Experienced elk hunters, little help?

xnader

FNG
Joined
Nov 28, 2020
Messages
18
I am out of state planning to bowhunt elk in colorado, I am having trouble deciding where to start. I am looking for advice on what features to look fo on maps mostly. I will likely be hunting solo off my back. What do you guys look for when deciding on a place to start? As a midwestern flatlander "Elky" areas are foreign to me, I realize they need food, water and cover but when you go to hunt somewhere, how do you find a place and say "this is where I will start because of X, Y or Z? Any tips or advice is appreciated.
 
Joined
Apr 4, 2019
Messages
622
Location
WI
im relatively new to it also (3 years hunting) for me and my dad whats worked best is truck camp, so your mobile and glass. the mornings and nights to find them. we were in elk almost everyday weve hunted and more often then not its cause wed see them in the distance and were able to then focus into where they bedded (archery and rifle.) generally deep dark draws on north slopes were good places to start. and wed find them anywhere from .5 miles in to 3 was about as far as we had to go. if your solo you probably don't wanna go much deeper then 3miles cause even that's is gonna take some days to pack out most likely
 

jdmaxwell

WKR
Joined
Mar 8, 2014
Messages
778
I am out of state planning to bowhunt elk in colorado, I am having trouble deciding where to start. I am looking for advice on what features to look fo on maps mostly. I will likely be hunting solo off my back. What do you guys look for when deciding on a place to start? As a midwestern flatlander "Elky" areas are foreign to me, I realize they need food, water and cover but when you go to hunt somewhere, how do you find a place and say "this is where I will start because of X, Y or Z? Any tips or advice is appreciated.

You look at maps. Pick areas. Then go hunt and adjust. Play wind and thermals.
That simple.
 

George Hamrick

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
May 1, 2020
Messages
218
Location
OHIO
I’ve only had a few years of experience as well with elk hunting, so I know what you’re going through. My advice is to mark areas you like (north facing dark timber, overlooked areas,etc) and have multiple areas picked. If you go into an area and don’t see fresh sign or hear elk move on. I spent time is some of the prettiest elk woods I’ve been in last fall around 10k feet. All of the sign was from the early part of archery season, so I was two weeks behind. The elk ended up being in the nastiest and lowest elevation canyon around. When the pressure picks up, the elk go where people aren’t regardless of what the terrain looks like.
 

Wrench

WKR
Joined
Aug 23, 2018
Messages
5,595
Location
WA
Timing is required to answer this. There's a shift from feeding to rutting, sanctuary, escapment, weather and pressure that can all change the answer....and it can all come to play in the same weeks in some areas.
 
Joined
Oct 27, 2016
Messages
896
Location
Alaska
You look at maps. Pick areas. Then go hunt and adjust. Play wind and thermals.
That simple.
As a soon-to-be first time elk hunter, this is pretty much what I've been able to gather.

My strategy is to pick a dozen or so "zones" that have any combination of benches, north-facing slopes, small hidden meadows, water, aspens, generally nasty terrain, saddles, etc. The more features the better. Keep the wind in my face and check them out, one by one, until I find elk.

One thing that seems to be a generally accepted practice here is to stay mobile. Don't overcommit, i.e. don't backpack 6 miles into a spot that may or may not have elk, especially if you're a rookie who really hasn't got the slightest clue as to what "elk terrain" really is. Additionally, what if you get lucky and kill a bull 6 miles back in terrain that is new to you and a state that you don't know anyone who can help? Do you really want to cut your teeth on meat packing with a several loads spanning 12 miles round trip? Not me.
 

Will_m

WKR
Joined
Jul 7, 2015
Messages
939
It sure seems like a lot of first time elk hunters are planning on "hunting off their back." I don't know how much time you have spent in the mountains, but backpack hunting where you are carrying and moving camp almost daily will ABSOLUTELY suck and more than likely put an end to your trip. Not saying you are planning on doing this, but this backpack hunting thing is out of control.
 

Poser

WKR
Joined
Dec 27, 2013
Messages
5,033
Location
Durango CO
It sure seems like a lot of first time elk hunters are planning on "hunting off their back." I don't know how much time you have spent in the mountains, but backpack hunting where you are carrying and moving camp almost daily will ABSOLUTELY suck and more than likely put an end to your trip. Not saying you are planning on doing this, but this backpack hunting thing is out of control.

I think the FB hunting groups are fueling this. It’s amazing to me that guys are planning backpack hunts and have 0 experience backpacking, asking the most basic of backpacking questions about gear etc. i love backpacking hunting, it is my preferred way to hunt, however, hunting is an absolutely terrible way to learn about backpacking. And to clarify, if a guy is 37 and last went backpacking a “couple of times” when he was in Boy Scouts 20+ years ago, he has 0 backpacking experiences for all practical purposes. The FB groups have absolutely devolved into the “blind leading the blind” in terms of backpacking advice and everyone is convinced that they can backpack their way out of pressure and into elk.
 
