Any ever do a DIY colorado elk hunt?

[Gencountyzeek]

Really thinking i want to head to colorado next year for a archery elk hunt. My fathers uncle lives in montrose CO, so i have a some eyes on the ground to pre scout for me. Just curious if anyone ever ventured into the rockies with a pack on their back and a bow in hand.

[G-Man]

Have had a friend do it several times, though he did hook up with an outfitter who helped pack his elk out via horse , gave him a several hundred dollar tip. Said it was a life saver running into him.. 

[BizCT]

I would check out bowsite you’ll get tons of info. And also Colorado Game & Fish website for maps etc. do you need preference points to draw a decent tag? I buy in WY each year but idk much about Colorado’s point system

 

 

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[Gencountyzeek]

14 minutes ago, Biz-R-OWorld said:

I would check out bowsite you’ll get tons of info. And also Colorado Game & Fish website for maps etc. do you need preference points to draw a decent tag? I buy in WY each year but idk much about Colorado’s point system

 

 

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Certain gmu's u need points, but for were im looking you dont. Ill check out bowsite thanks.

[Arcade Hunter]

Ive watched a bunch of elk hunts on youtube and it really gets you wanting to do this... I sure wish I would have done this earlier in life cause there's no way I would be able to pack out something without lots of help or an outfitter.  

[Gencountyzeek]

2 hours ago, Arcade Hunter said:

Ive watched a bunch of elk hunts on youtube and it really gets you wanting to do this... I sure wish I would have done this earlier in life cause there's no way I would be able to pack out something without lots of help or an outfitter.  

Kinda why im looking to do this sooner than later. Dont want to hit the point in my life and look back and wish i tried.

There are other "cheaper" options than a straight up guide service. They have spike camps set up for you, you get a animal and they will help pack out. No guide during the hunt but you dont need to pack in tents, sleeping bags, cooking stuff. Some have meal plans too, so u dont need to bring any food either.

[Trial153]

Yep, I have hunted elk in CO three times all on OTC tags while built points up in other states. Lots of information out there if you research it.

[Lawdwaz]

I’ve done it a few times but it was back in the 90’s.  I can add more to this later on.....

[left field]

I might check out rokslide as well. 

https://www.rokslide.com/forums/forums/elk.50/

[BowmanMike]

No but i want to. Same as you,i should probably get after it sooner rather than later,like the rest of us i am not getting younger. I think you have a great advantage with having someone there locally that could help you figure a few things out. Not having to pack a whole elks worth of meat out would be huge. That is the biggest drawback of going alone i would think,and the risk of getting hurt and being alone in the wilderness. 

[phade]

I really want to do this but I have a direct fear that I'd love it. Alot of people I know who have done it, said that it almost ruined whitetail hunting for them. Since getting out west is costly and time-consuming, I'd be frustrated being relegated to deer hunting here that didn't have the enjoyment it does now for me.

I do know that archery success rates can be pretty low in some OTC scenarios. Maybe consider a MZ or regular season to increase odds? Someday I will get there.

[BowmanMike]

1 hour ago, phade said:

I really want to do this but I have a direct fear that I'd love it. Alot of people I know who have done it, said that it almost ruined whitetail hunting for them. Since getting out west is costly and time-consuming, I'd be frustrated being relegated to deer hunting here that didn't have the enjoyment it does now for me.

I do know that archery success rates can be pretty low in some OTC scenarios. Maybe consider a MZ or regular season to increase odds? Someday I will get there.

I would think that elk hunting is different enough from whitetail hunting that it wouldn't ruin me on whitetails. I love the fact that my farthest drive to a hunting deer is 40 mins,and that is when i feel adventurous. I can hunt out my back door or drive a few minutes to more private or 5 or 10 minutes to public.

The whole elk thing takes so much more planning and preparation to just be able to survive out there when camping and hiking. No warm house to come back to at night.

I can also understand in people getting hooked on the whole elk hunting thing,but to me it is two completely different things.

And why not do both,right? Isn't elk season generally in September for archery?

[Gencountyzeek]

30 minutes ago, BowmanMike said:

I would think that elk hunting is different enough from whitetail hunting that it wouldn't ruin me on whitetails. I love the fact that my farthest drive to a hunting deer is 40 mins,and that is when i feel adventurous. I can hunt out my back door or drive a few minutes to more private or 5 or 10 minutes to public.

The whole elk thing takes so much more planning and preparation to just be able to survive out there when camping and hiking. No warm house to come back to at night.

I can also understand in people getting hooked on the whole elk hunting thing,but to me it is two completely different things.

And why not do both,right? Isn't elk season generally in September for archery?

Yes archery is in sept, with a week of muzzloader mixed in there too. 

@phade success rates are around 10% i think on average. I love bow hunting whitetails so really want the challenge of chasing elk too. Plus less preasure/ hunters during bow compared to muzzloader or rifle.

[Trad bow]

Zeek just do it. You are a good hunter and will work hard at it. I have gone four times and next month will be my fifth I’m hunting rifle season. I have taken one bull and one nice mule deer and have been in animals every time.  It a great experience and once you go you will want to go back , we have millions of acres all public land , enjoy it ! Here is the deer I shot two years ago , messed with a bull all week but only had a split second shot opportunity and didn’t take it but the bugling was worth it alone. 

