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    Colorado Elk

    Don't overthink it is good advice, having a plan is good but flexibility helps as well, don't be afraid to throw out the plan if you see a reason to change on the fly, it's really easy to fall into paralysis by analysis if you are obsessed with where the escape routes, movement routes, etc. are...
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    Tough archery hunt unit 66 CO

    I'll try to say this without putting too much info out there about a specific unit.... first, archery elk in CO, in general, is a different ballgame than 5 years ago, if you haven't been doing it every year it would probably feel very different in any unit... second, your particular unit is one...
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    Jetboil in Cold & at Altitude

    coming from the alpine climbing world the trick (totally off the record, don't hurt yourself...) is to make a heat exchanger from some wire, preferably something with a high melting point and good conduction properties, one end goes above the flame, the bottom wraps around the fuel canister...
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    1st Rifle and sudden weather change

    I'd be out whether it stops or not, I've done pretty well in storms, elk should be up feeding in or close the timber. In my experience, the bugling stops pretty quickly once the rifles start going off but if you hear a bull bugle he may be hot enough to call in, in general I wouldn't expect to...
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    Elk calling in 2nd rifle?

    I'm assuming Colorado? probably worth having a cow call to stop a bull for a shot, the odds of locating anything with a bugle during second rifle are right around zero though.
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    Elk shot distances archery

    my shots on elk are pretty much in two categories: 1. (the majority) under 20, no time to range, top pin, closest was 3 yards, I think 6 or 7 under 10 yards 2. right at 50, plenty of time to range, set up like I am on the range and execute... I don't think I have shot a single elk at 30-45
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    More Colorado OTC archery units set to move to draw in 2020...

    Mind you, they have even less of an idea how many bears there are, at least bears have mandatory reporting, a couple years ago you could wait 5 years for a rifle bear tag, all the while glassing 10-20 bears in an evening from one overlook...... there are obviously a ton of factors but the...
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    Colorado crowded vs other states crowded?

    I couldn't agree more, if you get elk dialed in a CO OTC situation everywhere else you go is going to feel easy... that said, why not? there are plenty of elk to be found despite the CPW trying to exterminate them, get an education on the hardest elk and have a better time on any draw hunts you...
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    Western elk hunt camping method

    90% based from the truck, exceptions might be if it's hard to get the wind correct in the morning without camping, or no way to get across an open slope, etc... for those that spike camp I have some things to think about: 1. unless you are solo and being careful you are probably pushing elk...
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    Gear essentials for a newbie

    I like the La Sportiva Trango cube GTX, Scarpa R-Evolution Trek (or the Kuiu version) or similar, with gaiters if the snow is deep enough to get over the top, get them sized big enough to fit thick socks and they are good to around 5 degrees, colder than that I go with an old pair of Scarpa...
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    Gear essentials for a newbie

    So I've been spending upwards of 30 days chasing elk a year for 20 years now, including about a decade of guiding... I'll echo a lot of what has been said but there is some major overkill being suggested as well... First: Fitness, if you don't come from a mountain sports or mountain hunting...
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    How to choose a unit

    cnelk nails it... I'd also add that looking at the terrain is helpful, there are units that have no real high country, that doesn't mean hunting will be bad, it just means if you dream of big mountains you will be disappointed, the same thing for late seasons, don't commit to an area that's 90%...
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    The best state to live in for hunting

    AK, followed by WY, ID, MT, NM, AZ... CO is pretty low on the list of good places to be a resident if you are just talking hunting...that being said, if other outdoor stuff is important to you CO is a pretty good central base for most outdoor activities...not the front range mind you, it's being...
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    CO 1st Rifle

    I 100% agree, the recent realization that bear numbers were WAY off is also telling on the accuracy of the current population estimates, bears are harder to count but have also apparently had more effort directed at the issue... At an in the field level it is apparent that the hunting is...
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    Rookie CO Elk hunter - random observations/changes after 1st DIY/OTC hunt

    Don't be obsessed with lightweight is good advice, but there is some nuance to that....don't sweat bringing the stuff that actually matters (good food you will actually eat, an efficient stove, A sleeping system you can actually sleep in) but cut out all the crap most people carry that you don't...
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    Distressed Herd in SW CO

    that article is ridiculous, any science is presented as a quote so the author doesn't have to verify it's accuracy. I'm sure people will be angry with me for saying it but isn't saying that the herd is in crisis and using late 90s numbers to substantiate that claim pretty disingenuous? I don't...
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    First Solo Trip - CO 1st Rifle 2018

    Good Luck! for me solo is the way I go if I want to get an elk, each additional person reduces your chances in my opinion, having another human in close proximity blunts the senses just a bit, and sometimes that's enough to make a big difference.. it can be nice to camp with friends but when...
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    CO 2018 app changes?

    I don't disagree but at the same time you cant claim this makes it any better for a young person..this all but ends a young persons chance of drawing a MSG tag, especially if they are a non res... right now Moose, Sheep, and goat as a resident are all at roughly 2% chance, there are less than...
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    CO 2018 app changes?

    Opened up opportunity's don't help anyone when there is an influx of people with the same opportunity... so now your every year elk tag is an every three year elk tag because there is no barrier to entry, who wouldn't throw in the draw just because they could with that system? easy tags become...
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    Colorado Elk Hunting - What gives? Are there lots of elk or not?

    I think it's largely a lack of experience on the part of people coming to CO, I've hunted a lot of different places inside CO as well as a handful of other states, CO has by far the largest number of elk, even in OTC units generally you will see far more elk than other states.. But also by far...
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