Colorado Archery Elk

Joel Duty · Dec 20, 2017

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
I’m planning my first elk hunt for 2018. Building up my gear and trying to make a plan.
I’m from central Texas so don’t have any experience with the mountains so I’m thankful for any advice. Ive looked at all the OTC archery either sex tags and also some options for the draw. I’ve gotten both go hunt and onX and also Elk101.
I know success rates aren’t the best but I’m willing to put in work and build experience.

If anyone has any advice or suggested starting points for picking a GMU or even better personal experience in a unit I could possibly hit that would be awesome. Not asking for all your honey holes, just a little help.
Been looking from Bayfield to pogosa springs. Or up around gunnison.
And just so you know I will be making a scouting trip late summer pre September.
Thanks!

zadvorney · Dec 20, 2017

Welcome to the board. I'd suggest spending some time going back to old posts and looking for information there. Lots of good reading and knowledge to be gained. It will help you narrow down some areas for sure.

vanish · Dec 21, 2017

Hi Joel,

Welcome to the board. If you can narrow down some more specific questions, we may be able to help you out. One thing to think about is determining what kind of terrain you'd like to hunt (Alpine, Calling in the thick timber, Pinyon/Juniper ???), and we can help narrow down the list from there.

Joel Duty · Dec 21, 2017

Thanks zadvorney. Yeah I’ve been looking for quiet awhile. Unfortunately just awfully discouraging when for the most part I read of how crowded the woods are and how few of elk. I’m hoping to find some of you nice guys to tell me something a little more positive and give me some advice or ideas.

Joel Duty · Dec 21, 2017

Thanks vanish. I’ve never been in the terrain so it’s hard to say. I think I imagine bow hunting aspens and or dark timber. Finding a wallow or the sort. Early season as I feel maybe patterned elk prior to bulls running cows. Although full rut would also be awesome just feel as if calling and learning terrain and all that in one go would be awfully tough. Thank you for any help you can offer you have no idea.

375H&H · Dec 21, 2017

Cold springs is something to work towards

Joel Duty · Dec 21, 2017

Thanks 375H&H I’ll check it out.

warmer · Dec 21, 2017

I have hunted north/northwest of Meeker. Lots of elk/lots of hunters. GMU11/211

plumber1969 · Dec 22, 2017

I was in your boat two years ago. I read and about had myself convinced not to go because there is obviously no elk in Colorado. Others here will tell you the same, pick a unit that you like and just go. The odds of killing an elk with a bow, your first time out is slim. Me and my wife went, hunted hard for 5 days, got in to the elk 3 of those 5 days. Never saw the elk, had them bugling around us, smelled them, had them bark at us etc....It was the best hunting trip ever. I could care less if i ever kill an elk, it will never define me as a man, husband or father. Just go and enjoy yourself. You will see parts of the country you've never seen before. Not sure where you are from, but waking up in the mountains in September when its in the 20's sure beats waking up in Northeast Florida when it's in the 90's.
Get in shape, you don't have to be a marathon runner, get some good gear and have a great time. When you realize that the elk come in silent, the wind always swirls and being dead tired after hiking 35 miles for a week and you are still smiling, that my friend means you are elk hunting.

For what it's worth, I was concerned about all the crowds, 4 wheelers, etc... We walked in at closed gates, went over a mile deep every time and saw a grand total of two people during our time in the woods.

SPDSpappy · Dec 23, 2017

plumber1969 said:
I was in your boat two years ago. I read and about had myself convinced not to go because there is obviously no elk in Colorado. Others here will tell you the same, pick a unit that you like and just go. The odds of killing an elk with a bow, your first time out is slim. Me and my wife went, hunted hard for 5 days, got in to the elk 3 of those 5 days. Never saw the elk, had them bugling around us, smelled them, had them bark at us etc....It was the best hunting trip ever. I could care less if i ever kill an elk, it will never define me as a man, husband or father. Just go and enjoy yourself. You will see parts of the country you've never seen before. Not sure where you are from, but waking up in the mountains in September when its in the 20's sure beats waking up in Northeast Florida when it's in the 90's.
Get in shape, you don't have to be a marathon runner, get some good gear and have a great time. When you realize that the elk come in silent, the wind always swirls and being dead tired after hiking 35 miles for a week and you are still smiling, that my friend means you are elk hunting.

