Ok, so I leave next Thursday the 20th for an elk hunt in western Colorado.   I only know what I've read off the internet, what I've read in the pages of elk hunter and field & stream magazines.  I know experience is a good teacher so I'd love to hear some of yours.  Please share!

You have good maps right?  Once you find a camp and get settled in, use the roads and maps and find some spots to glass from.  Hope you have decent glass, sometime you are looking a couple miles into aspen groves.

Don't expect to see the elk out in the open, other than first and last light.  Nothing wrong with investing a morning or evening glassing. You gotta find elk to kill elk.    If you see some , figure out how to get to them, and more importantly, how to get a dead one out.   I know a place I could get an elk every year, it's called the hell hole.
No way I would pack one out of there.    Now if you find a hell hole, don't write it off.  There are usually a few animals around the upper reaches of those.

If glassing isn't working, you are just gonna have to burn some boot leather, don't expect it to be easy.  You will have to go off trail, climb blowdown, crawl up hills and fall down them.  All the while looking for elk and elk sign.

If you get a chance at an elk in the timber while climbing, crawling and falling, you usually have about 1.87 seconds to get a shot.  If your rifle is slung, forget it.  Port arms, always looking and listening.  And smelling. No shit, if you smell something that smells like cattle, only stronger you are danger close to elk and in a perfect position in the wind . Put your nose in the wind and move very slowly.  This is where good 8x glass is key, you are gonna glass into the openings, looking for an ear, a patch of hide,anything.   Of course, it could be a cattle cow too.  They run them in elk country till the snow really flies.  Elk don't mind so don't be put off if you see cattle.

I have shot most of my elk at under 100 yds, many at under 50.   And I have shot a lot of them.  I just get cow tags anymore for rifle.

Mainly just have fun, don't do anything that will get you killed.  Don't worry about bears.  Be ready for any weather.

This pic was taken years ago, we were in t shirts at noon.

What area are you hunting? Driving out?

Near Montrose Colorado.  We are driving.  A party of three, two of which drive.

You have good maps right?  Once you find a camp and get settled in, use the roads and maps and find some spots to glass from.  Hope you have decent glass, sometime you are looking a couple miles into aspen groves.

I bought Vortex 10x50's, the ranger 1000 rangefinder, and the viper 3x9x50mm scope
I bought the Garmin Dakota with the OnXmaps chip for Colorado.  

What unit near Montrose?

I've hunted that region for about 10 years. My dad for 22.

Be prepared for any weather conditions mostly.

Unit 61. I'm not really sure what the unit part means.  We just picked an outfitter after talking to a few and signed up for an adventure.  

Bring enough gun, at least three changes of socks, they will get wet.
If you are in a wall tent, and cot. Bring extra sleeping bag as a pad, under your 4 season bag. That cold air coming up from the earth is brutal.

Good luck

I'm in units 53/63 for my tags.

Your unit and tags go together. So you can only hunt in that unit(s) with your tags.

You're a little further west and a touch south from me. Right on the other side of the black canyon and the national park/section 16 property.


Are you doing wall tent or are you in a cabin?

Also any access to ATVs? We haul 5 out with us a year.

We are taking ATV's, and we're staying in the outfitter-supplied tents.  I'm not sure what the difference in them and what a wall tent is.  These have floors, are insulated, and have propane heat. They are like mini Quonset huts. How has your success been?

A wall tent is basically what you described. As posters above said, make sure to bring something more then just a cot and sleeping bad, depending on your weather when you'll be out there.

Weather can and will change drastically in 24 hours. I've gone from ass deep snow to 70 and sunny, to down pouring rain all within 24 hours.

Success? Depends on how hard you work at it. I draw bull tags, my father draws cow tags.

In 10 years my dad has shot an elk 8 out of 10 years.

In 10 years, I've shot bulls 3 out of 10 years.  But, as above posters also said, it's not that I don't know where they're at. I'm just not going to spend 2+ days packing it out one leg at a time over a 6 mile hike back to an atv trail. (We don't go with an outfitter. We own property bordering the national Forest.)


Are you going to be all on BLM / national Forest property? Or private property?

Big difference. If your guide has access to private property lower down... You could have great success.

Sounds like a drop camp?  Let us know how it worked out, I have always wondered.

