Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting New hunter looking for advice

I appreciate all the advice its amazing. I wish I had the ability to hunt with someone who was more of a veteran to it. Unfortunately the only guy I know who big game hunts grew up in Alaska and hung up his rifle already. The rest of the guys that I know that hunt just do waterfowl which I'm not really all that into to be honest.
As far as areas I know best, I would say I've done a lot in the indian peaks area as far as hiking and camping. I've always camped around granby quite a bit which was why I chose 18. I'm not concerned with rifle or cartridge I'm more than comfortable with what I shoot and how I shoot it, I feel that part is up to the man and I've seen that rifle/cartridge talk can go on for months in discussion, I don't want to get caught up in that. My only concern is to have the best chance to have the chance to take that shot, which is why I've gotten so caught up in where to hunt. I guess what I'm most worried about is making bad decisions.

You learn most from bad decisions.

The east side of 18 is not a good place to be. Get west of Hwy 125. Spend some time up there this summer and learn the ground.

Is there a particular season that is better for cow elk? Will I have a harder timefinding bull or cows? I've read multiple times that cow meat tastes better which is why I chose cow for now but Im definitely happy if I can just find them out there.

The cow-to-bull ratio varies but your chances of getting a cow are far higher.

One of the biggest factors in taste is how the meat was handled in the field. Once oxygenated blood stops flowing, the bacteria count can double every 15 minutes. Get the meat cooled down as quickly as possible. That may mean gutting and skinning, simply quartering or whatever method is dictated by the situation. We use the 'gutless' method and quarter them up, taking the straps and filets with us even if we have to leave the quarters out overnight.

Three times now in the last three years we've had to leave elk quarters out overnight. Each time the cow was shot at or just before dusk. We left the quarters hide-side up on brush to keep the birds off but allow air to circulate underneath. Evening temps were cool and nighttime temps below freezing and it worked fine in each case.

As far as cow vs bull, we've yet to have a bad cow. A rutted up herd bull would be a distant second choice for meat quality IMHO.

In Colorado there are on an average of 80 cows for every bull ( plus or minus). So cows are usually easier to find. However, when you do get into them,that means there are a whole lot more eyes adnd noses you have to watchout for.Hunting cows is not always an easy proposition.

Some guys contend that the 1st season is better because statistically there are more elk to shoot than subsequent seasons.But if you figure there are about 300,000 elk in CO and the kill is about 50,000 per year,that means that only 16% or so of the elk are killed every year in all seasons combined.

That is both bulls, cows, and calfs, combined. Divide that by 4 seasons,not including archery and ML and you get 4% per season,although it is not that evenly spread out.Just trying to show that there are plenty of elk left after the 1st season and there are a lot of reasons besides that as to why elk are hard to find.Hunting pressure being the top.

Then there is the length of the hunt.If you can only hunt weekends,the 1st and 4th rifle seasons only has 1 weekend and is only 5 days long. The 2nd and 3rd is 9 days and two weekends. So if you can hunt the entire 9 days,you have almost twice the time of seeing elk.

In the earlier season,you might hear bulls bugling and that helps, but typically you will not encounter larger herds of elk. In the later seasons,you can get to hunt when they are migrating and sometimes down lower in elevation( easier to get to)and in bigger herds depending on the weather. The early seasons also typically have more hunter pressure.

Younger bulls are deinitely better to eat than an older cow,so you can get good or bad meat,tough or tender from either,with a lot of that depending on the care of the meat after the kill.

So you see there are several pros and cons of hunting each of the seasons and you will get many different opinions depending on what each hunter's prefernces are.

I usuualy put in for a draw for cows in the muzzle loader season which is suerre thing to get tag and then buy and OTC bull license or a left ove cow tag for the 2nd rifle season. Since I am retired, I can hunt a total of 18 days then and in that time I can usually find an elk stupid enough to walk in front of my rifle.

Your -06 and 180 gr. core lokts will get the job done on elk as long as you place the bullet well. The key is to target practice as much as you can afford to. Shoot from various positions at various ranges out to at least 300 yards.

If you can afford it, buy 3 or 4 different boxes of 180 gr ammo, and do some testing to see which ammo your rifle shoots best (best means most accurate). Try some ammo that has Nosler Partition and Nosler Accubond bullets and maybe something with a Barnes or Hornady bullet.

Happy hunting.

In a lot of the units the success rate is sort of bracketed � you often see highest success 1st and 4th season. A lot of 1st season hunts are going to have an admission cost of a preference point or two.

I like to check the statistics when I�m planning a hunt. Each GMU is unique and can vary a lot from other units. Some things tend to remain constant no matter where you go.
Take into account (with a grain of salt) events likely to occur.

1st season � Often nice weather and/or bugling. Less gear to carry. There usually seems to be 2-3 year old elk that haven�t gotten the message yet to run for safe cover.

2nd season � This is the longest season. Usually the heaviest hunting pressure. It provides an opportunity to learn patterns and it seems to reward those hunters who can find their way to the elk�s safe zones. I like 2nd season simply because I enjoy the extra time away.

They say the migration phenomenon in Northern Colorado can be amazing at times. I�ve heard it can look like the Serengeti in certain places and stop traffic for 30 minutes. I hope to see it some day. In my end of the state we have elk migrations but they aren�t so spectacular or pronounced.

3rd season. � Halloween snowstorm. Not every year but almost.

4th season � Weather tends to move elk. Usually light hunting pressure. Snow covers pasture and water sources freeze thus contributing to movement.

I�m not familiar at all with GMU 18 but let�s look at it�s stats since that seems to be in the running for consideration. GMU 18 doesn�t break out bull harvest into a separate category. Bulls might be an OTC tag, or part of a pool, or it may be for another reason.

