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ChrisAU Offline OP
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Which do you prefer and why?

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2nd. The 5 day seasons re too short. It might take 2-3 days to find the elk, then two days of bad weather ends it. I wait all year for that.I don' t want it cut short. I go for the pleasure of elk hunting. Of course, I try to get " B " tag for ML season and then a OTC bull tag for 2nd season. Last year I got a bull opening day. I felt cheated


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I like the 1st season. The elk haven't been driven into the dark timber yet. I hunt the same ridges every year, after a couple days of being shot at they head into the steepest, nastiest timber they can find.

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Originally Posted by saddlesore
2nd. The 5 day seasons re too short. It might take 2-3 days to find the elk, then two days of bad weather ends it. I wait all year for that.I don' t want it cut short. I go for the pleasure of elk hunting. Of course, I try to get " B " tag for ML season and then a OTC bull tag for 2nd season. Last year I got a bull opening day. I felt cheated


If I lived there I would definitely agree 100%, as it is though we are faced with Thursday of 2nd Rifle being the latest we could shoot an elk and expect to get it packed out and get our redneck asses back home for work on Monday. Essentially for us its going to be 1st Rifle Saturday through Wednesday or 2nd Rifle Saturday through Thursday.

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First season is draw and elk already been hunted archery/ML. I live Co and first is less hunters so easy for me to hunt it.


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1st season for my “A” tag. 4th season for my “B” cow tag.

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I would say whichever hunt has less hunters would be better. It’s crazy how many guys fill these units up during 2nd rifle, you aren’t just competing with elk hunters you are competing with deer hunters too. So many units allow in excess of 1,000 hunters for both species during 2nd rifle.

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IMO, the 5 day 1st season just isn’t enough time to allow for a foul weather day or two and locating elk. Depending on the area, it may be tough for a non-resident with limited local area knowledge to make a 5 day hunt really work. Weather and local movements can put elk in the hidey-hole mode for a couple of days. As a non-resident myself, I can’t see making that long of a road trip for a 5 day hunt unless that’s all that can be managed. Personally, I prefer 3rd or 4th Rifle in the west slope area we hunt. Mild early season weather has impacted hunting the past several years. Best of luck!

Last edited by WAM; 03/21/19.

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It’s not close for me: 1st season. In my neck of the woods, hunter numbers quintuple in 2nd season, they haven’t been harassed for at least two weeks, you might catch the tail end of some bugling too.


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Originally Posted by WAM
IMO, the 5 day 1st season just isn’t enough time to allow for a foul weather day or two and locating elk. Depending on the area, it may be tough for a non-resident with limited local area knowledge to make a 5 day hunt really work. Weather and local movements can put elk in the hidey-hole mode for a couple of days. As a non-resident myself, I can’t see making that long of a road trip for a 5 day hunt unless that’s all that can be managed. Personally, I prefer 3rd or 4th Rifle in the west slope area we hunt. Mild early season weather has impacted hunting the past several years. Best of luck!


4th season Co is only 5 day hunt and it's draw tag same as 1st


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True, but animals are usually on the move where we hunt by 4th Rifle. Happy Trails


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Originally Posted by WAM
True, but animals are usually on the move where we hunt by 4th Rifle. Happy Trails


I sure could understand that. I've got to ask since you also like 3rd are elk on move like 4th?


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Please go 2nd season! Definitely the best. For sure. And you can potentially get a deer tag too. Never mind all the extra hunters, they help push the elk to you.

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1st season for me. I have never actually been faced with comparing 1st and 2nd because 1st season tags are usually far more difficult to get than 2nd season. 2nd season is unlimited in most units and even for the limited tags the allocations are more generous during 2nd season meaning many more hunters.
The 1st season hunts that I have done have been great. I have found elk much easier to find during 1st season.
With respect to weather it is 1st season all the way. Very nice to be able to hunt with lighter gear.

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Originally Posted by roper
Originally Posted by WAM
True, but animals are usually on the move where we hunt by 4th Rifle. Happy Trails


I sure could understand that. I've got to ask since you also like 3rd are elk on move like 4th?


Hard to say about 3rd season. To me, later is usually better with snow usually pushing them out of the high country. It’s always a crap shoot whether or not they will be moving out of the high country at any given time. For the spot we hunt, my order of season preference would be: 3, 4, 2, 1. I’m certainly not an expert. I’ve been wrong before and I can prove it! LOL!


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Originally Posted by Mountain10mm
Please go 2nd season! Definitely the best. For sure. And you can potentially get a deer tag too. Never mind all the extra hunters, they help push the elk to you.


Haha be assured we wouldn't add to the numbers, our unit isn't 100% draw.

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Depending on where you hunt, 2nd or even 3rd can be better. I save 4th for Mulies.

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Perusing the deer draw reports it appears there are only a handful of units that have more than a few deer licenses available in 4th season and most of those require a pile of points to draw.

Last edited by WAM; 03/23/19.

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Neither. I prefer NM first rifle.


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As a resident who has hunted here forever I know where the elk tend to be . Therefore I always go for the 1st hunt ( drawing ) ... Far less hunters & none of the elk have been shot . More elk still in the field. This is my "A" hunt , bull. I then take a "B" tag cow late season . The 2nd over the counter hunt has hunters behind every bush. Hunt a season or two & learn an area , then hunt the first hunt. It may be only 5 days but can be more productive than the far more crowed second season.

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