Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Confession Time... I suck at elk hunting

I live in CO but grew up in PA/VA. I hunted whitetails constantly growing up and had great success. I moved out to CO as fast as I could mainly because I wanted to hunt elk (lol).

I have only been able to hunt elk 6 of the 10 years I've lived here for various reasons...

1st Time - We hunted 561, 2nd rifle, near Salida. We had bull licenses. We saw quite a few cows that week but never a bull. Honestly, looking back, I think it was just dumb luck that the cows walked on top of us...

2nd Time - Unit 79, 3rd rifle, near Monte Vista/Sagauche. Once again, we had bull licenses. We saw a few cows from a LONG way away but that was it. We realized this season that we had no idea what we are doing, nor how to find the buggers. Is it a matter of glassing or just burning leather?

3rd Time - Unit 79, 3rd rifle, same place as before. We ended up getting SLAMMED by 2-3' feet of snow while we were there. Travel far from camp was difficult to say the least. We hunted east of Boot Mountain and never saw an elk.

4th Time - Unit 79, 3rd rifle, just north of South Fork. It was HOT this time and we were only able to hunt 2 days. We hunted a few creeks north of South Fork and then Boot Mountain. Once again, did not see an elk. We talked to a guy who killed one - said it was the only elk he had seen all week. I never saw another hunter.

5th Time - Unit 76, 3rd rifle, near Creede. We moved to 76 thinking we'd get into elk more since we'd be moving west and further into the migrating herds. Laughable. We had a good bit of snow early in the week but never saw an elk. To be quite honest, we didn't scout the area and had NO idea about migration paths. We did see tons of mule deer and 15+ moose.

6th Time - Unit 76, 3rd rifle, same as before. This was THIS year. We went up on Thurs, hunted the north/east end of the unit (this unit is huge). We found a FEW tracks/scat that were 3-4 days old at best. It was 60+ degrees for most of the week. We did get a bit of snow late in the week but it seemed like it was too little too late. No elk/deer/moose.

Our time in 76 was tough. It is a huge unit and I feel like we were throwing darts at a board trying to figure out where to hunt. I talked to a few locals/hunters/biologists - nothing they told me seemed to be worth anything. "Hunt fern creek". OK, yeah, sure. I walked and glassed that burned out hole for 3 days w/o any sign.

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So, I'm sitting here feeling defeated and am wondering what I can do for next year. We're not lazy - we hunt (ie go for a freaking walk!) hard. We get up early, hike - we don't road hunt. We did 5+ miles last Mon w/o even cutting a track. We went up above tree line, well into deep snow - never saw tracks. We went low, nothing.

Any thoughts, suggestions, etc.? Last year I asked for help putting my dad on a cow as it would likely be his last time coming out. Well, we failed & luckily he was able to come out this year again. He hung out at camp mostly - except for short (less than a mile) hikes. Now, I'm getting to the point where I'm frustrated that I can't even SEE an elk. My oldest son (9yo) is getting to where he doesn't even believe me that elk are out there! lol.

Shall we start a support forum? Ya know, for those who don't know what the heck they are doing?

-NA

Don't feel too discouraged. 85% of hunters in CO don't punch their tags. 10% of the hunters shoot 90% of the elk and they do it every year.

First I would advise, start hunting cows. Get a few under your belt to build confidence and figure out what is going on.

3rd rifle you can really get screwed by the weather. Switch to 2nd. The 1st is too short, but there are more elk and they won't be pushed back into their hidey holes, but if you get any bad weather, that 5 day hunt can turn into two.

Hunt every day, you can kill an elk on the last day of the season just as easily as the first day.

As soon as there is a rifle shot , the elk move into thick timber or onto private land and it's hard to get them out of there.

I can't help much of "Where to go" as all my elk hunting is in areas that you need horses or mules to access.

Where abouts in PA you from. I left SW PA in 64,never looked back.I have missed darn few elk season since then.

