Colorado archery elk, first hunt

[Crjones8]

I am headed out mid September with a friend on our first elk hunt. We will be archery hunting for 12 days in a unit SW of Vail mostly around the Holy Cross Wilderness. We both have done hours of research, talked to unit game wardens, E-scouted, but again this is our first elk hunt. Our goal is to have fun and see a few elk. What I am posting for is to see if anyone with experience in that area would be willing to DM me, maybe listen to our plan and the information we THINK we know and see if we are on the right track. I do have some questions like elevation maybe to concentrate on during those dates, experience with general weather that time of year (yes, I know it's unpredictable) and animal behavior with that weather in the event we get similar weather. I am also going to be holding a black bear tag hopefully for that unit(s). So I do have some questions about bear population in the area, whether its worth planning a day or 2 of bear hunting or just pocketing the tag in case we luck up and happen to get a shot and strictly focus on elk.

I'd like to be very clear, I am not looking for someone to tell me a spot to go. I am trying to find people who have knowledge of that general area or areas near by that may can relate their experience to my inexperience and just make sure we have the right things in mind for what we are looking for. We're two guys that have never hunted much outside of whitetails and are just looking to have a good experience and be as prepared and knowledgeable as we can.

I also know nothing is better than actually getting your own boots on the ground pre-season, that's just not going to happen for us, jobs will just not allow that time off.

I appreciate any advice in advance for a couple of newbie elk hunters.

Thanks,
Chris

 

[bsnedeker]

Hey everyone...if you're looking for a good spot to go in Colorado for an OTC tag you should look at the area SW of Vail. Looks like some great area...everyone should look really closely at it and hit it hard this season!

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[sodaksooner]

It's been a few years since I have been in there, but it was pretty tough sledding. Now that it isn't OTC and bull only maybe the herd has rebounded a bit, We saw elk and a lot of people, but it was pretty tough. Ive hunted 45 multiple times as an OTC unit on and off since 2002, but we stay away now. Just be aware that if you get into the Homestake road and holy cross city area, it is a famous off road vehicle area, so there is a lot of traffic. I will say that I would approach it differently as we had our dad with us so we mostly day hunted out of a base camp, but we talked to quite a few folks that were getting into the wilderness from that south side. PM me but I don't have a ton of current info.

 

[southLA]

If it doesn't work out for you, could always try and get a mule deer tag in New Mexico unit 45 next year.

 

[sodaksooner]

Hey everyone...if you're looking for a good spot to go in Colorado for an OTC tag you should look at the area SW of Vail. Looks like some great area...everyone should look really closely at it and hit it hard this season!

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Actually hasn't been OTC for several years now. Don't know how many tags there, but herd took a big hit in that area for a long time.

 

[Crjones8]

Hey everyone...if you're looking for a good spot to go in Colorado for an OTC tag you should look at the area SW of Vail. Looks like some great area...everyone should look really closely at it and hit it hard this season!

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Be a douche somewhere else man. No one said it was some great spot. Stay off the internet if you’re this sensitive a post like mine upsets you.

 

[Crjones8]

If it doesn't work out for you, could always try and get a mule deer tag in New Mexico unit 45 next year.

I’m not really sure what New Mexico and mule deer has to do with Colorado and elk.

 

[BBob]

I’m not really sure what New Mexico and mule deer has to do with Colorado and elk.

He's funnin ya with some Rokslide humor! Just roll with it

 

[Jbehredt]

Third post calling a long time member a douche. Better luck with this question on your next forum. 24hc is chock full of this type of information. You’ll fit right in.

 

[Jethro]

Even if you didn’t like bsnedeker’s reply, you may want to edit your post to preserve your longevity on the Rok.

Then get some thicker skin.

 

[Crjones8]

Third post calling a long time member a douche. Better luck with this question on your next forum. 24hc is chock full of this type of information. You’ll fit right in.

Is there some sort of deal where you post a certain amount and you’re no longer a douche? I am on here trying to learn (I believe that’s what this forum is about?) and someone posted a douche of a reply, so yeah I called him out. If you’re willing to go out of your way to type a response trying to be a douche to someone done be sensitive if you get called out. The only people that response will weed out is…. Other douche bags with no willingness to help anyone as example by the replies.

 

[BBob]

@Crjones8 This place (Rokslide) is full of tough love and as a Newbie you probably don't get it yet. Anyone that posts up looking for advice on specific units or areas is going to get jabbed and poked. Poke around a bit and you'll see you are not in a unique position. Suck it up or get hammered. As I said before just roll with it and you'll be fine.

 

[Kyle Wheeler]

All I can say is enjoy every minute. Your first elk hunt is a memory you’ll never forget. You’ll learn a ton and be talking about it for years to come. Go into it without the expectation to kill but to learn more about elk and why they do what they do and when.

 

[jdyansick]

Hey everyone...if you're looking for a good spot to go in Colorado for an OTC tag you should look at the area SW of Vail. Looks like some great area...everyone should look really closely at it and hit it hard this season!

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Love the humor here. OP should not be butt hurt like he clearly is.

