Colorado Archery OTC DIY Hunt

[Crowmangler]

damn, you guys are depressing me lol

 

[Wrogers18]

damn, you guys are depressing me lol

Haha I know what you mean. dont let any of this get you down. You get out of it what you put into it.

 

[elkstabber]

I do a ton of competitive bass fishing so map study is one thing I do a lot of and I get to areas on a lake where the map made it look like an island was super close and its 3 miles away.

Competitive bass fishing isn't public land elk hunting. In bass fishing when you see an island on a map you have a really good idea of what it will look like when you get there. The topo and satellite shows it all in the east. That doesn't hold true in the Rockies. In public land elk hunting you will encounter:
1. miles of deadfall that only a squirrel can get through,
2. cliffs where the map showed a medium grade,
3. underbrush that grabs at you,

and numerous other surprises that can't be found on a map. Western topo maps don't have the level of detail that you are used to in the east.

I'm not trying to discourage you but all of the map reading skills in the world will only help halfway when you show up. The first thing you'll say is, "Shit, this climb is way steeper than I thought". Keep your hunting strategy loose and don't get too set in your plans. The elk will quickly change your plans for you.

 

[cnelk]

Appreciate the tips. Rechecking google earth after hunting an area is something I do religiously. Thank you

If you really want to see elevation in GE, see below

Check the Elevation Profile box when you do your Path.
It will give you all sorts of info

 

[Wrogers18]

Competitive bass fishing isn't public land elk hunting. In bass fishing when you see an island on a map you have a really good idea of what it will look like when you get there. The topo and satellite shows it all in the east. That doesn't hold true in the Rockies. In public land elk hunting you will encounter:
1. miles of deadfall that only a squirrel can get through,
2. cliffs where the map showed a medium grade,
3. underbrush that grabs at you,

and numerous other surprises that can't be found on a map. Western topo maps don't have the level of detail that you are used to in the east.

I'm not trying to discourage you but all of the map reading skills in the world will only help halfway when you show up. The first thing you'll say is, "Shit, this climb is way steeper than I thought". Keep your hunting strategy loose and don't get too set in your plans. The elk will quickly change your plans for you.

All your points are valid. I think you misunderstood my point but no worries. I have been doing public land hunting in NY and Ohio. I understand that deadfall. Steeper climbs and all that are part of the game. I have also run into these on the lands I have hunted as well.

I do however appreciate the comment and reality check. Thanks

 

[TX_Diver]

If you really want to see elevation in GE, see below

Check the Elevation Profile box when you do your Path.
It will give you all sorts of info

View attachment 144046

That looks like a great tool that I wasn't aware of.

Thanks!!

 

[Indian Summer]

Public land hunting and deadfall in NY....and Ohio!

Brother you have no idea. You could chop down every tree in Ohio and still not begin to imagine what an old burn or miles of beetle killed lodgepole is like. More than one elk hunter has been known to say I couldn’t go up... I didn’t want to go down, I thought I might just kill myself.

I’ll tell you who you won’t get advice from on elk hunting forums. The thousands and thousands of guys who were in awe of the elk they saw on tv and did tons of research... or maybe booked an outfitter.... and never went back. I’ve had several good friends who were one and done saying screw that NEVER AGAIN.

Cnelk you can laugh or blast me if you want but my God read these comments! I can’t imagine why anyone who knows that mountains are big, the country is bigger, elk are like ghosts, and oxygen is scarce would go somewhere like Colorado where they were adding a million other hunters to their list of problems.

“Because it’s a shorter drive and I don’t understand the licensing in other states”

Driving and figuring that stuff out is a hell of a lot easier than all of those other challenges I assure you.

To top it off there’s only one thing tougher than an elk to kill and that’s a pressured elk who has run for his life to the steepest thickest nastiest stuff he can find and won’t let out a sound or make a move until it’s dark out. Pfft... screw that! Easy elk hunting is hard enough.

 

[cnelk]

I’m not gonna say anything about nothing!
The guy wants to come to Colorado and hunt elk

Thousands do it every year. And like you said, many never return

 

[cnelk]

In this pic is a legal 4pt bull. See him? He is 22yds away from me.

My buddy is up ahead of me to the right and he is the shooter.
He can’t get a shot it’s so thick. I took a video of this elk for 7 minutes before he walked away.

This could be your only chance at an elk. Would you take the shot? Can you make the shot?

 

[sasquatch]

...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Coveyleader]

I'd rather say I had a close call than take an iffy shot. Been on bad elk trailing jobs, they suck. I don't see a shot there and the country I hunt is way thicker than that I'm passing.

Good thing about areas like that, everything is top pin, my kind of shots.

 

[fwafwow]

Public land hunting and deadfall in NY....and Ohio!

Brother you have no idea. You could chop down every tree in Ohio and still not begin to imagine what an old burn or miles of beetle killed lodgepole is like. More than one elk hunter has been known to say I couldn’t go up... I didn’t want to go down, I thought I might just kill myself.

I’ll tell you who you won’t get advice from on elk hunting forums. The thousands and thousands of guys who were in awe of the elk they saw on tv and did tons of research... or maybe booked an outfitter.... and never went back. I’ve had several good friends who were one and done saying screw that NEVER AGAIN.

