Gaining Elk experience

[ElkFantastic]

About 3 months ago, I moved to Northern New Mexico. Since I was not able to apply as a resident in New Mexico, I decided to try my luck in Colorado as a non resident. I ended up getting drawn for antlered Elk tag first rifle season in Unit 77 with 0 points. I plan to visit Unit 77 a couple times this summer to scout, and also before the first rifle seasons begins. My question is, if I should scout some of the Northern New Mexico areas to try and "learn" more about elk, since I have zero experience with Elk or this type of hunting. Additionally, I am thinking that this should somewhat physically prepare me for some of the hiking and higher elevations. Is this a bad idea, or should I just focus my time in Unit 77 and internet research?

I have been reading the forums here to learn as much as I can, and soon I plan to look through the classified forums to buy needed equipment. Feel free to also comment on suggestions, they are greatly appreciated.

 

[Dave_S]

Scouting where you plan to hunt beats scouting somewhere else. At the very least you gain specific ideas of the terrain and how you might hunt it, where you might camp or park, etc. If you don't have experience at elevation, get as fit as you can, anyway you can.

 

[Poser]

The more time you can spend in elk country, the more you will learn about elk. I routinely scout and glass areas, units and parts of units I have no intention of ever hunting. Also, there is no better fitness preparation for hunting elk then getting out and hiking the terrain they live in.

 

[elkliver]

Spending time locally hiking in Elk country will teach you a lot. Im assuming that you would be able to get out on a more regular basis. Yes, a scouting trip would be a really good idea and you should still do it. But if you dont have any experience hunting elk, Time in the Woods is huge. Elk still behave like Elk, no matter where they live. Go for a hike, look for sign. Find spots to glass.... look at aerials in Colorado and look for simlar terrain or habitat

 

[ElkFantastic]

Scouting where you plan to hunt beats scouting somewhere else. At the very least you gain specific ideas of the terrain and how you might hunt it, where you might camp or park, etc. If you don't have experience at elevation, get as fit as you can, anyway you can.

When I scout the unit, I plan to look for areas that I can park/camp. I’ll definitely make sure to have a few different options in case one area isn’t good or not accessible.

I’m in okay(ish) shape, I can definitely hike 10+ miles and bike 60+ miles at 7000’+ elevation. Although I need to drop 30lbs, so it doesn’t feel like I’m hiking with a weighted vest.

 

[ElkFantastic]

The more time you can spend in elk country, the more you will learn about elk. I routinely scout and glass areas, units and parts of units I have no intention of ever hunting. Also, there is no better fitness preparation for hunting elk then getting out and hiking the terrain they live in.

I plan to spend every 2-3 weeks in Elk country so I can learn more about Elk. Hopefully when my hunt begins, I will be more knowledgeable.

 

[ElkFantastic]

Spending time locally hiking in Elk country will teach you a lot. Im assuming that you would be able to get out on a more regular basis. Yes, a scouting trip would be a really good idea and you should still do it. But if you dont have any experience hunting elk, Time in the Woods is huge. Elk still behave like Elk, no matter where they live. Go for a hike, look for sign. Find spots to glass.... look at aerials in Colorado and look for simlar terrain or habitat

I have onX, so I will be using this as a tool to determine what are some potential good areas. Since I only live around 1-2 hours from Elk country, I should be able to get out there more often.

The only thing I am unsure about is buying some 15x binoculars. I currently own 10x42 binoculars, but unsure if I need more magnification for spotting Elk at a distance.

 

[coyoteman]

High magnification binos are nice but you can probably glass elk farther away than you could get to in a day with those 10s. If you have most of the other gear covered with good equipment, especially a nice pack, then go and and buy the binos

 

[Maverick1]

About 3 months ago, I moved to Northern New Mexico. Since I was not able to apply as a resident in New Mexico, I decided to try my luck in Colorado as a non resident. I ended up getting drawn for antlered Elk tag first rifle season in Unit 77 with 0 points. I plan to visit Unit 77 a couple times this summer to scout, and also before the first rifle seasons begins. My question is, if I should scout some of the Northern New Mexico areas to try and "learn" more about elk, since I have zero experience with Elk or this type of hunting. Additionally, I am thinking that this should somewhat physically prepare me for some of the hiking and higher elevations. Is this a bad idea, or should I just focus my time in Unit 77 and internet research?

I have been reading the forums here to learn as much as I can, and soon I plan to look through the classified forums to buy needed equipment. Feel free to also comment on suggestions, they are greatly appreciated.

