Elk hunting tactics/logistics/advice

[sndmn11]

What do you mean by it should start now?

You two will learn more about elk and deer by being out now and understanding where they end up after being pressured. This will be better for a third and fourth season rifle hunter than pre season scouting.

Apply as individuals.

Forget the bear tags.

Forget backpacking.

Learn to use glass.

Learn to take 90 degree turns.

Good luck.

 

[TitsMcGee]

Btw not to be a jerk but if you didn’t know why PP or the OTC tags were you need to read the book again. That should have been known especially if you’ve done research on 60% units

All right I read through it again. I'm going to ask you because well I can right now, and you seem to be pretty familiar. I'd appreciate the clarification here.

1) During the primary or secondary draw I can put down that I want a preference point first, and then still apply for high % draw odd units, so that I can bank a PP, and still hunt a unit that I choose?

2) Say I enter the primary draw, and I get a Class A tag(let's say Bull Elk GMU 42 S2), can I enter the secondary draw, left over, or even go OTC for a Class B tag (Cow Elk GMU 42 S3)? Could I just put in for a PP then get very lucky with left over tags and snag a Class A and B(or 2 B's)? Should I even bother doing this or just keep it simple and go OTC?

3) About OTC tags, when you said there are OTC tags available for over half the state (assuming mostly West of I-25 here), if I go to the store, or online, or whatever and get an OTC tag instead of trying the draw process. Are those available for specific GMU's or (I'm looking at page 40 here) all of the yellow highlighted units are eligible to be hunted with an OTC tag? As in if I get an OTC tag I can hunt most of the states GMU's with the OTC tag instead of applying for and being restricted to say 2-5 gmu's by entering the draw?

 

[TitsMcGee]

Learn to take 90 degree turns.

Good luck.

Like physically turning 90 degrees when walking? wtf are you talking about man

 

[BigAntlerGetter]

All right I read through it again. I'm going to ask you because well I can right now, and you seem to be pretty familiar. I'd appreciate the clarification here.

1) During the primary or secondary draw I can put down that I want a preference point first, and then still apply for high % draw odd units, so that I can bank a PP, and still hunt a unit that I choose?

2) Say I enter the primary draw, and I get a Class A tag(let's say Bull Elk GMU 42 S2), can I enter the secondary draw, left over, or even go OTC for a Class B tag (Cow Elk GMU 42 S3)? Could I just put in for a PP then get very lucky with left over tags and snag a Class A and B(or 2 B's)? Should I even bother doing this or just keep it simple and go OTC?

3) About OTC tags, when you said there are OTC tags available for over half the state (assuming mostly West of I-25 here), if I go to the store, or online, or whatever and get an OTC tag instead of trying the draw process. Are those available for specific GMU's or (I'm looking at page 40 here) all of the yellow highlighted units are eligible to be hunted with an OTC tag? As in if I get an OTC tag I can hunt most of the states GMU's with the OTC tag instead of applying for and being restricted to say 2-5 gmu's by entering the draw?

1. Yes that is correct for the first (primary draw), th secondary draw will not let you bank a PP or use pp

2. Can have easily 1 class A and 1 class B tag for each species. Personally I apply for a PP then second choice 3rd rifle cow and buy an otc bull tag 3rd rifle. Works for me every single year in my unit.

3. Yea you are correct the OTC tag for bull covers all those units listed on the map. It will give you more freedom of more areas to choose from. Your typical cow tag is going to put you into a select 1 or 2 units.


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[TitsMcGee]

@BigAntlerGetter thanks man. I know most people probably just prioritize units closer to home but I'm in Colorado Springs, and I feel like most good hunting units are west of the mountains. So it's going to take a bit of travel anyways. I'm going to try prioritizing a balance of amount of elk harvested# and harvest rate%, and amount of public land available.

If you were to branch out from your typical unit are there magic numbers you're looking for? Like >60% public land, should I even consider harvest%? I saw some units have over 40% harvest rates but usually low harvest#, a lot of that could just be private land.

 

[justinspicher]

If you’re in Colorado Springs you have Pike and Routt NF close enough to start scouting for this season. There’s no reason to drive past elk to go find elk. All that time driving could be spent in the woods learning your area.

I’d suggest as a resident, start building points and learn to hunt via otc tags. Theres no guarantee you’ll draw a tag every year.

 

[TitsMcGee]

There’s no reason to drive past elk to go find elk.

I haven’t been here long, I hadn’t seen any yet, that’s good to know! I’ll look into those areas thank you. I agree that building up points starting now is a good idea.

 

[BigAntlerGetter]

@BigAntlerGetter thanks man. I know most people probably just prioritize units closer to home but I'm in Colorado Springs, and I feel like most good hunting units are west of the mountains. So it's going to take a bit of travel anyways. I'm going to try prioritizing a balance of amount of elk harvested# and harvest rate%, and amount of public land available.

