Colarado Elk hunt, pipe dreams
01-19-2008, 11:28 AM
#22
Giant Nontypical
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Indiana (southern)
Posts: 6,146
RE: Colarado Elk hunt, pipe dreams
One thing im good at is not getting caught up in the i have to get one thing, if it happens, it happens, if it dosent happen, thats ok to 
I just want the thrill of being there 
good advise Roskoe!! and nice Elk in your avatar!! DIY hunt???????
I just want the thrill of being there good advise Roskoe!! and nice Elk in your avatar!! DIY hunt???????
ORIGINAL: Roskoe
Lots of good advice here. The only thing I would add is that the hunter success for archery elk is fairly low - and the odds are you won't get one. You will almost certainly see and hear elk. Pretty likely you will evenget within shooting range. Try to enjoy the whole experience of the thing. If you actually get one, it's a "cup runneth over" experience.
ALso, you can get an either sex license; and subsequently get an anterless license as well. Would allow you to get lucky and kill a cow the first day - and keep on hunting. Kinda stinks to sit in camp for ten days if you tag out the first day. Bring a fishing pole otherwise.
Lots of good advice here. The only thing I would add is that the hunter success for archery elk is fairly low - and the odds are you won't get one. You will almost certainly see and hear elk. Pretty likely you will evenget within shooting range. Try to enjoy the whole experience of the thing. If you actually get one, it's a "cup runneth over" experience.
ALso, you can get an either sex license; and subsequently get an anterless license as well. Would allow you to get lucky and kill a cow the first day - and keep on hunting. Kinda stinks to sit in camp for ten days if you tag out the first day. Bring a fishing pole otherwise.
01-30-2008, 06:03 PM
#23
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Southeast, TX
Posts: 818
RE: Colarado Elk hunt, pipe dreams
TTT!
Bumping this one back up.
There's some great info here fellas. I'm sure there's more info/help that can be added.
bloodcreek, I'm planning a trip this year too. I'm already about to wet my pants.
Bumping this one back up.
There's some great info here fellas. I'm sure there's more info/help that can be added.
bloodcreek, I'm planning a trip this year too. I'm already about to wet my pants.
01-30-2008, 06:58 PM
#24
Giant Nontypical
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Indiana (southern)
Posts: 6,146
RE: Colarado Elk hunt, pipe dreams
LMAO 
better take some depends with ya Man i hope you have a blast ,and you better post some pics to, ill be looking forward to them
better take some depends with ya Man i hope you have a blast ,and you better post some pics to, ill be looking forward to them
ORIGINAL: txmarshmonkey
TTT!
Bumping this one back up.
There's some great info here fellas. I'm sure there's more info/help that can be added.
bloodcreek, I'm planning a trip this year too. I'm already about to wet my pants.
TTT!
Bumping this one back up.
There's some great info here fellas. I'm sure there's more info/help that can be added.
bloodcreek, I'm planning a trip this year too. I'm already about to wet my pants.
01-30-2008, 08:36 PM
#25
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Erie, Colorado
Posts: 1,530
RE: Colarado Elk hunt, pipe dreams
This is the best post onelk huntingthat I have ever seen! Tons of good advice! Good job guys!
Drink plenty of water. The dry air sucks the moisture out of your body quicker than you can imagine. A camelback works well.
A good day pack. You will need to travel with necessary gear...not too much but enough to get you through a night if you have to. I tend to travel as light as possible, but even as a native of Colorado, I respect the fact that the mountains can kill you! Be prepared!
A good Gps and compass will save steps. One step may be the difference between life and death. Study your topo maps. Know the area's landmarks.
Boots, you had better love them and they should love you. Blisters are your worst nightmare! Lace up with good ankle support.
Temps drop 6-8 degrees for ever 1000 feet in altitute. The weather can be very unpredictable. Be prepared. Lightweight is better.Know where you are and where your friends are. Don't set out without letting people know where you're going. Radios help, especially if you decide to change plans. Make sure someone knows when your you're coming out...
I like ENIGMA camo. It seems to work everywhere out here. Asat and Predator work well also.
I rarely call. I let them do the talking and use that to my advantage. I listen, pursue, and kill them. In stealth mood, I seem to get closer. Wind (in your face)and very little movement is the key. If you have to go through major contortions to pull your bow, I guarantee you'll be busted. Calling does work for others...
I also avoid scent. It seems to get in the way of smelling the real deal.
I read somewhere that either sex NR tags will be $512 with the habitat stamp this year. Cow tags will be around $265. In my opinion, ANY elk with a bow is a trophy. There is no shame in taking a cow (at least not for me). An Anterless tag for the first trip might be the ticket. A bull might come later when you have some experience under your belt. It is additive...I know you will be back!
I agree with Roscoe, go and have fun! Getting an elk will be the icing! You'll be in God's country! Enjoy it!
One thing that I've noticed...most first timers pack way too much gear and wear way to much clothing. Remember, you are not sitting. You will be climbing and stalking throughout the day. You be burning calories like crazy. Excess clothing will be shed, that I promise! Pack plenty of snacks and food items to get you through the day/night.
