Co 1st Rifle Elk

[bwilken]

Hello,

New to the forum as a poster but have read a lot over the last couple months. I plan to make my first elk hunt in Colorado during first rifle this season. It will be my first time hunting out west. I’ve done a lot of e-scouting, as well as signed up for elk101, listen to the elktalk podcast, and signed up for go hunt. Even after all this research though I still can’t make a decision on what the best way to pick a unit is. Should I put more weight on factors like harvest success, hunting pressure, elk population, etc? I thought I had decided on unit 521 but the more I read it sounds like I’d be bumping into hunters every turn. Any help would be greatly appreciated!


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[Deerhunter6250]

You will bump into hunters in every unit. 521 is as good as any, hunt hard and have fun.

 

[justinspicher]

People are everywhere here, hikers, bikers, hunters, fishers.

 

[JPeters218]

Other hunters aren’t always a bad thing. Find a spot above the trail heads, spike camp there, and let the day hunters push the elk up to you

 

[cnelk]

At least the 1st Rifle Season is All Draw - you'll know the amount of tags issued. Unlike OTC areas

 

[bayoublaster7527]

While 1st rifle elk is limited draw, they issue TONS of tags in most units with hunters concentrated over 5 days. 4th rifle is where it’s at.

 

[dlee56]

GoHunt is an awesome resource. If you're looking for a way to narrow down on some units for a 1st rifle hunt I would look at the bull to cow ratio and then have the filter factor in your points etc. A low bull to cow ratio shows me that the unit gets hammered yearly with OTC folks.

How many points do you have?

 

[Jethro]

That tag is valid in numerous units. Got to be some places to hunt that you’re not running into others at every turn.

You’ll be hard pressed to find a unit in CO that internet chatter doesn’t claim is overrun with all kinds of people.

 

[Roosterstraw]

We camped 5 miles in from trailhead last year 1st season. There were several more camps beyond us and several more before us. There will be other people most likely wherever you go.

 

[bwilken]

GoHunt is an awesome resource. If you're looking for a way to narrow down on some units for a 1st rifle hunt I would look at the bull to cow ratio and then have the filter factor in your points etc. A low bull to cow ratio shows me that the unit gets hammered yearly with OTC folks.

How many points do you have?

I currently have 0 points since this is my first year. I am applying for points in several states to start building points this year.


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[timekiller13]

Did my first rifle hunt in Colorado last year, 1st rifle on an easy draw tag. Saw other hunters, but not many. Most road ATVs and then walked about 200 yds off the ATV trail to hunt. Dad and I just made sure we were to first people at the trail head every morning. We would walk in and get set up 1-1.5 hours before everyone started showing up. Saw elk 4 out of 5 days. Saw 3 bulls opening morning, including a 6x6 that I just couldn't quite pull a shot off on, just out of my comfortable range. If I would have had a cow tag I could have killed a cow every evening.

Second day of the hunt, Dad and I set up on a ridge top where we could glass for a couple miles in each direction. I sat there and watched two hunters walk in and set up about 1500 yds from us, one on the edge of a patch of timber and the other on a gas pipeline. I watched 3 nice bulls walk right in between the two guys!! The bulls were no more than 200 yds from each hunter, they just slipped down a little canyon right in between them.

I also noticed that 90% of hunters would hunt until about 830 every morning then leave. Also, most wouldn't even hunt until dark. One evening, I hunted a spot just behind our camp. From the ridge I could see the campground we were staying at. There were 5 other groups of hunters staying in the campground. One hour before dark, they started showing back up at camp!! By dark, every hunter was back at camp except me!! And no, they weren't coming back because they tagged out, none of them had any horns or meat on their ATVs. I guess they were scared of the dark.

Point is get out there and hunt. Get out way before first light and stay until dark. Most people don't do that.

 

[dlee56]

I currently have 0 points since this is my first year. I am applying for points in several states to start building points this year.

Just after a quick look, as a non-res with 0 points there's several units with 100% draw odds and 40-50:100 bull to cow ratio. (18, 181, 28, 37, 82, 371)

There's also a few of these units with 100% draw odds 2nd choice. So with these units you can put preference points as you first choice and the hunt as you second choice and get both a point and your tag. (18, 181, 371) I would go with one of these 3 units if your goal is to build points AND hunt this year.

That being said you're coming for the views and experience too, not just to kill an elk so 521 would be an awesome choice. Depends on what sorta experience you want.

 

[Slugz]

Did my first rifle hunt in Colorado last year, 1st rifle on an easy draw tag. Saw other hunters, but not many. Most road ATVs and then walked about 200 yds off the ATV trail to hunt. Dad and I just made sure we were to first people at the trail head every morning. We would walk in and get set up 1-1.5 hours before everyone started showing up. Saw elk 4 out of 5 days. Saw 3 bulls opening morning, including a 6x6 that I just couldn't quite pull a shot off on, just out of my comfortable range. If I would have had a cow tag I could have killed a cow every evening.

