Beginner Western Hunts

[Traveler]

Do you think elk is the best hunt for learning western hunting?

I wouldn’t think about this in terms of a “western” hunt. I’m not real sure what that term means exactly…

Hunting archery elk on September 2nd in a high elevation hunt is extremely different than a plains rifle antelope hunt, different than 3rd season deer in western CO. I would say pick an animal you want to spend some time on and hunt them in different seasons and weapons to get more experience.

 

[Wertherman]

I wouldn’t think about this in terms of a “western” hunt. I’m not real sure what that term means exactly…

Hunting archery elk on September 2nd in a high elevation hunt is extremely different than a plains rifle antelope hunt, different than 3rd season deer in western CO. I would say pick an animal you want to spend some time on and hunt them in different seasons and weapons to get more experience.

A western hunt in my eyes is basically not sitting in a stand for whitetails on the eastern side of country. Different terrain, strategy, and animals define it for me that way.

 

[lak2004]

If I could go back to when I was 25 I'd hunt everywhere as much as possible. Other states, every tag I could get my hands on. Get to know a unit and stick with it for a few years. Turkey hunt it in the spring if you can and scout all summer. Come fall, you'll know it well and can get into animals.

A deer or antelope would be my advice to really target and pack out before an elk.

 

[Traveler]

A western hunt in my eyes is basically not sitting in a stand for whitetails on the eastern side of country. Different terrain, strategy, and animals define it for me that way.

I guess my point is what I described all has different terrain, strategy and animals too, even though they are all in the ”west”. People still use tree stands or sit in blinds plenty out west too.

Maybe the most common feature of western hunts is the ability to glass. So to learn that skill set I would say rifle deer or antelope are the best to learn on in CO.

 

[AlphaK9]

Great thread and solid information, guys. From a midwest whitetail hunter.

 

[profj]

A couple of concrete suggestions:

1. Get cow tags - they are easy to draw, and cows are easier to find. Cows come in numbers, so so you get a lot of opportunities (because as a beginner, you are more likely to need a few extra opportunities to actually get an animal down). CO has list B cow tags that you can draw without any points, meaning you can get a second hunt each year. Use your draw opportunity for an interesting hunt, and then get a guaranteed list B tag for a backup. Also, cows taste better.

2. Choose a low-points unit close to your home and hunt it consistently for several seasons. If it's close to home, it's easy to scout and if it's low point, it's easy to draw tags (and you can get OTC tags in the years you don't draw). A thorough knowledge of a low points unit will get you lots more success than hunting a prestige unit once a decade.

3. For your "home" unit, try and get one with lots of public land and a lot of variation from high altitude to lowland, so that whatever the snow and road conditions there will be some place to hunt.

3. Hunt 1st rifle in that unit. It's only 5 days but the animals are much less spooked and the hunting pressure much lower, and the elk are still on high altitude public land. Also the weather's better. If you'd rather have 9 days to hunt, go scout for four days before 1st rifle - at 7:30am on opening day, you'll have your rifle pointing at a calm un-spooked high country elk.

Good luck and welcome to CO.

 

[Publiclandorbust]

Wyoming antelope and deer is a great start. Terrain is very forgiving. Wide open rolling hills. Good success rates. Pickup both tags and just start walking and glassing

 

[TreeDux]

Hunting antelope in Wyoming is a tremendous amount of fun and, as others have stated, it’s a great way to get introduced to “western“ hunting. But any unit that you’re going to draw in the next couple of years is going to have limited access and probably limited numbers of animals. To me at least that seems counter to what you’re actually looking for.
You’re already in Colorado, a state with a tremendous amount of opportunity. I would take advantage of residency there to pursue deer and elk at every opportunity. Being there, scouting and hunting on a regular basis, and learning the country is going to make things inherently easier as you go.
In the meantime, certainly keep looking at other places. Wyoming and New Mexico come to mine and each have very different opportunities to pursue. Build up your gear as you go get more comfortable with being out there and you eventually learn what hunts you like and what hunts you don’t.

 

[Wertherman]

Wyoming antelope and deer is a great start. Terrain is very forgiving. Wide open rolling hills. Good success rates. Pickup both tags and just start walking and glassing

Are these tags hard to draw?

 

[TreeDux]

Are these tags hard to draw?

I’m not an expert on all the Wyoming units but basically any antelope tag that can be drawn with under 5 (?) points is going to have limited public land and/or difficult access. You can have decent hunting there but it’s a straight up OnX exercise. Leisurely rides across uncrowded blocks of public land glassing up the perfect buck not included.

The deer situation is slightly better in terms of access, slightly worse in terms of population. Broadly speaking.

Lest you think I’m negative on these pursuits I do travel from North Carolina to hunt marginal lower points units but I do it with tempered expectations and have fun with the hunt that I get.