Ndheidmann
FNG
- Joined
- Mar 25, 2022
- Messages
- 29
(Post edited to remove specific location info)
Last year I solo hunted an area in CO and I was in elk most of the season. Being my first year elk hunting and archery hunting, I made lots of mistakes but was at least lucky enough to call a bull in opening morning to 8 yards and a few more after that using Elknut's strategies. I was never able to close the deal but learned a lot and left the season with expectations that were way too high.
This year I went back to the same area and it was a deadzone. No bugling, no fresh sign, way more hunters. I found a lot of deadheads as the area was hit hard with winter kill from late snow storms so I assume that impacted the area as well. As I don't know any other units, I just started hunting new spots to get away from that northern winter kill area.
I've been finding fresh sign but it seems to be from only 1 or 2 bulls and doesn't seem to be where the cows and rutting is actually happening. I'm at 10,000-10,800 ft with plateaus above me in one spot.
The bull sign was steaming a week ago when I found it but super windy that day so I think I bumped them at that point. This was hilly/ steep timber with benches, wallows, and old logging cuts. There were pockets of open meadow areas but a lot of moose sign there.
The elk are where ya find 'em, just wondering which direction you'd go? I'm solo hunting on foot, no horses, no atvs so I'm limiting my range to what I can actually pack out from. Helped a buddy kill a nice 6x6 last year 6 miles from the truck so I've packed one out before.
What should I be looking for to get into the cows? There's feed and water everywhere. Should I look to flatter terrain, more open meadows, go lower, go to the next basin? Just wondering how far from the rutting activity lone bulls will be living?
Thanks all-
Last year I solo hunted an area in CO and I was in elk most of the season. Being my first year elk hunting and archery hunting, I made lots of mistakes but was at least lucky enough to call a bull in opening morning to 8 yards and a few more after that using Elknut's strategies. I was never able to close the deal but learned a lot and left the season with expectations that were way too high.
This year I went back to the same area and it was a deadzone. No bugling, no fresh sign, way more hunters. I found a lot of deadheads as the area was hit hard with winter kill from late snow storms so I assume that impacted the area as well. As I don't know any other units, I just started hunting new spots to get away from that northern winter kill area.
I've been finding fresh sign but it seems to be from only 1 or 2 bulls and doesn't seem to be where the cows and rutting is actually happening. I'm at 10,000-10,800 ft with plateaus above me in one spot.
The bull sign was steaming a week ago when I found it but super windy that day so I think I bumped them at that point. This was hilly/ steep timber with benches, wallows, and old logging cuts. There were pockets of open meadow areas but a lot of moose sign there.
The elk are where ya find 'em, just wondering which direction you'd go? I'm solo hunting on foot, no horses, no atvs so I'm limiting my range to what I can actually pack out from. Helped a buddy kill a nice 6x6 last year 6 miles from the truck so I've packed one out before.
What should I be looking for to get into the cows? There's feed and water everywhere. Should I look to flatter terrain, more open meadows, go lower, go to the next basin? Just wondering how far from the rutting activity lone bulls will be living?
Thanks all-
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