DIY Colorado elk hunt question

[bohunter3]

Im thinking about a "do it yourself" archery hunt in Colorado. I have never hunted elk, or hunted in Colorado. I ordered two videos about how to go about hunting elk in the state of Colorado to help me. Can anyone give me any advise as to when the best season/draw would be for bow hunting? I would like to hunt just for bulls. Any advise on good areas to hunt would also be helpful. I'll be hikeing in for the most part, unless atv are allowed.

 

[paulc]

Do you have any CO preference points??

 

[bohunter3]

No points/ this will be my first time trying to go there for anything

 

[easymoney]

Better get a set of Co regs, and start planning. There are lots of elk in CO, lots of tags sold, and loads of company. The better hunts will be draw and hard to get, hence the question about points.

 

[scr83jp]

I hunted Colorado from 1984 to 1999 during rifle season .Friends told me about an area and we went there for mule deer .At that time mule deer & elk numbers were way up so it was easy to draw doe or cow elk tags while buck & bull tags were over the counter.All of my acquaintences did do it yourself hunts thru out the western USA from the 40's,50's,60,s,70's,80's and 90's.They're still hunting the same way.The area I went to is west of Meeker on hwy 64 to county 22 turn left and drive to Little Hills Game Mgt Area 22 where there were deer and elk, good fishing for trout and pike.From the proclamation when using a OHV firearms must be unloaded and fully
enclosed in a hard or soft case(except handguns)and bows must be fully cased. Scabbards or cases with open ends or sides are prohibited .Many GMU have CWD (chronic wasting disease)in elk and deer.

 

[paulc]

I would consider Idaho, as you can hunt alot of the better units with a archery tag and you stand a better chance of drawing.

 

[COHunter]

If you come here, I can only hope that your a socialble guy, cause you will have a lot of company.

I will never understand why anyone (Nonresident) would come here and pay $500 for a tag that only has less than a 15% (Bull) success rate and for small racks at that.

 

[837hicksville]

COHunter,

I'm a new member but long-time visitor and I respect your view of the hunting world. The reasons for non-residents to shell out way too much for elk tags in CO is simple;

1) No Rocky Mtns in Michigan

2) No real season on elk in MI

3) No mountains in MI

4) No mule deer in MI

5) No mountains in MI

6) 12 yr olds can't hunt big game in MI

Not to mention we see a lot of animals, and that's just a start. The mountains alone are reason enough to head West - getting a trophy is such a small part of the equation. We've been treated very well by CO residents (at least by the ones who recognize how much money we spend in your state), and we just hope that non-residents don't get squeezed out by new regs. To a 12 yr old (and 38 yr olds as well), a road trip out West to hunt is a dream come true (and a huge carrot to hang in front of them). We'll be heading your way Nov 2 for 3rd rifle season and the countdown started a long time ago. I can't wait!

Kevin

 

[paulc]

Both of you make very good points. Hunting out of state can be a wonderful experience. I learned along time ago, that you need to learn the system.
The system is different in each state.
It requires you to learn about preference, bonus, and a whole bunch of other stuff. It can be overwhelming.
I really believe that it is very difficult to have a real good hunting experience with an OTC tag unless you are willing to use an outfitter, have horses, or backpack4-5 miles into backcountry. I have done all of these things because hunting is important to me.
There are many publications and services that will help you with all of the stuff you need to apply out of state. I use Garth Carters, but have used others in the past such as H.A.S.. It really comes down to how much you want to do yourself, how many states you want to apply in, and how much money you want to spend.

The only reason I brought up ID was that it is a state that there are still otc tags for archery in some of their better units.

 

[COHunter]

837hicksville,
I understand the mountains and different animals, and I didn't mean it as a put down, it just amazes me how many Nonresidents come (95,000+ for Elk alone) and plunk down the $500 and go home empty and frustrated due to crowds, not seeing game, etc....

Good Luck in November

 

[rh44mag]

COhunter,
Since you live in CO you think it is no big deal. I can relate to that in a way. I was born and raised in Michigan 8 miles from lake Huron. I enjoyed the lakes but never really thought much about them. Eight years ago I moved to Missouri, at that point I realized what a big deal the great lakes are. I'm not saying this to be rude but just to add another point of view. If you lived down here in the flat lands with other hunter dreaming of elk it may make a little more sense to you.

 

[bohunter3]

Paulc,
I never thought of Idaho. I'd thought it was harder to get drawn. I heard Colorado was easier and had a lot of animals. Any advice on Idaho?

 

[paulc]

You can hunt alot of the draw (rifle) units with an over the counter archery tag in Sept.
This is a good option if you dont draw anything else.