CO 3rd Rifle Thread

[sndmn11]

Good job Hellen Keller. Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles found elk too after the biggest 3rd rifle snowfall in a decade.

Stevie and Ray wouldn't need to shoot 6 elk to recover 1 in 2024.

 

[kscowboy01]

New faces in 54 but nothing big. I'd say the biologists were successful in their efforts to kill-off the mature bucks to help curb CWD. With all this snow, there should be a couple of good bucks on the private land I can glass (without a tag).

 

[TheGreek]

Saw a collared 4x4 chasing a doe hard this morning in NW CO. Other bucks in the area were less interested in other does. Forkies have been sniffing a lot of butts yesterday and today. 2/3 of the guys in the unit are from California. As usual. One of them killed a great 5x4 yesterday and he was showing me. Stud buck.

 

[TheGreek]

Slow, slow evening hunt. Pulling stakes tomorrow and going to a different area. Hopefully the rut continues to turn on and the hunting gets better by the day.

 

[Poser]

Saw 2 mature bucks this morning and neither was the least bit interested in nearby does.

 

[Hnthrdr]

Saw a collared 4x4 chasing a doe hard this morning in NW CO. Other bucks in the area were less interested in other does. Forkies have been sniffing a lot of butts yesterday and today. 2/3 of the guys in the unit are from California. As usual. One of them killed a great 5x4 yesterday and he was showing me. Stud buck.

2/3 of the Coloradans are from California these days… :/

 

[Ucsdryder]

Saw 2 mature bucks this morning and neither was the least bit interested in nearby does.

I didn’t see a buck that was even remotely interested in does. A couple big bucks were hanging out together still without a doe within 800 yards.

 

[Hnthrdr]

Well so much for the big snow it was insanely hot today, back to t-shirt weather, so far no big bucks with does little guys are hanging around, not sure where the boss bucks are at.

 

[Ucsdryder]

Well so much for the big snow it was insanely hot today, back to t-shirt weather, so far no big bucks with does little guys are hanging around, not sure where the boss bucks are at.

I got the worst effing sunburn from the sun. I was wearing a beanie and sunglasses. I look like an idiot.

 

[Mountainrancher]

Saw some lip curling and interest in does from younger bucks but no big boys. Does still in small groups spread out not herding up. Hopefully next few days bring on some real rut action

 

[CRJR45]

The Elk population is doing good where I hunted .

 

[rw79]

I tagged out in SW Colorado for elk but wanted to update everyone on what I saw regarding mulies. I saw between 60-70 does between 6,500 - 8,000 feet. None of the doe groups had any bucks with them except for a single spike. If you’re hunting in the SW, my guess is the bucks are still up high.

 

[ReaptheHeat]

Apparently my yard is the rut zone

 

[rw79]

The Elk population is doing good where I hunted .View attachment 789247

I have never seen so many elk in CO on public land. Guess I got very lucky by being in the correct spot. I watched about 70-80 cows and saw 4 legal bulls before opening day. They were bugling like crazy as well. Despite the cold, I felt like it was a September rut hunt.

 

[abbrown]

I tagged out in SW Colorado for elk but wanted to update everyone on what I saw regarding mulies. I saw between 60-70 does between 6,500 - 8,000 feet. None of the doe groups had any bucks with them except for a single spike. If you’re hunting in the SW, my guess is the bucks are still up high.

I’ve been at 9000-9700 in SW last 3 days and have seen zero mature bucks, in fact hardly any deer or elk activity. Think that storm pushed them way down even though at its highest the snow level was maybe a foot where we were and has been compacting/melting quickly. I wonder if they’ll move back up in this Indian summer or just stay lower, guess it depends where the ladies end up.

 

[yak]

We saw very few does without bucks this past Saturday. Ended up finding a doe group (4) with a thick necked 4x4 that we took. Definitely the biggest buck we found on the mountain and very mature. I'd consider the rutting activity in full swing where we were hunting (NW CO).

 

[Poser]

I’ve been at 9000-9700 in SW last 3 days and have seen zero mature bucks, in fact hardly any deer or elk activity. Think that storm pushed them way down even though at its highest the snow level was maybe a foot where we were and has been compacting/melting quickly. I wonder if they’ll move back up in this Indian summer or just stay lower, guess it depends where the ladies end up.

Elk will often return to higher ground, but deer usually will not.

 

[Timberline001]

We saw very few does without bucks this past Saturday. Ended up finding a doe group (4) with a thick necked 4x4 that we took. Definitely the biggest buck we found on the mountain and very mature. I'd consider the rutting activity in full swing where we were hunting (NW CO).

I experienced the same in NW CO Saturday.

 

[work765]

Anyone in unit 70?!
I have a 4th rifle bull tag. Hows the weather over there? Are the elk moving down?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[lak2004]

I’ve been at 9000-9700 in SW last 3 days and have seen zero mature bucks, in fact hardly any deer or elk activity. Think that storm pushed them way down even though at its highest the snow level was maybe a foot where we were and has been compacting/melting quickly. I wonder if they’ll move back up in this Indian summer or just stay lower, guess it depends where the ladies end up.

Killed this guy at 9300 today in SW CO.
Saw elk higher up around 10k. They are moving all over though. Good luck!