Finding elk in this time of year

[Peakbagger46]

I drew a Colorado 61 cow tag that started today. As a local I’m pretty familiar with the Uncompahgre and took a cow up there last year (September tag though). I hit the spots I’m familiar with that hold elk and hoofed it over seven miles today and only saw one elk at last light and a couple sets of fresh tracks.

There is almost zero snow up there and the mule deer were plentiful (bucks and does). I guess my question is, do elk migrate down before deer? I always thought it was the other way around.

Any advice much appreciated, looking to put some more meat away and have limited time in this short season.

 

[jmr40]

You'd probably know more about this than me. But I hunted Colorado in 2018. I'd been told by locals a few days prior to expect snows to start the elk migrating into the area I was hunting. For the 1st 3-4 days didn't see a thing, yet other hunters were bringing elk out.

My wife of all people went online and found this map showing elk migration patterns in Colorado. I was hunting just off one of the migration routes. The next day I moved over 1 drainage and got right on one of the red lines showing on this map. Unfortunately, I was behind the migration and by the time I figured out where they were they had moved into a unit I couldn't hunt. But fresh sign was everywhere. Had I hunted that drainage the 1st few days I'd have had a good chance.

Maps | Data Basin

 

[old heeler]

I drew a Colorado 61 cow tag that started today. As a local I’m pretty familiar with the Uncompahgre and took a cow up there last year (September tag though). I hit the spots I’m familiar with that hold elk and hoofed it over seven miles today and only saw one elk at last light and a couple sets of fresh tracks.

There is almost zero snow up there and the mule deer were plentiful (bucks and does). I guess my question is, do elk migrate down before deer? I always thought it was the other way around.

Any advice much appreciated, looking to put some more meat away and have limited time in this short season.

I don't hunt 4th very much. I've drawn twice and elk where down lower.