First Solo Trip - CO 1st Rifle 2018

[AdamW]

Man, I really hesitated to make this thread. May have a mod delete it if I secretly stay home and eat pizza for a week. Just kidding. To be honest, it's about half to start/share another "noob goes elk hunting" report and half to get some last minute tips and encouragement from Rokslide in the last few nerve-racking days. Maybe this will be useful to someone down the road.

In 2016 my buddy Ross aka redmech and I made our first Colorado 1st rifle hunt. Great trip but a skunker as far as elk goes. That thread is here Ross and Adam: First CO Elk Hunt Planning Thread . Ross has a big project on his plate this fall, so I 100% understood when he hesitantly said he was passing this year. I went ahead and put in for the draw and drew my bull elk tag. I had until 30 days before the season to get a refund and it took me up the the end to decide I was going.

I've learned a ton from Rokslide about the realities of hunting solo, but there is intimidation still there for sure; lots of unknowns. A couple awesome members have even shared some info via PM and phone calls. I've thought, planned, repeat about the solo end of it and the trip in general. Redundant critical items, weather potential, vehicle prep, emergency contact and checking in, navigation, how far I'm willing to go from the truck or trail, potentially packing a bull out solo. I hesitate to say "everything" but maybe "a lot".

One gut punch has been the number of naysayers projecting their every fear on me when they hear I'm hunting the mountains solo. A tiny handful have been encouraging, fortunately one of them is my wife, which is huge to me. She lost her dad in a boating accident as a kid so me coming home is a big deal .There are a lot of dream crushers out there, I'll just leave that at that.

My priorities: 1) come home safe 2) enjoy myself 3) kill my first bull. In that order.

I've done the online research, covered those bases well. It's a new unit and all I can do is e-scout with my limited knowledge, so some of my biggest unknowns are:

1. Narrowing down the exact spots I want to start hunting, glassing locations, set up camp etc. (feel really weak in this area)
2. How to most effectively use my 2 scouting days.
3. Access and road conditions. They just vary so much from area to area.
4. What the area will actually look like vs e-scouting.
5. Unknown hunting pressure and where I'll run in to the most camps/hunters.

Almost time to get after it. Hopefully some good pics to follow. Good luck to all of you and be safe.

 

[MO_flatlander]

Randy Newberg did a big series on YouTube on e-scouting with onx maps. Start there.

Send an email now to the closest Dow office to the area you will be hunting, or call them Monday. They should be able to get you in contact with a biologist for the area to confirm areas of interest. Might also help with road conditions.

Good luck! We leave Wednesday for our first attempt at elk. So the fact that you have been once before is already a leg up on us!

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[elkduds]

I've been hunting solo (mostly) for 20 years. Don't sweat it. RE internet scouting: google the unit # and read what others have written about it, along w map scouting. Check internet maps that show seasonal elk usage and migration:

Colorado Parks and Wildlife Atlas

Scouting in person: Get really high (pun intended) and let your optics do the walking. Most important times for glassing are 1st and last light. The rest of the time, hike through the likeliest spots you identified by online scouting, looking for sign. The fresher the better. Pray for snow, enough to track and make game more visible. You might hear bugling, it might be elk.

Have the equipment and skills to get one out if you succeed. No sense hunting in places you can't get one out of.

Good luck!

 

[Back Country Hunter 2]

Hunting solo is better to me than the alternative, not going hunting. I hunted all of 4th season (5 days) last year by myself. I came home and felt like I had forgotten how to talk to people lol. What really helped me was coming back to the tent each night and listening to the radio and satellite texting my wife on my Inreach. I didn't have cell phone service. I never once thought of going home early. I love elk hunting and I was doing what I love. There is a chance of snow the week before in some units. I don't know what type of terrain you are hunting, but finding their tracks at a certain elevation isn't the worse place to start. I'll be out during 1st season as well trying to get a couple buddies their first elk. Good luck!

 

[AdamW]

Thanks guys! I've already covered my bases on all the recommendations above so that's reassuring! I definitely feel like I've been putting in the prep work, but the first solo trip feels like the first-first trip did. Fortunately I had the big ginger on that one to dag me along!