If you were to branch out from your typical unit are there magic numbers you're looking for? Like >60% public land, should I even consider harvest%? I saw some units have over 40% harvest rates but usually low harvest#, a lot of that could just be private land.

To be perfectly honest with you, I’d quit worrying as much about researching success rates an hunters and all that, and I would be learning as much as I possibly can about elk hunting, gear and the back country. A first time elk hunter is gonna have probably less opportunity with a highly researched unit based on odds and success, as someone who focuses on learning elk, focusing on learning as much as possible in the woods etc. I hunted a heavily hunted otc unit for years and still do now and I run about a 90% success rate. Yes I know the unit but at first I knew elk and knew how to look for elk habitat.


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[TitsMcGee]

To be perfectly honest with you, I’d quit worrying as much about researching success rates an hunters and all that, and I would be learning as much as I possibly can about elk hunting, gear and the back country.

I’ve got lighterpack(weights aren't accurate but just in case you're curious here it is), and although some of shit is pretty heavy I think I’m covered on the gear front. It’s the hands-on experience part that I need which is why I’m trying to go as much as we can this year.

I’ve read they stick to elevation bands dependent on temperature, warmer=higher. When looking at topo maps you can sort of gauge where they’re likely to travel through if you try to imagine a highway. That they like North facing slopes for bedding with veg nearby for food and cover. Juniper, sagebrush, those kinds of brush. Usually but not necessarily close to a water source and that they’ll find water sources no map shows so don’t focus too much on water proximity. Also proximity to roads & trails/pressure - the further the better(for them).

Is most of that bs or should I utilize some of it with skepticism?

 

[justinspicher]

Nothing beats boots on the ground experience.

 

[Fool-hearted Footslogger]

Being it's your first ever elk hunt you have to start somewhere. Getting experience anyway you can may be the single most important factor early on. Five years from now you'll look back and realize how much you've learned. It's always a big help to have a good hunting pardner you can share the experience with and at times, if you're lucky, lighten the load too. Find a hunt you can both draw and go for it. Get your boots dirty and mix it up. Don't listen to all the hype and gear heads. Just go. I've been at this for a spell so I'll tell you this hunting is a lifestyle and highly addicting at that. If you find you like it start thinking long term. Come up with a simple multi-state strategy that will keep you in the field year after year. If you stay in this long enough you'll want to branch out from CO. Hunting others states is a lot of fun.

 

[Mighty Mouse]

1) During the primary or secondary draw I can put down that I want a preference point first, and then still apply for high % draw odd units, so that I can bank a PP, and still hunt a unit that I choose?

That is possible, just be aware that you can only draw a tag on 2nd choice if there are tags remaining after everybody who applied for that tag as their 1st choice has been satisfied. Each choice is effectively a separate draw. CPW looks at everyone's 1st choice and awards tags up to the quota limit (starting with applicants with the most preference points and working down). After the 1st choice draw is complete, any tags remaining are awarded to the applicants who applied for those tags as their 2nd choice. The process then gets repeated for 3rd and 4th choice. Last year's draw report will give you a good idea of whether or not you'll have a legitimate chance of drawing any given tag on 2nd choice. Any tag that says "drawn out at" Choice 2, Choice 3, Choice 4, or Leftover should be within reach again this year as your 2nd choice.

 

[Next Ridge]

All right I read through it again. I'm going to ask you because well I can right now, and you seem to be pretty familiar. I'd appreciate the clarification here.

1) During the primary or secondary draw I can put down that I want a preference point first, and then still apply for high % draw odd units, so that I can bank a PP, and still hunt a unit that I choose?

2) Say I enter the primary draw, and I get a Class A tag(let's say Bull Elk GMU 42 S2), can I enter the secondary draw, left over, or even go OTC for a Class B tag (Cow Elk GMU 42 S3)? Could I just put in for a PP then get very lucky with left over tags and snag a Class A and B(or 2 B's)? Should I even bother doing this or just keep it simple and go OTC?

3) About OTC tags, when you said there are OTC tags available for over half the state (assuming mostly West of I-25 here), if I go to the store, or online, or whatever and get an OTC tag instead of trying the draw process. Are those available for specific GMU's or (I'm looking at page 40 here) all of the yellow highlighted units are eligible to be hunted with an OTC tag? As in if I get an OTC tag I can hunt most of the states GMU's with the OTC tag instead of applying for and being restricted to say 2-5 gmu's by entering the draw?

A few things that seem worth pointing out.
CO is a preference point not a bonus point system. So if you do not have the points to draw a unit you have 0% chance of drawing. You need to research this to see how many points a unit is likely to take to draw.

PostDrawRecapReport_ELK-25_05172025_0612.pdf

cpw.widen.net

Google Colorado deer statistics to get the deer draw recap.


Second, look at page 40 of the brochure, all of the orange shaded units are OTC bull elk tags. You don’t need to apply for those. But those are the only OTC rifle tags. That means there’s no OTC class B GMU 42, S3 tag - that tag is class B but it’s not OTC.