I hoofed it for the first 5 seasons with out ever seeing an elk myself. I even went hunting on the National Elk Refuge, thinking it would be like shooting fish in a barrel. (they give out permits to thin the herd) Still no elk. Then I met an outfitter. He took me under his wing. The first year hunting with him, I at least saw elk even though I didn't kill any. The next year I killed a small bull calf on a cow/calf tag. The following year I killed a cow. Last year I killed a cow all on my own. The only help my outfitter friend gave me was skidding the elk out with a horse. My friend died this spring, and I miss him more now that the season is in than I ever did before.

Persistence pays off, keep at it!

Saddlesore is right and Snake has an important point also..

Lucky for me I have shot lots of elk.. A couple things have helped.. First for me, elk are meat.. Deer are trophies.. I have shot many cows, and quite a few bulls.. But given my choice, I will take a cow. Get a few notches on your gun..
Try for a cow.

The second thing that helped me was I hunted with some older guys who showed me the ropes of elk hunting.. Due to our work time, we didn't hit the black timber much.. Time was too short, we mostly hunted after work.. It was easy to slip out for a couple hours hunt in the evenings.. Also I can probably hunt elk with in 20 minutes of my house.. Not the best area, but it is there.. Mostly in the eve. we drove 30- 60 minutes to a hunting spot.. With the guys showing me the ropes, and having elk hunting close, it sure made a difference.. Maybe you can't slip out after work, but try and hook up with an experienced hunter and learn from him.

Elk hunting is at least as much about where you hunt rather than how, especially on public land.

Keep moving until you find a few spots where you can get into them consistently.

And once you find an area stick with it and learn the area inside and out

Good point smokepole, my late wife and I found a spot we could drive to after work sit and glass the mountain as evening came on.. The place never failed us.. It was an evening spot only... But if we hit it every evening during season the elk would be there.. Sometimes only once, sometimes several times during the season.. It was on a public section of a small mountain.. We probably killed 20 or more elk there.. Then a ranch sold, and we were denied access to the mountain because we had to cross a strip of private land about 50 yards wide.. We moved on and found other spots, but nothing has been as good as that one..

That's elk hunting for you. We finished our elk season yesterday. My 3 partners and I had cow tags. During the season, we saw well over 100 elk but none of us ever got anywhere near any of them. They were always way up above us, 2 ridges over, or moving before or after shooting hours. It was the luck of the draw that we couldn't get near any of them.

If you do find an older mentor,jump in there and do twice as much work as you think you should around camp. I have tried for a few times getting younger blood in camp,butI find I end up still doing a lot of the work.
I have shown a few my honey holes and they always see elk.I only give them away after I have quit hunting them.Mostly because I don't want to work that hard to kill an elk.
If you really want to kill and elk and a nice one,I can put you into a spot, but it is pretty rough and getting a nn elk out of there after it is down is hell. A local outfitter will bring it out for you,but the cost is $400. That is the going rate toady.

OR hunt 3rd season migration in Unit 12. Near Isle Grove. That is on CO ST HWY 13 between Craig and Meeker.Locals usually line up along the road and kill them there. Migration is hit or miss though. Coyote Hunter on here does good though in that general local.

My confession is that every year as I age, I forget more and more elk hunting techniques. However I don't know if it is blind luck or really, really, stupid elk becasue at least one walks out in front of me every year. Last year I shot two. One on opening day in ML season which was a "B" tag and one on opening day in 2nd rifle season. This year, one the first day I hunted in 2nd rifle. I'm convinced though they are really stupid ones that I kill.

There's no elk there - ever. Honest. [Fingers=crossed]

Saddlesore is right, it is very hit-or-miss. We hunted there three mornings last week and only one morning did we see elk - after it had been snowing in the high country for two successive nights and only one group. And it can get VERY crowded once the word gets out that a migration is in progress. I once counted 17 orange vests from atop the bluff on the south side of #13.


