Elk guru needed

[2peterhunter]

If it's the right 1000 acres it could be awesome. If there is resident elk and you could nail down a waterhole location, such as in the trail cam pic I would give the first week some serious thought. They will be far more consistent with their patterns. As far as rutting activity with only 1000 acres it could me very hit or miss.

 

[WRO]

Opening week, most likely from a treestand if it were me. Not how i typically do things but seems like it would fit the bill for you on that small of a piece.

I would only hunt it from treestands or ground blinds, if you fart in the wrong spot on 1k acres, there won't elk there for a week.

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[muddydogs]

So I guess you guys missed the point that my buddy leased the whole place. He will sublease around the dates him and I go. There won’t be anyone that hunts before us regardless of when we go. He has some of the only water for several miles. There will be zero pressure on this land before we get there and only a hand full of guys there all season. No hunting to the northeast for miles, no hunting to the east. Very if any to the south,and a bigger ranch to the west that gets hunted.


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We didn't miss the point as you never mentioned that there wouldn't be other hunter on the place before or during your hunt. But the point still holds true, its only 1000 acres so there either there or not, it's not like your trying to find elk in a 20 square mile area and chasing bugles. Your best bet if there's elk and a good waterhole would be to set up a blind and wait for them to come to you. If it turns out to be a dry year and your waterhole maintains some water I'd be hunting it opening morning figuring they will be needing to use the water source and worried that there might be some fall rains before the second season making the water source secondary, in a dry year you might just have a golden pond.

 

[GotDraw?]

This is your first Elk hunt, yes? Don't get too stuck in the weeds over-analyzing it. There are too many variables to nail down the precise best date when a best guess in February can go all to hell once September is actually here and weather, etc comes into play.

Go, have fun, kill a bull, any bull 4x4 or better and be grateful you didn't have to chase it over tens of miles of mountainous terrain. Most any backcountry hunter on this site would consider that result as a very successful first hunt.

I still suggest you go earlier in the season. The point with hunting earlier in the season is that before all the cows/bulls get herded up, there will be several satellites for every herd bull and they and all other elk will be more dispersed and you may get a better odds at a shooting opportunity. Remember... some satellites are still real trophies.

Once everything is all herded up, then the satellites will be more frequently found around the herds. And once herded up, concentrated populations of elk will move together as herds and they will either be on your thousand acres or not.

Also, given the thus-far poor snow pack, it is likely that it will be dry this year. If your spot holds water, then it will be attractive early in the season when it is hotter. Prior poster mentioned, and is correct, that if your water dries up then you better have plan B locations to hunt. If there is a lot of rain in August/September, then the fact that your property has water will become much less relavent.

Best of luck,

JL

So wouldn’t shooting a herd bull be easier earlier before he’s surrounded by cows?


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[manbugle01]

So the time has finally come. I’m set to head to Colorado this year to chase elk in the mountains and I need some advice. My buddy leased about 1000 acres in southern Colorado, unit 54, about a mile from twin peaks ranch. He’s paying a pretty penny for it but subleasing most of the season so he’s getting most of his money back. I’ve been invited to go with him. He’s hunted this property before but as a subleaser and was always during second rifle. There have been some big bulls taken here and close by. A couple 370+ the past few years. But he’s never hunted archery season.

So here is the question. If you have 8 days, when would you consider going during archery? I know the later in the season usually equates to more vocal but the dominant bulls will usually be with cows and hard to pull off them for two rookie elk callers. We are kinda torn between the first week and second week. The first week of the season will be a full moon and the second will be a waning moon to no moon. Water shouldn’t be an issue as well. Elevation is between 8k and 9500k. Nearest public is at least 15 miles away.

So what day you. Educate me!


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Plenty of time to learn how to call between now and then. If it was me I would go later in the season but then it would make it difficult for your buddy to not let any of the sub leasers in before you.

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[FlyGuy]

Any insight as to which would be a better week or are we going to discuss how small of tract of land this is? He wouldn’t have leased it if it didn’t hold elk. My question was not if the land is big enough. It was which week would be better for movement etc.....


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There is no 1000 acre plot that "Holds" elk for long. Maybe they are there, maybe they aren't. But I agree with others that I would be there opening day on a tract that size.

Try losing the attitude next time OP. Doesn't fly around here. If you didn't want any comments about the size of the tract then you shouldn't have brought it up. Elk just flat cover a significant amount of ground, even when they aren't pressured. Good luck to you on your hunt.

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