No harvest stats for 2012 available there yet for some reason.
Lets look at 2011.

1st season = 9%
2nd season = 14%
3rd season = 17%
4th season = 17%

Seems to get better each season but is it an anomaly?
2010 looks like this �

1st season = 11%
2nd season = 14%
3rd season = 12%
4th season = 18%

Flattens, but still trends up.
You can go on and on with research.

The statistics are meaningless in any given instance on a hunt.
They become more meaningful if you return to an area year after year and play the percentages, like a ball coach would � or if you are planning the hunt for a large group.

Cows far outnumber bulls in the field. There are only a few small areas in Colorado where the numbers are even close to being equivalent. There are however terrain areas that seem to favor bulls almost exclusively and hunters who follow suit. I have a place like that where I set up a trail cam. I have photographed about 20 different bulls there over the past 5 years but not a single cow. Be aware that there are these �bachelor pads� for lack of a better word.

I don�t give much thought to whether bulls or cows taste better. I do believe that a quick surgical kill improves the meat quality of either. I believe that adrenaline makes them taste less like elk.

Finding stupid ones always helps!

Had a bead on a 5x5 bull one day. Just before I dropped the hammer on my .45-70 a 6x6 comes out of nowhere and chases off the smaller bull, then just stands there.

Now I have a 6x6 rack in the barn.

I can't advise you on where to hunt because I've never hunted CO. However, I can say with authority that you WANT to learn the gutless dressing method of handling a dead elk. It can save you a lot of time and work once the critter's on the ground. Google "gutless dressing elk" for lots of info on how it's done.

Second the gutless method if far enough in that you'll be carrying. Lots less drama.

Buy a good freighter capable back pack. SW has a good one for $99, forget the maker. Other than my Kimbers and Kennetreks, one of the best investments I ever made!

Learn the hunt area well. Travel light, no 30-60# day packs. You will hunt better and longer.

I have an eberlestock X2 pack that I got as a gift from a buddy. It has a frame and he told me he has used one to pack out a whole quarter of an elk before.

This is a great thread, thanks gentlemen!

The things that helped me the most when I moved here and started hunting in colorado:

(1) the Elk Hunting University series of articles on the Dept of Wildlife website.

(2) Scouting the national forest boundary areas with google earth -- these often equate to the transition zones between the private ranch land at lower elevation and the aspen and fir forests as you move up into the N.F. The whole food, water, cover triangle is typically found in these zones.

(3) Also figuring out which N.F. roads are closed to motor vehicles. No access = no crowds of ATVs = less pressure on the elk. Ideally you want to position yourself to be where the elk run to when pressured. They never run towards the sound of ATVs.

(4) If you are hunting elk with the wind at your back fuggetaboutit. To the elk you smell like a very dangerous skunk -- even from a half mile away. Keep the wind in your face whenever possible.

(5) Shot placement. Shot placement. Shot placement. Hit only one lung and you could spend two days tracking your elk in dark steep, timber. Broadside shots that hit both lungs and/or the heart will put the animal on the ground pretty quick. A big bore magnum will rarely compensate for poor shot placement. You need direct hits on both lungs and/or the heart for a quick kill. I cannot emphasize this enough. Tracking a wounded elk in steep terrian covered with dog hair timber... trust me on this one.

(6) Plan for retrieving your elk. Study the videos available on field dressing. Have equipment, at least back in your truck to winch an elk out of a hole or gully if necessary. A 700 to 800 lb animal that simply falls between two boulders can be nearly impossible to dress and quarter. Add some steep terrain and it can be a total nightmare.

(7) Relax and enjoy the experience. Your really not elk hunting unless it is physically, mentally and emotionally exhausting. If you are meant to take an elk that day, you probably will.

(8) In the Colorado high country it snows 12 months out of the year, and winds can reach hurricane strength. A 4x4 with chains, winter survival gear, weather updates, and making camp a bit lower and closer to pavement can all payoff if a blizzard hits. The morning after the blizzrd is when you want to be hunting, not worrying about your own rescue.

(9) Keep your rifle close at hand. On several occasions I have set mine down, walked few yards away to pee or pull off my pack, and hey look, elk!

(10) Trying to "motel camp" will typically put you at least an hour's drive from where you want to park and hike in. As tempting as this may sound, you will lose two hours of precious sleep every day of your hunt. Four season tents with stoves,a hard-sided camper or a rented cabin near your hunting area are your best options.

Definately use the DOW website. There is a ton of valuable harvest information on there. NW has always been good to us. Once you decide on an area remember this. Elk don't like pressure. Once hunting season opens, they tend to go entirely nocturnal. You need to pursue them. If you're planning on sitting by a meadow and expecting elk to step out in the daylight and offer you a shot, you'll probably be disappointed. Pack a lunch, sling your gun over your shoulder and get away from the crowds. Try to hunt uphill from the road. It will make recovery easier. When your Father in law gets tired of walking, set him in a good spot and make a circle. If you find tracks, follow them. Go slow, pay attention and enjoy your time in the mountains.

If there's one thing that I'm confident in, its my shot. Before I decided to take up hunting I was already shooting rifles on a regular basis. I have a membership at a range for winter shooting and when the weather is warmer I go at least once a month into national forest and practice all kinds of shots. I know my limits and where I'm most confident.

It's great that you're practicing and know your rifle, but don't let practicing at the range lull you into overconfidence. If you've never hunted, then you've never shot at a live animal. It's different than a target, especially an animal like an elk. If you don't get excited when you shoot your first elk, it's time to take up golf. Being excited and shooting at a living target that moves, from an unstable or awkward position is a whole 'nother ballgame, so don't let yourself get over-confident.