Saddlesore -

I met Jeanne this trip at her camp. Only talked to her for a few minutes but she seems like a really classy lady. Was hoping to give her $400 for a pack out but that didn't work out - we didn't see any elk up there.

If you go through timber and kick them out of their beds, they won't be back for a long time. You can hunt it all you want but you likely won't see another elk. If you want to keep hunting an area, stay away from where you think they're bedding.

This year I went back to an old area I had hunted 10 years ago. I had a cow tag. I walked the area, and spooked the biggest bull I'd ever personally seen. He had been bedded down. I recalled killing a raghorn in the exact same spot, 12 years previous. The spot is less than 100yds from a 2 track road, and this was 3 weeks into the elk season.
It reminded me that over time, hunting the same general area, I got to know that area.
Maybe spending more time over the years, hunting the same areas, which have produced or knowing it even held elk, helps one to get to know the elk patterns better. And there ARE areas that hold resident elk, that migrate only late late in the season to areas nearby.

I've been where you are. I have only a fraction the experience of many here. Here's what worked for me. 1) forget any notion that it might be easy, or that there may be an easier solution. 2) without regard for difficulty, set out to find the elk first. They return to the same areas year after year. You need to find one of these spots. Once you see all the trees torn up, the smell of a barnyard, real game trails with many tracks, etc. you'll know you're there. You can find these summer scouting too. At least the torn up trees. That tells you they'll be there in the fall. Until you find that, it's probably better to cover ground than to hunt per se. Is there a way to cover the land with optics instead of boot leather? Really getting to know an area will help you find a good spot.

I found a spot approximately 1mi X 1mi that always has elk. Go too far beyond that area and it can appear there are no elk.

The trick of hunting thick timber in bedding areas is to move slow enough and smart enough that you don't "kick" them out of thier beds. In the last ten years,I have probably shot three elk in thier beds. A few years ago,I sent another buddy into the area as he wasn't very mobile.He killed a cow there on Wednesday and I went back on Friday and killed another cow.


Bulls after rut will typically find a hidey hole to recover.It will have water and grass close by and they won't move around much.Hunt it right and you won't spook that bull out of there. Huntit wrong and some hunter 10 miles awyay will get a shot at it

Sometimes if you look long enough you can find a hot spot that holds the game. Last year I had a moose tag in NW Montana in a unit I had never hunted before. I hunted and hunted and saw very little sign of any kind. I did finally find a small area where I saw a raghorn bull elk, and a fresh moose track and some mulies. I went back four days later and killed a 6x7 bull elk, and on Veteran's day killed a 10x11 muley! This was actually on the same gated road! within a 1/4 mile of each other! There was something there that they preferred for feed. I find the sign, and if it seems like they are living there don't chase them out. Keep looking and looking, but don't spook them. If you have outside pressure (competition), take your best shot.

You are getting a lot of great advice. I've been in your boots, and burned up plenty of boot rubber hopelessly. Don't do that any more. The sooner you start hunting right the sooner you can start working towards elk.

Hunting elk is nothing like hunting deer. They are not dispersed throughout where you can just hike around and find them. If you do, good on you, but it won't be repeatable. Elk are herd animals and when you find them you find many. First thing: hunt where the elk are. To do this, forget hiking except for places to glass. Get to vantage points early and late and you will find them if they are there. Understanding elk will help tremendously. They live in dark timber in the day and are very difficult to find. In the evening they come out, generally working down from ridges towards lower ground/towards water for the night. In the morning you will catch them returning. Elk are creatures of habit. Once you locate them you will find them there again. I ambush elk--every year. Once you find where they frequent you will kill them with boring regularity. These spots are usually very difficult if on public land. Get over that if you want success. Also, get used to the idea that you will have to leave your truck hours before sunrise and get back hours after sunset. This is where knowing the area is so crucial. When you have spent enough sunrises/sunsets on the mountain you will know how the wind usually acts. You will know the best routes. You will know how the elk act.