Early on in my elk hunting journey I had an experience that taught me a lot about elk vocalizations and behavior. One morning in my second or third year of elk hunting I hunted up the mountainside looking for elk. No luck. About the time the morning hunt was over, I laid down on the ground to take a rest and maybe a nap. About 20 minutes later a whole herd moved in and bedded down about 75-100 yards away. I spent the better part of that day just watching and listening to the herd of elk. Talking back and forth, chirping, walking around, and being quiet. That was a tremendous learning experience.

Lessons learned/transferable to your situation.
The best way to learn about elk - is to be around elk.
The best way to get in shape to hike the mountain - is to hike in the mountains.

Spend as much time around elk and in the mountains as possible. You don’t have a tag in NM, so you aren’t going to hurt anything or mess up an area you plan to hunt.

I would not bother scouting in CO. Come September or October, the elk patterns could change significantly from what you find this summer. I’d just go to an area close by with a very high population of elk and try to find them and learn as much as possible. And hike the soles off your boots getting in shape.

Good luck!

 

[jgilber5]

Depending on which side of Santa Fe you're on, you are closer to good elk country than you think...

Spending time in the Pecos watching elk would be pretty good prep for 77. I think 77 gets a bit more pressure so just factor that in as you make your observations too. You may also consider hanging out in places like the Valles Caldera or Valle Vidal for a weekend and just watching elk be elk. Again, remember the pressure situation is entirely different but its the same animal. I'm in northern NM as well and hunt NM and CO. Feel free to PM me if you want to bounce ideas around.

 

[DLSJR]

You’ve got a good plan. Spending time hiking and scouting this summer will benefit you by getting in better shape, learning the types of habitat elk prefer and more than anything, being around elk to listen to them and see how they act. You definitely want to make a trip to your Colorado unit at least once to check out different areas, see the terrain first hand and experience the altitude. I think spending as much time as you can in the elk woods in New Mexico will be a huge benefit, both for this years Colorado hunt and future New Mexico elk hunts.

If you want to learn about elk & elk hunting there is nothing that’ll benefit you more than actual time around elk.

 

[Laramie]

Early on in my elk hunting journey I had an experience that taught me a lot about elk vocalizations and behavior. One morning in my second or third year of elk hunting I hunted up the mountainside looking for elk. No luck. About the time the morning hunt was over, I laid down on the ground to take a rest and maybe a nap. About 20 minutes later a whole herd moved in and bedded down about 75-100 yards away. I spent the better part of that day just watching and listening to the herd of elk. Talking back and forth, chirping, walking around, and being quiet. That was a tremendous learning experience.

Lessons learned/transferable to your situation.
The best way to learn about elk - is to be around elk.
The best way to get in shape to hike the mountain - is to hike in the mountains.

Spend as much time around elk and in the mountains as possible. You don’t have a tag in NM, so you aren’t going to hurt anything or mess up an area you plan to hunt.

I would not bother scouting in CO. Come September or October, the elk patterns could change significantly from what you find this summer. I’d just go to an area close by with a very high population of elk and try to find them and learn as much as possible. And hike the soles off your boots getting in shape.

Good luck!

Great advice above for the OP. I would object to the last paragraph though. Since the OP has a fist rifle season tag, scouting would be beneficial in my opinion. At a minimum, boots on the ground will help learn the country and I have often found elk still in their summer range on opening day of the first season.

 

[LongWayAround]

You can see an elk from several miles with decent 10x.

If you make a scouting trip to your unit, I would prioritize finding access, road conditions, camp sites, and terrain.

Seeing elk in your area is always a good thing.

 

[tstowater]

When I scout the unit, I plan to look for areas that I can park/camp. I’ll definitely make sure to have a few different options in case one area isn’t good or not accessible.

I’m in okay(ish) shape, I can definitely hike 10+ miles and bike 60+ miles at 7000’+ elevation. Although I need to drop 30lbs, so it doesn’t feel like I’m hiking with a weighted vest.

My guess is that the elk you are going to be hunting are going to be at 9-13,000 ft elevation, which is a bit different than 7k ft. Should be a great hunt and a great opportunity to learn a lot about elk hunting.

 

[kcm2]

The trick in elk hunting is finding them when they get bothered. What are the travel routes to safe havens? Where do they go? Leave the beds alone and you may be able to hunt the same herd for days. But likely someone else will bump them to new beds soon enough.