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[Crjones8]

@Crjones8 This place (Rokslide) is full of tough love and as a Newbie you probably don't get it yet. Anyone that posts up looking for advice on specific units or areas is going to get jabbed and poked. Poke around a bit and you'll see you are not in a unique position. Suck it up or get hammered. If you can't roll with it you'll leave. Simple as that.

If my post asked for advice on a specific area that was not my intention. As I tried (obviously failed) to communicate was I was trying to talk to someone with experience in similar areas about what I have learned of thought I had learned and just see if I’m on the right track in planning. I guess everyone’s ideas of how to “roll with it” are different. Where I come from rolling with it is giving people their shit right back.

 

[CodeMonkey]

OP, it's still OK to go back to golf.

My free advice (you get what you pay for):
1. You seem too invested in your "plan". On the ground everything can change in an instant. Mid-September can mean anything from no bugles to a rut fest. Weather can be hot and dry or you can have feet of snow on the ground (see 2020). If you're not flexible and ready to pack up to chase elk, you're wasting your time. To that end, picking a tag in a unit that used to be OTC isn't a great move IMO (I did it last year). Honestly, with an OTC tag, you at least have the flexibility of moving hundreds of miles if the conditions dictate.
2. If you're getting butthurt from some ball busting on the internet, the mountains are not for you.

 

[Btaylor]

If my post asked for advice on a specific area that was not my intention. As I tried (obviously failed) to communicate was I was trying to talk to someone with experience in similar areas about what I have learned of thought I had learned and just see if I’m on the right track in planning. I guess everyone’s ideas of how to “roll with it” are different. Where I come from rolling with it is giving people their shit right back.

Let me try to put it in whitetail terms, if you hunt a public land area close to home and have it figured out and are consistently successful, how much would you appreciate someone shining a light on your spot in a public forum so every jackwagon with a google machine can show up and hunt with you. When you name a unit or an area in a unit for western species, you pretty much are naming the hill or slough where you hunt deer at home. Maybe you have no experience hunting public, you have already said you have no experience hunting out west but there is an etiquette for pretty much everywhere. It pays to try to understand what that is before you put the folks who could help you on blast.

 

[Crjones8]

OP, it's still OK to go back to golf.

My free advice (you get what you pay for):
1. You seem too invested in your "plan". On the ground everything can change in an instant. Mid-September can mean anything from no bugles to a rut fest. Weather can be hot and dry or you can have feet of snow on the ground (see 2020). If you're not flexible and ready to pack up to chase elk, you're wasting your time. To that end, picking a tag in a unit that used to be OTC isn't a great move IMO (I did it last year). Honestly, with an OTC tag, you at least have the flexibility of moving hundreds of miles if the conditions dictate.
2. If you're getting butthurt from some ball busting on the internet, the mountains are not for you.

No one is butt hurt lol. Again, the background I come from someone bust your balls you bust it right back. Sorry if that ain’t y’all. I call it as I see it, which clearly y’all do too.

Anyways, on to something I may could learn to make this productive. I know the area had a decline population and converted from OTC I looked at population numbers or estimates over the past 5-6 years. Is that why you say you don’t think that type of unit is the best, just bc of population numbers or is there something else I’m missing? I’m honestly trying to gain your insight on that statement.

 

[Crjones8]

Let me try to put it in whitetail terms, if you hunt a public land area close to home and have it figured out and are consistently successful, how much would you appreciate someone shining a light on your spot in a public forum so every jackwagon with a google machine can show up and hunt with you. When you name a unit or an area in a unit for western species, you pretty much are naming the hill or slough where you hunt deer at home. Maybe you have no experience hunting public, you have already said you have no experience hunting out west but there is an etiquette for pretty much everywhere. It pays to try to understand what that is before you put the folks who could help you on blast.

1- I have given people spots on public land for whitetail multiple times. I like trying to help people with what I do know and helping them understand
2- obviously I didn’t say the right things. My intention was NEVER to get a reply saying do this in this area, or go here. It is my intention for maybe a person that has been there or lives there to say sure, PM me and I can guide you on if you’re completely retarted or you’re getting on the right path. even the first guy with the off- road trail. I had been previously told (maybe misunderstood) a part of that unit where he described was no motor vehicle access. That, gentlemen is what I’m after. Not cutting corners and asking for your best pins(or any pins). I named a massive piece of land. If that is frowned up, lesson learned

 

[Btaylor]

1- I have given people spots on public land for whitetail multiple times. I like trying to help people with what I do know and helping them understand
2- obviously I didn’t say the right things. My intention was NEVER to get a reply saying do this in this area, or go here. It is my intention for maybe a person that has been there or lives there to say sure, PM me and I can guide you on if you’re completely retarted or you’re getting on the right path. even the first guy with the off- road trail. I had been previously told (maybe misunderstood) a part of that unit where he described was no motor vehicle access. That, gentlemen is what I’m after. Not cutting corners and asking for your best pins(or any pins). I named a massive piece of land. If that is frowned up, lesson learned

What can be different is that massive piece of land on a map may hunt similar to a hundred acre farm around home. It will make more sense once you have been. Hope you have a good hunt, it is absolutely addictive.