Hows Colorado Archery season been?

[Trophy_Taker]

Just returned from a week in NW CO. Saw plenty of elk and some bulls chasing but not much in the way of talking.

 

[SemperFiHunter]

In reference to the weekend warrior question, there might be a little more weekend pressure but that’s just a little spike of locals. Non residents come out for week long stretches. Many of them leave wherever after work on Friday or on Saturday morning and arrive 1-3 days later. I went scouting this weekend and drove a 25 mile stretch of FS rd to the end and then hiked in 7 miles to scout over into another unit. I didn’t see a lot of hunters on The way in, but hiking the last 2 miles out and driving the road out: holy shit was it the F350 parade! Non residents driving in with campers + a 2nd trailer behind full of ATVs, horse trailers, jalopy camps at every pull out, ScentLok camo.... the whole 9 yards. At least in this area, I imagine Mondays to be more crowded than Fridays because people travel on the weekends and hunt through the week using only 40 hours of vacation.

Sounds like you’re between Durango and Silverton, heh!
Missionary Ridge or across the highway.
TONS of folks. Orange Brigade, etc.

I still keep going, though.

Oh, don’t begrudge the horseback folks too much unless you have done that yourself. I took my horses up there about 10 years ago. Waayyyy more work than you would believe. (Outfitters and Guided Hunters being outside this argument.)

Still fun enough that I go back almost every year.

Good Luck this year everyone!

SFH

 

[Brett8133]

Just spent 8 days in south west Colorado and herd 1 bugle seen 2 cows hardly any fresh elk sign . Colorado needs a cap on otc tags the elk are becoming ghosts


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[Poser]

According to some stupid FB hunting group I am a member of (El hunting North America” or something like that), every hunter that came to CO hiked 20+ miles a day for days on end and never saw or heard an elk or even fresh sign so they are either heading to MT or ID next year or they are looking into hiring an outfitter.

Translation: most of them drove around to several popular trailheads and hiked 1.5 miles uphill before getting discouraged by amount of people, lack of sign and hiking uphill. A handful of them overcommitted by blindly hiking into a drainage somewhere that left them no time for plan b.

Also, many hunters are dumb and whine like little bitches.

 

[Brett8133]

I seen a lot of that poser guys on 4 wheelers walking a mile or less , but I did in fact hike 5-10 miles a day did my home work even left one unit and moved to another . Even packed in over night once the elk just where not around lots of sign from the summer and a little sign a few weeks old . Granted you can only physically cover so much ground but I believe we covered enough to have been able to find elk . In 8 yrs I’ve found elk every yr but this one including a 28 hour trip to Idaho last year on public . I think colorado could do a better job of managing the hunting pressure .


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[Trey Arentz]

Just got back from my first ever public land elk hunt. We arrived the 19th and left the 27th. I hunted a OTC unit with some guys who have been going to this unit for 15+ years. I hunted what I thought was hard and I never ended up seeing an elk. The guys who have been there for years only encountered one on one occasion, and another way deep in another area. They said they have never seen the pressure or lack of elk sign so bad. I’m super green to this experience but I can say the hunt was humbling, but rough to say the least. We talked to dozens of hunters that had the same luck we did. From my personal experience of hunting highly pressured whitetails in Wisconsin, this was worse. Never the less I got to enjoy amazing country and truly getting my ass kicked!

 

[mdscott]

Hunted the first three weekends in a new to me area and finally found some action on the second weekend. Third weekend went back, got into them for a couple of days and made a full moon play on a randy bull at sunrise. Called him in for a 25yd broadside shot right after legal shooting light. My 4th archery bull but the first one I’ve successfully called in to shooting range.

 

[SPARKY418]

78 - hot, dry and quiet. That’s how my early September season was.


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[Huntosolo]

Opening day at 3pm this bull was bugling and ended up chasing cows hillside below me, 2 arrow pass through at 11yds, solo OTC public land. Hip height green grass-good conditions overall.

 

[11boo]

So close. Best year yet for opportunities. And they were all within a mile of a road. Out of two weeks, we got into elk about every third day.

 

[jog]

I was very discouraged by the hunter numbers in the unit I chose- but then again I had little scouting knowledge for it built up as I had hunted it once during rifle some time ago and scouted only a little. This fact alone is important because with so many hunters you need to strike early and strike smart. The hunters will overrun your spots.

