Planning 1st Elk Hunt , need advice

[Cob]

I will be going elk hunting next month with an over the counter tag, in CO GMU 78 as the hunting grounds. I did get a chance to some pre-season scouting of the area in August, which itself was an accomplishment since i live in FL.

Any suggestions for this area, the San Juan Mountains, South San Juan Wilderness area? I'll have rifle, tent and horses thru a drop camp outfitter.

 

[VeryOldDog]

Get a guide.

 

[BikerRN]

Try this:

http://www.biggameinfo.com/Elk.aspx

http://www.hunttherockies.com/content/home

Easiest, and probably the most economical for learning things quicker is to, hire a Guide the first time and pick thier brain.

Biker

 

[CoRoMo]

You know what I'm going to say...

Wake up early. No, earlier than that. Hike deep. No, deeper. Keep hiking. Keep moving. Keep hunting. Don't stop. Keep quiet. No, even quieter. Repeat.


Back years ago, I was bound to teach myself how to elk hunt. I scouted. I read anything I could get my eyes on. I made several trips up to my hunting unit. I tried to find the elk before the season came around, but nothing. I never saw one elk, I never knew which spot would be the good one, I never found any evidence that I was going to have a snowball's chance to see elk once the season came upon me. I realized that I didn't know what I was doing. I didn't know anything. I sort of gave up and decided that, hey, this is just the FIRST season that I'm going to do this. This is a learning process. I'm going to go out in the field, I'm going to have a good vacation in the woods, and I'm going to see if I can learn something about elk hunting. I didn't want to expect anything at all really.

Opening morning at 7:15am, for the very first time in my life, I laid eyes on a herd of real live elk. And I killed two of them.

That might not happen to you. It hasn't happened that same way since, for me. But I keep going back in an effort to make it happen again.

 

[Cob]

I've looked at the guide option, and put in the request for a guide for 1 day of the 9 day season... at $200/ day i hate to do that, but have asked for it, with a possibilty of 2 days. the outfitter has provided some good information as well.

We're packing into an area that has no roads, even the trails on the topo look scarce. I've been warned it's steep country,& to try something a little flatter,- hope this somehow works to my advantage.

I hope to only see an elk in the wild, and not in a high fence. if an opportunity presents itself, I'll take it.

 

[castingdonkey]

Good luck, elk move the most at night and are like most game they'll bed down in the day and get up and much from time to time. If you don't know the sound of the cows mew then I suggest you go to youtube and listen cause you'll think it's a bird. I really like the Mossback widowmaker the cows will respond to this call year round. If the bulls have had a lot of pressure they wont like any call and will be jumpy to say the least. Elk for the most part are not as spooky as most people say and will stand still staring at you long enough to get a good clean shot on them. Have fun use your glasses and verify the game you are hunting. Lots of moose get shot here in elk season so do yourself a favor and become very familiar with the difference between the two. Some hunters just can't tell the difference and a lot of us don't understand why. Good luck remember elk can smell what you had for breakfast last week and the wind swirls a lot in Colorado. So be as scentless as can be, and have fun your in for a great time.

 

[oneounceload]

Used to live on the Western Slope back before draws and unit management. You really needed to know the area to even find them, let alone get close enough for a shot. If you do not know this area like the back of your hand, you'll find the $200/day CHEAP compared to all of your other expenses going back and forth from Florida.

Last I saw, some folks I knew back then that did guiding were charging about $5000 for guiding you

You really may want to rethink that, or go out to your area a week before your season and do more scouting - don't forget to bring clothing for everything from shirt sleeves to blizzards

 

[Coltdriver]

So it sounds like you are going in prepared to spend the night in snow. Or several nights. Smart hunter. It is snowing early this year. That can also force them down the mountain sooner.

If you are not already in good shape some good cardio starting today would be a good idea. You sleep at 9000 feet after a day of running around 9000 to 10000 foot mountains and it will kick your butt.

The downside of steep is you have to get em out and they will go to the deepest darkest part of the forest.

Your first day is the absolute best day. After two days of getting shot at they will get spooked and you have to really hunt hard. They will go higher and deal with the cold so you have to follow.

I usually have a mosquito net, beats the spray on stuff. It has been very wet so the mosquitoes are en masse this fall.

The bears are plentiful this year so mind your campground smells etiquette.

Walk soft and pace yourself. Let us know how you do!

 

[GJgo]

I hunt near there 3rd season. What season are you going? Pray for snow, gets them moving & helps you track. I agree with getting a guide if you can. I'd head to the North end of the unit & look for drainages below thick dark places. Remember, they come down to eat & drink at dusk & head back up at dawn. Find that spot, get there first, and you'll see elk.

 

[castingdonkey]

You should do fine just read read read as much as you cand and learn what the tracks look like running walking or at a gate. know that the front feet of an elk are way bigger than the rear. Acow elk pee's between her feet and a bull pee's ahead of that. This will help if you find fresh track and decided to follow it. Listen a lot they make a ton of noise walking around and if your nose is keen you can smell them. If it is a first season tag chances are the bulls will still be bugling they got a late start this year so it should carry well into first rifle and maybe after that too. I did some scouting today and all I could hear were crashing horns and big bugles. Sets the blood on fire. I am fired up for first rifle, good luck Cob. Like previously mentioned mountain weather changes on a dime be prepared bring extra food and a way to melt snow if needed and don't park your vehicle where you can't get it out if it rains or snows. This is a common thing for out of staters to be paying for hefty tow bills.

 

[ZeroJunk]

I second or third getting a guide provided he is good at it, which is hard to know. I have had guides that didn't know as much about it as I did.

