Planning our 2nd CO elk hunt for 2017. What did we do wrong in 2015?

[Finch]

My buddy and I's schedules work out for 2017 for another elk hunt. We have off from Sept 2nd - 14th so we'll spend a couple days driving and start our hunt on Sept 4th, Labor Day. We'll have a solid 8 days of hunting. We have already decided that we do NOT want to hunt Unit 15 in the Sarvis Creek WA - we only saw one cow during our entire hunt in 2015. We were hunting as high as we could (10,400) in the area we chose. The elk weren't talking and the temps were in the 60's during the day. We'll be backpacking again on this upcoming hunt.

Things we possibly did wrong:

- We never left camp before sunrise because we felt like we were in an "elky" area.
- We hunted out of camp each morning.
- We stayed out all day and never returned to camp during mid-day.(good thing)
- At dark, we were never really that far from camp.
- I bugled in the mornings and a little throughout the day hoping to entice a bull our way - no dice.

We have briefly spoke about hunting southern CO - maybe something bordering New Mexico. I just saw where someone else posted about the Weminuche WA - I'll have to look into that. I really stressed in 2015 picking a unit to hunt. I emailed several wardens, call the hunt planners, spoke to a warden and eventually decided on unit 15. I feel like I let my buddy down since he kinda left it up to me to pick a spot. I want that to change for our next hunt. Also, he hopes to be able to glass some on our next hunt. We never really were in a spot to sit and glass.

Since we have one hunt under our belts, we don't have to worry about the ins/outs of gear and all the other unknowns of elk hunting that we had a couple years back. All there really is to focus on is staying in shape, staying sharp on our shooting, bettering our calling techniques, and picking a damn spot to hunt.

I'm not looking for honey holes, GPS coordinates, or anything close. Really just hoping to hear from some that have first hand knowledge of some possible areas we can check out. Also, does anything really stick out that we did wrong? We really just want to get into some elk in order to gain more experience. I think we'd both be satisfied with any legal elk this early in our elk hunting careers.

Thanks

btw: I thought the below pic was appropriate for a site named "Rokslide"

 

[BigAntlerGetter]

I will chime in on my opinion about the possibilities you did wrong. I am no expert and I know everyone has their own opinions and I never hunted unit 15 but I will talk about the areas I have hunted and how they get hunted. I have hunted units 44, 35, 36, 25, 43 and 444. I have guided in units 44, 43 and 36.
So first off never leaving camp before sunrise does have its benefits in some areas others it's a must. If you were in an area that was elky and there was sign nearby (fresh sign) sometimes it is good to leave at first light, other times you need to leave before to get to those spots. Imo you have to have the elk patterned first, so I do like to be glassing at first light and see if I can find elk and then I will decide where they may be, where they are going. Then I can decide what time I need to leave camp to get to these elk and have a chance. This sometimes takes 1-3 days just to make sure.
Next if you're not getting into elk right out of camp, it's time to branch out further. It brings me back to patterning the elk. If they are using a meadow or trail close to camp no problem with hunting right out of camp. But if they are close enough they aren't going to stick close around your camp.
Staying out all day. I am in the woods all day but I am not usually hunting and walking around the mid day unless I have elk found and need to get to a spot for the evening hunt. This is usually the time I set on a well used trail, wallow or somewhere that elk will exit if another hunter bumps them out of their beds. I usually use this time to recover and take a bit of a nap. I have seen bulls killed at noon that leave their cows to go get some feed or water. If you have found their bedding area get between the beds and water or feed and wait for the evening hunt... Wind depending. If it's not right I back out until it is right for me to get to my ambush spot.
At dark sometimes you've made a circle back to camp sometimes you're miles away. It's how the game is played not saying it's good or bad elk are killed all over the forest. But as said before if they know where your camp is and have smelled it, seen it or you have disturbed them they aren't going to stick around. But I have also seen elk almost follow hunters as they packed camp and left, and they walked down the same trail as the hunters going back into their usual area as if they knew the guys were leaving.
Bugling. I do not bugle anymore all the areas I have hunted and guided the elk have became very bugle shy. Cow mews are my ticket I have learned an array of cow calls and use them to try and fuel the situations. I have a bull this year that I did not get on video but when he entered the opening after his cow did he let out a mew. He was bugling on his way down the mountain but his cow hit the opening to make sure it was safe and as I was videoing her for 5 minutes I heard him mew and panned the camera to him. There are times to bugle and times not to but to me there's more times not to bugle so I try and avoid it.
When it comes to a spot to hunt it's hit or miss, if you live out of state it makes it very tough to choose a place. Remember if you call an wildlife officer they are giving the same info they gave you to everyone else that calls him/her. So it's no secret, areas with high elk populations are going to be more sought out such as the units around Craig and meeker.


