A little help please...

[Zimm]

I am now 0 for 2 in CO for a bull. Did not even get a glimpse of a bull either time. I know it is hunting and not killing every time, but I need some advise! If I am willing to travel out of state (OR, ID, CO, WY, MT, NM, AZ, etc) for a shot at an elk...where would I have the best chance. I really can't afford an outfitter. Obviously scouting is difficult being so far away all year.

Ideally I would like to find an area I could return to year after year to hunt elk. My boy will be old enough in two years to join me. My daughter is old enough now and says she wants to come with this fall.

Any advice/help would be much appreciated!

Zimm

 

[RVRKNG]

Colorado has the most Elk of any state, but it is hunting. I would suggest doing alot of investigating on the Internet, contact different fish & game departments. And apply for draw only tags with high succes ratios?! Good Luck.

 

[tmoniz]

Limited draw hunt zones 100 and 22 in Wyoming give the best chance at a decent bull. Hard to draw though. A general tag elk hunt up around Shell Wyoming is pretty good as well.

If I were to hunt Colorado I would hunt up around Maybell or down in the San Juans.

 

[Zimm]

Alright! Thanks guys! I hunted unit 3 & 301 out of Craig CO this year and out of 5 days we saw one hurd and harvested two cows. Maybe I'll hunt there again but get a cow tag instead of a bull tag this year. Is that hunt up near shell in a specific unit, over the counter, bulls vs. cow???

Thanks again!

Zimm

 

[COHunter]

Unless you hunt an area that requires 8 or more Pref. Points, I'd spend my $500 for a Bull tag elsewhere. Our DOW is determined to have every Bull over the age of 2 1/2 years shot. Its all about the money here, in fact I bet every State that sells Elk Tags has a better success rate on Bulls than we do.

I can't wait for the day that all Elk Tags are by drawing.

 

[JOSE A. MARINE]

in 2003 october 15th. I was hunting Colorado unit 211 near Meeker. we saw every day at least a pair of bulls in the highway but none at legar hours. mostly in the morning.

the party of 8 had succes with 2 bull elk(5x5 and 6x6), 3 cows and 2 mulies.


the cost was $800 +tags trailer bunkers...in the Crawford ranch.

I wouldn´t go back, not pretty country, very high desert. very few aspens.

from down the border, Joe

 

[Mr.Redneck]

Now I may be a fool, and I will find out after I go, but I would guess, that if you hunt hard, and can Archery hunt, you may actually have a better potential on a bull with an archery permit. Like I said, I may be a fool, but I will find out. Also, use the CDNR website can give you a wealth of info.

My inexperienced

, and $493.50 for a tag to go with it.

Doug

 

[younghunter]

Zimm,
Don't give up on your CO units. I believe to be successful elk hunting you just have to learn a particular unit and keep with it. When i first start hunting we were lucky to see a bull in my unit and now because we have learned a lot about the unit we see bull elk almost every day. This year it really paid off with our camp getting an 8x8 bull, a 3 antler bull and a few raghorn bulls. This was all done on an over the counter unit with a lot of hunting pressure in that unit. Elk hunting is about not giviing up, keep with it, and you will start to find some "honey" holes. It may take a few years and some $$$ but if you skip around from unit to unit it will not help. Sure putting in for the limited quota units are great, if you want to hunt elk every 8 years or so.

 

[Hoback Hunter]

Living in western Wyoming, I am pretty biased, but would suggest that as far as localized elk populations go, the timbered part of this state surrounding Jellystone, probably has more elk per acre than any other. Afterall, what other state is feeding over 20,000 head of wild elk, all winter long. And the feeding program is all right here in 3 counties (Teton, Lincoln and Sublette), and not all of the elk visit the feedgrounds.

The advice about sticking to a unit and keep hunting it is as true as you can get. Find a unit that has forage for a herd and eventually you'll harvest a bull from that unit. I finally found my 'honey hole', and have worked hard to keep it a secret, having taken nice animals out of it for the last three years. Last year, I guided two close friends into it for successful hunts, as well - one rag-horn and a nice 6x6.

Yesterday, on the feed ground nearest this honey hole, I glassed dozens of bulls in the herd, with 8 or 10 being heavy antlered - 5x5 or better.

A few recommendations for a Wyoming "General Tag" hunt.

Try and hunt areas near feed grounds. As the weather turns cold, the elk start heading for the feedgrounds in large numbers (late October or eailer if weather turns bad). Early season, they're more dispersed, but a feedground is still a good starting point.

The Gros Ventre corridor is massive and carries a lot of elk, having two or three feedgrounds in it and close to the National Elk Refuge, which feeds 7-11,000 each winter. This is the non-Wilderness country south of the Teton Wilderness and north of the Gros Ventre Wilderness. It has easy roaded access for a base camp and miles of unroaded country beyond. Wyoming requires non-residents to secure a resident guide before hunting the Wilderness areas, so keep that in mind.

Cliff Creek and Willow Creek, tribs of the Hoback River (south of Jackson), have both been reporting bulls for the past several years. Both areas get some hunting pressure, but they access a lot of country to chose from.

If you're willing to withstand a lot pressure, the Greys River corridor out of Alpine Wyoming has some hunt areas that are worth hiking into, but you gotta be willing to hike a while, otherwise the ATV crowds will drive you insane.

