Boss 1 Impact

My uncle and a friend of ours are avid whitetail hunters back in Ohio and West Virginia and are wanting to go elk hunting in Colorado before we' re too old to move lol. We will be using rifles, 30- 06 and 270' s and are wanting to go in 2004.

We are not sure exactly where to go other than we would like to hunt without guides. Could someone give me some info on where would be a productive area and time where we could hear active bugling. What should we expect to invest for a weeks stay and how would we go about getting liciense. Is there a lottery or can you get bull/cow tags over the counter.


Thanks....Boss

usa

BOSS,that' s a tall order, but, briefly Colorado is probably your best bet, If you want to hear elk bugle then ist season (which is draw only) would be your best bet. Sometime' s they will bugle later, but with hunting pressure they clam up quickly, as far as unguided that' s a tough call , make sure you know what you are in for and be prepared, do your research. consider a drop camp, where the outfitter will take you to an area and supply most item' s that you will need and should have updated info on game movement' s,another way is to pay a tresspass fee to hunt on a private ranch, last time I checked drop camp' s were about $500-$1000 per gun and tresspass fee' s run from $1000 to$3000 per gun, so it' s pricey. You can also plan your own unguided hunt on public land and have a good chance of some success, 2nd and 3rd seasons are over the counter licenses and you may be able to buy a cow tag$250 rather then $500 for a bull tag.A lot depend' s on how you want to hunt and how good your physcical condition is, there' s everything available from road hunting to busting your butt and beating the bushe' s, I' ve hunted public land for 15 year' s with moderate success and will be happy to share whatever info that I have, good hunting, [email protected]

flatheader

i have heard great things about colorado,, where ever you decide to go really do your home work on land access,, i have talked to a lot of non residents here in mt. and they came from other states due to high competionon the public land.. where ever you go have fun

gem1

Colorado is the only state you can buy over the counter elk licenses. Out of state cost is pretty high though ($480 for a bull tag). They raised the price to limit the number of out of state hunters and it worked. If you apply early in the spring, you can get special hunt tags, cow tags, etc. and the cow tags are only $225.

Don' t expect elk hunting to be like you see in videos, with huge bulls running around bugling willy nilly. Do expect a lot of hard work in high altitude and a good deal of dissapointment until you learn the skills, the area, etc. Elk hunting is totally different from deer hunting. You also need to know that virtually every area containing elk is seasonal in nature, meaning the elk don' t stay there all the time. You have to find an area where the elk will be during the season you elect to hunt. If you hunt early during the rut, the elk are likely to be in the high alpine meadows and deep timber. Late in the season, especially after heavy snows, they will migrate down to lower and more accessible areas.

It helps to rent horses because the area you can cover is larger and easier than on foot, but not everyone is comfortable on a horse. You also need horses acclimated to the mountains or they get as winded as you will.

If you wish to shorten the learning curve, I suggest a drop camp. Your outfitter will get you into territory which contains elk during the season you select, saving you all the investigation and trial and error, etc. They may also assist you in getting the elk out. Besides a large gut pile, if you kill one you might find out it can kill you getting the beast packed out from some remote canyon miles from a road or camp.

It took me three unguided hunts before I learned enough to be successful at killing an elk, but then some are lucky enough to get one on their first try. It is fun to just be out there, and you will likely enjoy some of the most beautiful scenery on earth. You may or may not enjoy much bugling depending on the season, amount of elk, etc. Good luck and good hunting.