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[Backpack Hunter]

Things we possibly did wrong:

- We never left camp before sunrise because we felt like we were in an "elky" area.
- We hunted out of camp each morning.
- We stayed out all day and never returned to camp during mid-day.(good thing)
- At dark, we were never really that far from camp.
- I bugled in the mornings and a little throughout the day hoping to entice a bull our way - no dice.
]

I would recommend:
Being at your morning hunting spot by legal shooting hours at the latest.
Not using your mornings to hunt from camp.
Not basing your evening hunt on distance from camp.

 

[dotman]

Most of the Weminuche WA is unit 76 which takes around 12pts to draw.

 

[justinspicher]

From my experience it seems that the folks who come to southern Colorado are overwhelm by this place. It's steep and rugged and it's reflected poorly on maps. This limits guys and gals to only going so far from camp. Taking camp isn't an option because it sucks walking up and down here with a heavy pack. So you don't see much and discouraged.

My suggestion to you is to enjoy the entire trip, I know you spent a ton of money and valuable time to kill an elk, but enjoy the whole experience. Stop worrying about what the right thing to do is and what went wrong. It's hunting, not killing. You've spent time and money on gear and training so put it to use.

 

[Finch]

I will chime in on my opinion about the possibilities you did wrong. I am no expert and I know everyone has their own opinions and I never hunted unit 15 but I will talk about the areas I have hunted and how they get hunted. I have hunted units 44, 35, 36, 25, 43 and 444. I have guided in units 44, 43 and 36.
So first off never leaving camp before sunrise does have its benefits in some areas others it's a must. If you were in an area that was elky and there was sign nearby (fresh sign) sometimes it is good to leave at first light, other times you need to leave before to get to those spots. Imo you have to have the elk patterned first, so I do like to be glassing at first light and see if I can find elk and then I will decide where they may be, where they are going. Then I can decide what time I need to leave camp to get to these elk and have a chance. This sometimes takes 1-3 days just to make sure.
Next if you're not getting into elk right out of camp, it's time to branch out further. It brings me back to patterning the elk. If they are using a meadow or trail close to camp no problem with hunting right out of camp. But if they are close enough they aren't going to stick close around your camp.
Staying out all day. I am in the woods all day but I am not usually hunting and walking around the mid day unless I have elk found and need to get to a spot for the evening hunt. This is usually the time I set on a well used trail, wallow or somewhere that elk will exit if another hunter bumps them out of their beds. I usually use this time to recover and take a bit of a nap. I have seen bulls killed at noon that leave their cows to go get some feed or water. If you have found their bedding area get between the beds and water or feed and wait for the evening hunt... Wind depending. If it's not right I back out until it is right for me to get to my ambush spot.
At dark sometimes you've made a circle back to camp sometimes you're miles away. It's how the game is played not saying it's good or bad elk are killed all over the forest. But as said before if they know where your camp is and have smelled it, seen it or you have disturbed them they aren't going to stick around. But I have also seen elk almost follow hunters as they packed camp and left, and they walked down the same trail as the hunters going back into their usual area as if they knew the guys were leaving.
Bugling. I do not bugle anymore all the areas I have hunted and guided the elk have became very bugle shy. Cow mews are my ticket I have learned an array of cow calls and use them to try and fuel the situations. I have a bull this year that I did not get on video but when he entered the opening after his cow did he let out a mew. He was bugling on his way down the mountain but his cow hit the opening to make sure it was safe and as I was videoing her for 5 minutes I heard him mew and panned the camera to him. There are times to bugle and times not to but to me there's more times not to bugle so I try and avoid it.
When it comes to a spot to hunt it's hit or miss, if you live out of state it makes it very tough to choose a place. Remember if you call an wildlife officer they are giving the same info they gave you to everyone else that calls him/her. So it's no secret, areas with high elk populations are going to be more sought out such as the units around Craig and meeker.


