1st Archery Elk Hunt

[ChaseMosby]

Hey guys,

Finally appear to hopefully be going on first DIY archery elk hunt with my brother. Going to be going to Uncompahgre Wilderness. I have a few questions regarding timing and gear.

1st. What week would be the most active this year or what week is the rut estimated to be?

2nd. Any good tent recommendations for two guys + gear?

Thanks!


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[ChaseMosby]

Also what will the weather be like for said week?


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[LongWayAround]

Rut activity happens when it happens. Generally, people will tell you that the action picks up through the month. Bulls could be going apeshit on the opener and silent two weeks later in any given area depending on hunting pressure and when the cows are coming into estrus.

Weather could be 80° or snowing any time in September. In 2020, it went from 80° to snow and wind overnight. You just have to be prepared.

A tent for two guys and gear is probably a 4-person. Or take two 2-man tents. It depends on how you plan to hunt.

 

[bz_711]

This is my general observation:
Opening week can be busy and mixed with Labor Day travelers
First half of season on average a little warmer than second half
Muzzleloader season typically overlaps 3rd week of season
On average bulls should be bugling more later in season but not always the case...but they have been pressured the most by then and a lot of sign you find will be too old to hunt
Sept 20 and later apsens start turning gold and even more recreationalist show up to photograph and hike
There's no 1 week better than the others

For me - pick what ever dates give you the most time to hunt. I would usually pick opening day/week last mostly because I don't like getting the more summer like temps
I've shot all my bulls between 9/10 - 9/24 but that's also when I've done 90% of my hunting.

Any 4 man tent from walmart works fine for a truck based camp, an extra pop up shade with a couple tarps added on 2-3 sides adds some nice extra cook area/shade/rain block. Rope everything down...it's crazy what I've seen mountain winds do to some camps.
My hunting partner and I have also just slept/camped in our vehicles the last couple seasons...easy and mobile.

Good Luck!

 

[well_known_rokslider]

If you're going to trust rut timing predictions you might as well ask which specific days it's going to rain as well. No one can predict with any sort of certainty. You'll even hear mid season "oh they're rutting like crazy over here" immediately followed up by "the bulls haven't even broken up over here". As was already stated, you can probably expect more rut activity later in the month, but there are also less elk with some having been shot, and the elk have already been pressured. Take your pick. Weather can be anywhere from 80 degrees to teens, be ready for both.

Honestly, your very first hunt is going to be more about testing your systems and just learning how to hunt/move/survive in the mountains. How did your water system hold up? Did your sleeping pad and bag combo work well? Did you bring too much food or not enough? Was 1 extra pair of socks enough? Just what degree of slope are you actually able to climb? Did saving money on a cheap pack pay off? Etc. Sure, you may get in to elk and put one down, but find ways to make your trip a success regardless of killing an elk! Good luck, have fun, be safe!

Nemo makes pretty good/affordable 4 man tents. Make sure you get along well enough with your buddy to live very closely for however long.

 

[Cohunter22]

All of September is good, I’d focus more on what week the moon is darkest at night. May not align with “peak rut” but will typically keep elk on their feet longer in the day which goes you a better chance to locate/kill one.


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[hubbs77]

Are you going to be truck hunting or backpacking in? Truck is "cheaper" can cover more ground but backpacking in can get you into places a lot of people wont go. It does get prcey with lightweight gear though especially first time out.

 

[fatlander]

You’ve gotten a lot of good information already.

Here’s my $0.02:

It’s not going to be like YouTube. The mountains are bigger and steeper than they look on the map. Elk are part deer, part turkey, and part elk. The elk part takes time to figure out. There’s a big difference between finding elk and finding an elk or two or three. Your first trip is a success if you see an elk within 100 yards that isn’t running from you. Keep going back to the same area as much as you can. Knowledge of a specific area is invaluable on easy to be had tags. Also, where you hunt elk is fight club; you don’t talk about it. I’d edit your post and remove the area you named you’re going to be hunting.

Good luck.


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[Sapcut]

DO NOT underestimate the altitude and how it can hurt you and drink your weight in water.

 

[C.F.]

DO NOT underestimate the altitude and how it can hurt you and drink your weight in water.

Agreed!
Every time I go to Colorado over 8500’ the altitude starts kicking my ass for the first couple days. Headaches and just suckin wind walking around. I usually plan some easy to reach evening / morning hunts the first couple days before I do a big pack in deep.