NH306

I am wanting to go Elk hunting in Co again this year! I don't look forward to flying because it is such a pain in the ass! I was considering driving with my brother. I have family in Eastern CO so we would drive to there and then take the farm truck the rest of the way. It is about 1900 miles. In my wifes subaru the gas would be great, and we would just rotate drivers till the job was done! Has anybody driven this far to hunt any WISDOM that you want to pass along would be great!

Howler

You must REALLY HATE to fly. That is a dang long ways to drive, even with two people taking turns. bring some good straps to strap the antlers on the hood, cause they probably aren't going to fit in the car.

Rob in VT

3 of us drove from central Vermont to southern Colorado last fall. We didn't drive straight through though. We drove to Rochester NY and overnighted at a friends house (the 3rd guy who went with us). From there it was about 800 miles to Iowa City where we overnighted. From there it was 1,000 to southern Colorado where we stayed. A long haul for sure! We changed drivers every 2 hours regardless of if we were tired or not. Once you get beyond Chicago it's a straight shot on I80. The plains are pretty boring and not much to look at until you hit the rockies.

We each killed an elk so it was great that we could load the meat in coolers and drive back. 2,200 miles one way for us. We are doing it again this year.

Good luck . . . Rob

BuckAlley

A Friend & I made the roadtrip from Cent. NY to western Colorado last Sept.. We actually enjoyed it. We took our time, 3 1/2days total. We each took turns driving like 4-5 hrs each. I've never been one to enjoy real long driving trips, but this one I really did. I think it was more enjoyable becasue we took our time, and didn't really push it. You just wear yourself out when push it I think. The country is so different as you go west. Alot of difference between states I thought. You'll also find gas is cheaper as you go west, especially in Iowa. At least compared to NY's high gas tax prices. We found Motel 6 is about the cheapest, decent hotel's to stay at. We didn't plan stops ahead, we just drove, and towards end of day said we'll stop at next place with motels. I brought some cd's w/tunes we both liked, and did alot of talking. It helps if you and your partner get along real well, and have alot of interests. I just saw it as part of my trip to hunt colorado.

onebigelk

I made a spring trip to SW Co. 2 years ago from SE Missouri (not quite as far as NY or Vermont but a pretty long trip any way) to hunt Meriams and scout for a future elk hunt. I really enjoyed the ride since I had never been west of Springfield MO. Also making it special was my hunting companion my dad who just turned 70.The only thing was I didn't really get to see Texas, we drove through the entire state in the dark. That future Elk hunt will be this fall. It's really hard waiting, since this will be my first time elk hunting.

younggun308

About gas being cheaper in the West, in comaparison to the rest of the U.S., Nebraska's panhandle has ridiculous gas prices! But the up-side is that 2 liter bottles of Dr. Pepper are only $.85-$2.00! That was at some gas station at Chadron, Nebraska, which, might I remind you, is on the panhandle. I'm not sure how it is in Omaha, or elsewhere, but I just remember the crazy gas prices in Chadron, while we were there on several occasions, since we had family there, and sometimes hunt up there, too.

drs1961

younggun, what a coincidence. We are driving out to Chadron from SC in Nov. to hunt at the DD ranch. Where do we need to fill up before we get there? I'm carrying extra gas cans to help bypass areas with higher fuel prices.It looks likeChadron is in the middle of nowhere.

Woolywag

4 of us drove from northern VT to Lander WY last year and are going to do the same this year , my freinds have a cabin there and have been doing the drive in the fall for 17 years i,m lucky i guess i fly back becuase i can only take 2 weeks and they go for 5 weeks we drive it staight thru 38 hours , it is a hell of a drive we stop to gas up and eat , the truck stops supply some enterainment, saw my first prostitue in IN ,Oh yea we all tagged out . I also go to ont. wich is a 26 hour drive . but i find it better to drive so you don,t have to woory about you,re guns and stuff

younggun308

I asked my dad about that, he grew up in Chadron, and he says, that generally,further north you go, the higher the gas prices are going to get. There really isn't a place to refill before you get to Chadron, it just escalates.

On a side note, if you ever find yourself driving through Wyoming in the future after this hunt, be sure, that whenever your gas meter reaches the quarter-full mark, you refuel, 'cause the gas stations in Wyoming are at least 50 miles apart, no joke, that's just the way it is in the 2nd or 1st least populated state in the whole country!

I hope you have good luck hunting up there, I take it you're hunting Whitetail, or Mule Deer?

We havecousins who run a hunting business up there,who are the owners of the outfitter do you know?

SILVERTIP-CO

Have driven here from PA and the trip is brutal, even swapping drivers didnt help. But we endeavored to persevere. In life whatwe have the 'least' of is TIME. Do yourself a favor...fly. You'll get more out of the trip once you get here and have more time to enjoy it. As far as flying being a pain, yes it is. But have you forgotten that we are at WAR???