Hunt 1st Week or 2nd Week? CO

[tigerelkhunter]

Hey guys. 1st time poster.
I drew a tag for a unit in Southwest Colorado and am either going September 3rd through the 11th, or the 12th through the 20th.

I am having a tough time deciding which week to choose from. We can either hunt unpressured elk over water holes with a full to declining full moon and probably no rut activity; or
We can wait until the second week and hunt among the muzzleloader hunters with a better moon phase and increased rutting activity.

I know the area pretty well but have never hunted among the muzzleloader hunters and am having a hard time deciding which week will give us the best opportunity at success. I appreciate all and any advice!

Editors Note: The unit was OTC last year and was quite crowded during the 1st week. With it being draw this year, they have cut the number of muzzleloader tags from 197 in 2019 to 85 this year. Also, how do you guys feel the draw will affect overall number of hunters during archery?

 

[durangobrad]

The muzzy tags usually seem to be pretty limited and not enough to really change any thing. I don't think I've ever even heard a shot during archery hunts.

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[Laramie]

I would split the difference personally. After the masses leave the mountain (7th is a holiday), I think the hunting will get pretty dang good. Maybe hunt the 8th - 14th? Moon will be getting darker each day and the bulls should be getting fired up if the weather cooperates. I also agree with Brad, I don't think the muzzle loader guys will impact you too much those last few days.

 

[tigerelkhunter]

Thanks for the reply’s guys. Good information.

 

[Boonjg]

We hunt SW Colorado every year during archery season and have seen a few muzzle loaders roaming around but its never been an issue. There's plenty of areas to avoid the crowds if it becomes an issue.

 

[Poser]

Probably right around the same amount of archery hunters. The goal of the draw was to limit the amount of cows killed by issuing sex specific tags, not necessarily limit the total number of hunters.

Moon phases? You can make a case for animal movement or lack thereof associated with moonlight, but the moon directly influencing the rut is the equivalent of astrology in the hunting world. Pressure is the only factor that matters.

 

[Catahoula]

Although I do not archery hunt the SW part of the state, I never have had issues with muzzleloader hunters. I’ve never run into any muzzy hunters to my knowledge. I’ve heard shots over the years but nothing in my vicinity. You might consider 8th/9th through however long you can hunt? Best of luck!

 

[ScreamingPotato]

When making decisions such as this and other things are equal I'd look to a favorable moon cycle to tip the scales.

 

[Wiscohunter]

I hunted 1st week last year in Northwest Colorado. It was hot and I didn't hear a bugle all week. I still saw elk, but all the movement was early AM and late afternoon /evening. Had one elk come into a cow call at first light, but it came in quiet and busted us when it got downhill of our position. I am now planning to go later in the month.

 

[Danimal]

It seems like your willingness to adapt your strategy will keep you in the game whatever you decide to do but I like the idea of straddling the hunt (8-14th) like you or someone else mentioned. Autumnal equinox is Sept. 22 2020 there will be increasing activity that week for sure. Might not mean ripping bugles all over but they will be getting frisky for sure.

 

[justinspicher]

I don’t believe it matters. The elk are either there or they aren’t. It is all derived from the amount of pressure they are receiving.

 

[loggerchas]

For me it is the first week - the animals are still where I scouted them during the summer except where pressure has moved them. BY the second or third week they begin to wander looking for love. I'd rather take my chances with unpressured critters in the areas I've scouted for months prior than pressured animals later. It's all in the way you prefer to hunt.

 

[Marble]

I don't even consider the moon during archery.

Rifle it can be tough. But they don't disappear, they just change their habits slightly. But they still bed, still eat and still travel back and forth.

 

[Brettboss]

I always want to say 2nd week, maybe because it's usually more fun, but have killed a ton of elk 1st week so....

 

[TheHardWay]

In my experience hunting around here in SW Colo, midday temps during the 1st week are still pretty toasty. Keep that in mind if/when it comes time to getting an elk out of the woods while keeping the meat cool. I prefer later in the season myself because its just more fun to get into the elk with rutting activity going on.

 

[browning2480]

It always seems to be different for us every year. We have went the end of August to the middle of September different years and sometimes they are fired up one week and the next year they are not. All depends on the time of year, weather and pressure. I would pay more attention to moon phase than ML guys.

 

[Bowhunter33]

So, how did everyone's archery season turn out????

 

[Bowhunter33]

I have hunted 5 times in SW Colorado since 2011 and tagged out on 3 animals. 2 bulls killed from tree stands over water and a cow from a ground blind over water. The area we hunt is pretty thick with oak brush, making sitting water very efficient. My dad came down and took a 5x6 bull with his muzzleloader this year and I was able to arrow a 5x6 bull 2 nights later. As for going from OTC to draw, we didn't notice a big change in overall numbers of elk hunters in the area we hunt, but the place was crawling with rifle bear hunters. I got into camp on 8/31, a couple of days before the season opened and had an opportunity on 9/3 on a 4 point bull, but didn't give me a good shot. I ended up taking my bull on 9/17.