Colorado OTC NON RESIDENT

[Jqualls]

Possible yes. If you are a resident who has spent several years getting to know an area definitely possible. As a resident or non resident without either good inside knowledge or lots of time in the area very unlikely and will likely be more luck then anything. One would be lucky to get into any elk in this situation.

 

[5MilesBack]

Coordinates? Well I’m just looking for the unit and general area, so he should have no problem posting that on the forum.

My unit was I25W if I remember correctly........as opposed to unit I25E.

 

[ScreamingPotato]

Coordinates? Well I’m just looking for the unit and general area, so he should have no problem posting that on the forum. I’m not looking for honey holes you know, just a consistent shot at a 270 class bull in an OTC unit within 300 yards of the truck. Not a honey hole.

I had a nice long reply typed out, THEN caught the sarcasm. Had to delete it real fast LOL

 

[dacd4134]

I had a nice long reply typed out, THEN caught the sarcasm. Had to delete it real fast LOL

Well, at least one of us saw it...

 

[Wildatheart]

Good stuff, Exactly the replies I wanted. Yeah that goes with most OTC hunting. Time & research & luck & hard work from my experiences.

 

[sneaky]

Here are a couple 270"+ bulls my son and I killed - no more than 300yds from the truck - Colorado OTC public land.

And lots of raghorns and cows

Careful, there'll be ten GPS trackers on your truck lol

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[hobbes]

They are hiding behind 1 in 10 trees within 5 miles of most wilderness trailheads. That increases to 1 in 4 trees if you hike 10 miles. They practically climb into your pack if you hike 15 miles.

Just because it's possible doesn't mean it's probable. Is it possible.....of course. But......The probability of a NR shooting a 250 inch bull in a week sucks. If a NR is only looking for a high probability, they should look for something other than elk or go on an outfitter hunt on a private ranch.

 

[njdoxie]

Alright guys,
I would appreciate input from anyone who has done this. Resident or non resident. OTC ELK in Colorado. Realistically, within a week on public land and in the OTC units can a man Kill a bull elk over 250 inches?

Possible yes, but highly unlikely, unless you know the unit and hunt durn hard. You would do well to get any legal bull.




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[jeastin880]

Here are a couple 270"+ bulls my son and I killed - no more than 300yds from the truck - Colorado OTC public land.

And lots of raghorns and cows


Sweet Photos.. Nice Hunting there.

My son and I are going on our first CO elk hunt this year. OTC We have been putting in the work. Its a hunt of a lifetime for us. God willing, safe adventures on our hunt!

 

[Flatland Newbie]

following

 

[Huge_tacticles]

I was hoping to go with my dad on our first archery elk hunt. As a non res on my first hunt it sounds as though I might as well rent a camp site and just camp in the mountains as shooting at elk seems less likely than winning the powerball.

 

[5MilesBack]

I was hoping to go with my dad on our first archery elk hunt. As a non res on my first hunt it sounds as though I might as well rent a camp site and just camp in the mountains as shooting at elk seems less likely than winning the powerball.

No need to "rent" a camp site. Just hike in and set up camp for free.

 

[juan trueno]

No better way to beat the “backcountry” crowds than KOA.

 

[TradAg02]

I was hoping to go with my dad on our first archery elk hunt. As a non res on my first hunt it sounds as though I might as well rent a camp site and just camp in the mountains as shooting at elk seems less likely than winning the powerball.

Shooting any elk is much different than shooting a bull above “x” score. Though you need to go in with realistic expectations. If killing an elk is what is going to make the trip a success you may be better off in a KOA and saving the tag money.


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[homebru.trout]

Coming in cold and killing a bull (any bull) will involve more luck than anything as others have posted. However there's a ton of stuff you can do before arriving to stack the deck in your favor and increase your odds.

First and foremost be in shape and be prepared. Mountain hunting is the new freaking hoola-hoop so plenty of info out there on that.

Google "randy newberg e-scouting" (or just start here:

) and watch his video series. Do what he says.

Go here: https://cpw.state.co.us/thingstodo/Pages/BigGame.aspx . Scour the hunting statistics and success rates, look at the regional hunt guides, and use the hunting atlas.

After that you can begin to formulate a plan. Target an OTC unit or block of units and use what you've learned to find likely areas and plan out how you're going to cover them.

After all that its a solid maybe with a shoulder shrug thrown in for good measure.

If I was targeting a specfiic type of animal in terms of quality I'd expect to be in a unit 3 seasons or so before I had what I felt were good odds.

 

[Btaylor]

Coming in cold and killing a bull (any bull) will involve more luck than anything as others have posted. However there's a ton of stuff you can do before arriving to stack the deck in your favor and increase your odds.

First and foremost be in shape and be prepared. Mountain hunting is the new freaking hoola-hoop so plenty of info out there on that.

Google "randy newberg e-scouting" (or just start here:

) and watch his video series. Do what he says.

Go here: https://cpw.state.co.us/thingstodo/Pages/BigGame.aspx . Scour the hunting statistics and success rates, look at the regional hunt guides, and use the hunting atlas.

After that you can begin to formulate a plan. Target an OTC unit or block of units and use what you've learned to find likely areas and plan out how you're going to cover them.

After all that its a solid maybe with a shoulder shrug thrown in for good measure.

If I was targeting a specfiic type of animal in terms of quality I'd expect to be in a unit 3 seasons or so before I had what I felt were good odds.

So you are saying since this will be my 4th trip to same area I should expect a shot at an average 300" bull, freakin sweet!!

 

[1shotgear]

Alright guys,
I would appreciate input from anyone who has done this. Resident or non resident. OTC ELK in Colorado. Realistically, within a week on public land and in the OTC units can a man Kill a bull elk over 250 inches? And if he can, is he the man who trekked In the furthest and hunted the longest. Or was he smart and knows where the elk hold up in the small drainages between all the human activity?

Or a little bit of both and some luck? Which have you personally had success with the most with bulk elk over 250.

I have my own opinions on this and have spent time in areas NOT in Colorado where I have witnessed the activity of these elk. But would like some feedback.

I have never hunted Colorado and I will be hunting Colorado this fall.

It is a very good possibility that you can harvest a 270"+ bull in Colorado. The moisture so far has been amazing, making antler growth way better than the previous years. The only problem with an OTC unit is people. It doesn't matter how far you hike in you will most likely see people. It takes hard work, and luck to harvest a OTC Colorado Bull.

 

[brn2hnt]

May be the odd one out here, but I definitely don’t think it’s as big of a task as it’s made out to be. Especially 3rd season. Bulls are harder to find, but easy to kill then.

Look for units that border draw units, and that have good broken terrain for glassing. Nothing but solid dark timber is no good.

Have a game plan for days 1-3 that only changes if you see a big bull, then switch to where you have seen the most sign. Using the CPW maps and making sure your spots are lined up at different elevations along the migration concentrations.


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[ScreamingPotato]

May be the odd one out here, but I definitely don’t think it’s as big of a task as it’s made out to be. Especially 3rd season. Bulls are harder to find, but easy to kill then.

Can I come hunt with you.

 

[dr.mooseknuckles]

If I can do it on my first go, anyone can. My bull only measured 263" though