If you really want a trophy and are willing to put in for limited quota, the Grand Teton National Park hunt (area 79) issues a small number of non-res type 1 licenses. It's a small zone, but the bulls that come out of that park enroute to the Elk Refuge can be monsters. Two years ago, while hunting a cow, I spied an 8x8 behemoth along the river bottoms.

In the end, CO, WY, OR, ID, it doubt that it matters if you're not paying an outfitter - it's all about hunting, learning and maybe harvesting. But I believe your chances of harvesdt go way up when you pick a good area, learn it's secrets and stick with it.

Hope that helps.

 

[JOSE A. MARINE]

the info on my hunt as requested...

CRAWFORD RANCH
985 C.R. 9 Meeker,Co. 81641
970-878-4756

deer, Elk and buffalo.

 

['Ike']

For CO, learn a unit and stick with it.............You'll find them and it will fall into place from there............

 

[easymoney]

My 2 cents is stick with it.
Colorado has the most numbers of elk but it also has loads of hunters. If you are interested in record book animals you will have to play the limited tag and most likely the private ranch game. Look into AZ, Utah or Montana and be prepared to wait to get drawn...
I have rifle hunted on public land in Oregon where there are lots of good bulls(I see many during deer season), but have gotten skunked two draws in a row. The season in Oregon in the unit I draw for bulls is 5 days, hell it take 5 days to just locate the elk, any elk.
Mike Eastmans book on hunting elk is very good and it puts the hair tag vs the trophy tag into perspective. It takes time and alot of luck. I'm 54 years old and I am still at it...

 

[Zimm]

Thanks all for all the great info. I agree that once a guy finds a good unit, he should stick with it year in year out so he may learn every nuk'n cranny of that unit. My delemma is that the unit we have hunted the last 2 years...unit 3/301, does not seem to be a unit where there are resident herds. So unless you can catch them migrating to winter graze exactly on those 5 days of your season...your SOL. So I need to find a good unit in North/Western CO ( I have family in Craig) that would be a good starting point. And which season? We hunted 4th rifle this year...too late? Any insite would be great!!!

Thanks!

Zimm

 

[ChrisS]

If your looking for areas in North Western Colorad you should try the units in the flat top wilderness area like units 23,24,25,26. The largest herd of elk resides in the flattops, would be a good place to start anyway.

 

[COHunter]

ChrisS
You dont hunt those Rampart Range Elk in your backyard ? Figured you would know all the honeyholes.

 

[ChrisS]

Originally posted by COHunter@Jan 26 2005, 01:14 PM
ChrisS
You dont hunt those Rampart Range Elk in your backyard ? Figured you would know all the honeyholes.

What? We have Elk around here? No I rarely do any hunting around here since most of my family lives in the Montrose area. I have always hunted in 61 or 62. I am going to start deer hunting around here though, unit 511. Are yopu a turkey hunter by chance? I'm gonna try to find some turkeys around here this year. I will also turkey hunt around Montrose as well.

 

[COHunter]

I'm not a Turkey hunter.......yet

I know where there are a bunch of them in an OTC area. I was up there hunting Blue Grouse and had to stop my truck so a whole flock could cross the road and "yes" turkey season was open. Never had any interest in them before, but its something to do in April. Seen them up there multiple times.

Kerr Gulch off Hwy 50 near Cotipaxi (GMU 86).

Fort Carson also has a ton of them all along Hwy 115. Went with a buddy just to watch and he got one with his Bow. He's from Texas and thinks our birds are to stupid to shoot with a gun, "No Challenge" as he says.

If you want to compare notes on 511 for deer, lemme know. Thinking about putting the wife in for there 2nd season. Found some good numbers of deer in an area northwest of Divide.

 

[ChrisS]

Originally posted by COHunter@Jan 26 2005, 02:44 PM
I'm not a Turkey hunter.......yet

I know where there are a bunch of them in an OTC area. I was up there hunting Blue Grouse and had to stop my truck so a whole flock could cross the road and "yes" turkey season was open. Never had any interest in them before, but its something to do in April. Seen them up there multiple times.

Kerr Gulch off Hwy 50 near Cotipaxi (GMU 86).

Fort Carson also has a ton of them all along Hwy 115. Went with a buddy just to watch and he got one with his Bow. He's from Texas and thinks our birds are to stupid to shoot with a gun, "No Challenge" as he says.

If you want to compare notes on 511 for deer, lemme know. Thinking about putting the wife in for there 2nd season. Found some good numbers of deer in an area northwest of Divide.

I know there are alot of birds on and around fort cason but don't want to go through all the stuff to hunt on base. I have started putting in for area 59 Beaver creek SWA and Table Mountain area. It looks like it will take a couple years to draw the tag. I'd like to find a decent place right around Woodland so I can go more often without driving an hour.

I am going to start seriously scouting 511 for deer and try to get a later season tag. I want to do more hunting around the house so I am able to do more of it! Let me know if you want to go scouting deer sometime or turkey hunting.

 

[OR186]

Antler Quest hunting consultants might be what you are looking for. Based in Colorado, they will basically do the scouting for you. I have only heard good things about them. They are also a JHO sponsor.

 

[COHunter]

ChrisS
I'll PM you later when I gets a little more time about the Deer & Turkey.

Zimm
Yep give Jeff (Antlerquest) a call @ (303) 651-6273.