CO Archery Elk Post Muzzleloader

[brous8732]

I’ve been out in CO for archery elk every weekend since the season opened. As you would expect, pressure increased with muzzleloader season and I haven’t heard a bugle since. Would it be a smart move to mostly give up on calling and rely primarily on a glassing and spot and stalk strategy for the remainder of the season? I’m assuming that a) the elk have been mostly pushed to private or private/public boundary in my unit and that b) the elk have gotten wise enough to stay silent. Appreciate any helpful input. My unit has a mix of burn, thick timber, and open areas mixed with aspen forest so it leaves opportunity for a number of tactics.

 

[Brian_Holcombe]

They’ll turn back on. It’ll take another couple days, I think.

I was in a central Colorado unit today and called in a coupla nice guys from Minnesota who thought they had a herd bull bearing down on them. Silent otherwise, aside from some mews before dawn.

With the understory as dry as it is right now, spot and stalk will be very difficult. Top priority is finding water with nearby recent sign.

 

[Ucsdryder]

Nope. Bugle away. You just need to find that one bull that wants to play!

 

[brous8732]

Appreciate the input guys! Looks like I’ll have to keep at it and hope I can find one that wants to talk.

 

[Dancermatt]

I’ve been out in CO for archery elk every weekend since the season opened. As you would expect, pressure increased with muzzleloader season and I haven’t heard a bugle since. Would it be a smart move to mostly give up on calling and rely primarily on a glassing and spot and stalk strategy for the remainder of the season? I’m assuming that a) the elk have been mostly pushed to private or private/public boundary in my unit and that b) the elk have gotten wise enough to stay silent. Appreciate any helpful input. My unit has a mix of burn, thick timber, and open areas mixed with aspen forest so it leaves opportunity for a number of tactics.

Just got back from 62....same experience but when Muzzy opened there it sounded like our local rifle range having AR15 competition. Good luck. I was going to come back but have to work.

 

[TraderMike]

I just returned from a muzzy deer hunt in north central Colorado. I only had the weekend to hunt (no shots at deer) and with about 2 miles between myself and the nearest road we had three different bulls sounding off. Never got closer than 200-300 yards but am 99% sure it wasn’t other hunters. Sounded like a herd bull and 2 satellites harassing him. 9600 feet elevation. Doesn’t that always happen when you don’t have a bull tag in hand...... hard to resist not trying to call one in just for fun but I sure as hell wouldn’t want other deer hunters educating bulls I was hoping to hunt.

 

[FLS]

I was in CO last week. I’ll wager warming temps hurt you more than the handful of muzzy hunters. They were very vocal after the snow then it tapered off as temps rose thru the week.