First Colorado elk hunt!

[Teufelhund]

Just found out I'm going to get to do some elk hunting this year! I grew up hunting deer, upland birds, javelina, and squirrels in Texas, but I've never killed anything bigger than a whitetail. I haven't been hunting in years and I'm stoked!

Headed out to Meeker next weekend with several buddies who have hunted there before. We'll be camping in a couple wall-tents and stalking out from there. Any tips for a first-time hunt in CO?

I'll update with some pics when we get back.

[smchop]

Wear some good broken in boots, and layer up, so you can layer down.!

[soldier-of-the-apocalypse]

better get the check book out Im leaving on friday and ive spent over a grand getting ready

[Teufelhund]

better get the check book out Im leaving on friday and ive spent over a grand getting ready

Ouch! I can't think of anything I don't already have except an orange vest and maybe some warm gloves. I guess a cot would be a good idea; might have to hit up the Army/Navy surplus later this week.

[brutal]

better get the check book out Im leaving on friday and ive spent over a grand getting ready

You got that right. My first time back into hunting and big game in 30 years and I had to outfit all over again. Boots, jacket, bibs, pack, etc. etc. last trip to Bass Pro alone was $700. Time before that was $450. I've easily dumped hundreds upon hundreds more online picking up various items one normally acquires over the years. Hell, a good pair of wool blend hiking socks is $20 now. That's not including the gun, scope, and other sundries I've picked up over the last 2 years.

[spqrzilla]

Ouch! I can't think of anything I don't already have except an orange vest and maybe some warm gloves. I guess a cot would be a good idea; might have to hit up the Army/Navy surplus later this week.

Is the wall tent heated? If not, think about a cold weather sleeping bag.

Otherwise, an additional outer layer jacket than you are used to, good gloves, good wool socks and warm hat - an extra hunter orange knit cap is what I usually stuff in my pack.

If your underlayer is cotton, ditch that for polypropolene.

[Teufelhund]

Good suggestions, thank you. I think I'm all set on most of those: I've got a GI two-part sleeping bag system (rated to -10 IIRC), polypropylene base layer tops and bottoms, wool socks, and a couple ski jackets to choose from, though I think I may see if I can find something made of a quieter material. The orange knit cap is a good idea.

What gloves do you guys like for hunting? There are a lot of options, but it seems you have to choose between well-insulated and the ability to feel the trigger. Maybe the mittens that fold back to expose your fingers? Think I may go walk around Sportsman's and see what they have.

[spqrzilla]

I usually go hunting with a very thin glove to wear just to get the wind off my hands. And I stuff a really well insulated pair of gloves in my pack for if it gets super cold. I figure if its so cold I need those, I'm surviving not hunting.

The fold back mitten style is just too much in the way and too much fiddling around.

[sniper7]

Good suggestions, thank you. I think I'm all set on most of those: I've got a GI two-part sleeping bag system (rated to -10 IIRC), polypropylene base layer tops and bottoms, wool socks, and a couple ski jackets to choose from, though I think I may see if I can find something made of a quieter material. The orange knit cap is a good idea.

What gloves do you guys like for hunting? There are a lot of options, but it seems you have to choose between well-insulated and the ability to feel the trigger. Maybe the mittens that fold back to expose your fingers? Think I may go walk around Sportsman's and see what they have.

I hate the folding mitten style. I usually wear a heavy glove on my non trigger finger hand, and a lighter glove on my shooting hand. You can also just stick with heavy gloves and practice shooting with them on so you know what it is like: compressing the material, then the trigger breaks. not a bad thing since you don't want to know when the rifle will go off anyways to avoid flinching.

just find a glove with fingers thin enough that the trigger finger fits into the trigger guard.

something with good thinsulate.


buy the best you can get for gloves, socks and boots. that, IMO will be the ultimate in if you are comfortable or not all day.

[brutal]

Good suggestions, thank you. I think I'm all set on most of those: I've got a GI two-part sleeping bag system (rated to -10 IIRC), polypropylene base layer tops and bottoms, wool socks, and a couple ski jackets to choose from, though I think I may see if I can find something made of a quieter material. The orange knit cap is a good idea.

What gloves do you guys like for hunting? There are a lot of options, but it seems you have to choose between well-insulated and the ability to feel the trigger. Maybe the mittens that fold back to expose your fingers? Think I may go walk around Sportsman's and see what they have.

I'm going with layers, just like clothing. I'll start with Under Armour thin liners, I can move to some medium weight gloves if I get cold hands, or the full on camo Thinsulate gloves with just the thin liners. I've practiced shooting with the two lighter, so the shooting hand thick glove will have to come off. Bass Pro/Outdoor World is probably your best bet for one stop shopping.