Part of our deal includes pack-out.  They are calling it a semi-guided hunt which includes meals and a starting point on where to hunt.  The outfitter leases a portion of blm/natn'l forest land.  I may be naive but it seems like if they pack it out then it doesn't matter much where it drops, though I want the full experience.  I don't want to miss any of it.  If I have to carry it on my back to my 4Wheeler then make another trip until the 4Wheeler is loaded down that is ok.  I'm really just looking forward to being in the wide open spaces that have called to me from the west, and seeing the Rockies for the first time without it being from out of a plane window

Uh... Can't lease BLM/National forest land. So they must be doing a private land lease or something else.

How many days are you going out in advance before second rifle? As first rifle starts Wednesday I do believe.

Also remember second hunt is the biggest because it's the first open hunt (first rifle is draw only) and it's also the combination hunt with mule deer

OP, I'm a local to the area where you are gonna be. If you need anything just give me a shout

Good luck this weekend!!

You too bud!

Thanks!   I appreciate that.  You're not a guide are you? ??

Not even close

If you not getting your ass whooped your not covering enough ground
Prepare for any kind of weather
Gps with on x chip in it
Have plenty of water
You'll feel like shit for a few days from the altitude

I leave the 31st for my 15th diy colorado trip 9 for 14 so far

hunt smarter, not harder

90% of the hunt is just finding the elk. Get to a high point and glass like crazy in the morning/evening. Look in areas with plenty of dark timber. Snow usually doesn't drive them down into lower elevations until multiple feet.

Once you find them, the last 10% is getting close enough for a shot, usually pretty easy with a rifle. If you're hiking around a ton aimlessly you're doing it wrong. You might get lucky that way, but it's a waste to hike in areas where no elk are at.

In higher pressure units/seasons (2nd/3rd rifle) the elk may go nocturnal and won't be caught out in the open during the day so glassing won't work. Then you'll have to rely on other hunters pushing them around and/or spot and stalk working your way through the timber.

ALWAYS be aware of the wind, keep it in your favor otherwise trying to sneak up on them is pointless. Scent blocker doesn't work.

Some great points already mentioned in previous posts, I will add for emphasis.

Sometimes elk hunting is a race, it is uncanny how other hunters often discover a herd about the same time I do, then it is a matter of who gets in to a shooting position first without spooking the elk.

I've done best when I am the only one that knows the elk are there, and often pick places to hunt that are a little less likely or less obvious elk habitat.

Dawn and dusk are good times to find them out and about, but don't think that you are out of luck the rest of the day, just the odds are the elk may be bedded down and harder to spot.

A previous poster mentioned be aware of your wind, I will second that, this is critical.

Also be aware that herds set up sentinels, and those sharp eyed cows can see movement a half mile away, getting close to them takes some planning, stealth, and patience.

Don't hesitate to use any type of rest available when ready to shoot, even leaning against a tree has helped me hold steadier.

It is easy to underestimate distance with elk, because they are so big, been there, done that.

Work hard, be smart, above all, have a good time!

Thanks to all!!   Keep it coming.  I'll post updates as I go (cell service not withstanding)

If ya don't mind, would you pm me with some details of your outfitter and cost?    

I'm interested in doing a hunt,   and your post sound alot like what I'm looking for.

Buy good boots, good glass and practice shooting field positions. I practice mostly at 300 yds but stretch it out further a couple times a month. Hike as much vertical as you can before the trip. Elk are big animals and newbies regularly underestimate ranges. Learn to range off the terrain as well as off the animal. Check your range twice, shoot once.

If the elk falls over on the shot stay on him. If he lifts his head hit him again. I have seen people loose DRT elk when they turn to yell to their buddies...

Well, here we go!!   We've been on the road about three hours.  Updates to come

I've only hunted Elk out here for three seasons, and have yet to get one. What the other guy said about having 1.5 seconds in the trees is no joke, I've spooked Elk in the tree line a few times.

A "failed" hunt up there is also known as one of the best camping, hiking and ATV experiences in the world. I love every minute of it. If I still haven't got an Elk 5 years from now, I will still go every year, and gladly wear the title of worst Hunter ever.

Good luck.

Have fun the first time we went about starved and froze to death but got to chase elk all over and we were hooked

Well, we made it.  34hours road time.  Haven't seen an elk or a mule deer from the road, but we have seen sheep and antelope.  The black canyon is beautiful and I'm tempted to relocate.  I wonder if my wife would sell the house and meet up with me out here.

