Looking for advice

[Nytro69]

For an Elk hunt with my Father-in-law and need some tips and Advice. What to bring how to hunt etc... It will be a 10 day hunt outfitter provides tents horses and meals we do the rest all bow hunt only (September I guess is bow season on elk in Colorado)

Help me out here guys what do I need and what do I need to know I have NEVER been on an elk hunt before and would like to make this one a success.

 

[COHunter]

What GMU will you be in ? I Blue Grouse hunt all over the State so I can tell you where I've seen good numbers of Elk.

 

[Nytro69]

I have no idea but will post when I find out.

 

[paulc]

if i read correctly this is your first elk hunt and you are basically doing a drop camp and will be hunting archery. This is a tough proposition, but, if the elk are bugling and they should be it will help.

first be aware that as far as elk go there is nothing more important than scent. each stalk or ambush must take into consideration wind first and foremeost. I carry a ball of cotton in my top pocket and pull off a wisp of it and let it loose periodically to see what the wind is doing... you cant have the elk scent you.

calls. if neither you or your father in law have experience in using elk calls i would not recomend using them. chances are these elk have hear artificial calls and they are hip to them. if anything use a cow call only and when in doubt dont use it. you can use the cow call if you made noise or if you want an elk to stop or feel comfortable. dont expect a herd bull to come running to you.. unless you are quite accomplished with a bugle i would not attempt it. herd bulls will often go the other way just to avoid competition for thier harem, though you may attract a sattelite bull..

obviously be prepared for the bad weather . i expect you will be at least at 7000 feet. Be prepared to hike. outfitters typically do not put their drop camps in their best spots. they save those for their big paying customers as they want to look good for them. bring good optics and if it is warm look for elk at the edges of small meadows and openings early morning and dusk and they most likely will be in dark timber during the days. if water is scarce you may set up a blind at a water hole.

i wish you guys luck, if you have more specific questions i will be happy to try to answer them.

 

[Nytro69]

Thank you, that is most helpful. Is there any resources that I can look to such as books or videos that are geared toward elk hunting specifically in Colorado??

 

[COHunter]

The Colorado Division of Wildlife sells an Elk hunting video for the State. You can find it at their website. Another thing you might and probably have done is call the service center nearest the area you will be hunting and ask to speak to the District Wildlife Manager for the area your hunting and ask where the Elk are, because we are going through a severe drought. Last September (archery season) when I was Grouse hunting we saw the most Elk down Low near the irrigated fields, and normally we would see them at timberline.

Good Luck

 

[Nytro69]

One of my buddies at work said that it would be a good idea to make sure I get into great shape first cuz I will enjoy it so much better. I am not OUT of shape but I think that clamoring around at 7000 plus feet could get pretty tough for a fat-boy like me. Is it all that hard or just a lot of sitting like deer hunting is?

 

[FTTPOW]

Nytro, I've been elk hunting several times in Montana and let me tell you, you'd BETTER be in shape. I've never yet been able to go out there in the kind of condition I should have been in. The locals I hunt with have to slow down their pace for me. You need to spend lots of prehunt time running, lifting and carrying a loaded pack just to come close to being ready. I live in a FLAT area of the world at low elevations. To suddenly be in thinner air and going verticle everyday with a 25 lb pack on your back is quite a change. If you get into a routine of running several miles a day, now do it with cement blocks on your feet while holding your breath! LOL. Seriously, if you get into the best condition that you can, you'll have the toughest 10 days of the most fun you've ever had.
It is NOT like deer hunting as you may be accustomed to. The tactics we used were to hike in (up) to the area we expected to see the elk and then to sidehill slowly through the area trying to spot them before they spotted us. We were always on the move unless we were glassing out an area. This was during the latter part of rifle season with colder temps and spookier game since they'd already been hunted for several months. You'll be using different strategies since you'll be hunting rutting elk earlier in the season with a bow. I've been told it's more similar to hunting turkeys only on a far grander scale. I envy your chance to hunt like that. Maybe some day. Soon, I hope. The ol' clock's a ticking.

 

[DanD]

I will second or maybe even third the sentiment about getting into shape. The two most important things in regards to hunting elk are being in shape (so you can climb those mountains) and glass, glass and more glass. You will spend alot time behind a pair of binoculars and/ or spotting scope so make sure you have good glass. Secondly if they (the elk) are not in the valley you are in then you'll need to walk over that mountain to the next valley this is were the being in shape part starts to come into play.

