Looking for help with first DIY archery hunt west-central CO

[Midwestails]

Hello to all fellow hunters. I'm new to posting here but I have learned a ton from the forums over the few years being a member. For that I am grateful.

I drew a non resident either sex archery elk tag in Colorado unit 44 which also includes 45,47,and 444. My hunting partner lives nearby in Vail but has a newborn so I am not going to rely on having a solid partner the entire hunt. I plan to backpack hunt and be as mobile as possible. I already have extensive gear for that type of hunting but have never mixed both backpacking and hunting for several days at a time. I would try to do 3 different 3 day hunts depending on my level of success I may switch units between hunts.

We hunted an area of 44 last year in late October where we had some cows in rifle range but only had deer tags. I'm sure they wont be in the same spot late September a year later but that's all I have to go with for now. Other than a lot of ONX scouting I will only have one chance to get out there for a few days in mid august to get my boots on the ground.

Any suggestions or help in preparation for hunting this unit would be greatly appreciated. Feel free to pm me about anything you might be willing to share. Also, good luck hunting to all who will be out there this season!

Thanks,
Cameron

 

[nnmarcher]

You should remove the unit numbers from your post. https://rokslide.com/forums/threads/rokslide-forum-rules-etiquette.277022/

Otherwise, I like your idea of staying mobile. It sucks to hike in deep only to realize there aren't elk in the area. When you are there in August, look for fresh sign. I'd bet they'll be close by a few weeks later during archery season.