All my gear has to fit in a small daypack (Badlands Stealth) and that includes sidearm, game bags & paracord, hydration, protein and carbs, first aid, etc.

The noisy ski jacket is likely to piss off anyone around you. If you're moving a lot, it's not a great idea.

[spittoon]

better get the check book out Im leaving on friday and ive spent over a grand getting ready [ROFL1]

[Teufelhund]

Just got home last night. No one in our 5-person group took any animals. There were so many hunters out there, it was not uncommon to be sitting in the middle of nowhere, watching a watering hole and have someone walk by in front of you. I did see a bull and a cow, but they were about 600 yards out, so I just watched them through the scope for a minute. Lots of fresh sign everywhere we looked, but I guess they were just moving too much with all the hunters in the area. Too bad no one had a deer tag, we saw dozens of them.

I learned that elk hunting is not very different from deer hunting, which is something I did a lot growing up. I think I'll be better prepared and have some success next year. I really think I might like to try bow hunting too; don't know the first thing about it, but it sounds like fun.

We were in GMU 12 from Oct. 19-23. Beautiful country.

http://i.imgur.com/TEwDAl.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/7kxphl.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/BhNfgl.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/OBX3ul.jpg

[tmjohnson]

I have been working at Gunnison this week and hunters up there are not having much luck. It is dry, cold and windy. Locals say the elk have come down to the low country looking for water and grass.
Blue Mesa lake looks like it is so low you could wade across it.

[hammer03]

I found the opposite, it was so warm they were staying way up in the high country. But it was still ~70 in the middle of the day, out west of Canon City.

Hoping to get back out this weekend though.

[brutal]

Hunted in the Gould/Waldon area - Gould, Bull, Custer, Johnny Moore, and Independence Mountains. Unit 6.

I saw zero Elk. One in our party had a young 7x7 in his sights at 30yd, safety off, but no Bull tag. They were taken in the areas we hunted, but all had a low harvest rate overall for this 2nd season. Outfitters and hunters on horseback had the best success. I saw 10 Moose, most up on the north end of Johnny Moore with 7 in 2 sightings sightings, 7 Deer, and a lot of Pronghorn also around Johnny Moore. We had morning/evening hunts where there were no shots heard in the area at all.

Lost a pair of gloves on Johnny Moore, scratched the shit outta my truck driving through sagebrush to get to the base of one steep mutha humper. Warm, dry, and windy up until Wed when it started dumping snow mid day. We finished the hunt with 1-2" on the ground at the start of the hike into Custer draw, 3-4" on the hike out. I told the crew nothing would be moving, but they insisted we go in anyway.

I'll post some pics when I get them sorted out.

[Zombie Steve]

I struck out in GMU 34. Other than hunters, the only thing I saw was a porcupine and some annoying grey bird that liked to chastise me from a tree warning everything in the woods that I was there.

[Bang]


Anyway, found a cool spot to watch the sunset for a few nights.

https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/36309_463058323746220_746506796_n.jpg

[brutal]

I struck out in GMU 34. Other than hunters, the only thing I saw was a porcupine and some annoying grey bird that liked to chastise me from a tree warning everything in the woods that I was there.

[Bang]


Anyway, found a cool spot to watch the sunset for a few nights.



Maybe Camp Robber aka Gray Jay? We had three tag along with us all the way in on one hike until they figured out we weren't going to feed them, but they weren't noisy. Speaking of birds, I forgot to mention the sighting of a small flock (4) of the rare Sage Grouse up on Johnny Moore Mountain.

[02ducky]

More pics guys. Please! My hunting buddy bailed on me this year and I need to live viciously.

[brutal]

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[donsignalli]

Drink alot of water, take good care of your feet, take your time out in the field. Colorado has a way of draining you quickly at those high elevations

[donsignalli]

Elk Hunting is nothing like Deer Hunting.... just saying.

[Gunner]

I'll be heading out Thursday. Gonna also try my luck with a bear tag. We will see.

[theGinsue]

The reports from all across the state are that this years harvests have been at an all time low. Like with my experience this year, no one is seeing the elk. Talked with a few dozen hunters on/around Del Norte Peak and no one saw anything. Opening day I saw about 1/2 dozen cows and later another 4 cows. I did see a lone elk butt for about 2 seconds which was probably a bull, but that was it. All season I heard about 6 shots total. I usually hear that just opening morning.

It was lucky that I had a deer license too as I was able to harvest a nice 4x4 buck. With 11 hunters in my camp, I'm the only one who came away with meat this year.

Good luck Gunner. What area will you be hunting?