If you end up hunting like I do (steep wilderness on foot), take this advice as well: have a plan. They are hard to get to the truck (understatement). Once I started getting elk, I found that was the easy part. The hard part is getting them out.

There are a million small details that will help you get better elk, but you will learn those once you start getting into them.

That is a fact. You could even shoot an elk where it's too hard. I've left a really nasty valley before realizing it was beyond my means to truly haul all the meat out if I were to shoot one given time remaining, distance, slope, lack of O2, etc. I see where guys say they hauled it all out in one load and my BS flag goes up immediately. Obviously they are not hauling it all out. There will be 225-250 lbs of meat alone. No bones, no antlers, no hide. But that challenge is what makes elk hunting such a unique and rewarding experience!

A few years ago, during Idaho's bow season, my partner and I sat on a ridge listening to a bull in some timber across the draw from us. We didn't even attempt to go after him. If we'd got him, there's no way we could have got it packed out before it spoiled. It would take us 2 days just to get it across the draw to where we were sitting.

Sometimes it is best to put the safety back on and walk away

Amen. Sometimes having had the opportunity is more than enough reward. There have been a number of hunts where I went home empty-handed, choosing good memories over ruining an otherwise perfectly good hunt with a lot of hard work. Biggest bull I've ever had a shot at got walking papers at last light on the last day. No regrets.

On the other hand, taking three elk - two cows and a 6x6 bull - three miles from the truck and taking four days to get all the meat out (head and straps and tenders on day one, half an elk apiece for each of us for the next three days) damn near killed my hunting buddy and me. Thank goodness the weather kept the meat good but I sure wouldn't do it again.

2nd season I took Daughter #1 on her first elk hunt. Much as I wanted to help her fill her cow tag, she had the good sense to know when we were getting too far in. We only had 2 days to hunt and complete the pack-out (and I would have had to do most of it) as she was due to head overseas for Uncle Sam when we got back. Her good sense was much appreciated.

^^^^^^^

Don't believe that hogwash about SaddleSore only killing dumb elk. He's probably forgotten more about elk hunting than 90% of the guys on here. I can tell by his dress and how he sits a mule he is a serious hunter. He knows his elk and the areas he hunts. If there was just one guy I could go hunting w/on the fire...it would be him. powdr

Thanks for the kind words.

Thanks all, I really appreciate the encouragement and the tips. I posted this & then disappeared for a few days, long story... ;-)

When I first started elk hunting, I was hell bent on killing a bull. Then, after striking out and seeing some cows - I thought about how many does I killed back east & they tasted great. SO, that's why I only applied for cow licenses the past few years. Really, I couldn't care less if it has antlers or not. I just want meat.

I have some deer tags (does) that I'll most likely fill in the next month. So we will have that meat in the freezer.

I was hoping to come up with a "second chance" for this year, late season cow or something. But it appears my chances are limited at best. Are there *really* any elk migrating over into 128 (east of 25)? If so, my guess is getting somebody to let you on their land would be difficult at best.

I guess the one thing I've really done wrong is wasting my time walking miles/day. I need to let my binocs do some of the leg work for me, huh?

ETA: I grew up in south-central PA, right near the intersection of interstate 81 and 76 (turnpike). Carlisle, PA.

One of my partners, age 70, is an expert on glassing for elk. He can find them 3 ridges over where no elk has been for 10 years. I don't know how he does it. However, he always finds them at long distance, seldom close enough for our geriatric hunting crew to go get them. We saw close to 150 elk this season and a good number of them were the ones he spotted at howitzer range.

notamos

I know just how you feel. Been skunked most of my times out too.
Part of my problem now is age and physical condition. Hunting the migration in unit 12 used to be a real rodeo with an orange army. The last 2 years I went didn't see anyone else in Isle's Grove (4th season), also didn't see any elk. The migration has been very late the last 4-5 years. It is possible to see a few elk wandering down well before the major migration but you have to be in the right place at the right time.