 

[netman]

Get there a few days early to acclimate and then go have fun. I did a solo 14 day to Colorado recently and all went well.
I’m still in Wyoming right now butheaded home tomorrow and have been here several days. I’m tagged out and picking my meat up tomorrow then setting the cruise control for 21 hour trip home.
Solo hunting is great!

 

[netman]

Oh then I head back to Colorado for October 20 th mule deer hunt at 10,000+
Can’t wait.

 

[Wapiti66]

Continue to scout online until you leave. Don't pay much attention to the anxiety of going solo for the first time, stay focused on the hunt. Hunt within your limitations and have fun.

 

[Newtosavage]

I have hunted solo for about 1/2 of the past 4 years, and I was a rookie elk hunter during that time. Don't sweat it. Just do what you think you can handle, and enjoy the process. That's what I did. I never put myself at risk at any time, but I also saw plenty of great country and had a LOT of peace and quiet that I found I desperately needed.

Have fun!

 

[davsco]

here in nw colo for my first elk hunt, first rifle. lots of rain after apparently a long drought. came within a millimeter of having my 4wd truck go off the side of a dirt road. started going up it, found it too steep and muddy, started backing down (slowly) but with the angled road it slid left and the front wheel was all but off the side. threw a bunch of rocks under it, let half the air out of my rear tires and somehow made it down and out. scouting has kinda sucked as there has been lots of fog with the cold rain.

 

[AdamW]

Good stuff guys, I’ve been putting in the work and effort for several months, just shaking off that last minute angst. Ready to get on the road!

Davsco I’ve heard about the rain, be careful up there!

 

[Elkfitness]

Enjoy! Don’t worry about he naysayers. I’ve hunted elk solo my whole life (44 yrs old this fall) and there is always someone who questions my sanity, safety, etc....

My tip would be to always take the safer route, and realize that you need to be able to get an animal out from wherever you kill it.

Have fun and enjoy!


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[Newtosavage]

Enjoy! Don’t worry about he naysayers. I’ve hunted elk solo my whole life (44 yrs old this fall) and there is always someone who questions my sanity, safety, etc....

My tip would be to always take the safer route, and realize that you need to be able to get an animal out from wherever you kill it.

Have fun and enjoy!


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Great advice.

 

[tdhanses]

Only diff hunting solo is there is nobody to talk to, it isn’t any more safe with a partner. Have fun and enjoy yourself, the drive there is the most dangerous part of the hunt

 

[rayporter]

the drive out is the worst -hunting is a piece of cake.

just go.

the important thing is to go on the first solo trip.

 

[Peaks&Creeks]

Hunting solo is something I prefer over hunting with partners. I feel I can accomplish a lot more and there is no one to tell you that your idea is a bad one. Something that helps me in the evening while I go to sleep is downloading some podcasts to fall asleep to. This gets away that empty feeling of nobody to talk to. While I’m out hunting I’m always having a good time and don’t miss hunting partners at all. Go have a great time, you’re either gonna love it or hate it, but at least you’ll know which you prefer.


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[Battletoad]

I did my first solo hunt last year and would really prefer to never do one again. With that being said, I came home with a 6x7 bull, and a great sense of accomplishment. Definitely better than not hunting.

 

[5MilesBack]

Solo is great. It's you versus the wilderness.........or the wilderness versus you depending on how you look at it. Embrace it......and learn. It will make you better not only in hunting, but in life as well. Being alone.....there is no chance that your partner is weak and abandons you anytime through the process. Go, and have fun. Make the best of it, and you may even come home with coolers full of elk.

 

[OFFHNTN]

The last several posts are what I would say as well.
Just go, you will earn a lot about yourself, solo for days clears your mind. As stated, take the safe way whether it's around a deadfall or over a rock, etc. Get a Garmin inReach for peace of mind.
Good luck!

 

[Bob92057]

Been there done that in Colorado 2 years ago in the mud. Almost lost my truck over the side. Play it safe. Good luck.