[wolc123]

I did one rifle season Colorado otc elk/mule deer hunt when I was in my 30's.  4 of us drove out in an extended cab pickup with a cap and took turns driving.  We brought back 3 mule deer but no one saw any elk.  I killed the smallest one (a 1.5 yr spike), my buddy got a 2.5 yr 4 x 4, and our host got a mature 6 x 6.  The elk had to have at least 4 points on a side to shoot then there, but we could not have filled even a cow tag if we had one.  Our host usually kills a cow every year, claiming they taste a bit better.

We hunted the high desert area near Steamboat Springs. It was a scenic spot and we got very reasonable off ski-season lodging in a condo.  I am glad I went once (when I was younger) but I dont have any desire to do it again.

I have been given plenty of elk to eat (mostly bull), from that area, and I would rate it nearly equal to WNY whitetail on eating quality.  Not so with the mule deer however.  They sort of tasted like sage brush, which I suppose makes up much of their diet.  Our host gave us his big muley to take home, not even wanting to keep a back strap for himself.  He often comes up to NY for some of our "tastey" whitetails, which he likes better than their elk.

The main reason I would not do another western elk hunt is because I have had a taste of some pretty decent Adirondack deer hunting.  I like the scenery better up there than the Rockies.  Adirondack deer hunting has spoiled me a bit on flat-land WNY deer hunting,  in addition to Western US elk hunting.  The deer from the spots I hunt up there taste just as good as the corn fed ones around home.  And then of course are the facts that I always get free food and lodging in the Adirondacks, and dont have to purchase an expensive non-resident licence.

To hunt Colorado, you need to carry your original NY state hunter safety certificate.  An old licence dont cut it.

Edited September 16, 2020 by wolc123

[meateater]

Try and google bill wille in Colorado hes a taxidermist and a hunt broker, but he might help you .I worked with a relative of his 

[Nomad]

Two,guys from  work went to,Colorado with their bows and each scored , I don’t know the particulars ,they’ve asked me to,join them next time , im not  much interested.

Friend in Montana, kills Elk ,regularly with his bow on public ground .

So it sure seems doable with proper research I’d guess .

[Pygmy]

Do it..You'll never regret it, but if you DON'T go, you may regret that when you get older....

I like the ML hunt, because I was never a very skilled bowhunter, but the MZ hunt falls in the rut while they are still bugling and very responsive to calls, as opposed to the later rifle seasons, which fall after the peak of the rut..

[Gencountyzeek]

4 minutes ago, Pygmy said:

Do it..You'll never regret it, but if you DON'T go, you may regret that when you get older....

I like the ML hunt, because I was never a very skilled bowhunter, but the MZ hunt falls in the rut while they are still bugling and very responsive to calls, as opposed to the later rifle seasons, which fall after the peak of the rut..

Yea, if i wasnt going for archery i would definitely go during the muzzloader season as it fall perfectly for the rut.

[JDN2K]

I lived out in Colorado for several years before moving to the Adirondacks and had the opportunity to hunt Elk and Mule deer. You should do it. The non-resident OTC archery is expensive, but the hunt is worth it. My advise would be to start cardio training today. The Rockies are brutal. The more physically fit you are, the more you will enjoy your hunt. Also, there are so many places to camp and hunt the hundreds of thousands of acres of National Forest. It's such a great experience. 

[wolc123]

2 hours ago, JDN2K said:

I lived out in Colorado for several years before moving to the Adirondacks and had the opportunity to hunt Elk and Mule deer. You should do it. The non-resident OTC archery is expensive, but the hunt is worth it. My advise would be to start cardio training today. The Rockies are brutal. The more physically fit you are, the more you will enjoy your hunt. Also, there are so many places to camp and hunt the hundreds of thousands of acres of National Forest. It's such a great experience. 

Good advice here, and I would add that doing it when you are in your 30's or 40's is also a good idea.  It will still take a few days to acclimate to the low oxygen levels up high, but definitely be easier if you are younger and in good shape.  

Lastly, if you never end up taking that Western trip, you won't be able to appreciate what we have right here in NY's Adirondacks as much.  That alone is reason enough to make that trip once.

Being in my fifties now, and having killed a few deer up in the Adirondacks, I don't think that you could pay me enough to take another Western mule deer hunt, but I could still be coaxed into a ML elk hunt out there for a couple hundred (enough cash to pay the cost of the tag).

Edited November 17, 2020 by wolc123

[DblDroptine]

I did my first back pack hunt last year after many years of trying to get out west.. I am now hooked and similar to what phade mentioned hunting whitetails sitting in a tree just doesn’t seem the same!! Lol

i have been stacking points in Wyoming and Utah but I’m planning on hunting Colorado archery again this year. 
 

I am the complete opposite of an expert but would be happy to answer any questions.

some tools I found and still learning from:

Elk Shape podcast Dan Staton highly recommend 

Cory Jacobsen Elk 101 course

Brian Call Gritty Podcast

The Born and Raised podcast

 

 

[Cory]

Go later in the bow season because early is still pretty warm and have the elk high in elevation. It’s a totally different type of hunting. Your not sitting in a stand you are putting miles on those boots. I recommend wearing light weight waterproof hikers. Area 25-26 just outside of eagle Colorado has lots of BLM and state land. You can pick up a map that shows the land boundaries. Get good at reading a compass as well because land isn’t marked liked it is hear and it’s your responsibility to know where you are at all times. If you go to 25-26 I recommend king mountain plenty of elk . It will take you a day to hike in though. Good luck with your adventure!