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Thank you for the advice! I guess it's easy for me to say it was a mistake hunting out of camp each morning when we thought there were elk nearby. Hindsight is always 20/20! I do like your idea about glassing at first light. I forgot to mention but our camp was very close to possibly right on top of a trail. Sounds silly that we set up there but it was the best spot to pitch camp. Probably not the smartest move looking back now.

 

[Finch]

I would recommend:
Being at your morning hunting spot by legal shooting hours at the latest.
Not using your mornings to hunt from camp.
Not basing your evening hunt on distance from camp.

So ideally, a morning spot would be catching elk traveling from food to bedding and vice versa for the evening? How long after dark are you getting back to camp? An hour or more?

Most of the Weminuche WA is unit 76 which takes around 12pts to draw.

Well, thanks for that. We have a ways to go in the points department. Bought our first last year. Units 78 & 81 also caught my eye based solely on the number of elk that were taken in the 2015 archery season. I know there's probably more to picking a spot that looking at the stats but I use it as a baseline. Also, strictly talking preliminary research - I also have circled units 42, 421, 521, and 62.

From my experience it seems that the folks who come to southern Colorado are overwhelm by this place. It's steep and rugged and it's reflected poorly on maps. This limits guys and gals to only going so far from camp. Taking camp isn't an option because it sucks walking up and down here with a heavy pack. So you don't see much and discouraged.

My suggestion to you is to enjoy the entire trip, I know you spent a ton of money and valuable time to kill an elk, but enjoy the whole experience. Stop worrying about what the right thing to do is and what went wrong. It's hunting, not killing. You've spent time and money on gear and training so put it to use.

Sound advice. Just trying to capitalize on limited time in a place I've never stepped foot on. Although we only saw one elk (and a nice shiras bull), it was one of the best hunting experiences we've ever had. I'm pledging to not stress out near as much during this planning phase as I did last time. Thanks.

 

[HOT ROD]

Why not go back to 15? U know 15 a little bit now. If U go to a different unit. U will be going in blind again. Take what U learned from the first hunt and expand it. If U weren't into elk. It might of been time to move. So may be go to the old spot. Or a brand new spot. This time if no elk. Move to plan B C and D. Just sum thoughts....

 

[cnelk]

Plenty of elk in 15 to be had.

Ive hunted my areas for over 25 years and each year can be different. Its not uncommon for me to put 600-800 miles on my truck in ten days of hunting. And thats only driving ~10-15 miles to different spots.

I know lots of spots that look 'elky' but have never held an elk.

I could put someone in my best spots and they wouldnt see an elk - meaning everyone hunts different, and each area needs to hunted accordingly

You need to be where you're hunting at least 30 mins before daylight

You werent far enough away from camp at dark.

Go out and bugle at night to see what responds

"I'm not looking for honey holes"
This statement always cracks me up. As if anyone is gonna give someone a honey hole

Wilderness areas can be over-rated.

My 'go to elevation' for elk is 9000ft, but each area is different

BTW. Nothing wrong with coming back to camp during mid-day to rest/refresh

 

[Backpack Hunter]

So ideally, a morning spot would be catching elk traveling from food to bedding and vice versa for the evening? How long after dark are you getting back to camp? An hour or more?



Well, thanks for that. We have a ways to go in the points department. Bought our first last year. Units 78 & 81 also caught my eye based solely on the number of elk that were taken in the 2015 archery season. I know there's probably more to picking a spot that looking at the stats but I use it as a baseline. Also, strictly talking preliminary research - I also have circled units 42, 421, 521, and 62.



