Elk Sanctuaries

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txhtr333

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Hello guys,
I'm new to the forum, and fairly new to western big game hunting. I'm 23 and will be going on my second self guided Colorado public land elk hunt this year. I will be going on a 3rd rifle season OTC hunt, so I know that I will be hunting heavily pressured animals. I have heard many experienced elk hunters say that in these late season hunts in heavily pressured units, the elk go where they can get away from hunting pressure, and that these "sanctuaries" are the very nasty, hard to reach areas where most people don't want to go. I hike 6-10 miles every day with an 80 lb load to get myself into shape to reach these areas. I'd like some feedback from some guys of what kind of areas stick out to you on google earth as "sanctuaries". I'd love to see some google earth screenshots of some areas that fit this description. I'm not asking for anyone's honey holes, the shots don't even have to show the location, I'm just wanting to see what kind of areas jump out to you guys so I can identify promising areas within my unit
 
No google earth views, but a big sign is a "NO Tresspassing" sign indicating private land! Much like how duck/geese refuges suck in waterfowl into areas where they are allowed to rest/feed without human interaction, land with limited access to the public will act as refuges for hoofed creatures.

Catching the elk entering/leaving these defacto sanctuaries is then the game of the day.
 
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The "sanctuaries" I have found while hunting out west are, areas I learned where people wont go while being out there and gathering the info first hand. I then used google earth to learn the lay of the land once I found them. For example, I found an area that's not far at all,I walk about 2 miles around private land but then I have to walk up and around cliffs for about 3/4 of a mile. Again, its not far but most people wont go there. I typically like to hunt that area a few days into the season. The hunters push them into this area. Another thing about this area and what I look for is that it as all 3 things elk need that time of the year (i.e. Cover, food, and water). There is no reason really why these elk need to leave this area. I have had great luck in this area and kill elk every year. I hope this help!!
 
You really need to watch where the other hunters go. Not all are miserable nasty spots. Some are just over-looked areas. Places people walk past for whatever reason. Also, most times you don't need to walk 10 or even 6 miles to find them. I have several places I hunt that are within a mile of the trailhead that others go right on by. I hunt areas that are mostly hunted by the horseback crowd. Look for side canyons that don't have main trail in them. If you are hunting OTC in western CO then look for places just off the ATV trail. In all seriousness, if you are looking at a spot and say to yourself "I really don't want to hike into that" then you most likely just found one.
 
If it has really steep access/topo, then most hunters won't go in. Elk are willing to go without food or water for a day or so but they will eventually get to looking for it. When they go into the big ugly they are not to far from either usually. Find yourself a steep, north facing hillside, really steep with a bunch of down timber mixed in with the uprights. If you have a decent sized south facing clearing near it and water close by, you will have elk. I promise.
 
If you think it looks like a good sanctuary on Google earth then someone else does also.
You are better off listing to the tips and applying them to your hunt.
 
Mature bulls are worn out after the rut. They just want to be by themselves and fatten back up for winter. What you're looking for is a small bench that has food and water near by. The closer the better. The area will be horrible to hunt in, but you'll be surprised where some of those areas are. They don't have to be 6-10 miles from a road. They can be less than 1/2 mile if the terrain is ugly enough and food and water is available.

I have my own unique way to find these areas, but it's not looking at a map, so I can't show them on a map. Unless I show you my exact spots. Finding one bull in later seasons is not like finding herds in Sept. So, the normal rules don't apply. I will say the better you know a unit the easier it gets. You'll always struggle to find elk if you're constantly changing units. You can pattern elk, but it takes years of observation to do it with any accuracy.
 
Elkstalker is right on. Look for north facing slopes with a bench. They like the nasty timber.
 
wytex said:
Elkstalker is right on. Look for north facing slopes with a bench. They like the nasty timber.
Click to expand...

So do you key on the north facing slopes at all times of day in the later seasons? I always understood that the better food sources are on south facing slopes, so I assumed that they typical feed on the south facing slopes early and late in the day and spend the afternoons in the dark timber. Do they stay on the north facing slopes all day when they are heavily pressured?
 
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ElkStalker, I think I have been making that mistake in my map study(Thinking herd not individual bulls). Last year when I went for the first time I was able to identify good feeding areas and get into the cows, but didn't see a bull my whole trip. I think I need to make that adjustment when hunting late season bulls on heavily pressured units
 
I was hunting an area, and by hiking the entire area I managed to find an area elk seem to hang out each year. Not much rhyme or reason why the choose this area vs other nearby areas. Nothing you'd see on a map. But it is steep, and nasty thick with deadfalls. I can say one mile in that area makes all the difference.
 
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