For what it's worth, I was concerned about all the crowds, 4 wheelers, etc... We walked in at closed gates, went over a mile deep every time and saw a grand total of two people during our time in the woods.

Interesting perspective, thanks! I'm not the OP, but I'm in much the same boat just starting out.

Joel Duty · Jan 2, 2018

Plumber 1969 thanks for that! I’m from central Texas and yeah waking up in ge mountains I feel will sure beat what I’m used to.
I’m hoping I’m just over stressing the pressure of the woods and elk numbers. And I feel we agree on what I’m wanting to get out of the hunt. The experience far trumps the kill for sure. At this point I just want opportunity and to see smell or hear elk will be the goal. Thanks again for the confidence booster

sundance · Jan 3, 2018

25 years chasing wapiti in Colorado. 15 years ago, would wear your butt out chasing bugles and working bulls. Now, with the popularity of elk hunting, especially archery, and with the Colorado OTC tags, not so much anymore. With every one armed with a multitude of calls, these elk get call shy very quickly.You have to find an area that requires a couple of miles hiking into, to get away from the leisure hunters. Early season is better for increasing your chances of calling in a bull, but you will hear less noise from them. Late season will have more bugles, but by then, they are either with cows, or will run from a imitation bugle. Weather is critical, especially temperature, to these animals, they have a coat on 24/7. I live and hunt in the southwest part of the state and my son and i have to get out earlier and walk further every year. But, as fickle as the hunting Gods can be, you have a first morning of season hunt like my son and i had last September and everything goes like a dream and by 7 a.m., right out of the barrel, my son has stuck a nice 6x6, 320 bull. You never know, and that is why we do what we do. Get good at 30 to 50 yard shots, practice on growls,gruffs,grunts, i hardly ever rip a full bugle anymore. Pay attention to the wind, work with it, cannot emphasize it enough. And remember, you are out in the woods, trying to imitate a bull elk. They are noisy critters, so bust tree limbs, stomp, rake a tree, grunt, growl, roll in their pee....and, if you are new to a bull elk freight training through brush to check you out, steel your nerves...hard...and stay down on your arrow release, stay down on its path, all the way to your aiming point. And then, if all that happens ....you will need packs, and a real good set of lungs. Welcome to Colorado

Joel Duty · Jan 4, 2018

for sure sundance, im working on physical fitness and building backcountry gear. Sounds like you and your son had an awesome hunt, a dream i hope comes true for me when ive earned it!

nontyp · Jan 4, 2018

Download the Elknut app and listen to all the podcasts Paul(Elknut) has done. you will learn more there than anywhere. Paul also has some great dvds on how to call. This forum is also a great resource. Just start reading through all the elk hunting threads and you will pick up little tips and tricks along the way. And start learning now...its a lot to learn! I did a lot of research and reading prior to my first elk hunt last year and I wish I would have found Pauls info earlier.

FRH · Jan 21, 2018

This is also my first year planning a CO elk hunt. I've been thinking about this off and on for a couple years but this year me and a buddy are finally committing to a September archery hunt. Western hunting is completely foreign to both of us so were starting without a clue but hope to gain some info over summer and head out there this fall and learn from the experience.
Anyone have any specific threads/topics that a beginner should be searching for and reading?

waygoner · Jan 22, 2018

Be prepared for any kind of weather. July is about the only month I haven't seen it snow. We had a hard frost on August 9th a few years ago. Snow is June is common. First Aid is another priority. You will most likely be out of cell range and far from help. If you slip while gutting an animal and slice your hand, you need to be able to deal with it. Same goes for a broken ankle, altitude sickness, etc.

SPDSpappy · Jan 24, 2018

waygoner said:
Be prepared for any kind of weather. July is about the only month I haven't seen it snow. We had a hard frost on August 9th a few years ago. Snow is June is common. First Aid is another priority. You will most likely be out of cell range and far from help. If you slip while gutting an animal and slice your hand, you need to be able to deal with it. Same goes for a broken ankle, altitude sickness, etc.

Good points all around, thanks!

JohnCushman · Jan 24, 2018

Don't base your research and choice on success rates. Weather during the summer plays so much of a part in the fall. I hunted second season last year in a unit with a 26% success rate, which is really high for the state, but the summer was dry and the elk were in the private irrigated ag fields instead of on the public.

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