Sound advice. Just trying to capitalize on limited time in a place I've never stepped foot on. Although we only saw one elk (and a nice shiras bull), it was one of the best hunting experiences we've ever had. I'm pledging to not stress out near as much during this planning phase as I did last time. Thanks.

Yes, that is pretty much it.
It totally depends on how far from camp you are when shooting hours are over. I guess what I meant was go where the elk are regardless of where camp is. That might be 10 minutes, or 2 hours, or more. Just don't let your camp dictate where you hunt in the evenings.

Esse quam videri

 

[Backpack Hunter]

You know I probably should add that if you are not seeing elk then hunt in a different spot. It sounds simple and a bit rude, but just because a place looks elky and has old sign does not mean it still has elk there.

Esse quam videri

 

[dotman]

Why not go back to 15? U know 15 a little bit now. If U go to a different unit. U will be going in blind again. Take what U learned from the first hunt and expand it. If U weren't into elk. It might of been time to move. So may be go to the old spot. Or a brand new spot. This time if no elk. Move to plan B C and D. Just sum thoughts....

Something to be said about this, as an out of state hunter it has taken me many years to truly get to know the area I hunt. I hunt Southern CO and each year I run into guys that say they are not coming back there are no animals around but yet I see plenty each year. I find it is that these guys limit themselves.

I do both base camp and spike camp depending on where I feel like hunting and I've walked 12+ miles in one day to less then a mile another. I feel knowing an area is key and that takes years. I also feel Wilderness areas are overrated.

 

[justinspicher]

You guys definitely need to stay out of the wilderness. Nothing but outfitters, long miles and steep terrain. In fact, go to Idaho, as many elk as there are potatoes!

 

[TurkeyBowMaster]

Key words I saw that led to failure was "camp" and "elky area".

Don't camp until you have found elk. Split up to cover more ground. Park somewhere and walk at least 10 miles a day each, each of you making a big loop in different areas. When you see fresh shiny droppings or tracks, hear or see elk then move in and camp. Hunt separated for a few days and compare notes then move in together in the best spot.

Make your trip a elk scouting trip first, then after finding elk should you convert to a hunting trip.

Both my kills were made within minutes of finding fresh droppings. If you find some make sure you pick them up and take them back to camp. Look at them every day and note the changes. This will help you judge the age of dropping in the future. They age slower in wet weather.

I'm not sure I would stick to the same timeframe every year if it had already failed me. Unless you are the complete package, that time might not fit your skill set...later might be better.

 

[durangobrad]

Most of the Weminuche WA is unit 76 which takes around 12pts to draw.

Large portions of units 74, 75, 751, 77 and 78 also fall within the Weminuche Wilderness Area

 

[HardcoreHunter]

Shooting you a PM.

 

[justinspicher]

Wenimuche wilderness has lots of potential, but it requires a healthy amount of walking.

 

[dotman]

Large portions of units 74, 75, 751, 77 and 78 also fall within the Weminuche Wilderness Area

Yes but many seem to venture into 76 with an otc tag since the majority is in 76. Just making him aware that the majority is within 76 which is why I didn't say all. And best (easiest) access points are within 76.

 

[durangobrad]

Yes but many seem to venture into 76 with an otc tag since the majority is in 76. Just making him aware that the majority is within 76 which is why I didn't say all. And best (easiest) access points are within 76.

Your saying that more of the weminuche wilderness is located in 76 than all the other units combined?

 

[KMT]

This is going to sound too simple and possibly harsh, but I truly believe the biggest problem for most people is hunting where they think the elk "should be" or where the elk were, rather than where the elk actually are. I leave camp whenever I feel like it, and sometime that's 10am or noon after I've worn myself out during previous days.

You can have the most expensive bow in the world, a $1000 backpack, $2000 worth of nice clothing, and call like a champion. But if you're not where the elk are, none of it will help.

I have shot deer while in camp and have had several elk within 100 yards of the trailer while the generator is running.