Colorado archery near telluride

[Jg318]

Hey guys , so my buddy and I decided this would be the year we started putting our names in the hat for elk tags in a few states (Montana, Utah and Colorado) we never expected to draw one on our first year. But of course god laughs at our plans and we both drew archery for unit 070. Us being from nyc we weren’t brought up hunting and kind of just got into it ourselves a few years ago. It was something both of us were interested in just didn’t have the means the do it. Both our fathers weren’t hunters so nobody really taught us, whatever we know we learned from reading or hunting shows. We started going around us for deer and some success. I’ve always dreamed of hunting elk one day and wasn’t ready for it to be in 2 months but I figure what do I have to lose. So we are going. We know it’s not going to be easy and it will probably wind up just being an expensive camping trip, but we want to get in the woods and get after it. I guess what I wanted to ask is a good starting point for us, we are landing in grand junction and from there it’s up in the air. We don’t want to use a guide , we want to earn it. Any info or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks guys

 

[hubbs77]

Read this forum a lot more and you'll find that posting the unit you are planning to hunt is frowned upon. You are going to have to do a lot of research on here of what you will need in preperation and there will be tons of it. I would not feel comfortable planning to hunt in such short notice as I have planned for over a year before going on my first trip which will be later this year in CO also. I will say even with all that planning and everything I know about hunting whitetail since I was a kid it still seems like a daunting task. The only way to understand is to get out and try and that is where you will proabbly learn the most anyways. I would say get on google earth look at the area and how to access the area as well as you can, Google earth will be your best friend if you know how to use it properly (Treeline helps tremendously with this). Elk101 and Treeline academy are a great start but it's a lot to pick up in two months but well worth it. I'd say even if it's an expensive camping trip this year maybe they would help pay off in the future. Sorry I have no experience with CO or elk hunting in general but you may not be receiving much feedback so I figured I'd help as muvh as I could.

 

[ramsdude47]

Other searches on the forum state unit 70 is not a great unit for opportunities for bulls.It was formerly OTC and is now “limited” but with a ton of tags (and consequently people).

Telluride and the area are amazing though. I would start in town and try a few different drainages with an UL one night setup.

 

[Jg318]

Thanks a lot guys , I started elk 101 a few weeks ago and getting a lot of good info from there. I’m sorry for posting the unit , as I said I’m new to this and am not looking for any handouts or locations , we were planning on starting around telluride after looking at most of the map it seems to have the highest elevation. We have experience with white tail and I’m an avid duck hunter but this is totally new to me. Like you said I’m sure just getting out there will be the best way to learn.

 

[Elktaco]

Dont worry about posting the unit, it's not like it's some top secret place.

 

[gelton]

When you get there you will realize that it looks nothing like you imagined it on the maps where climbs look fairly simple (I can climb anything on Google Earth). But 70 is a fairly simple unit, you can cross off about 40% of it because of the lower elevations which packs most of the hunters into the same areas.

 

[ElkSlayerSammy]

Hey guys , so my buddy and I decided this would be the year we started putting our names in the hat for elk tags in a few states (Montana, Utah and Colorado) we never expected to draw one on our first year. But of course god laughs at our plans and we both drew archery for unit 070. Us being from nyc we weren’t brought up hunting and kind of just got into it ourselves a few years ago. It was something both of us were interested in just didn’t have the means the do it. Both our fathers weren’t hunters so nobody really taught us, whatever we know we learned from reading or hunting shows. We started going around us for deer and some success. I’ve always dreamed of hunting elk one day and wasn’t ready for it to be in 2 months but I figure what do I have to lose. So we are going. We know it’s not going to be easy and it will probably wind up just being an expensive camping trip, but we want to get in the woods and get after it. I guess what I wanted to ask is a good starting point for us, we are landing in grand junction and from there it’s up in the air. We don’t want to use a guide , we want to earn it. Any info or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks guys

Hey man just get out there and get to it, elk hunting isn’t as hard as everyone says it is. Put on some face paint, send a couple bugles, and you’ll be slinging double lungs before you know it...don’t worry about the spot burn by the way, people do get annoyed but who cares, we’re all on this forum looking for info anyway.....be confident at 60, and good and marking cow calls. Worst case scenario you have an awesome camping trip with your boy

 

[Josh Wright]

This trip will be very difficult. Before you even think about the hunting aspect, please have all your gear in order. I mean starting from your feet. Boots are critical. Make sure all your gear is up to snuff for this or it will not be a fun camping trip.