OP
X

xnader

FNG
Joined
Nov 28, 2020
Messages
18
It sure seems like a lot of first time elk hunters are planning on "hunting off their back." I don't know how much time you have spent in the mountains, but backpack hunting where you are carrying and moving camp almost daily will ABSOLUTELY suck and more than likely put an end to your trip. Not saying you are planning on doing this, but this backpack hunting thing is out of control.

I am not a first timer. I did it last year too. Just wasn’t successful


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

madcalfe

WKR
Joined
May 9, 2019
Messages
902
Location
British Columbia
well I usually shoot a 6 pointer every year up in British Columbia. I'm guessing Colorado will be more or less same type of terrain sooo. large open areas usually don't pay off until later on in the year when they heard up after the rut. If they're pressured by other hunters and are use to being bugled at all day chances are they probably wont come out into the open if they respond to a bugle. Thick and steep is usually the terrain I tend to hunt. pretty much look for places that you think to yourself "screw that im not going down in there" is where you'll find the bulls. also along rivers are a good place to start. I've shot all my elk within 50 yards.
 
Joined
Oct 24, 2015
Messages
1,544
Location
W. Wa
It sure seems like a lot of first time elk hunters are planning on "hunting off their back." I don't know how much time you have spent in the mountains, but backpack hunting where you are carrying and moving camp almost daily will ABSOLUTELY suck and more than likely put an end to your trip. Not saying you are planning on doing this, but this backpack hunting thing is out of control.
I would not recommend hunting for anything off your back for the first time or two you hunt... honestly until you're on point with your scouting and seeing animals every year where you expect to see them(animals in the cooler aside - you can get lucky without knowing what you're doing) I'd stick with a truck camp.
 
Joined
Dec 6, 2020
Messages
18
I am out of state planning to bowhunt elk in colorado, I am having trouble deciding where to start. I am looking for advice on what features to look fo on maps mostly. I will likely be hunting solo off my back. What do you guys look for when deciding on a place to start? As a midwestern flatlander "Elky" areas are foreign to me, I realize they need food, water and cover but when you go to hunt somewhere, how do you find a place and say "this is where I will start because of X, Y or Z? Any tips or advice is appreciated.
When I start initially I look for wilderness areas. I also look up ranches that outfit trophy bulls and look for public land nearby or border. Once I isolate wilderness or remote areas, if it's heavily timbered I look for pocket meadows, springs, creeks away from roads and trails. Ideal areas to me are areas I can take a trail 1-3 miles in on, then run a ridge off trail to a secluded bowl, basin or meadow system. If you don't back pack hunt, pick out lots of roads with high points you could try glassing from to get a lay of the land. Or roads high elevation, that you can walk ridges out to glass without burning your legs. If it's hot weather or the rut isn't popping off, mark waypoints along ridges you can drive to, walk in a few hundred yards and bugle from at night. You'll find bulls are MUCH more responsive at night. Cheers
 
Joined
Aug 23, 2014
Messages
4,973
Location
oregon coast
I am out of state planning to bowhunt elk in colorado, I am having trouble deciding where to start. I am looking for advice on what features to look fo on maps mostly. I will likely be hunting solo off my back. What do you guys look for when deciding on a place to start? As a midwestern flatlander "Elky" areas are foreign to me, I realize they need food, water and cover but when you go to hunt somewhere, how do you find a place and say "this is where I will start because of X, Y or Z? Any tips or advice is appreciated.
That’s a tough question to answer! I think it’s one of those things that over time you can recognize good habitat (already knowing basic habitat)

it’s always dynamic too, things change a lot throughout the course of late august through September.

a canyon with water, feed and cover is the most basic form of habitat... you need those things. Bottoms and north slopes are classic elk habitat in archery season in big country, but of course that’s not a hard fast thing.

things I would be looking at is cherry picking pockets of ground within a big canyon you like, and also look at ease of access... obvious prime habitat that is easy to get to is probably going to get beat up pretty bad.

half of the strategy needs to be focused on dealing with other hunting pressure, that can’t be overlooked.

there is a lot that goes into a good spot, and recognizing them gets easier with experience... sometimes you are targeting the lower quality habitat because the elk go pushed into it.

when I was younger, I would just cover country and not slow down until I found sign... of course over the years, that has paid off in being able to recognize likely habitat considering the time of the season and all of the other relevant factors.

if I was e-scouting areas planning on seeing it for the first time during hunting season, I would start pinpointing areas that look good, and really dissecting it and take notes... try to familiarize yourself as much as you possibly can with the resources you have.

having several options that you are familiar with is more valuable than finding that one good spot... good spots can be dead really quick, the only good spots are where there are currently elk.

don’t over commit to any spot... if you aren’t finding fresh sign or elk, don’t waste your days. The most obvious ideal habitat you find e scouting is probably going to be busy, and you won’t truly know until you have boots on the ground, so give yourself options, and not just mark the spots, but take some notes so you aren’t going in totally blind every time
 

Deerhunter6250

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Dec 21, 2019
Messages
285
Get in shape, think light on gear, have three plans after that you'll be worn out. If you find a good area hunt it year after year, each year you'll get better at it. Look for units with high success rates, then narrow down some spots (3) you like it the area. I look for areas that have limited acess by vehicle and or foot, with usually private land on 3 sides. Most importantly go have fun, a day in the woods is better than most other days.
 

