What I have noticed in high-altitude public land units is that everyone will move pretty well and climb pretty high and go far on opening day. Everyone is excited for the hunt and will push themselves, and lots of elk are killed opening day.
The 2nd day is different. Sore knees and feet. A lot of hunters find that it takes them longer than expected to get to where they intend to hunt. IMO the 2nd day is toughest because elk have been pressured heavily the day before.
Having the ability to rally on the following days can open some opportunities.
Many locals will hunt only the weekend then may or may not return again.
Lotta camps will clear out mid-week. Most seasons start Saturday and Wed is always a big exodus.
It doesn't take elk too long to filter back once the pressure eases.
If you can recover and begin to move well again you can get into them (but moving well at altitude is tough in the 1st place). This might be where the mental part comes in.
In these high-altitude public land areas I very seldom see elk in the open, in daylight, after 1st rifle season. Getting near treeline usually assures that I will not see other hunters. The herds I encounter above treeline are pretty safe. I've never gotten within range of those. It has been very rare for me to ever have an opportunity to set up for a shot so the choice of rifle or load has mattered very little.
Where I consistently have success is in remote areas, in cover, and typically encounter elk within 100 yds. Most shots could be done with any rifle/load combination.
In younger days I competed in the Pikes Peak ascent or marathon 13 years. Back in those days I could move well at altitude, consistently saw elk, but seldom closed the deal. I am age 60 now and will climb some 14,000 ft peaks as is reasonably possible to condition for the season. I feel I am very fragile now though - if I overdo it and twist or sprain anything the recovery time will erase any benefit I would have otherwise gotten.
Last edited by Alamosa; 01/22/19.
