First time college student hunter going for elk in colorado needs advice

[RMNP]

Hey guys,

I'm a 22 year old that lives outside of Boulder, CO going hunting in the fall for the first time ever.

I'm hoping to get a tag in unit 29 or 38.
Right now the only piece of hunting gear I own is a compound bow.
I'm hoping to get advice on how to scout the areas I'll be hunting, i.e. how to find where elk will be during the season, what elevations to look at, etc.
I was also hoping for advice on the absolute minimum amount of gear I need to acquire.

Thanks,
Clueless in Colorado

 

[utah400elk]

For what its worth...

Save and buy the best gear you can once. When I started out I would buy what I could afford now and then re- buy a little better gear the next year. I wasted a lot of money doing that so I would recommend you not do that.

Minimal amount of gear...
Bow
good broadheads
sleeping bag and decent tent.

To make the hunt better,
rain gear,
good binos
rang finder
decent clothing (I like Sitka and or first lite)

Camo patern is not all that important.

What I have learned is that you can hunt in jeans and T-Shirt (I don't recommended because of serious safety concerns of cotton) and sleep in you car/truck. The better gear simply makes your time in the woods more comfortable

Now on to elk...
I have found elk from the flats to the top of steep mountains. A little preseason scouting and you should be able to find them pretty easy.

I usually look for north and east facing slopes, parks or openings near north facing cover and at least a mile from the nearest open road.

Big Fin had a great post about scouting. I would read that and do a little cyber scouting then narrow your areas for the archery hunt. Don't expect the OTC in CO to be like the elk videos.

I would also suggest you buy at least a PP for elk this year.

If you are new...A great and fun hunt as a Colorado resident might be a cow muzzle tag in one of the LE units. You could learn a lot about elk, have a fun hut with vocal elk, fill your freezer, and learn for future hunts. That would require a little more expense with for a muzzle loader but another gun is always good and they can be purchased used for a couple hundred.

PM me if you want more info on recommendations for muzzle loader units for a great hunt.

 

[RMNP]

Thanks for all the information bud!
Im thinking of sticking with archery since I already own a compound bow and don't have the finances in place to get a rifle.