+1 for this. I did a rookie CO hunt last year and the deadfall wasn't just intimidating, it was debilitating. And I was in shape, and thought "oh, some deadfall will weed out the lame hunters." Ha! It sucked. SO BAD. We eventually pulled the ripcord and went to another unit. (Then that unit sucked - at least at the time we, and loads of others, were there.) After our trip, I was pretty close to deciding never to go back unless I got an outfitter, on private land, or both. But then time passed, and I want to do it again - somewhere, and maybe even CO again, and maybe even in the same unit. But now I know, or think I know, what I'd be getting into....

Good luck!

 

[Moondoondude]

I'll tell you what I wish someone told me before I went out there. I'm from the East Coast also and I over-thought and over-complicated my first trip out there. Just pick a spot, and go. Don't look too far from the roads, instead look for a lot of spots that are within 2 miles of roads. Stay mobile and go in and check a spot out for sign and then move on if it's not happening and keep going and going and going until you find fresh sign and get into elk. Hit a couple of spots a day or at least plan to, and learn how to call and be in awesome shape. Being in awesome shape really raises your ceiling - and akthough I consider myself in elite shape - I feel like my physical fitness is the most limiting factor in chasing elk. If i was in superman shape, I'd be knocking down giants every time out. Chasing bugles straight uphill through deadfall is tough and elk just move faster than i do.

The dates that you mentioned aren't my favorites, but if that's what you have to work with - know that some of those elk may not be bugling their heads off during the first part of your trip. Don't worry so much about which unit to go to and what you read about a unit, if it's on the internet it is probably all crazy talk anyways. I don't mind finding pressure where there is a lot of sign, because then you can usually take a minute and figure out where the elk would go given that pressure in their preferred area. I have found in OTC Colorado moreover than any other areas, that guys love walking by a good spot to go to an okay spot because the great spot is too close to a trailhead or a road.

In general, look for areas along the western edge of the continental divide if you're stuck on the "which unit" thing. It seems like elk have good densities along the entire continental divide, especially on the western side of it.

 

[Indian Summer]

I’m not gonna say anything about nothing!
The guy wants to come to Colorado and hunt elk

Thousands do it every year. And like you said, many never return

But to be fair... the guy who made this comment kills one every year there!

I’m not looking for anyone’s honey holes but hey Brad can you just tell me where you park! Lol

 

[bascott1]

I’m a novice myself, hunted Colorado 6 times and I ain’t whooped those mtns yet. I run 2 to 3 miles everyday, lift and eat well all year long and those mountains still kick my a**. Get in the best shape of your life and push through till the end. All the e scouting and best unit in the world won’t help you any if your body won’t get you to the elk.

 

[AGPank]

I’d invest in the ElkNut app. You need to spend time learning about elk sounds and practice calling.

Hunting by yourself is romantic until you get a bull down. I’m always amazed how big a bull is and how hard it is to even move one a little to try and dress it. (Study the gutless method, may help).

I’d highly recommend a guided hunt.

 

[HondoArcher]

Lookup Pack wheel or honey badger on Youtube then make one out of an old bicycle fork and a bike rack.

• Search for "Minoura MT-4000SF Front Pannier Rack for Mountain Bikes" on Amazon.
• Put some long cruiser handlebars on it (Amazon - Wald 896 Cruiser Bicycle Gull-Wing Handlebar).
• Search for Roswheel Water-Resistant Bicycle Rear Seat Carrier Bag Double Pannier on Amazon.

Turn the neck around where the handlebars connect. This will make it so you can haul an elk out on your own if you have access to a trail.


It will look something like this:

Check out this video on using bike trailers (25 minutes in).

 

[HondoArcher]

If you want a picture of the one that I built you will have to send me a PM. I will have to take a picture of it since I don't have one on hand.

 

[Wrogers18]

I’d invest in the ElkNut app. You need to spend time learning about elk sounds and practice calling.

Hunting by yourself is romantic until you get a bull down. I’m always amazed how big a bull is and how hard it is to even move one a little to try and dress it. (Study the gutless method, may help).

I’d highly recommend a guided hunt.

Great advice. I Have the elknut app thanks for the suggestion. I also have done the gutless on a bunch of deer to prep for this trip. I understand they are way bigger but I know how to do that method. Great stuff thanks

 

[Wrogers18]

Lookup Pack wheel or honey badger on Youtube then make one out of an old bicycle fork and a bike rack.

• Search for "Minoura MT-4000SF Front Pannier Rack for Mountain Bikes" on Amazon.
• Put some long cruiser handlebars on it (Amazon - Wald 896 Cruiser Bicycle Gull-Wing Handlebar).
• Search for Roswheel Water-Resistant Bicycle Rear Seat Carrier Bag Double Pannier on Amazon.

Turn the neck around where the handlebars connect. This will make it so you can haul an elk out on your own if you have access to a trail.


It will look something like this: View attachment 144178

Check out this video on using bike trailers (25 minutes in).

Awesome man this is a cool trick. Thanks