Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting 1st Colorado Elk Hunt...advice please

My first elk hunt will be 3rd rifle season Nov 5th-11th, Colorado! I'm meeting some friends in Unit 12, Indian Run Wildlife area. I've got my tag, binocs, and lots of white tail deer gear but that's about all. I have a carry/back up pistol (Glock 10mm; can I carry that on my hunt with TN carry permit?) Great excuse to buy another rifle: I'm looking at a nice lightly used 7mm mag at a local shop (Winchester Classic 70 in stainless and synthetic). Sure could use some guidance on:
1. scope (we use 4x9 40's in TN for whitetail usually, so I have several VX II's and one III),
2. guidance on a pack,
3. camo (I have plenty of mossy oak tree stand, and TN fall camo)
4. boots (I have 10 inch waterproof 800gram thinsulate)
5. what to expect in term of weather
6. where to buy a unit 12 topo and boundary map.
7. 7mm Mag ammo specs?

Many Many Thanks in advance.

Tennessee Ed.

1. scope (we use 4x9 40's in TN for whitetail usually, so I have several VX II's and one III),

Use what you got.

2. guidance on a pack,
Are you back packing ino r hunting fromt he truck? Not too wise to pack back in, in 3rd season

3. camo (I have plenty of mossy oak tree stand, and TN fall camo)

Flourescent oprange requied , vest and hat.Camo not needed,but wear what you got

4. boots (I have 10 inch waterproof 800gram thinsulate)

Set of Sorels or packs would be helpful too. 3rd seaosn,don' t depend on one set of boots staying dry.

5. what to expect in term of weather.. Can vary all over the place, -10 at night to 75 in day,but usually in 3rd season,expect some snow and cold. Depends on how high you get. If it is the Area I am thinking about,you can get from the oak brush all the way to aspen/conifer. Watch out for the mud down in the oak brush.

6. where to buy a unit 12 topo and boundary map.

Many shops here carry them, or you can order them.

7. 7mm Mag ammo specs? 160 or 175 gr Partitions will serve you well.

Regarding pack: We are camping somewhere in the Indian Run area but I don't know where. I'm planning on having to hike several miles per day while hunting. I assumed I would be packing some extra food and water and emergency supplies...and hopefully packing out some meat. I've heard some folks may have horses that are willing to help pack out with you, if you are willing to trade some Single Barrel TN Whisky!

Saddlesore is right on about a second set of boots. No matter how waterproof they are they will still need to be dried out on the inside. A second set is good insurance for dry feet. I use Schnee pack boots as my nasty weather boots. You can still hike in them but not as efficiently. As for the pistol, leave it in camp, it is unecessary dead weight when you are already carrying a rifle. Camo is not real useful for elk hunting for the most part. If your camo is synthetic then bring it. If it is cotton then leave it home. You can't predict Colorado weather in the high country in November, like Saddlesore said, it could be cold and snowy or hot. You'll need to prepare for both. Sometimes those big changes happen in the same day. You'll want a good basic survival kit in your pack. Something to shelter in and also to make fire with. Good luck!

Thanks Saddlesore and BeanMan! I'll be looking into some pack boots asap! To leave my pistol back at camp...yikes! Grizzlies and Mountain Lions scare me.

We don't have Grizzlies and you can dispatch any lion with your rifle. I carry a handgun when bowhunting but can't see it when rifle hunting.

If you aren't working out hiking, running, walking, or something to get your heart rate up, you should do so asap.

If you have a "deer" rifle you are familiar with, no brainer I'd load partitions or triple shocks and run with it. Good luck and bet you have a great time.

I'l look at me map tommorrow for that Indain Run.If it is the one I am thinking about,there is only one place to camp.

There is only one place to camp at Indian Run, with minor exceptions, you'll be camping down on the river, where there's plenty of room Not much room off the main road outside of Indian Run SWA, except one or two spots in the scrub oaks about a mile or two from the main camp area. You can hike and hunt from camp, and many folks do. Others will drive down the road a ways before tucking off into the woods and up the mountains.

Get some maps, Indian Run SWA and the private lands surrounding the National Forest, BLM and SWA aren't all that well marked. Also learn how to use your GPS to determine where you are on the map. Private land does not have to be posted for you to be trespassing in Colorado.

Leave the pistol in camp. You don't need a permit to carry it while hunting, but it's superfluous.

Leave your scope at low power. If you get into elk, it can often be fast and furious, and you don't want to struggle with finding them in your scope.

7mm Rem Mag is good, stainless Win M70 is good, but don't think you NEED a new rifle. I'm sure you already have something that'll work as long as you use an appropriate weight and construction bullet.

I've carried smaller and smaller daypacks, because I have a tendency to just fill them up with stuff I may or may not use. 2,000 to 2,500 cubic inches is plenty if there are straps to attach a jacket if you get too warm (or need to ditch it while hiking up the steep inclines around Indian Run).

