Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Archery elk advice

I've rifle hunted Colorado a couple of times, 2nd season a few years ago and 3rd season most recently in 2018. I want to go back this year and would normally prefer 3rd season. But with the election in November I think it wise to hunt earlier this year and I'm thinking archery rather than 2nd season. Will be buying OTC tags either way.

I'll probably be hunting South central or Southwestern parts of the state. If picking a week to hunt when is the better time. Since I have the whole month of September which would be better, early or late in the month. Anything else I might need to know?

Be there the first day. Find an active wallow and hunt it every afternoon it doesn't rain.

Early September is fine if you’re sitting in a blind or stand waiting for elk. Best rut action will be later in September though so if you want to chase bugles and try to call I would say 3rd week. Personally I would target the rut, but it depends how you want to hunt

Thanks for the tips. Not a clear consensus yet though. Later would give more time to prepare, September is right around the corner. I've been debating whether to go 3rd season or not at all for a while now. Trying archery season was a recent thought.

If I had just one week to hunt it would probably be about the 18th-24th give or take a day or 2. That area can be pretty warm. During the early part of the season you very well might see 90 on the thermometer. If that's the case I'd probably look for water and set up shop. Personally, that's not my style and I much prefer to chase bulging elk.

Archery success is generally going to be lower. Are you going for the experience or to kill an elk? My experience with archery elk has been, you either calling them in or spot them and stalk. It’s more of a personal question of wants and abilities.

I personally like archery season best. Weather is generally pleasant. I have been fortunate to find a handful of bulls that have let me get within bow range. I gave up calling elk years ago.

If you kill one, get him quartered, skinned, and hang the meat in the shade BEFORE you leave the kill site. DO NOT LEAVE HIM ON THE GROUND OVERNIGHT, AND ESPECIALLY WITH HIS GUTS IN.

You see many of the TV hunting shows where they shoot an animal then wait until the next day to find it. I would bet that the majority of those animals will have the meat already starting to sour. DON'T DO THAT!

A little of both. Taking an elk is something of a bucket list thing for me and I definitely want one. If I ever kill one, I may not hunt them again. The 2018 hunt was the hunt of a lifetime for me because of the experience even though I didn't take one. My wife and I are both retired and I have no other retired friends who are willing, or physically up to the challenge. My son and anyone younger can't take the time off right now.

In 2018 my wife came with me and will again this year if I go. She doesn't hunt but is great company and would help pack meat out. I'm not getting any younger, I figure at best I've got less than 10 years before I'm too old for this type of thing. I know the odds are long, but I won't kill one here in GA.

And while I didn't kill one 2 years ago I learned a lot. Even if I don't take one again this year, my education will continue and it may pay off the next year.

Sounds like you have the right mind set. Pick your poison and get after it! Good luck and my your arrow fly true!

I prefer early September, and it can be warm and you could get a foot of snow! I like to be in the woods before the muzzleloaders and all the jackwagons howling at the moon. I never got to bowhunt much as I was too busy packing for outfitters, but the hunts I had were pure heaven and mostly complete solitude. If only I had a go pro on me at the time. I got into some predicaments with the critters you would not believe and saw some beautiful country!

My advice is that if you really want to kill elk consistently and not just hunt them, would be to buy a rifle. There is a very small number of archers that consistently score, a much greater percentage of rifle hunters, fill their tags frequently.

good luck

Just an add on this late about letting them lay over night.

Black bears have been a real problem where I hunt in Colorado, I've had two buddies have to shoo multiple bears from kill sights in the AM with a lot of ruined meat.

how did your hunt go?

I agree with this, I just spent 6 days hiking with a bow and had one close encounter with elk. This is my 3rd season doing these sept hunts and the truth is the odds are so slim that one will be successful that's its about like winning the lottery. I know of at least a dozen and a half people that elk hunted during archery this year and not a single one killed an elk. same goes for last year. The odds are like 2% of being successful. I think the only thing that one could do to increase your odds is to hire an outfitter and get ridden in past most of the other hunters into good country. Other than that its really just called hard hiking with a bow, not hunting.