 

[MJB]

Finding the elk is the hardest part!

 

[Sdieffen]

Don't let them scare you! It's never too late to start. Get after it! You'll be glad you did.
#1 Get in shape. Walk /run 3-5 miles a day. Hike with some weight in your pack. Get out there and acclimate. It's generally 1000 ft per day if you're coming from sea-level. Hydrate.
#2. Don't go on a huge buying spree, just make sure you have good boots that fit. Depending on if you're staying out or going back to camp every day dictates the amount/type of gear you can bring.
#3 Elk are found in the darkest North facing terrain. If it sucks to get there, there's a reason. Match your expectations with your ability. Don't back yourself into a life threatening situation. PLB/or Garmin Inreach if you venture in deep.
#4 Enjoy the experience! Bring some fishing gear. 10% success rate. Have a reasonable expectation. If you kill one your first time hunting It's dumb luck, but it can happen. Good luck!!

Finding elk is the hardest part. Leave tge bugle tube at home. Bring a cow call and use it.

 

[Deerhunter6250]

Get in great physical shape. The better shape your in and the more prepared you are the better your mental game will be. Your mental game is huge? Prepare for all weather. Take light gear unless you plan on camping at the road. Will you fly meat home or ship it? Usually first timers take to much stuff. Have a great time.

 

[justinspicher]

Just go and figure it out on the fly! That is how ordinary trips become an adventure.

 

[Bailer]

Hot tip- the elk are at the intersection coming off the highway into town. We got into elk in a nearby unit that year, but that was the biggest herd I saw that year, right next to the gas station I went to for ice.

 

[smokewrench]

Get the ElkNut app and archive it to your phone. It's a 1 time $10 purchase. The Elk Collective has some great calling tutorials.

Are you able to hunt the entire season or do you need to pick a certain week or two to be in 70?

 

[LeftSlope]

Show up in shape. Not sure sure how many days you plan on hunting but it's gonna be a marathon, not a sprint, of endurance. Be courteous to other hunters bc you WILL encounter other hunters/ hikers where ever you end up going at some point. Stay in woods! Don't hunt the first & last 3 hours of the day and the rest at your camp or hotel. The longer you're in the woods the better. Give the wind direction your utmost respect and don't blow a heard out bc you think your camo is better than an elks nose when you're upwind, it won't happen. If someone is in an area you plan on hunting already, have a backup plan in mind (Plan B or even C) in case your intended area has hunters there already.

Drink as much water as you can regularly and bring a water filter system in your backpack. Weigh your pack with your hunting gear inside and see what kind of weight your toting. If you have to shed weight from your pack split up the contents into 'must have's' & 'luxuries', when removing weight out of your pack pull from the 'luxury items first & don't carry double of things your hunting buddy will also be carrying. Bring a backup flashlight and spare batteries for your headlamp.

Be a gracious visitor and steward to the area, people and land you are VISITING. Soak in the views, take a lot of pictures and take the time to enjoy your trip. It'll be the best suffer-fest you ever have.

 

[Deadfall]

Get the ElkNut app and archive it to your phone. It's a 1 time $10 purchase. The Elk Collective has some great calling tutorials.

Are you able to hunt the entire season or do you need to pick a certain week or two to be in 70?

This right here is best idea.

Elknut for tactics.
Newberg for scouting info.

 

[Btaylor]

The advice to focus on boots and training is spot on for that area. It will be twice as intimidating looking at it in person as it is on google earth but they are just mountains and they all get climbed the same way, a step at a time. Some areas have phone service but most dont so plan on a inreach mini or zoleo unit.