New hunter Colorado

[RickeyT]

My dad and I are looking to go to Colorado this year for an over the counter hunt during the second rifle season. I’ve been reading all of the go hunt insider info but can’t make up my mind what unit to go to. I keep looking back around units 70, 54 and 82 as I’ll be driving up from Texas. I’m a lil afraid of the climbs around unit 54 for my dad. Anyone have experience in these units of sujestions for a specific unit for a new elk hunter and his 60 year old dad?

 

[Brett8133]

82 is very step and a wilderness area so you will have to hike in every where might not be a good choice for your dad


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[RickeyT]

Ok thank you. It’s hard to tell from google maps how steep things really are coming from a flat place like Texas most of Colorado looks steep....

 

[Mw01313]

I did my first DIY elk hunt in 2018. Google Earth doesn't give an accurate view of how steep a lot of that stuff is. Also, found out that I am not as good at reading a topo as i thought.

 

[RickeyT]

Ha yea I fear that I’m not any better as I’ve never had to read a topo map...

 

[WoolyBugger]

Ha yea I fear that I’m not any better as I’ve never had to read a topo map...

Pull up a topo map of something that is steep in your neck of the woods and look at how close the contour lines are, then put up a map of where you want to hike. It'll give you a good reference

 

[Newtosavage]

Pull up a topo map of something that is steep in your neck of the woods and look at how close the contour lines are, then put up a map of where you want to hike. It'll give you a good reference

The steepest thing in his neck of the woods are the local high school football stadium bleachers. Seriously. There isn't a legitimate hill within 100 miles of Houston, which is why I train by running bleachers. It's the best we can do in this area.

Rickey, GE is good but I've found that Google Maps, using the aerial imagery view is better, because you can hit the CTRL button and then tilt and zoom with your mouse. That will give you a better 3D image than GE will. It's incredibly useful for me to find glassing points and see what I can see from them before making the hike in.

I had back surgery 2 years ago, about 5 months before my elk hunt. I trained as much as I could by using the local HS football stadium bleachers. First without a pack, then gradually adding weight. That's the best we can do in this area IMO. Bleachers are the best simulation to hiking the steep country we can get.

Also, I chose a "flatter" area after my surgery - going up to the flat tops region as opposed to SW Colorado like I had been doing in years prior. It helped. I was in elk on slopes I could handle and it made a big difference.

 

[cnelk]

To determine elevation/steepness in Google Earth, select 'Path', check 'Elevation' profile, and create your route.
It will give all sorts of info - Elev Gain/Loss, Max slope, Ave slope etc...

 

[Trogon]

Have you thought about pushing your season back? If you came third season or found a 4th season leftover you have a better chance of finding critters down lower.

Or just find a wilderness area, park on the edge of it, and wait for all the roksliders to push the animals down from their summer range. If you can't hike up, gotta let them come to you.

 

[GregB]

If you go to the tools, and click on options, in the 3D view tab under Terrain there is an elevation exaggeration. Set it to 2 and you'll get a more accurate idea of how steep things are. Google Earth can be a liar.

 

[RickeyT]

Thank you for the tips. I’ll have to try them out and get my dad on a stair stepper. We were looking to do second rifle as the moon phase and length of the season was the longest.

 

[Still Hunter]

I am 59 and will be doing a DIY in Colorado and New Mexico this year. Tell him he is not old and get his butt out rucking with a pack and keep doing that stepper. " Old " is just in his head, he will do fine. Go into google earth, go to tools, click options, go to terrain and hit 2. That is going to give you a better indication of what those hills really look like in person. Hit the stadiums and get a pack. Good Luck with your Dad!

 

[DW83]

To determine elevation/steepness in Google Earth, select 'Path', check 'Elevation' profile, and create your route.
It will give all sorts of info - Elev Gain/Loss, Max slope, Ave slope etc...




View attachment 98349

I knew you could do that, but I couldn’t remember how. Thanks!

 

[ChrisAU]

54 is steep. Badddd steep. Wild changes in elevation. Not trying to scare you from it, but we were taken aback by it. 4 guys late 20's, in good to excellent shape and we barely made it out alive haha.

 

[RickeyT]

Haha thanks for the info

 

[antisocial]

54 2nd will be a zoo unless you can get deep.

 

[Hawkeye5964]

To determine elevation/steepness in Google Earth, select 'Path', check 'Elevation' profile, and create your route.
It will give all sorts of info - Elev Gain/Loss, Max slope, Ave slope etc...




View attachment 98349

Cnelk, you are truly a wealth of knowledge. Thanks

 

[adrock456]

Try to get to Colorado a few days before the hunt so you can scout and become acclimated to the altitude. Have multiple plans in place in case one is a bust. Ideally having multiple units to hunt or areas within an hours drive of each other would be ideal so you can change gears if needed due to weather, lack of elk or too many hunters.

 

[BrokenArrow]

I’ve hunted 54 for cow and bull 4th season last 8 years. 100% success until last year. Sometimes a double. It used to be draw only.
OTC changed that unit. Ruined.
Won’t be going back. “Shitshow” 3rd season camps everywhere when we got there to set up for 4th.

Steep and cold. chained up nearly every year just to get out. Hiking could be waist deep snow. We brought backcountry skis, snowmobiles...and used them.

Saying all that. 2nd season might be good this year since the elk don’t know its OTC yet. The tag allocation changed last year. 4th just might be really spooked elk after the OTC seasons are done and thats why we got super skunked late this year. I’ve never seen that country devoid of elk before.

Just pray for snow as they will be high and need a push down. It will not change how steep it is though

82 might be steeper. The climbs are definitely longer.
70 or 71 might be the ticket

 

[TravisIN]

82 is no joke


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