Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Altitude and Elk

Let me preface by admitting I'm a novice elk hunter. This question may be weak.

I'm going on my second elk hunt ever in southwest Colorado. Its in mid-October, it may be warm, it may have a few feet of snow. My question is about how to figure out at what elevation the elk will be hanging out.

What clues, (like a snow storm the week before, temperatures in the 80s, etc) would tell me to start my hunt above treeline or in the bottom canyons.

Or will they be spread across a range of altitudes? I just returned from scouting and there was a ton of grass at elevations from 8 to 10K feet, and plenty of tree cover. Water was plentiful.

Thanks in advance.

They will likely be high. They don't start moving down until theres a good bit of snow. First or second season, you'll be finding them pretty much at their summer altitude. Third or fourth season will depend on the amount of snow, if any. If they can find food, a lot of times they won't move down till the snow gets deeper.

I'm a novice too, but like Larry said, High, and on North facing slopes.

Gunner

You mentioned "above tree line." IME, by the second rifle season you won't find elk in the open above timberline during hunting hours unless you're in a place other hunters can't get to. The timber right below will be good though.

Good luck!

A lot is going to depend on how much feed they have available. If you're in one of the super dry areas and the feed is all gone up high, they'll be scattered out in other places looking for something to eat, and dodging the Orangemen on their atv's.

In general, Elk will be as high as they can go, and still have food and water.

Good advice.

I appreciate it guys.

Someone mentioned north-facing slopes, east-facing tend to be similar in timber and cover in that part of the state, maybe a little more open. That's where they'll be during the day, but the south- and west-facing slopes tend to have the best feed and they'll be somewhere near the best feed. So if you can locate the good timber near those areas with good feed, so much the better.

What is lush grass right now, may be dry tinder by October. last year ( dry also) they were 8-10K in ML season, but by 2nd rifle season, they were in the bottom land where there was a little bit of water.

The only way to figure out where elk are is to be mobile in the season. If they are not high, go lower and if not lower, go higher. Anyone who says they can predetermine this hasn't hunted elk much, especially in the drought that Colorado is suffering now.

SS, where I was last year, they were above 10K during ML for the most part. Lot's of good feed and cover up there though. Like you said, keep moving till you find 'em.

That is what we found. Cows were a bit lower than you found. Then in 2nd rifle season, I saw about 100 head on the alfalfa pivots as you enter Johnsons Corner from the east ( 24 & 285). that was 6-7000 ft. We only saw 5-6 cows at 10,000 ft in 2nd rifle and they were just moving thru, but hunters reported seeing quite a few more down in the hay fields at dusk, north of Gunnison.

Never saw elk in those fields, but the two times I've been past they've been chocked full of mule deer. We must have just missed each other this past fall, I was there the Monday before 2nd rifle.

Besides what has been said. Keep in mind the elk have been through bow, muzzy, and 1st rifle seasons.

You're going to find them where the fewest hunters are.

Mauser, I will be hunting First rifle, but I expect them to be hidden.

The Drought in Colorado is the Good Lord's way of making the prettiest state with the most elk endure letting the liberals take it over.:)

Saddlesore nailed it. It they aren't where you are hunting, move. I ran into a group of out of state bowhunters hiking out of a basin. They had been there 8 days and hadn't seen an elk. But, they did say they had done plenty of homework.

Get to primo vantage points, break out the spotting scope, and let the elk tell you.

There's a reason they're called the "Ghosts of the Forrest".

They move a lot if pushed at all. Now that the wolves are thick the elk rarely stay in an area for long. It's a matter of them avoiding the predators. They've also become noticeably quiet. They still bugle but not as much. The wolves last year were running through people chasing what they thought were elk and it was hunters cow calling.
I grew up hunting by spot & stalk, or putting myself in thier travel path. Now I'm living in a different area, much thicker, where glassing isn't very useful and the wolves are changing the game. I feel like I'm a noob starting over.

Last year, 2nd rifle, I got into a spot about 9500ft, north face, dark timber. I could smell 'em, but, I couldn't see them... Knew they had been there. But, either a day late, or I had bumped 'em and didn't know it...

I am a noobie. This is a good thread. Got me thinking about my strategy and tactics...