The fact is there are many more hunters now willing to go into the hard places. They are fitter, they are more persistent and they have all the latest tech diapers that help them find elk spots that in the past took much more leg work and savvy.
I blew off the middle two weeks and went back the final 7 days. I knew a nice hell hole and took 3hrs to go 300 yards same contour. I had him at 20 yards standing in his day bed but I was not able to find a window for the arrow and by that time he had turned and left. A nice mature 6x. The bulls were hunkering up in hell holes and acting like whitetails. This big guy had a whole series of beds on roughly the same contour for about 500 yards. He would stay in there until dark and return before light. I found several bulls using this same survival method. The beds were used many times.

I called in some spikes, a 5x that didn't present a shot that I circled around and above on -caught him sneaking in but as sometimes happens it was a case of one more step and 2 feet left.

But I met some great guys, saw some cool stuff. Packed out the usual trash and cut trees found in a "leave no trace" wilderness and why hunters cannot bury their toilet paper and wipes I will never know. One dude pooped 20 feet from a nice wallow and left enough brown splotched paper to service 3 people I swear. Nice ethics.

I

Nice bull mdscott!!

 

[Dakota Dude]

I had a great season. I hunted various spots across Colorado and found elk in nearly all of them. I had 8 different bulls within 80 yards but never got a real shot opportunity. The stars just never aligned. I can't complain though. I only hunted 8 days this season. It doesn't get better than that on public land.

I was in elk thick yesterday in a spot I'd never hunted before. I had a bull at 70 yards, but he only stuck his head out from a pine tree. He didn't see an elk in the opening as he expected, and slowly turned and walked the other direction. About 20 minutes later I called a cow into 2 yards and opted to let an arrow fly (it didn't do much flying ). It was impossible to pass up a shot like that on the last day. At least I'm not eating tag soup. I was solo and had the whole thing packed out and home by noon. It was a great experience.

The biggest take away for me this year was learning from each of the elk encounters. I learned a lot about positioning, wind, and closing the deal.

 

[Brandon_SPC]

Well back from my trip. I ended up missing a 5x5 and a nice 6x6 that I would have easily spent money on a taxidermy bill. We were on the mountain September 13th-September 18th and NEVER heard a single bugle. The only other hunters on that mountain was three mule deer hunters and two other archery elk hunters that were hunting from the base of the mountain every day. The elk were not pressured here but man they were not talking.

Total miles on Onx just shy of 60 miles humped up and down that mountain.

 

[jog]

Dakota, send me those "various spots". Check is in the mail.

 

[trophyhill]

I hunted the first and second weekend's. I camped above 10 and hunted up above 11. First weekend it was hot and elk were silent. 2nd weekend elk were screaming non stop. Kicking myself for not punching my tag. Came very close....

 

[Lucky Goose]

Hunted the Sangres for the first time from the 17th-25th. NEVER heard a bugle. Saw 8 elk (6 bulls, a cow, and a calf), 4 mule deer, 3 bighorn rams, and 5 grouse. I went at it hard and spent most of my time at 11k and hunted three different drainages. I saw a good bit of sign that told me I was about 2 weeks too late. Beautiful country and a great trip, just poor hunting.

 

[Bugle]

Hunted the Sangres for the first time from the 17th-25th. NEVER heard a bugle. Saw 8 elk (6 bulls, a cow, and a calf), 4 mule deer, 3 bighorn rams, and 5 grouse. I went at it hard and spent most of my time at 11k and hunted three different drainages. I saw a good bit of sign that told me I was about 2 weeks too late. Beautiful country and a great trip, just poor hunting.

Which unit in the Sangres did you go to? I'll be in 82 for my first elk hunt (1st rifle season). I'd appreciate any advice on the area you have (via PM).

 

[jdumke91]

We hunted the last 10 days of the season across 3 units in southern Colorado. Heard and saw a decent amount but nothing like the videos of bulls bugling all over my buddy from Montana was sending me.


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[Broadhead]

I was fortunate enough to tag out on opening morning, calling a decent 6x6 in with cow calls to 10 yards. Went back out with two buddies to hunt September 14th-22nd. Bugles rang our ears bright and early on the 14th. Got within 60 yards, but no shot opportunity. Had another bull later that day come in silent and busted us.

We woke up to silence on the 15th until we walked about the mountain and were in the biggest buglefest I've ever witnessed! 4-5 bulls fighting and bugling non-stop with a herd of 40-50 cows. Missed shot opportunity on a 5x5 satellite by one guy. Stayed on the herd and was able to arrow a cow at 36 yards. We were about to start packing the cow out later that night when the bulls fired back up and I cow called a nice 5x6 into my other buddy at 35 yards. Tagged out in 3 days. Took a day and a half to get the bull and cow out! Very fortunate this season.