CO Drought

[jjwaldman21]

Last year was a tough one, and I don't know if it was the crazy snow or drought. We got on 1-2 week old elk sign (this is the 3/4 week of Sept), but couldn't get on anything fresh. Our best guess was that the elk moved to lower elevations. The prior year we were in them everyday from 10-11k in the timber. This is only my third year, but just wondering what I should expect in units where the drought is rough.

Last year we found water and still didn't find elk. The previous year there was water everywhere.

Any ideas from you guys that have been playing this game for a long time?

 

[jjwaldman21]

Beuhler?

 

[Gerbdog]

Hard to say.... i think there are parts of CO that didnt get much rain this year but... not where im hunting... it rained the first 2 days of the season for me and the day before the season it rained from sun up to the next morning. The elk were active, everywhere, and i imagine not worried much about water in that location.

Elk need water, and that becomes especially true during the rut, so if there isnt water seeping out of the mountain everywhere (like the spot i hunted) then theyre gonna have to go somewhere.

If it was very dry the year you went and checked water with no sign around the water it only means 2 things:
The elk arent using that water source, bummer
The elk arent around that area at all, need to move spots, bummer

 

[Kbhillhunter]

i was up in the Flat Tops last year in the first week of September, the week they had that wild snowstorm. We were up at 10k feet, saw no sign whatsoever. The snowstorm pushed us off the hill and the next day we were on to elk at around 8k feet. It's only one anecdote, but that was my experience.

 

[CJF]

Most likely the elk were pushed out by early archery/muzzleloader pressure. Look at your maps and find where pressured elk would move to from that area.

 

[Cs36]

Anyone else have a hard time finding them bugling in the high country? Had no luck even spotting any(expect on a mountain that required horses/ mules to get into ) . Ran into a few a little lower in the oak and PJs, but couldn’t get them to come in. Seemed like the cows weren’t in heat yet