Oh yea, I almost forgot if you are fortunate enough to drop one then the real work starts.

Good luck, have fun I hope you have a great hunt.

 

[Oregon Archer]

in addition to being in shape you should also give yourself a day or two before you really start hunting to get acclimated to the elevation change. by doing so you will avoid the dreaded altitude sickness which can and has ruined many a first time elk hunters trip.
some equipment you will need will be a good day pack to start with. it should be of a quiet material(saddlecloth etc etc) and be able to hold everything youll need to be out from before light to after and then some if needed. second a good pack frame is essential unless you have horses to pack your meat out on. take lots of game bags. during the heat of the day the flies can by atroshous and spoil all your meat quickly. so get it in some good game bags and hang it up to cool after youve boned it out. also good rain gear is important. sudden storms can roll in very quickly at that time of year and having some good light weight rain gear stuffed into your day pack can be a life saver. in addition to all of the things i mentioned i also carry a first aid kit, water purification tablets, maps, compass, gps, survival gear(matches, space blankets etc etc) knife, sharpener, and TP.
also there is some good info on the web to. Cameron Hanes has some great back country hunting tips on his website that you should check out. He covers equip and food basics for a DIY hunt in the backcountry. well worth the read.

www.crhpublishing.com

 

[Nytro69]

Thanks guys, great advice so far. I will be going in September so I am sure that I will have a whole bunch more questions till then. One of them being, is there any suggestions on gear to bring? I thought about quality glass of course and also possibly a GPS of some type (Model suggestions would be great what works good for y'all) and would I need a special "Pack"? Stuff like that. I of course have the whole gamut of flatland deer hunting gear so the basics are covered I think, but what about the things specific to Colorado Elk hunting?

 

[Oregon Archer]

as far as a good day pack goes i like the following brands: Blacks Creek Guide Gear, BadLands, Nimrod and Kifaru. All of these are top of the line and will last you a very very long time. they all hold a lot of gear, are water proof, burr proof and are made of good quality materials. Id also recommend you get one with a water bladder. these are a god send on hot days. they will hold 2 liters of water and make it easily accessible. no need to strip your pack off and dig for a bottle. just drink as your hiking along. ill give my nod to the Blacks Creek Gear since it has a water bladder and it also has a fold out pouch to carry your bow in. and its very comfortable as well.

also get some Crooked Horn Bino Straps. these will save you a great deal of neck pain when carrying around your binos all day. plus they make them easily accessible for quick glassing.

also a good range finder. every bow hunter should have one regardless of how good they can judge distance with out one.

boots are going to really important to. dont skimp here. Lowa makes some awesome boots. they are light weight yet will keep your feet warm if need be. also pack some good socks. these are just as important as good boots.

for raingear i like Pella. its lightweight and works incredibly well. this is one of the things youll probably not need but should take anyways. good way to carry this is to roll the jacket up into the pants and then stuff it into a small compression bag or use a vacuum sealer and seal it in one of those bags so its compact. Cabelas also has a set of raingear that will fold up into a small stuff sack and is very compact as well.

all of this stuff are essential when i go elk hunting. even if its just for a few hours i always carry this stuff. id rather have it and not need it then need it and not have it. been there and done that and its no fun. spoils your hunt real quick.

Also what is your bow set up that your going to be using?

 

[COHunter]

The guys here bring up some good points, but the one that I see ruin the most hunts for you air breathers is Altitude Sickness. The lowest point in Colorado is over 3,000ft at the Kansas border. Drink tons of water and eat. Drink when your not thirsty and dont skip any meals. It is very easy to become dehydrated here. Luckily I live at 6,000 ft so I have an advantage over most who come here, but it still kicks my butt.
Before you come remember these words
Run Forest Run.....

 

[Nytro69]

You guys are great, thanks. I love the shopping list Oregon, already I see that I will need a few things to be sure. I guess I should ask though, is a framed pack essential or is the X-Cross Day pack good enough? It is water proof and holds tons of gear, and is real comfy I love it. The outfitter is supposed to provide horses so I didn't know if the frame would be essential or not. So judging from your lack of reply I suppose then that the GPS would not be essential. I have a pair of boots I like and wear alot already they are comfy LaCross 10 inch Brawnys they have 800 grams of thinsulate and a nice collection of woolrich 80% merino wool socks that are great too. I don't have a range finder but have been wanting one for a long time now so theres a good reason to get one soon. The bow setup I will be taking is a Mathews Q2 31 inch draw 68 lbs with Beeman ICS Camo arrows and either Steel Force 100 grain, or possibly a 125 grain cut on impact head (I just might have to "Justify" a new set of heads. Correct me if I am wrong here but I think that this setup will be "More" than enough to take an elk right?