I bought this hunting info pack with maps for elk and deer which looks very good but have not had a chance to really check out the data for my self. It gives maps of all GMUs with areas where game spend most of their time in summer and hunting seasons with migration routes. Doesn't give honey holes or any such info but may give you a better idea where elk are more likely to be in a particular GMU. It costs close to $90 (also includes deer, antelope, turkey, goose and pheasant) but may save you years of wandering (and wondering) about looking for elk.

HUNTDATA.com

This was my first year going after elk in CO, went during archery. Only saw some on private land below the mountains, then one lone spike which came into 12 yards (4+ point area) in a wilderness area. Hoping I can get after them with the bow post deployment - if I get back in time - otherwise going to have to figure out a rifle tag to use and start all over.

5 miles is an easy day. I just finished elk hunting 5 days last week in Idaho. I averaged 8 miles a day with a peak of 12 miles one day (with kids in tow). You need to cover more ground. Either the elk are there or they are not. Don't sit and watch unproductive ground.

Saw 4 cows, then 2 cows at howitzer range yesterday, right at sunset, so couldn't get out there. maybe next weekend. There's no or very little snow. Not much moving down.

All I can say is I"ve had a hard time with cows... hunt only the MZ season a few times because I don't care for hords of folks...

Had cow tags and could have shot legal bulls in CO every trip. Never a cow.

The other thing, I learned a long time ago from a resident is throw out deer hunting... you cannot hunt good areas alone.

YOu move as much as needed as fast as needed, assuming you know how to read and age sign, and you never stop to hunt until you find them. Best I can tell they may not be within miles of any given spot, but when you do find em you go from race gear to full on creep mode till you kill or spook em.

I"ve been very lucky in trailing them in mornings after you cut sign, but now and then I"ve been fooled by thermals and bumped them.

SO if I were ever to hunt elk again, it would be set up to be as mobile as possible, cover an area as quick and hard as I could, from different sides/angles, and then move on if no sign.

"Shall we start a support forum? Ya know, for those who don't know what the heck they are doing?"

Where do I sign up?

This is my first year hunting CO, after hunting southwest WA for 14 years (pretty much split between archery and firearm) without tagging an elk. I was only able to get out for three days (limited vacation time due to starting a new job) but it's clear I have much to learn. I had a tag for 3rd season in GMU 19, and the weather was much warmer than I anticipated. Reading the comments in the thread above, I think I do need to cover more ground quickly to find the elk, and not spend any more time than necessary where there aren't any elk.

Already looking forward to getting out more over the summer for more scouting, and then next season to continue the educational process.

Washougal Chris (but now in Firestone, CO)

I would listen to what Coyote Hunter has to say.. You will NOT be able to travel country"quick and hard" all your hunting career!! We get old, unfortunate, but true.. The best elk hunters or hunters I know, say let your glass do the walking for you..

You will always be able to travel hard and fast. Its just that travel will not always be on foot, or on 4 hooves etc... there are many ways to cover ground. Good advantage spot at teh right time with a spotting scope can tell you a LOT... and whether to invest more time or move to another advantage spot for the evening...

I have followed bumped elk over 12 miles easily until they holed up again. According to a topo map and my GPS. I"m sure others have traield them further.

Don't be scared to keep going till you find em or season is over.

The only other way is a known hidey hole that produces in relationship to pressure every season... those are hard to find. I"m sure Carolyn and I found one in Eagles Nest once... it just would have had to be rifle season for it to pay off, but it had everthying needed to remain in one hole including water, and never be seen unless stumbled onto...

I once tracked a raghorn into a thicket of hemlocks about 40 yards around. I spent the next two hours gently working my way downwind and sweetly cow calling, pulling grass, generally making wonderful girl elk noise to the boy. As I made the circle around the thicket his tracks never emerged, nor did he make a sound to reveal his presence. Of course, if I had been an actual cow elk, I would have smelled him having circled downwind, and I'm sure he knew that.