Do you know what part of colorado you'll be hunting?
Drink plenty of water. The dry air sucks the moisture out of your body quicker than you can imagine. A camelback works well.
A good day pack. You will need to travel with necessary gear...not too much but enough to get you through a night if you have to. I tend to travel as light as possible, but even as a native of Colorado, I respect the fact that the mountains can kill you! Be prepared!
A good Gps and compass will save steps. One step may be the difference between life and death. Study your topo maps. Know the area's landmarks.
Boots, you had better love them and they should love you. Blisters are your worst nightmare! Lace up with good ankle support.
Temps drop 6-8 degrees for ever 1000 feet in altitute. The weather can be very unpredictable. Be prepared. Lightweight is better.Know where you are and where your friends are. Don't set out without letting people know where you're going. Radios help, especially if you decide to change plans. Make sure someone knows when your you're coming out...
I like ENIGMA camo. It seems to work everywhere out here. Asat and Predator work well also.
I rarely call. I let them do the talking and use that to my advantage. I listen, pursue, and kill them. In stealth mood, I seem to get closer. Wind (in your face)and very little movement is the key. If you have to go through major contortions to pull your bow, I guarantee you'll be busted. Calling does work for others...
I also avoid scent. It seems to get in the way of smelling the real deal.
I read somewhere that either sex NR tags will be $512 with the habitat stamp this year. Cow tags will be around $265. In my opinion, ANY elk with a bow is a trophy. There is no shame in taking a cow (at least not for me). An Anterless tag for the first trip might be the ticket. A bull might come later when you have some experience under your belt. It is additive...I know you will be back!
I agree with Roscoe, go and have fun! Getting an elk will be the icing! You'll be in God's country! Enjoy it!
One thing that I've noticed...most first timers pack way too much gear and wear way to much clothing. Remember, you are not sitting. You will be climbing and stalking throughout the day. You be burning calories like crazy. Excess clothing will be shed, that I promise! Pack plenty of snacks and food items to get you through the day/night.
Do you know what part of colorado you'll be hunting?
01-31-2008, 07:07 AM
#26
Giant Nontypical
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Indiana (southern)
Posts: 6,146
RE: Colarado Elk hunt, pipe dreams
Huck your thread itself was a wealth of knolage alone I will be saving this in my favorites. Thanks for all the input. Here is the deal, the guy that asked my to go, can give me no answers at all, i need to know where, when and a ton of other questions, if it does happen i want to be preparred, i hate doing something on the spur of the moment, the group just seems totally unpreparred to me. but like i said right now its still a dream but we will see. Thanks again!!
I will be saving this in my favorites. Thanks for all the input. Here is the deal, the guy that asked my to go, can give me no answers at all, i need to know where, when and a ton of other questions, if it does happen i want to be preparred, i hate doing something on the spur of the moment, the group just seems totally unpreparred to me. but like i said right now its still a dream but we will see. Thanks again!!
ORIGINAL: iamyourhuckleberry
This is the best post onelk huntingthat I have ever seen! Tons of good advice! Good job guys!
Drink plenty of water. The dry air sucks the moisture out of your body quicker than you can imagine. A camelback works well.
A good day pack. You will need to travel with necessary gear...not too much but enough to get you through a night if you have to. I tend to travel as light as possible, but even as a native of Colorado, I respect the fact that the mountains can kill you! Be prepared!
A good Gps and compass will save steps. One step may be the difference between life and death. Study your topo maps. Know the area's landmarks.
Boots, you had better love them and they should love you. Blisters are your worst nightmare! Lace up with good ankle support.
Temps drop 6-8 degrees for ever 1000 feet in altitute. The weather can be very unpredictable. Be prepared. Lightweight is better.Know where you are and where your friends are. Don't set out without letting people know where you're going. Radios help, especially if you decide to change plans. Make sure someone knows when your you're coming out...
I like ENIGMA camo. It seems to work everywhere out here. Asat and Predator work well also.
I rarely call. I let them do the talking and use that to my advantage. I listen, pursue, and kill them. In stealth mood, I seem to get closer. Wind (in your face)and very little movement is the key. If you have to go through major contortions to pull your bow, I guarantee you'll be busted. Calling does work for others...
I also avoid scent. It seems to get in the way of smelling the real deal.
I read somewhere that either sex NR tags will be $512 with the habitat stamp this year. Cow tags will be around $265. In my opinion, ANY elk with a bow is a trophy. There is no shame in taking a cow (at least not for me). An Anterless tag for the first trip might be the ticket. A bull might come later when you have some experience under your belt. It is additive...I know you will be back!
I agree with Roscoe, go and have fun! Getting an elk will be the icing! You'll be in God's country! Enjoy it!
One thing that I've noticed...most first timers pack way too much gear and wear way to much clothing. Remember, you are not sitting. You will be climbing and stalking throughout the day. You be burning calories like crazy. Excess clothing will be shed, that I promise! Pack plenty of snacks and food items to get you through the day/night.
