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Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 46,332 Likes: 18
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 46,332 Likes: 18 |
A wise man is frequently humbled.
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Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 31,662 Likes: 8
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 31,662 Likes: 8 |
Yup!!! 😁 (But no high fence! Hell! No fence at all on west [mountain] side!).
Founder Ancient Order of the 1895 Winchester
"Come, shall we go and kill us venison? And yet it irks me the poor dappled fools, Being native burghers of this desert city, Should in their own confines with forked heads Have their round haunches gored."
WS
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 998
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 998 |
I think Rafer Johnson the great decathalete said it best, " The road to success is all up hill". I'm not sure he was an elk hunter but his comment certainly applies when it comes to elk hunting.
Experience is what you get, when you don't get what you want!
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Joined: May 2005
Posts: 14,104
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 14,104 |
8,500-9,500 ft is about the altitude at which we hunt. Saw about as many elk last fall as we usually do, but they weren't moving around much in the daytime. I played cat and mouse with a nice 6x6 in the aspen thickets, but couldn't get close enough for a clear shot.
When I was back up at the beginning of February, there were still quite a few elk on the ranch. Snow depth ranged from a foot or so at 8,000 ft up to just below the top wire on the fences at 9,500 ft.
Last edited by mudhen; 04/12/17.
Ben
Some days it takes most of the day for me to do practically nothing...
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Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 1,375
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 1,375 |
I couldn't agree more about 2016. For us though, I think two things happened. Little background first. We've been hunting in elk in Colorado since 1996 and in the same spot for the last 5 years, last year being the 5th year. Hunted 2nd season the first year at this spot, and 1st season every year after that. Over those years weather has varied from 70 degrees to 15 degrees and 18" of snow.
2016 started off super warm, and then dropped 40 degrees and snowed. We started to see some elk and elk sign after the snow fell. Two issues though, first was the amount of hunters. In 2016 I saw more hunters opening day, and everyday thereafter, than I did in the previous 4 years combined. It was seriously like some secret got out or 5 new outfitters moved into the area. Crazy insane the amount of people considering it was a draw only season. We walked 56 miles over the season, including being 6 miles away from the nearest road at times and still ran into hunters. I'd rather get a tag every other year, than deal with all those people on a draw only hunt.
The other issue was the timing of first season. Seems like it was super late, even in line with 2nd seasons of previous years. All the elk tracks we saw were moving down in elevation. Unprecedented behavior from the previous four years.
We are giving it a shot again in 2017 and have fingers crossed 2016 was just an anomaly.
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,416
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,416 |
Hunted @ 7 - 8500' elevation. The area we like seems to get better as the season(s) go on. Hunting pressure pushes them in. But as warm as it was in 2nd season, not much was moving during the day time unless someone stumbled on them.
Of the 4 of us, two scored on decent 5x5's.
The last afternoon of the season, we had a small herd move through our camp area. No bulls other than a single spike and one tow-head spike calf though.
Support your local Friends of NRA - supporting Youth Shooting Sports for more than 20 years.
Neither guns nor Liberals have a brain.
Whatever you do, Pay it Forward. - Kids are the future of the hunting and shooting world.
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Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 27,091
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 27,091 |
Wolves are already killing elk in Colorado.
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Joined: May 2005
Posts: 14,104
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 14,104 |
Wolves are already killing elk in Colorado. Source? Thanks!
Ben
Some days it takes most of the day for me to do practically nothing...
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Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 2,576 Likes: 8
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 2,576 Likes: 8 |
...There is the United States Forest Service (USFS) and the United States Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) but I've be darned if I've ever heard of the USFS...United States Flounder Service? ... I'm confused. Isn't that the same acronym?
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Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 19,113 Likes: 6
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 19,113 Likes: 6 |
It was only the worst for those that didn't kill and elk
If God wanted you to walk and carry things on your back, He would not have invented stirrups and pack saddles
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Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 27,091
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 27,091 |
No source DOW says there are none but I have seen them in area 5 and 161.
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Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 8,748
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 8,748 |
I hunted 1st rifle, and in hunting that area for five years, I saw more hunters on day one than I'd seen in the previous 4 combined. Very few shots opening day verses what is typical. None after that. It was hot, full moon, and of course the elk went underground, or flew out on vacation.
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Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 32,312
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 32,312 |
year ------- estimated harvest for all manners and takes, all units
2005 56,462
2006 56,933
2007 49,012
2008 45,271
2009 47,543
2010 48,018
2011 43,480
2012 43,490
2013 43,606
2014 41,900
2015 44,852
2016 39,306
Welcome to Oregon! I enjoyed hunting elk in CO (compared to Oregon) for a couple reasons... first, to be ALSO hunting deer was awesome. Didn't fill my tag, but just the possibility... I've seen some nice muley bucks in Oregon while elk hunting. Second, being able to shoot any elk (except a spike).... I'd have tagged out ever year in Oregon under those rules. At least until the elk were all shot out.
The CENTER will hold.
Reality, Patriotism,Trump: you can only pick two
FÜCK PUTIN!
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Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 8,748
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 8,748 |
4 point minimum in many CO areas.
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Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 437
Campfire Member
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Campfire Member
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 437 |
Shoot on site all "it looked like a really big coyote". Southern Colorado where I go between Durango and Pagossa Springs. I go only 4th season. Scares the touron(tourist-moron) outa there as it may snow and they don't/can't chain up to get up in the elk. I would rather freeze and see no elk and no hunters than roast and only see hunters. And maybe I have jinxed everybody. Since I have loaded 180gr.Speer Grand Slams I haven't seen any elk. When I used 200gr A-Frames I got every time. I still have 60 or so left, so for the sake of the greater good, I will switch back this year. DaveO.
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Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 2,666
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 2,666 |
It was only the worst for those that didn't kill and elk I'm in that club... only saw them on private land below, but nothing on public
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Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 663
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 663 |
I saw a couple hundred on private land less than 5 miles from our camp. But without access and the other hundred grazing the soccer fields in Crested Butte we didn't have any luck.
An armed member in a country is a citizen, an unarmed member is a subject.
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Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 17,527
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 17,527 |
I think elk hunting in Colorado has gotten worse every year for 20 years. The division of wildlife grossly overestimates elk numbers to lure in nonresident hunters and their money. Not to mention, there are so many archery hunters anymore that I think they push the elk back into really remote places, and they don't come back until heavy snow flies. Everyone and their grandma hunts archery anymore. A month straight of molesting them pushes them into no man's land or private.
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Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 205
Campfire Member
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Campfire Member
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 205 |
Private (trespass fees) does seem to be the way to go. Not "free", but if you don't see anything hunting public land then you wasted the tag fee and all the time/money spent hunting.
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Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 46,332 Likes: 18
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 46,332 Likes: 18 |
Private (trespass fees) does seem to be the way to go. Unless you know of public land that holds elk. Elk are easily visible on private land in stream valleys because it's open. That doesn't necessarily mean there are none on the surrounding public lands. Every year I run into guys at the trailhead who tell me they've seen no elk on public land and heard no bugles. Then I hike in a ways and get serenaded by multiple bulls.
A wise man is frequently humbled.
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