals. They don’t just crouch down in a sage bush and wait for the season to end.
Bullshot
Well-known member
Hmmm. Not sure this is as much of a head scratcher as I'd hoped. I'd go back to where you went on your first trip. 
El Jason
Well-known member
Hmmm. Not sure this is as much of a head scratcher as I'd hoped. I'd go back to where you went on your first trip.
That's what I thought as well.
That's my first plan but it's been 4 years since I've been there I don't know what's changedHmmm. Not sure this is as much of a head scratcher as I'd hoped. I'd go back to where you went on your first trip.
Bullshot
Well-known member
Only one way to find out! You'll be fine. You have a starting point and that's half the battle.
Not much changes in the mountains in my experience other than maybe more or less pressure. Avoid the Muzzleloader season dates if you can since you are bowhunting. In the fishing world we often say, "don't leave a bite to find a bite" - get right back in where you found them before and you'll be a step ahead of many others.
rjthehunter
Well-known member
Crawl up a mountain away from roads before daylight. Then sit there and glass for a couple hours. If nothing, then move a mountain top over and glass a new area. Good binos and a good spotting scope is a must!
LopeHunter
Well-known member
You should be glassing several hours each day. Weight of binos will tire you out so get a good harness system. Perhaps put binos on a tripod which I saw done in AZ glassing for Coues deer.
Are not glassing to see a moving, standing elk. Are looking an ear, segment of antler, leg, etc. Most species have a preference where lay down during the day which could be an orientation to the sun or a certain elevation or even habitat.
Mental focus is important. Stay dry. Sleep well. Eat well. Hydrate.
End each day with a solid plan for the next morning. I often have spoken with recent prior hunters through lists provided by Huntin’ Fool and Epic. With elk tags hitting $1000 the cost to get the list of hunters is a no-brainer for me.
I never scout pre-season and rarely hunt the same unit a 2nd time. I talk with some of the hunters so often have a plan A, B,...K with marks on a map and in my GPS. I often never run out of places I would like to check out on the hunt.
The harder to draw tags generally get better information shared compared to OTC tags where the hunter or a relative is likely going on the same hunt again soon.
Lately, I lean towards guided hunts, private land access or very low tag hunts for elk hunts. I am an old guy.
That said, I do not typically need the guide in order to whack a bull elk but I do need their back when the bull tips over or their horses to pack out the elk so I do not wreck my body. Heck, I broke a finger on a guided elk hunt this year. I am a klutz since my core strength ebbed away. I need 2 to 3 weeks to recover when I pack out heavy on my back. Muscles, joints, tendons, etc stay sore. I have solo packed out my last elk.
Are not glassing to see a moving, standing elk. Are looking an ear, segment of antler, leg, etc. Most species have a preference where lay down during the day which could be an orientation to the sun or a certain elevation or even habitat.
Mental focus is important. Stay dry. Sleep well. Eat well. Hydrate.
End each day with a solid plan for the next morning. I often have spoken with recent prior hunters through lists provided by Huntin’ Fool and Epic. With elk tags hitting $1000 the cost to get the list of hunters is a no-brainer for me.
I never scout pre-season and rarely hunt the same unit a 2nd time. I talk with some of the hunters so often have a plan A, B,...K with marks on a map and in my GPS. I often never run out of places I would like to check out on the hunt.
The harder to draw tags generally get better information shared compared to OTC tags where the hunter or a relative is likely going on the same hunt again soon.
Lately, I lean towards guided hunts, private land access or very low tag hunts for elk hunts. I am an old guy.
That said, I do not typically need the guide in order to whack a bull elk but I do need their back when the bull tips over or their horses to pack out the elk so I do not wreck my body. Heck, I broke a finger on a guided elk hunt this year. I am a klutz since my core strength ebbed away. I need 2 to 3 weeks to recover when I pack out heavy on my back. Muscles, joints, tendons, etc stay sore. I have solo packed out my last elk.
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Chippewa
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Keep an eye on fires. It was so dry this year. I hunted close enough to one and seemed to help the hunting pressure.
I would go right back to the first place you hunted and saw elk. I would go opening week and focus on water if it is a fairly dry area with limited water sources. Everybody wants to hunt Sept 15-20 when the rut is peaking but we go the first week and have consistent success hunting water. The elk have not been pressured and are in a natural pattern. The bulls are establishing their pecking order and we hear a little bugling some days and a lot other days. IMO, opening week is way underrated.