Do you know what part of colorado you'll be hunting?
This is the best post onelk huntingthat I have ever seen! Tons of good advice! Good job guys!
Drink plenty of water. The dry air sucks the moisture out of your body quicker than you can imagine. A camelback works well.
A good day pack. You will need to travel with necessary gear...not too much but enough to get you through a night if you have to. I tend to travel as light as possible, but even as a native of Colorado, I respect the fact that the mountains can kill you! Be prepared!
A good Gps and compass will save steps. One step may be the difference between life and death. Study your topo maps. Know the area's landmarks.
Boots, you had better love them and they should love you. Blisters are your worst nightmare! Lace up with good ankle support.
Temps drop 6-8 degrees for ever 1000 feet in altitute. The weather can be very unpredictable. Be prepared. Lightweight is better.Know where you are and where your friends are. Don't set out without letting people know where you're going. Radios help, especially if you decide to change plans. Make sure someone knows when your you're coming out...
I like ENIGMA camo. It seems to work everywhere out here. Asat and Predator work well also.
I rarely call. I let them do the talking and use that to my advantage. I listen, pursue, and kill them. In stealth mood, I seem to get closer. Wind (in your face)and very little movement is the key. If you have to go through major contortions to pull your bow, I guarantee you'll be busted. Calling does work for others...
I also avoid scent. It seems to get in the way of smelling the real deal.
I read somewhere that either sex NR tags will be $512 with the habitat stamp this year. Cow tags will be around $265. In my opinion, ANY elk with a bow is a trophy. There is no shame in taking a cow (at least not for me). An Anterless tag for the first trip might be the ticket. A bull might come later when you have some experience under your belt. It is additive...I know you will be back!
I agree with Roscoe, go and have fun! Getting an elk will be the icing! You'll be in God's country! Enjoy it!
One thing that I've noticed...most first timers pack way too much gear and wear way to much clothing. Remember, you are not sitting. You will be climbing and stalking throughout the day. You be burning calories like crazy. Excess clothing will be shed, that I promise! Pack plenty of snacks and food items to get you through the day/night.
Do you know what part of colorado you'll be hunting?
01-31-2008, 07:36 AM
#27
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Southwest Ohio
Posts: 2,849
RE: Colarado Elk hunt, pipe dreams
Not a lot to add as so many have given great advice already. Only thing is I have really fallen in love with the radio/GPS units that will show you where the others talking to you over the radio are. It is a real safety feature in rough, unknown country.
As far as boots go, break them in before you go, and trust me running 5 miles a day in Indiana is not equivalent to walking all day at elevation. Running with a load has been the best training that I have done to prepare and I am still out of breath out there.
I do not carry a day pack, just a camel back. Everything else is in my pockets. I like it light so I can get around easier and slip through the oak brush. However, I can go all day without eating and in all fairness I am the only person I know who does that.
The terrain does vary greatly depending where you are. Where we go one part is steep, one part is rolling, one part is flat.
Calls are an option, but where I hunt they don't respond well to calling more often then not. Caveat that with the fact that the area is relatively heavily hunted. A great call that is easy to use is the Hoochie-mamma thing from Primos. No learning curve, and we have called in a few bulls with it.
Enjoy yourself. Truly, any elk with a bow is a trophy. Listen and get ahead of them and you will be set. Watch the terrain to try to look ahead of them for funnels, etc. Like anything, they generally take the path of least resistence, but if you spook them they can run miles... literally.
As far as boots go, break them in before you go, and trust me running 5 miles a day in Indiana is not equivalent to walking all day at elevation. Running with a load has been the best training that I have done to prepare and I am still out of breath out there.
I do not carry a day pack, just a camel back. Everything else is in my pockets. I like it light so I can get around easier and slip through the oak brush. However, I can go all day without eating and in all fairness I am the only person I know who does that.
The terrain does vary greatly depending where you are. Where we go one part is steep, one part is rolling, one part is flat.
Calls are an option, but where I hunt they don't respond well to calling more often then not. Caveat that with the fact that the area is relatively heavily hunted. A great call that is easy to use is the Hoochie-mamma thing from Primos. No learning curve, and we have called in a few bulls with it.
Enjoy yourself. Truly, any elk with a bow is a trophy. Listen and get ahead of them and you will be set. Watch the terrain to try to look ahead of them for funnels, etc. Like anything, they generally take the path of least resistence, but if you spook them they can run miles... literally.
01-31-2008, 08:52 AM
#28
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Southeast, TX
Posts: 818
RE: Colarado Elk hunt, pipe dreams
ORIGINAL: iamyourhuckleberry
Do you know what part of colorado you'll be hunting?
Do you know what part of colorado you'll be hunting?
We'll be going during the first part of Sept. before muzzleloader season.
Got any advice on areas/units that we should avoid. I'm not asking for honeyholes, just the opposite.
Thanks again fellas! Great info!
txmm