Like it's been mentioned, a little bit of snow should be expected, but a lot is possible, could also be dry as a bone. Expect nights in the 20s or 30s, days in the 40s to 60s. Could be 20 degrees on either side of that for a short stint though. If you do get some nasty weather, just wait it out since you'll already be at pretty low elevation. Don't pack up and go home. That screwed up a lot of people in 2nd season last year (though 50 mph winds taking down tents didn't help either).

What rifles do you have?
+1 on extra boots, expect shirt sleeve to blizzard conditions. Helps to have a BLM Map for land ownership as well as topos.

Meeker BLM map and probably Pagoda and Slide Creek for 1:24K.
Check the USGS site to be sure.

I have a VX III scoped Remington model 6 pump action in 270 cal. A classic rifle that is a good shooter that I use for TN whitetail; and its plenty for the 150 lb deer here. I was told I needed a minimum of 30-06 for elk especially if I'm stalking a bull. Is that incorrect?

Tennessee_Ed:

A .270 with 150 grain Nosler Partition (or other premium controlled expansion bullet) will work with proper bullet placement. Nothing will work right with bad bullet placement so no reason to buy another, bigger caliber rifle.

A VX-III Leupy is a good choice.

In Colorado we can always tell who the out of state guys are. They're the ones wearing camo.

KC

At what range/distance need I be proficient shooting? I'm very comfortable here in TN in thick air at 250-275 yard with my .270. I've heard shots on Colorado elk may be at 300-400 yards. I will not pull the trigger on any animal if I haven't mastered that distance with a specific rifle. I will probably use shooting sticks if I can, I usually don't use 'em on 200 yard shots and under. Will a .270 have enough punch to take down a bull elk at 300 yards?... or am I just itching to buy a 7mm rifle?

Sounds like you're just itchin to buy a new rifle. 270 is plenty of gun at 300 yards, as long as you're good to 300. Killed several elk with rifles in the same power range.

There might be about a 300 ft lb difference in energy at 300 yards between a 160 grain 7mm and a 150 grain 270. You're not giving your gun enough credit.
That being said, I did just buy a 7mm myself
So it probably is time for you to buy a new rifle.

If you are comfortable with that 270, I'd run it in a heartbeat. Schnees pack boots and a good back pack would serve you better than a new rifle.

MUD seems to be our biggest issue when we hunted up there!

We camped inside the SWA and drove over to Williams Fork Ranch..

Plan on chains for all four tires.The last time we were there we were the only ones chained up on all fours and we spent alot of time pulling other hunters out!!

In the mornings the mud is froze,so no problem getting around then..

Once we got to where we left the main roads we chained up then in the evening when we left the ranch took the chains off.

Then made the 10 mile or so drive back down to Indian Run and had to chain back up to get into camp!

It was alot of extra work we hadn't planned on the first time we hunted there...

That first trip was a real education!!

One other thing, there were ALOT and I mean ALOT of hunters in the SWA.. Camps were literally right next to each other!Not my cup of tea that's for sure!!!

As I recall it was right around Halloween when we hunted up there!!

Hope this helps!!!

That area is about 3 miles long and maybe a mile wide.The southern end has BLM land on both sides,maybe a section or two.The very south end backs up to the National Forest,but it isn't vey wide there.

You can contact the National Forest and ask for the Rout tNF Map and then contact the BLM and get thier map for that area too.

You can probbaly get GPS coordinates for the corners of the BLM stuff by doing a little searching on the interent.I got them for the NW corner of the state I was hunting.The maps are not 100% accurate and you could get onto some private land by mistake.The ranchers in that area are not very forgiving.

There is a county road that goes along the west side for aways, and the maps show a road that goes from north to south along the eastern edge somewhat.That a may or may not be passable. The road that goes down the middle for a short distance was inpassable last year in muzzle a loader season as a stream pretty much wandered down the middle of it.
When I say roads, I mean just a two track. Not maintained,except for the county road.

If the BLM land is leased for grazing, they can keep you from camping on it or driving on it unless it is a county road, but they can't keep you from hiking/hunting on it.

Unles there are some private party hunters there with horses,I doubt you will be able to get a local rancher to pack your elk out, unless they are outfitters.Fees usualy run about $300.

It is illegal for private party hunters to charge you forpacking out your game as they are illegal outfitters.

Use your 270 with a premium bullet.

I use a website called mytopo.com. I think they will mark public and private grounds now as well. Good detail on their maps. I'm a fan.

I don't know about you, but I always take a backup rifle when I go hunting anywhere. I'm not much inclined to go that far for a hunt and then have a rifle or scope go south on me and end the hunt. If you have a backup rifle along, you're still in business. IIf you don't have an adequate backup for your .270, then I would go ahead and get the 7mm and shoot it a bit. I would put the kind of scope you have on your .270 on the 7mm.

The Law of the 7 P's...and two is one and one is none.