Second day of the hunt, Dad and I set up on a ridge top where we could glass for a couple miles in each direction. I sat there and watched two hunters walk in and set up about 1500 yds from us, one on the edge of a patch of timber and the other on a gas pipeline. I watched 3 nice bulls walk right in between the two guys!! The bulls were no more than 200 yds from each hunter, they just slipped down a little canyon right in between them.

I also noticed that 90% of hunters would hunt until about 830 every morning then leave. Also, most wouldn't even hunt until dark. One evening, I hunted a spot just behind our camp. From the ridge I could see the campground we were staying at. There were 5 other groups of hunters staying in the campground. One hour before dark, they started showing back up at camp!! By dark, every hunter was back at camp except me!! And no, they weren't coming back because they tagged out, none of them had any horns or meat on their ATVs. I guess they were scared of the dark.

Point is get out there and hunt. Get out way before first light and stay until dark. Most people don't do that.

Lot of good tidbits right there.

 

[rayporter]

go out with the attitude that you WILL have a good time and dont sweat the small stuff.

Other hunters aren’t always a bad thing. Find a spot above the trail heads, spike camp there, and let the day hunters push the elk up to you

this has worked for me too. in the most serious weather the animals will get pushed.

 

[Osok308cal]

All I can add to this is to prepare for the worst and enjoy the moment as when it’s over you wish you where back on the mountain in the moment.


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[bwilken]

Just after a quick look, as a non-res with 0 points there's several units with 100% draw odds and 40-50:100 bull to cow ratio. (18, 181, 28, 37, 82, 371)

There's also a few of these units with 100% draw odds 2nd choice. So with these units you can put preference points as you first choice and the hunt as you second choice and get both a point and your tag. (18, 181, 371) I would go with one of these 3 units if your goal is to build points AND hunt this year.

That being said you're coming for the views and experience too, not just to kill an elk so 521 would be an awesome choice. Depends on what sorta experience you want.

Yeah I had considered going this route too. I was looking between the flat tops (which I could draw with a second choice) and 521 which would likely have to be my 1st choice. The amount of hunters scared me off the flat tops idea but maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to do that so I can build points. I know I am going to see other hunters no matter where I go I’m just hoping to avoid having 15 other guys hunting the same drainage as I am. I’m planning on backpacking in to get deeper and away from some of the crowds but from what I read if you go too far you start bumping into horse camps and outfitters. At the end of the day though no matter what happens I’m super excited to even be going at all! At the very worst case I don’t see an elk and it becomes an awesome weekend camping in the mountains!


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[Trev]

CO native here. Be prepared for some odd weather - and any weather. It’ll change quickly in whatever unit you’re in. Also - depending on where you’re from, you’ll need to increase your water intake, so plan 1.5x your typical volume at camp.

 

[Chris B]

CO native here. Be prepared for some odd weather - and any weather. It’ll change quickly in whatever unit you’re in. Also - depending on where you’re from, you’ll need to increase your water intake, so plan 1.5x .

This !

 

[CJohnson]

I've hunted 1st rifle and OTC in Colorado in one of the places you've mentioned above. I saw 0 hunters in 5 days of hunting during 2nd rifle two year ago. Last year during 1st rifle, I was amazed at how many people I saw. At one point I counted 30+ guys walking through a basin 4-ish miles from the trailhead. It looked like a Wisconsin deer drive. It did seem like most of the people gave up after the first weekend though. The weather went from hot to snow to rain and back to hot in three days.

 

[dlee56]

Yeah I had considered going this route too. I was looking between the flat tops (which I could draw with a second choice) and 521 which would likely have to be my 1st choice. The amount of hunters scared me off the flat tops idea but maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to do that so I can build points. I know I am going to see other hunters no matter where I go I’m just hoping to avoid having 15 other guys hunting the same drainage as I am. I’m planning on backpacking in to get deeper and away from some of the crowds but from what I read if you go too far you start bumping into horse camps and outfitters. At the end of the day though no matter what happens I’m super excited to even be going at all! At the very worst case I don’t see an elk and it becomes an awesome weekend camping in the mountains!


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I would just keep eyes on that graph on GoHunt that shows how many people drew tags in the past and that'll be a good indicator for hunter density.
1st rifle will be a great option for reducing competition but there will always be other folks. Just have the hunt you want to have whether that's backcountry or a half mile off the road. That time of year in Colorado you could go 8 miles back and still run into a group of college kids partying, so at the end of the day it doesn't really matter just hunt how you want and you'll find elk, they can be almost anywhere.