First Rifle Elk in Colorado - Need Advice

[Packmansion]

Hey everyone,

I am new to elk hunting. I am in decent shape. I have no problem doing long hikes to retrieve an Elk. My wife can help me pack out the meat but her carrying capacity is limited. I scouted my gmu 3 weekends in September. Went out hunting. I never saw one elk scouting or hunting. I saw elk crap but mostly old, I saw much more mule deer crap. My scouting strategy was just getting on high points early morning and late afternoon. I spent most of my time at 11,000 ft. I saw Mule deer and pronghorn. I do not have an ATV. One of the things I noticed was I was really constrained to the roads. Is that a huge disadvantage?

Is an ATV a good investment for elk hunting? The gmu I was in has lots of ATV trails that I cannot access.

How far off a road do I need to be willing to hike in to take an Elk?

Should I spend more time hiking in and looking for sign on the ground?

Any additional advice would be appreciated!

 

[enbhunts]

What season are you hunting?

 

[KsRancher]

I don't understand. 1st rifle is draw only and not valid during 2nd and 3rd.

 

[trophyhill]

Lmao 30 miles a day in the CO Rockies

 

[11boo]

Lmao 30 miles a day in the CO Rockies

Happens all the time, Bro.

 

[Next Ridge]

You can get 1st rifle and an OTC tag

They are both A tags, can’t do.

 

[Packmansion]

They are both A tags, can’t do.

my wife can still get an OTC

 

[RussDXT]

In that case my wife can still get an OTC

So you’ll hunt your wife’s tag?

 

[11boo]

If you can burn up 30 miles a day with that 40# pack, you definitely do not need an ATV.

 

[trophyhill]

what is funny about that? I have done it multiple time backpacking with a 40 pound bag. If you spread it out over 16 hours its not bad. Most folks are atrophied from sitting in chairs all day. I live next to a mountain and hike every afternoon uphill for an hour straight.

Sure pal. Whatever you say lol……

 

[S-3 ranch]

30 miles per day is pretty stout ! Enough food would be the 40lbs pack challenge for a 4 day trip
and humping out the meat

 

[NickyD]

Hey everyone,

I am new to elk hunting. I am in decent shape, hiking 30 miles in a day even with a pack is not off the table for me. I scouted 68/681 3 weekends in September. I drove around on all the roads. Glassed from high points. I saw shit loads of pronghorn at 10,000 and 11,000 ft elevation really anywhere there was a patch of grass, pronghorn. I saw a few mule deer here and there in the mornings and evenings. I did not see one elk. I hiked into La Garita, no Elk. I spent most of my time deep in 68 between salt house and La Garita. I was on average somewhere between 10,000 and 11,000 ft elevation. Everyone of my hunter friends kept saying they must be up higher. I do not have an ATV or dirt bike so my abilities to get out and see a lot of land is a bit hindered. My wife is pretty cool and she tags along so if I get an elk I can debone it and do a little butchering in the field to split the load between us. I get the feeling 68 is heavily pressured and the ELK are hiding somewhere where even if I wanted to get to them it would be futile because I can only carry so much meat so far. Any advice? Thanks in advance for taking the time to help! I am definitely open to other units...

I am not looking for someone to tell me where the ELK are I am more so looking for tips on strategy. Should I even be in a place like 68. Should I keep at it or move on to anew GMU? Do I need to just spend more time out there? Should I consider investing in an ATV to expand my scouting opportunities? So please don't yell at me haha.

If you’re covering 30 miles a day in elk country you must be finding sign. Find the concentration of (fresh) sign and then you’ll find the elk if you slow down.

This is my 5th year of hunting and only now am I consistently getting into elk. It takes time to figure it out

 

[Packmansion]

Sure pal. Whatever you say lol……

I think you miss interpreted what I said. I asked for advice on hunting elk.

 

[Packmansion]

If you’re covering 30 miles a day in elk country you must be finding sign. Find the concentration of (fresh) sign and then you’ll find the elk if you slow down.

This is my 5th year of hunting and only now am I consistently getting into elk. It takes time to figure it out

Thanks for the advice. To clarify I'm not covering 30 miles a day. 30 miles is my limit. I had not been focused previously looking for sign. I was just hitting high points and glassing. Makes sense to get into potential feeding, watering areas to look for sign. I only did this on my last day of hunting.

 

[Packmansion]

So you’ll hunt your wife’s tag?

So my wife will hunt her tag

 

[Hnthrdr]

You can purchase unlimited OTC tags (2nd, 3rd) in Colorado whenever. I also live in Colorado. So if I want to give it another go. 68/681 are OTC.

No go brother man, you get 1, A list tag a year per species, your 1st rifle tag was an A list tag…

Also if you start in Bonanza, head south to Sagauche for lunch, then south west to storm king mountain. That is 30 ish miles you should run into elk somewhere along that route

 

[Packmansion]

30 miles per day is pretty stout ! Enough food would be the 40lbs pack challenge for a 4 day trip
and humping out the meat

I think you misread my original post. 30 miles in A day is not out of the question. Not per day.

 

[Hnthrdr]

I think you misread my original post. 30 miles in A day is not out of the question. Not per day.

I think guys are laughing cause if you are doing 30 miles a day in elk country you aren’t hunting you are through hiking… even through hiking you gotta be some kind of cag operator to be humping 40lbs, 30 miles through the Rocky Mountains, I know some freaks that can do 10-15 miles a day and keep it up for a few days

 

[Hnthrdr]

Like I said A day. I'm not out hiking 30 miles everyday. My limit is 30 miles with 40# on trails. So if I get an elk it's gotta be within 2 miles of a road if I'm going to do 4 trips. If I do 30 miles with 40# I'm going to be spent the next day. If I get an elk I will have to carry more and I will have to be off trails. I was trying to lay out my constraints. This is just turned into a total waste of a post. The folks on this forum are really hit or miss.

Alright, that sounds more reasonable, I guess don’t expect too much man. A lot of guys myself included have hunting spots in the units you mention. We aren’t going to burn spots that we have worked our butts off to figure out… the internet is chalk full info on where to go/ look during different seasons

 

[svivian]

I was trying to lay out my constraints. This is just a total waste of a post.

Fixed it for you