COHunter,

I don't get it, so you think I should run??? LOL just kidding I am so ON it doggone it.

 

[paulc]

sounds like plenty of bow. if you get one down most likely the wranglers will have you hang it close to where you got it and they will come for it with the horses. you will want some quality bags to hang the quarters in. not the chees clothe stuff. if you are good with a gps use it. if not have good topo maps, get aquainted with the land marks early and use your compass. i always take 2 in case one is lying or you just dont believe it. boots sound adequate. if you have not hunted alot in the west the hardest thing to get used to is spending time behind your binocs. I recomend that you get to a commanding view before daylight where you can look into drainages, small meadows and force yourself to study these areas inch by inch. you will see animals this way even though you will want to just start looking for them on foot.
during the days try to find wallows or watering holes that you can set up on. the wind has gotta be in your face. during the heat of the day the thermals tend to move uphill, and as it cools it tends to go down hill and count on alot of swirling wind during transition periods and that will really screw you up.

getting in shape is good advice. this will be a trip to remember

 

[Oregon Archer]

Nytro if you have horses dont worry about bringing a pack frame. you wont need it. far as the GPS is concerned it can be helpful but id rely more on some good quality topo maps of your hunt area and a good compass. if you actually had time to scout out the area before hand id say take a GPS.
as far as your bow set up goes i wouldnt change a thing. that is more than enough to take an elk. but i would suggest a couple of things. one is to practice uphill and downhill shots. not to many level surfaces up in the Rockies. second would be to practice to at least 50yrds. ive heard stories of guys coming from back east to hunt elk and having only a 20yrd pin. youll be shooting yourself in the foot if you do that. so practice to 50yrds and be proficient at those distances and youll help yourself out alot. this is where that new rangefinder will come in handy

 

[Nytro69]

Found out that I will be going to the Rio Grande National Forest, with Wild Horse Outfitters in september 18th-28th They will pack us in on horseback and provide campsite and check on us every couple of days to see if we got a kill. Anyone have any iformation or tips and advice on this particular area of Colorado I would appreciate the help to make my first hunt a sucess.

 

[Speckmisser]

Nytro,

I'm reading all these tips too, since it looks like I'll be doing my first CO elk hunt this fall as well. I have already started a conditioning plan, and I have all the gear (except I'd like some better boots).

So knowing I'm a novice too... take this for what it's worth.

On the GPS- if you can get one, do so. Learn to use it. You'll have plenty of time, because they're real easy. If you're used to the flatlands, you'd be amazed at how the high country can turn you around. The mountains, canyons, and ridges will totally throw your sense of direction and distance.

Trust me on this one, because I came to the west from the North Carolina coast. The highest hills there are sand dunes. I have never been "lost" in the woods, but I've had to do some extensive backtracking a couple of times. The first time I hunted in the Sierra, I was chasing quail along a little ridgeline. Next thing I know, I'm in a whole new canyon and the truck is NOT where I thought it was. That never happened to me before, even in the thickest coastal swamp.

A GPS is relatively inexpensive, but can be a lifesaver... literally. Of course, you should also have maps and a quality compass, because I believe Murphy must have been an electronics engineer. All of his laws seem to apply double to anything with batteries!

I picked up a Magellan 315 for under $150. Garmin also makes a pretty good unit. If you scroll down, there's a forum specifically for GPS and such where the guys discuss the pros and cons of different units. It'll probably help you make a decision.

Good luck on your hunt. An archery elk hunt is still on my "list", so I'm very interested in hearing how your hunt went.

 

[Nytro69]

Anyone here been to this part of CO before? Or, anyone here know where I can find information on the local hunt conditions, elk herd etc... Good advice on where to get HIGH quality maps and aerial photos? And of course Gear advice still needed, what kind of weather to expect etc....

 

[Oregon Archer]

USGS topo maps are the best ones to get. i wouldnt waste my money on anything else. You may also look into some mapping software. I was just given a copy of TopoScout which uses the USGS maps and its awesome. Not sure where you can get areial photos from. Possibly terraserver.com may have some of that area.
Also what kind of gear are you needing info on?