FlyGuy

WKR
Joined
Aug 13, 2016
Messages
2,087
Location
The Woodlands, TX
All pretty good advice, but it takes a lot of time to learn. Time spent researching and time spent with boots on the ground. But, if you really love it, then you will enjoy the process.

You didn’t say if you were archery or rifle or what time of year, that’s a huge factor and you could be getting really bad advice for your season (but is great advice for a different season) and then wasting your time following that.

Best thing you can do is:

- Invest some time and money into elk 101. It will cost a little money and it will take you from now till archery season starts to really cover all the info and absorb 1/4 of it.

- get on a treadmill with your pack and watch a bunch of the Newburgh videos on how he breaks down a unit.

- put some time into onX, Gaia, G-earth with your newfound knowledge and come up with a hunt plan. Plan a, plan b…. Have lots of areas, at least 10 to check out. Some in the same area, but at very different elevations and or terrain or slopes. Some spots 10-20 miles away, but not much duplication in them. The point is that you see a lot of the unit in various elevations and cover and when you find day fresh tracks/scat, hear bugles, or see elk… then you stop. If you booger those elk up, go back to your map and circle all the places that look like where you are and start hitting those next.

Once you’ve done that a season or two you’ll start to grasp for yourself where to find elk in your unit. But honestly, 90% of it is finding out where the elk AREN’T and following a process of elimination. Mark the areas with fresh sign or elk sightings, good chance you’ll find elk in those same areas again the following year.

Treelike academy is a fantastic resource for online scouting, but it’s a LOT to take in and I wouldn’t (personally) recommend it when you are just starting out. Mark is great and the content is great, but it’s a challenge. It’s like a college course.

Most of all just go have fun. Like others have said I would not recommend putting camp on your back for the duration. If you have really high end, light weight gear then it can be helpful to carry enough to spike out for a night and make a 2 day loop from your truck, but I’d plan to stay mobile. Good luck!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 

WMag338

WKR
Joined
Apr 11, 2020
Messages
444
Location
SC
Corey Jacobson's ELK 101 is definitely worth checking out. He has some really nice discounts when you sign up for his course.
 

Ry15u

FNG
Joined
Jul 17, 2019
Messages
11
All pretty good advice, but it takes a lot of time to learn. Time spent researching and time spent with boots on the ground. But, if you really love it, then you will enjoy the process.

You didn’t say if you were archery or rifle or what time of year, that’s a huge factor and you could be getting really bad advice for your season (but is great advice for a different season) and then wasting your time following that.

Best thing you can do is:

- Invest some time and money into elk 101. It will cost a little money and it will take you from now till archery season starts to really cover all the info and absorb 1/4 of it.

- get on a treadmill with your pack and watch a bunch of the Newburgh videos on how he breaks down a unit.

- put some time into onX, Gaia, G-earth with your newfound knowledge and come up with a hunt plan. Plan a, plan b…. Have lots of areas, at least 10 to check out. Some in the same area, but at very different elevations and or terrain or slopes. Some spots 10-20 miles away, but not much duplication in them. The point is that you see a lot of the unit in various elevations and cover and when you find day fresh tracks/scat, hear bugles, or see elk… then you stop. If you booger those elk up, go back to your map and circle all the places that look like where you are and start hitting those next.

Once you’ve done that a season or two you’ll start to grasp for yourself where to find elk in your unit. But honestly, 90% of it is finding out where the elk AREN’T and following a process of elimination. Mark the areas with fresh sign or elk sightings, good chance you’ll find elk in those same areas again the following year.

Treelike academy is a fantastic resource for online scouting, but it’s a LOT to take in and I wouldn’t (personally) recommend it when you are just starting out. Mark is great and the content is great, but it’s a challenge. It’s like a college course.

Most of all just go have fun. Like others have said I would not recommend putting camp on your back for the duration. If you have really high end, light weight gear then it can be helpful to carry enough to spike out for a night and make a 2 day loop from your truck, but I’d plan to stay mobile. Good luck!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
Really like all of this advice and think you're spot on. Finding where the elk aren't is just as valuable as finding where they are when e-scouting. As mentioned by @FlyGuy if you follow the guidance from Randy Newberg and sign up for the Elk University, you'll put yourself in a pretty good spot. You can rule out 90%+ of a unit before even arriving. Good luck in your first hunt!
 
Top