So upon my closing the circle, I decided he had somehow slipped past me. I undid my pack and was shuffling around for toilet paper when he exploded about 12 yards away. He had been there the whole time.

Right then I discovered that post rut bulls do not want to be disturbed and I had almost zero chance of ever seeing one if they chose to remain concealed. That has proven itself true on every post rut rifle hunt I've ever been on in Oregon wilderness. Tough, tough game.

Don't feel bad, elk can be very difficult to locate, especially in thick habitat like we have in Oregon. At the end of each season I am the guy that knows all the places the bulls are not.

Which is nice.

Add me to the list.. At least for this year. Next year is going to be different... I hope

It took me 7 years of elk hunting before I shot my first elk. Now, I shoot one about every other year, I even shot one with a bow at 20 yards last year.

No elk hunt for me this year, I'd be happy to just get out there.

Pay attention to this man. He knows what he's talking about.

A lot of good advice. The one consistent theme that seems to be echoed is the idea of "paying it forward". Meaning . . . don't hesitate to help another newb or offer the wisdom you have gained in your experiences.

Bowhunting is another ball game altogether. Never had trouble connecting during archery season.

Living in Montana allows you to hunt for elk year round. Hunting season is long enough to use what you learned the rest of the year. You can't do that when you live somewhere else...

Well said.

notamos, I know just how you feel. I moved from Hanover PA, yeah just down 94, to AZ. Five frustrating elk hunts with tag soup. If I had a bull tag, only saw cows, if I had a cow tag only saw bulls. When I had an any elk tag road hunters with their coffee can exhaust on their 3500 diesel pushed the group of elk I was working toward to the nest unit, literally. Hunting white tails is nothing like hunting elk or mule deer. I moved to WY last year, and with the help of some Colorado friend got a little confidence back after taking an okay 2 yo 4x4 mulie opening morning (after a miss from a bad case of buck fever). I learned more about western hunting on that weekend hunting with guys who hunted that area for years than I did hunting AZ for 8 years. A little friendly help goes a long way to understanding the differences between east and west hunting, white tail and elk. Try to find a friend willing to help ya out. Go with guys even if you don't have a tag, the education of seeing what does work vs what you have been doing is worth it. I understand wanting take your dad, too. My dad is 67, back in Hanover, and every January I think about how I can get him out west to hunt with me. I still haven't got my first elk yet, but this years mulie gave me back some confidence and taught me alot. Hang in there, its all you can do, its all I can do. Good luck next season.

Elk are really habitual and remind me more of whitetails but they can cover ground like no other. They are fairly easy to kill once you figure them out though. I've kill about a dozen elk within a 1/2 mile radius. When the pressure is on you need to find big chunks of ground with no roads. We killed 3 bulls this year out of a bunch of 50 elk 4 miles from a road. The good thing was the pack was all down hill but it took 3 days, with the day we shot them, to pack them all out. I also killed a cow earlier in the year along farm fields. Here in Idaho we can use a general tag, buy non-resident tags, and draw for a extra tag. So we can shoot up to 3 elk without drawing a nearly impossible super tag. When I first started elk hunting it took me a few years to figure them out but after that I've only had one year that I've been skunked. I had another year I chose not to shoot one because I killed a moose earlier in the year and had my freezer more than full. Once you find their safe zones or favorite spots there will be numerous elk there every year. Study maps, talk to biologist or anyone else that can help with info, and scout as much as possible. Pay attention to the terrain and elevation (as long as they aren't migrating) where you find sign. That will help you use Google earth or maps to find other potential areas that could hold elk.

From reading Saddlesore,s post and the areas he is talking about I am sure that sometime in the last 20 years we have run into each other. When younger I hunted mostly by backpack and ran into a lot of horse hunters. Back then I could carry half an elk. Now days I hunt mostly young cows. He is right when find a productive spot take care of it and hunt it as much as possible. I have a few spots that are like that but these days I need to make more trips to get the elk out.