Keep looking. They are out there. I found a small herd on opening day and got my first bull

They won't be within a mile of a road or ATV trail normally. They seem to want to hang out at the edge of the aspens and dark timber, between 8,000 and 10,000 feet.

If you look at your map, and find the most pain in the ass spot to get to, that's the furthest from humans, thats where they are.

Dont feel too bad bro.  Im 0 for 3 as well but what's funny is a huge herd winters right behind my house from about january to april.   I literally glass them while taking a shit lol but come hunting season...  gone.  

Some of the best fly fishing in the world at the bottom of that fkn canyon.  Not east to hike into / out but once you're in there...  hooked up all day long.

Bring a radio.  If you shoot at one and it doesn't go down it is likely still wounded, don't shoot at two elk they are a bitch to kill, I've had some take two through heart and both lungs, and one through the windpipe and jugular.  Stick with one target.  Bring good boots.  Don't do stupid shit, be safe.  Bring shooting sticks.  A good pair of binocs go a long way.  It isn't just the caliber, the amount powder is important.  Don't know what weather is like down there, up here heavy goretex is needed for rain.  Bring more food and water than you think you need.

Well we tagged out 3rd morning! I got a cow, buddy got a bull. Not bad for a couple rookies! We earned them though. Hiked a ton from our camp at 9.5k to 11.5k. Ended up spotting them from one mtn up at 11k over on another mtn up at 11.5k.  We changed our hunt, we made a plan of attack, spike camped in, went after them and the next morning we we had two dead elk!!!!

Congrats wicket!

Even on a trail, I could not walk faster than one mile per hour due to the altitude.  Later, met another Floridian who said he never had a problem unless he did something strenuous, like brushing his teeth.

Congratulations! Those elk burgers will keep you coming back no matter how bad your lungs and legs feel!

Sorry I didn't update. We left Montrose and lost cell signal, no surprise there. In our party one guy got a 2x4 mule deer.  I saw an elk, couldn't see if it was a bull (it was in some very thick stuff), and that was it.  I hiked a ton and accomplished way more in elevation than I expected.  We saw other wildlife, but it was just too warm for elk.

 The weather was definitely a factor.  We were prepared for any weather.   We just didn't expect it to be so warm.  Most of us didn't open up our cold weather stuff.  I saw some amazing country and I think I earned official billy goat status. Most hikes were 6mi/day. My most extreme was yesterday with a 6mi hike where we hiked down then up in and out  gaining 600ft or so of elevation.  I learned a lot and will be going back.

  The outfitter was great.  The food was excellent and the accommodations were comfortable.

Pics to come when I'm not rolling down the road

Hot weather makes for hard elk hunting

Ok, here's some pictures.  There was some absolutely beautiful country.  I could totally move there and become Jeremiah Johnson.  I'm certain that if it had been colder or even if it had snowed I would have had more of a chance to come home with an elk.  

https://flic.kr/p/NwGXM5
https://flic.kr/p/NDhwYT
https://flic.kr/p/NAKApA
https://flic.kr/p/NDms7a

Yes, yes it was. 3 of us hunted SW Colorado for a week. Had 6 tags, all we could muster was a small buck.

We did it all. Sat low first couple days, then realized we need to go up higher and find some snow. By the end of the week, we had walked a combined 25 miles. On the last day we jumped a small herd, but they were long gone.

Your assessment is correct though, it was just too hot of a season for the elk to be out and about. It isn't very common for it to be this hot this time of year. Last year during 3rd season, there was a foot of snow at 8000 elevation.

Glad you had fun, it's all about the experience, hope you come back next year!

I'll share my father's advice:

"Fuck Hank, what did you come way out here for? Shoot it closer to the road next time".

We just got back from 3rd rifle in colorado we both killed bulls but seen very few had to hunt our asses off up every day 3 hours before daylight killed my 5x at last light as he came down to get water on a very hot day my friend killed his 4x the last hour of the last day after I spotted it bedded and a 4 hour stalk later. It was rough hunting for sure I found an ancient buffalo skull which I thought was pretty cool

If it is walking toward you up hill- and it dosnt know you are there- let it continue to walk up hill the rest of the 400yds. - otherwise you will get the nickname of "Make work mutherfucker" I still refer to Eric as MWM.