The thing is, you can hunt an area that's a hundred square miles that all looks the same to you. But, elk will like some parts of it and it's like looking for a needle in a haystack if they are quiet.


If you have a couple of years to spend a week in there you can figure it all out. But, it's hard to do in a few days.

 

[Cob]

the hunt will be during 2nd rifle season,Oct. 22-30; camp will be at 10,800 feet. i'm coming from near sea level, will get there a couple days early to acclimate. I'm ready for snow, forogt what it looks like since living in FL. I'm tying in with 2 strangers (father and son from PA), never met them before, but have been emailing and talking on telephone, (the group was put together by the outfitter), and will be sharing the drop camp with them for 6, maybe more days.
there was no shortage of drop camps in this area willing to pack in an extra person, - several groups started out big(4+ people) this year, but due to the economy, have dwindled to 2.

Only 18 days til i head out west!, can't wait.

 

[GJgo]

2 days won't get you acclimated, but it will help. Walk easy & stay hydrated. If you start to get a headache or nauseous kick back. I think your group setup will be pretty ideal, honestly. I prefer hunting w/ 2-3 friends when covering a drainage.

 

[35 Whelen]

Cob, don't get discouraged. You're wise for hiring an outfitter even if he doesn't guide you. Hopefully he'll take you far, far in...far away from ATV's and hunters on foot. That alone will give you a huge advantage.

My very first elk hunt ever was in the San Juan Wliderness. We hired an outfitter to pack us in. It took us four hours riding on horseback so we were probably in 10-12 miles. I had no idea how to hunt elk, so I found a long remote canyon with lots of grass in its flat bottom (Benito Canyon to be exact) and positioned myself at the edge of a finger of timber so I could see as far as possible up and down the canyon. My thought was that elk have to eat, this was a relatively secluded place with plenty to eat, so maybe they'd come here. Sure enough, an hour or so before dark, a herd drifted out of the timber a half mile or so away and began to feed. BTW, if you have the luxury of horses, and you should use them even if you have to rent them, WATCH THEM. They'll see game LONG before you. If they're staring with their ears pointed forward, they're watching something. Anyhow, I slipped up into the timber, made a stalk and got the herd bull.

You can do it. Good luck and keep us posted.

35W

 

[Cob]

Thanks for the information. I know we'll be meeting at the base camp, around the intersection of East Fork Road, San Juan River, & Sand Creek, to begin the ride into the South San Juan wilderness area. he said it's about 8 miles in. - Lot's of topography in this area; I work as a forester, make maps all the time, and still am not used to seeing that many contour lines on a map within a section of land.

I just got in from a 2.5 mile hike this evening, in ~ 1/2 hour, and will be doing this often til the time arrives.

 

[oneounceload]

Hiking here in flat Florida is different than hiking at 9000 feet and going up - try a stairclimber at the gym or do stadium steps or similar

Good luck, Colorado is one of the prettier states I lived in

 

[Cob]

We have a fire lookout tower right outside my office, about 100' up, and then back down. I think i'll incorporate that into the routine.

 

[Robert]

Even if you don't get an Elk or not it is some beautiful country. I have done some riding in the East Fork area and on the SW side on the Banded Peaks Ranch. Truly beautiful country. And thick with Elk. Good maps will help as much as anything.

 

[Cob]

I have some good maps, wish i could have scouted more than i did a month ago. will compare pics i took while out there, to get an idea of topography.

there were some sheer drops in some of those places, and even a slight 30' drop would be hard to navigate.

 

[castingdonkey]

I am joking but the difference between Florida and the high country is like exercising wish a choke collar on. I have been here 3 years and live at 5600' and when i go up to 9000' I feel like im going to keel over.

 

[Robert]

there were some sheer drops in some of those places, and even a slight 30' drop would be hard to navigate.

Indeed it is some very rugged tough contry. But if you are a map maker, I used to be a Cartographer too till I was layed off in April, and can read them well you will be fine. A little route planning can go a long way. And then the Elk will do something different and throw your plan right out the window. Who is your guide? I used to live in Pagosa.

when i go up to 9000' I feel like im going to keel over.

Try playing Bagpipes at Copper Mtn with a chest cold...

 

[castingdonkey]

No kidding on the elk changing your game plan. Chances are if you see them running away from you it is just until they get to some cover so that they can double back and run past you the other way.

 

[VeryOldDog]

Seven years ago, I won an elk hunt in a raffle while living in New Mexico. The condition of the trip was that the meat would go to a homeless shelter in Santa Fe. I went North from Santa Fe and then West from Chama to the Mescalero Apache Reservation. I met the two guides who were brothers and Mescalero Apaches. The hunt was on the Mescalero Land. These guys were excellent. We rode horses and then walked in some of the most beautiful country in New Mexico. The hunt was successful and they butchered the Elk and carried back all of the meat on a pack animal. It was an education and a thrill of lifetime. That is why I say "get a guide."

These fellows know the land, know how to track, and know the habits and paths of the game. They also know how to take care of their customer and pace the hunt to the physical capability of the individual. When the hunt is concluded, do not forget to tip them very well.

By the way, these guys when they are not guiding, breed horses and cattle for sale to farms and ranches and they are very successful.

With kind regards.

 

[Cob]

Who is your guide? I used to live in Pagosa

I'm going with East Fork Outfitters, Richard Cox. He is not the guide though, not sure who the guide is.

But if you are a map maker, I used to be a Cartographer too till I was layed off in April, and can read them well you will be fine.

Most of the maps i make are just layering aleady exisitng data available in digital format, through a GIS program called ArcMap, for routine Forestry work.

 

[Robert]

I worked with ArcView everyday for years compiling USGS, USFS and other source data to build topo and other "outdoor" use maps.