Did weather throw anyone else for a loop in Northern Colorado for 1st rifle?

TauPhi111

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Sep 10, 2017
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Ohio
Got back this past weekend from the North Park units for my second DIY elk trip, and man was this one a tough hunt. It seemed the weather really messed up our plans and most of the other hunters we ran into. Lots of snow a few days before the season seemed to push the elk out of the high elevations down onto private land pretty early. I didn't think a transient snow storm would do that so quickly, but apparently it did. Nearly every elk we saw were in groups down on private land, but we saw tons of other animals so it made the trip pretty memorable, but still, no elk on the ground. Next time I'll know, when it snows heavy that early, look low.

Anyone else have similar experience across northwest CO?

For the record, game viewing was incredible. 10 moose, 11 bighorns, 15 bison, a black bear, lots of elk (all on private) including some nice nice bulls, and more pronghorn and mulies than I cared to count...oh and a beaver
 

Nichols13

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Jul 15, 2018
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Oklahoma
I wasn’t as far north as you, but I had a similar experience East of Crested Butte. Was not prepared for that much snow.


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In someone's favorite spot
Yes and no. We started out at 9K in the flattops, but fortunately arrived 5 days ahead of the season, so we had time to adjust. I had been pre-scouting (online) places lower in elevation based on that forecast, so we moved about 70 miles to some lower elevation BLM and state land where we found quite a few elk. Turned out to be the right choice because my buddy tagged out opening day and we were snow-free for the first 3 days of the hunt.

After those 3 days, we moved back up to about 7K feet, but still out of the snow and spent the last two days hunting there.

I really, really feel sorry for anyone who set up their camp up on top of the flattops the weekend before the season started. They were screwed.

I agree that wildlife viewing was incredible during those snow days though. We saw a huge bull moose, more elk, pronghorn and muleys than I've ever seen in my life, not to mention bald and golden eagles. Lower elevations were definitely where it was at during that week. It was a valuable lesson to me about being able to move and adjust.

Funny thing was I asked a woman at the Meeker parks and wildlife office about the snow pushing the elk down, and she said "oh it would take a LOT more snow than that to push them down" and was very dismissive. I asked her if she knew how much snow was up there and she said she did, but I think she underestimated the effect it had on the animals. Like you, I saw a ton of elk down low on private, so we found public land nearby and hunted there.
 

cnelk

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Mar 1, 2012
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North Park can be a cruel bitch.

It probably wasnt so much the weather that moved elk, more so all the people hiking around before season.
Seen it for years and years.

There are plenty of elk that never leave the hay meadows, willow bottoms of the ranches or the refuge.
 
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My boss was complaining about the snow and how there were 50 rigs at the trailhead and said he came back early. I asked why he didn't just go somewhere else...

I've been up there during archery and run into different guys, in the same day, who said "the elk are all down on the private" and "the elk are all up high". I haven't seen any more snow in the forecast but I'm hoping we get some before fourth season when I'll be looking for a bull with my buddy.

I was out last weekend with my girlfriend and it seemed the snow had improved our opportunities. We probably could have notched a tag if the rookie had more patience or a quicker setup. Hopefully this weekend goes at least as well as the last.
 

wgrkman

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Mar 30, 2018
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I was near Meeker for first rifle as well. In our drainage the elk were still up high. A few groups of cows were in the 8k to 9k range but the larger herds were still around 10k feet. They seemed to really favor the south facing slopes, especially on Sunday and Monday when it was colder. The area I was hunting only has road access from the bottom at around 7500 feet so perhaps they were just staying high in that particular spot because of the pressure from the bottom. It worked out well for our group because we could hike up past other hunters and have the elk to ourselves.
 

Tobe_B

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Mar 25, 2018
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Snow definitely hurt us. We had scouted out a spot at about 11,800 the previous Saturday. Elk and elk sign everywhere. Went back up Saturday opening day and ran in to 18 inches of fresh uncrossed snow. 10 miles in that sucked. It was a crap shoot after that.


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ericF

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Oct 4, 2016
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CO
We were up at 10,000 feet and have always done well even when there was snow, but this year was different. There was no sign up high and we didn't cut any tracks at all the first day. Starting on the second day we started seeing more tracks and I think the elk were getting pushed from down below back up the mountain. My buddy got a cow at the end of the second day and I messed up my chance at a cow also at the end of the second day. We had to head out early on the third day to get somebody to the airport, but I think we would have been more successful as the season went on. We had 2 feet of snow up where we were camping and over a foot still down the mountain where we hunt at 9000 feet.
 
Joined
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Knoxville, TN
We hunted near Meeker on Private land. No snow at the cabins but snow above 8,000 feet. No elk up high, everything shot was down low. Everyone was surprised at how low the elk were. Only about 3 or 4 inches at the highest points we went. Walked a lot of the meadows in the snow and no tracks. Saw some mule deer but no elk in the snow. Came back down off the mountain and had elk all around us. Actually had a nice bull jump across the path right in front of the ATV.
 

Scoony

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Oct 5, 2017
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Ky
I hunted in SW Colorado in the San Juan Mtns 1st rifle. We had snow going in and again the last two days. We were on elk sign everyday at 10,000' just couldn't find the bulls.
 

chindits

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Feb 25, 2013
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Westslope, CO
I don’t think she meant to mislead you. Normally these snows are nothing for elk, but this ain’t normal anymore. I would say beetle kill and drought had elk changing behavior more then I have ever seen before starting right around July. I’m out in the woods on 3 day or longer backpacking/scout weekends from summer to mid October. This is just what I’m observing in my little area so it might not make sense in your area.
 

TexAg07

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Apr 14, 2017
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Texas
Definitely threw my group and I for a loop on my first elk hunt. Plan all year was to get packed in to a drop camp at 11,200 on the flat tops. Packer moved us down to 9,500 with the forecast which was good but still not enough. In that drainage at least it was apparent by the second morning that the elk had moved out of there. I wish I had enough foresight to scout out some different public down lower and without any service onx was almost worthless as I had only downloaded around the area I thought we would be hunting. Packed out of our drainage the second day and tried some spots down lower but we were winging it and just didn't have a plan B,C and D like we should have. I'm more addicted than before though despite our group going 0-5.
 
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8" of snow at 9500 ft. Cut a few different single sets of tracks in the timber. Figured those were bulls. I had a cow tag. Found a cluster of tracks on Sunday and got a response to a call in the direction they came from. Followed the tracks back to their bed area, but no elk. Planned on following the tracks in the direction of travel on Monday, but the wind was wrong. Hiked in to a different basin with the wind in my favor only to have 20 head of cattle come in down the trail.

Found out on the way back to camp that my wife was selected for jury duty. Had to pull camp and head home to watch the kids. No elk this year.
 
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