First timer over here!

[FletchDawg]

Hey guys and gals. First post so go easy. Planning first ever elk hunt in Colorado. Looks like it’s gonna have to be a last of October/ first week of November hunt. OTC btw. And my 2 compadres have already bailed. Dead set on going so Solo it is right! Anyway, gear is coming together well. Lots of researching and learning. Probably won’t go further than a mile and a half from the truck. Any pointers? Tips? Tricks? Etc..just trying to educate myself. Thanks in advance

 

[cnelk]

Do you believe in Beginners Luck?

 

[Indian Summer]

Gear is good. So are muscles. But your mental toughness is what matters most. Buy all your shit. Do your workouts. Then go stand outside naked in the freezing rain for 3 or 5 days straight and when you want to cry laugh instead and you’ll be on the right track.

One more thing… it AIN’T deer hunting. Waking up before dark on day 6 when you haven’t seen a damn thing all week is why you can go back and read the first half of this comment. Might sound like a rough post but it’s a reality check.

Go learn how the mountains are made. Get to the point where you are comfortable staying in prime areas until dark. Work the bugs out of your gear. Find out how elk behave and smell. Then plan your second hunt which will actually be your first hunt. Good luck pilgrim!

 

[William Sublette]

Find out how elk smell.

They smell like stinky goats.

 

[wannakillabigbull]

Pick a unit with a decent number of elk so that you get the maximum number of encounters/learning experiences. I've found that speeds up your development process.

Pick a unit/area that you feel plays to your strengths. If you're good at glassing pick a unit that has lots of opportunity for it. If you're more of a still hunting/tracking type then pick a unit that works for that. I feel like a lot of newbies hop on the statistics page, pick a unit with good harvest statistics, then show up and realize the unit wasn't what they expected or wanted. You should spend more research time looking at terrain vs looking at numbers.

 

[jacobmiller9]

Hey guys and gals. First post so go easy. Planning first ever elk hunt in Colorado. Looks like it’s gonna have to be a last of October/ first week of November hunt. OTC btw. And my 2 compadres have already bailed. Dead set on going so Solo it is right! Anyway, gear is coming together well. Lots of researching and learning. Probably won’t go further than a mile and a half from the truck. Any pointers? Tips? Tricks? Etc..just trying to educate myself. Thanks in advance

If you haven't yet, filter through gohunt's information. It has been pretty helpful for me.

 

[One-shot]

Get in shape and go more than 1.5 mi from truck. Don’t know how many times we’ve come out of designated Wilderness areas, after seeing or harvesting, and met people close to trailhead within in our just outside of Wilderness who ask, “Seen any bulls, cows, spikes…?” We always say no since they appear to lazy to hike in for themselves. Go as high and deep as terrain and weather will allow safely. While others chided you…”…beginner’s luck” and the other snide comments…my better half tagged his 1st elk on opening day, just after lunch. Was eating his sandwich in truck, looked out window, saw 3 elk less than 100 yards away. He shot one. It dropped. He drove over to it, field dressed it, and he and another guy loaded it in the back of the truck. He was home by 4:00. THAT’S beginner’s luck. Don’t expect that to happen. Good luck to you!

 

[Flatlander1987]

Indian summer’s statement was dead on for my first year . If you never go you will never learn

 

[Rich M]

Gear is good. So are muscles. But your mental toughness is what matters most. Buy all your shit. Do your workouts. Then go stand outside naked in the freezing rain for 3 or 5 days straight and when you want to cry laugh instead and you’ll be on the right track.

One more thing… it AIN’T deer hunting. Waking up before dark on day 6 when you haven’t seen a damn thing all week is why you can go back and read the first half of this comment. Might sound like a rough post but it’s a reality check.

Go learn how the mountains are made. Get to the point where you are comfortable staying in prime areas until dark. Work the bugs out of your gear. Find out how elk behave and smell. Then plan your second hunt which will actually be your first hunt. Good luck pilgrim!

This is one of the best posts I've read. It cuts to the chase.

Standing in the freezing rain nekked for 3-5 days! LOL! Perfect analogy.

 

[FletchDawg]

Good stuff. The reason I was going to stick to mile and a half was in the event I put one down and I’m by myself it’s still manageable. For a 5 day hunt is that sound logic? Gonna try and stay somewhat mobile.

 

[Btaylor]

Good stuff. The reason I was going to stick to mile and a half was in the event I put one down and I’m by myself it’s still manageable. For a 5 day hunt is that sound logic? Gonna try and stay somewhat mobile.

Outside of a physical impairment, no reason you cant hunt further out than 1.5. You also might not need to go half that far. Take 2-3 bottles of wind checker and use them a lot. All times of the day, all types of terrain and vegetation. Learn how and why the air moves the way it does where you are hunting. Hunt fast as slowly as you can effectively, meaning you have to cover ground to find 'em and there is lots of ground but dont go so fast you arent learning.

 

[cnelk]

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…

Since 2009, when all the Go Deep crowd started, I’ve concentrated all my elk hunting within 1 - 1.5 miles from my vehicle.

We’ve taken over 20 elk in that time in that distance from a vehicle.

Definitely doable. And wise.

 

[Indian Summer]

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…

Since 2009, when all the Go Deep crowd started, I’ve concentrated all my elk hunting within 1 - 1.5 miles from my vehicle.

We’ve taken over 20 elk in that time in that distance from a vehicle.

Definitely doable. And wise.

Me too! I do hunt further but just for personal reasons. I like the solitude and the few days here and there where I don’t even see my own truck. Then I kill one about a mile from the road more often than not.

 

[FletchDawg]

Very cool. Probably Escout out some spots where I can work in a little deeper just for the education.

 

[FletchDawg]

Not trying to get anyone to give up their secrets, but for later season, correct me if I’m wrong, provided a good bit of snow and weather, are they pushing down to “lower” elevation bands? Holding up on gnarly ridges and such?

 

[Overdrive]

Looks like you have a good general plan going. I'd allow a couple extra days to hunt just in case the weather changes and you can't get out, like blizzard conditions.

Let your eyes do the work for you and spend time glassing from a good vantage point, you'll get a lay of the land better and hopefully spot some animals to make a plan.

The plan of staying close to the truck is logical and reasonable, I can count 3 elk I've taken that have been more than 2 miles from my truck. The last couple bulls I've taken have been 300 yards from my truck, a 100 yard walk and 200 yard shot. Mostly because I understand the elk movement in my areas.

My advice is just go hunting, you certainly won't get an Elk staying home. You'll learn what it's all about, there's really no way to explain elk hunting until you go.

 

[FletchDawg]

Kinda like the matrix huh? “They are everywhere, and they are no where.”

 

[wannakillabigbull]

Not trying to get anyone to give up their secrets, but for later season, correct me if I’m wrong, provided a good bit of snow and weather, are they pushing down to “lower” elevation bands? Holding up on gnarly ridges and such?

It's largely determined by food. If the snow is deep enough to cover all the feed in the area the elk will move to somewhere that has food, which usually is lower in elevation. Find a spot that has a good combination of food, water, and sanctuary, and you'll probably find the late season elk.

 

[11boo]

Do you believe in Beginners Luck?

This bull was taken 600 yards from camp, by a rank beginner who had never seen a live elk. Never quit, keep grinding.

 

[11boo]

Not trying to get anyone to give up their secrets, but for later season, correct me if I’m wrong, provided a good bit of snow and weather, are they pushing down to “lower” elevation bands? Holding up on gnarly ridges and such?

A foot of snow might do it. Might take 3’. The tracks in snow will help tell you what’s up.