OTC elk unit help

[Bar]

I wasn't blasting him. I was pointing out it was a contradiction. It was funny to me. I guess next time I can perquisite the latter. I apologize for not being as sensitive as others.

Sensitive has nothing to do with recognizing when someone puts down another.

 

[under h2o hunter]

Sensitive has nothing to do with recognizing when someone puts down another.

Can you explain to me how I put someone down by simply saying a quote is funny? No you can't because that is called a feeling. What is funny to me, may not be funny to you and visa versa. If me pointing out a contradiction in someones statement is not allowed here I am sorry for breaking the rules. As I stated before I am not as sensitive as obviously a few of you are. Case in point would be the fact that you are trying to stick up for someone who may or may not of even been offended by me thinking his statement was humorous as well as contradictory. So yes one's sensitivity plays a roll in everything you read on the internet. Now back to the topic at hand.

 

[Bar]

You weren't laughing with him. You were laughing at him. We all know the difference.

Not that important to me. Just saying.

 

[ckleeves]

I'm not offended one bit. You do it your way and I'll do it mine. My way works fine.
I never said throw a dart at a map I said pick a unit that has what your looking for. If one unit has more elk (on paper) but your looking for a wilderness hunt and it's covered with roads are you still going to hunt it because the cpw through their computer modeling, on the ground observation, harvest data and other factors says it has better numbers?

I guess you never need a backup plan? You hunt one spot and one spot only for an entire season? I like having multiple backup plans just because those pesky elk have legs. I still don't see where I contradicted myself?

I hope someday I can be as good of elk hunter as you and kill 20 elk

 

[Shrek]

I sure hope Ron has got the help he needed....

 

[Liv2Hunt]

The HuntinFool magazine and Eastmans usually have descent intel on places that hold elk, access and pressure.

 

[rhendrix]

I sure hope Ron has got the help he needed....

Mostly.

 

[dotman]

I always find it funny how such a simple request can derailed with bickering. ckleeves is spot on, and the stats are false so pick a backup like you would your #1 spot, tons of map work. Elk are everywhere west of I-25.

 

[In God We Trust]

A couple of harvest reports to look at are the success rates on muzzle loader hunts and 1st rifle hunts for units you are looking at. Granted archery odds are going to be lower but these success rates will give you an idea of how hunters fare during a general time frame that is concurrent or right after archery season. These are all draw tags that take place in OTC units.

 

[5MilesBack]

The HuntinFool magazine and Eastmans usually have descent intel on places that hold elk, access and pressure.

Ya, and then avoid said areas immediately after they're published for at least a few years after that, as you'll suddenly see an explosion in the hunter numbers in that area. That is until all those hunters saturate the woods for a couple years and come to the conclusion that HF and Eastmans must have made a mistake because they can't find any elk. So they finally vacate and go somewhere else, THEN you can finally get back in there and start killing elk in there again.

 

[gelton]

Ya, and then avoid said areas immediately after they're published for at least a few years after that, as you'll suddenly see an explosion in the hunter numbers in that area. That is until all those hunters saturate the woods for a couple years and come to the conclusion that HF and Eastmans must have made a mistake because they can't find any elk. So they finally vacate and go somewhere else, THEN you can finally get back in there and start killing elk in there again.

This happened to me last year. I drove up to the spot Ive been going to for the last several years and the place looked like a hunting convention. At least 5x as many hunters as I had ever seen before. At my normal trailhead there was a truck from New York, Illinois, California, Texas (me), New Mexico and Colorado. I was able to get away from most of em but I will definitely be avoiding muzzleloader season this year in hopes that it will cut down on some of the traffic.

 

[1hoda]

myself, I like Rokslide because the members,old school guys and newbys are pretty cool and respectfull. You can ask a question or offer your two cents without getting jumped on. Plenty of other crappy sites like that on the web. You have plenty great advice, and experience to share. No need blasting another brother in arms to get your point across.[/QUOTE

Me too!

 

[Bonedalien]

Ya, and then avoid said areas immediately after they're published for at least a few years after that, as you'll suddenly see an explosion in the hunter numbers in that area. That is until all those hunters saturate the woods for a couple years and come to the conclusion that HF and Eastmans must have made a mistake because they can't find any elk. So they finally vacate and go somewhere else, THEN you can finally get back in there and start killing elk in there again.

Bugle did a whole article on my home unit 43 a year or two ago. I cant really say how it affected hunter numbers myself,but it was fun reading the letters in the next issue telling them to pipe down!

