New elk hunter and new to Colorado

[timberlinehunter]

Hello. This is my first post but I have been a lurker for a while. I love this site! Tons of great info. I am in the beginning stages of planning an elk hunt to Colorado and I am trying to figure out the units and which one would be the best option for me. So far I have it narrowed down to units 11, 18, and 22 and maybe 12. Does anyone have any insight into these units? I'm not a trophy hunter by any means. My main goal is to have an enjoyable hunt and hopefully bring home some meat for the freezer. I'm fine with shooting a cow but certainly won't pass up a big bull elk either! I have been pouring over the Gohunt data, Google Earth, etc but nothing beats real hands on info so I thought I would ask. I'm not going to be doing a remote backpack style hunt this first time as I want to get my feet wet and learn the animal before I go off the deep end and do remote backpack hunts. (I'm looking forward to getting to that point though!) I plan to tent camp along a road or trailhead and hunting from the campsite each morning or drive a short distance from camp to hunt. I'm not a stranger to western hunting as I've hunted WY a lot for antelope and mule deer but elk is all new to me. How much hunter pressure is there in CO compared to WY?

 

[timberlinehunter]

I forgot to mention that I plan to hunt the 2nd rifle season.

 

[elkduds]

1. Call a CPW Hunt Planner at 303-291-PLAN (7526).

2nd rifle has the most hunting pressure in almost all CO units. Never hunted WY so I can't compare, but you can read the actual # of hunters, days hunted and success rates in each unit, each season here:

http://cpw.state.co.us/Documents/Hunting/BigGame/Statistics/Elk/2016StatewideElkHarvest.pdf

Those are 2016 stats, 2017 hunter/harvest stats have not yet posted. Good luck.

 

[deerhunter628]

I have never hunted the second season and never hunted the units you are looking at, but i have heard it is pretty heavily hunted since its an otc hunt. You will still have fun just plan to see some hunters.

 

[cnelk]

Do some research in the next 6 weeks and find a unit you can draw a cow tag for 1st rifle on your 2nd choice. And get a PP for your first choice.
Then next year you can maybe draw that unit with your 1st choice/PP and you'll already have intel for that unit

 

[timberlinehunter]

Am I better off looking at doing the 1st rifle season (or 3rd) vs the 2nd? I don't want the area I'm trying to hunt be overrun with other hunters. (Although I do understand there will be some hunters out there the same time I am) I hunt in my home state of Michigan often and certain areas it is horrible with the amount of hunter pressure. It looks like a giant pumpkin patch with hunter orange everywhere.

Is it easy to find places to setup camp along roads and pull outs?

 

[cnelk]

2nd & 3rd seasons are OTC for tags.
1st & 4th seasons are draw.

I wouldnt step foot in the elk woods during 2nd or 3rd season, but thats just me.

"Is it easy to find places to setup camp along roads and pull outs?"

Yep. just look at the MVUM on the Colorado Hunting Atlas and look for 'dispersed camping areas'

 

[deerhunter628]

I prefer the 1st, but like stated above it is a draw.