Colorado First Rifle Advice Requested

[sawmillholler]

Hello!

I am new to this forum. My son has missed the past few hunting seasons due to deployment with the Army and this year he is going to be able to go so we have planned an elk & bear hunt in Colorado during the first rifle season in October. We drew elk tags for GMUs 521, 411, 41, 42, 421, and 52. We've been doing a lot of e-scouting and he is doing some boots on the ground scouting there over a few weekends this summer (he's stationed at Ft Carson). We've been looking at a few spots in 42 and 421. I'm not asking for anyone's honey holes or anything, but does anyone have any advice on these GMUs as far as a place to maybe get started looking or the others we have a tag for? I really want to get him into a place with a decent chance since he's missed so many hunts. I want his first hunt back to be memorable. Thanks in advance for any insight you can share.

Again, to reiterate, I am NOT asking for anyone's secret spot or for you to tell us exactly where to go. We're just hoping for a general area where we can scout and drill down from there. Thanks so much!

 

[bnsafe]

I know nothing about those units, but please pass along our thanks for his service. Best of luck

 

[sawmillholler]

I know nothing about those units, but please pass along our thanks for his service. Best of luck

I will. Thank you!

 

[kcm2]

Elk bed on north slopes most of the time, at least in Colorado. Find beds, and escape routes. Watch the escape routes, preferably from more than 100 yds away. I've killed 14 elk off one ridge that way.

 

[sawmillholler]

Elk bed on north slopes most of the time, at least in Colorado. Find beds, and escape routes. Watch the escape routes, preferably from more than 100 yds away. I've killed 14 elk off one ridge that way.

Thank you for the advice!

 

[HNTR918]

If you have the time. Take a 3 day weekend the weekend before the opener. Hike to high points where you can glass north facing slopes. Glass from a new location before dawn, and then a different location after dusk. Make sure you are changing locations during daytime. You have ~1 hour window in which the elk light up, after that they are in the dark timber all day and you'll never glass them. Do this for 3 days after some good E-scouting and you'll have an opening day game plan.

 

[sawmillholler]

If you have the time. Take a 3 day weekend the weekend before the opener. Hike to high points where you can glass north facing slopes. Glass from a new location before dawn, and then a different location after dusk. Make sure you are changing locations during daytime. You have ~1 hour window in which the elk light up, after that they are in the dark timber all day and you'll never glass them. Do this for 3 days after some good E-scouting and you'll have an opening day game plan.

Thank you for the advice. We’ll do that for sure! Good luck this season!


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