 

[5MilesBack]

Bugle did a whole article on my home unit 43 a year or two ago. I cant really say how it affected hunter numbers myself,but it was fun reading the letters in the next issue telling them to pipe down!

Several years ago I showed up in one of my spots and I couldn't believe what I saw. I thought someone had scheduled a late CBA Jamboree right there or something. Counted 97 vehicles one day in just my little area. It was absolutely ridiculous.......way worse than any rifle season I had ever seen. It was so bad, I packed up and left after a day. In a normal year, I'd see maybe 6-12 camps over an entire season. I even had one guy drive into my camp at 10:30pm after I was in bed and come up to my tent to ask if I minded him setting up his tent right next to mine in my truck turnaround spot. When I told him that I did mind, he said that he'd just go up the road and set up in some other guy's camp because he hadn't seen anyone in that camp for two days.

I told him......."I don't know where you're from, but it's not going to turn out well for you squatting in someone else's camp site".

Then I found out from someone that HF had put out an article declaring how great this OTC unit was. Funny thing was.......I think I was the only one with CO plates that I saw. It fizzled out over a few years after that when I'm sure most everyone realized that they couldn't just set up camp and call in a bull.

 

[Elkfitness]

Geez, one more place to research...!

 

[Ironman8]

Well I guess I could chime in here since I'm the other Rokslider that Rhendrix mentioned in the OP. We are obviously still in the planning phase and have been looking at stats from previous years but it's still early and we probably haven't talked enough about what exactly we are looking for. What I do know is this, Ron has hunted CO for mulies (backpacking style hunt) and I did a 9 day backpack hunt for elk in Idaho last year. So we are definitely looking for an area that we can hike in and get away from roads. I can really only speak for myself, but I have a suspicion that Ron is on the same page as me regarding what to expect as far as the physical toll of what we want to do here. We are preparing accordingly.

Personally, I would prefer an area that I could get to a vantage point and glass large areas as opposed to picking through the dark timber. Spot and stalk is more my style. I think hiking in off the roads will solve a lot of the hunter pressure issues that some worry about, so elk numbers are something I look more at. Then again, I've never hunted CO so that's why we're wondering if we might be missing anything. I wish getting boots on the ground pre-season was more feasible, but it looks like Google Earth will be as close as we get. Anything that y'all could recommend would be much appreciated.

 

[cnelk]

Since you arent picky and want good elk numbers, Look into GMUs that have undersubscribed [leftover] cow elk tags for the rifle seasons.
[These units are above herd objectives and that means more elk. The CPW relies on the rifle seasons for herd management, not archery]
It doesnt necessarily make the success better tho, but it should make the opportunity better.

Do your homework, for what its worth, the data and info are there

 

[Crookedarrow]

I haven't hunted elk in OTC units, but I have seen them while hunting deer. Sweet spot is 4-7 miles from trailhead on north facing dark timber slopes with water during archery. They like to water and stay cool and 4 is about as far as any day hunter will pierce and 7 is the limit before you start getting close to other trailheads, outfitter horse camps, etc. I agree that the stats will tell you where the herds are and hunting a unit several years to get to know it are invaluable. We kill elk in a point unit and our gps coordinates are all bunched together and the bulls are dying in pretty close proximity to each other over the years.

Have fun and enjoy the experience!

 

[Jarrod Renaud]

Lots of good info posted but figured I'd chime in too. Check this link: http://cpw.state.co.us/Documents/Hunting/BigGame/Statistics/Elk/2013ElkHarvestSurvey.pdf

Doesn't look like they have last years numbers yet. But look over the stats and pinpoint some spots to scout this summer. Google earth can be your best friend, CODOW has a great map app online also to help plan. Put on as many miles as you can, (smart miles). The elk will be high and/or in dark timber. Then take into account what they might do once they have hunting pressure. I've hunted the last two years in an OTC and have come across three bulls that were 300+ although I'd be happy with a legal bull. They're out there. Learn their behavior.

 

[Elkfitness]

Not sure if it's been mentioned, but don't be afraid of the private land, use it to you advantage. I hunt a couple areas that have private ranches and the hunters push the elk over to public. Also, the biggest elk I've seen so far was on a finger of public land just above some houses. Grab a chip with the land ownership info or use the onXmaps app on the phones. I tend to hunt he high summer range, but those lower public / private fringes are good spots too.