elk hunting colorado

[4444]

I was wondering if anyone could suggest an outfitter for a muzzleloader hunt for elk. I've bowhunted mulies there but it was a spendy hunt. I was considering a late season cow hunt.

 

[huntertrapper]

i went on a cow hunt when i was in 7th grade. Im 16. The cows are cheaper and you cant eat horns. I got a cow out of a herd of about 200 elk the first morning. The guide service was 9 mile ranch. Nice people good lodging. I didnt hunt with flintlocks at the time so whether you can i am not sure.

 

[oletymepreacher]

can't recommend any outfitter, but the Division of Wildlife can be very helpful if you contact them. Why not try hunting on your own? The Division supplies harvest info on all game management areas. Wilderness areas are the most productive, but you must check out the latest legal access points. Go in about five miles, up as high as you can get, and still hunt the timber. For a late season hunt, the elk will be in the thickest, nastiest area you can find. The only exception to ;up high' is if there is hard snow over 3 feet deep on the flat and level. Open parks are only for hunting videos or seeing eld that are out of range. Get all the maps/satellite images/arial images you can lay your hands on. Set up a small camp and keep noise to a minimum. If you have horses, or want to rent them(sombrero Ranches) all the better. Since the hunting will be above 9000 ft., get in as good as shape as you can, and arrive in camp on Monday before your opening day to get somewhat acclimated to the altitude. Altitude sickness is part of hunting up high if you are not used to it. If it attacks you, you will know it-doesn't attack a lot of people- and you must get to lower elevation as fast as possible. If it is just a mile headache, a Snickers bar will fix you right up. Taking a small one before going to bed will usually prevent symptoms. Don't know why, it just does. This is the way I have hunted since the 70's, and it works. The DOW will have the regulations out soon and have to be mailed in by April. Hunting cows is by drawing only. Usually drawing cow tags for most areas is not a problem. Good luck in any hunt you put together this year.

 

[pab1]

I would get in touch with Greenmtnboy on this forum.

 

[Greenmtnboy]

can't recommend any outfitter, but the Division of Wildlife can be very helpful if you contact them. Why not try hunting on your own? The Division supplies harvest info on all game management areas. Wilderness areas are the most productive, but you must check out the latest legal access points. Go in about five miles, up as high as you can get, and still hunt the timber. For a late season hunt, the elk will be in the thickest, nastiest area you can find. The only exception to ;up high' is if there is hard snow over 3 feet deep on the flat and level. Open parks are only for hunting videos or seeing eld that are out of range. Get all the maps/satellite images/arial images you can lay your hands on. Set up a small camp and keep noise to a minimum. If you have horses, or want to rent them(sombrero Ranches) all the better. Since the hunting will be above 9000 ft., get in as good as shape as you can, and arrive in camp on Monday before your opening day to get somewhat acclimated to the altitude. Altitude sickness is part of hunting up high if you are not used to it. If it attacks you, you will know it-doesn't attack a lot of people- and you must get to lower elevation as fast as possible. If it is just a mile headache, a Snickers bar will fix you right up. Taking a small one before going to bed will usually prevent symptoms. Don't know why, it just does. This is the way I have hunted since the 70's, and it works. The DOW will have the regulations out soon and have to be mailed in by April. Hunting cows is by drawing only. Usually drawing cow tags for most areas is not a problem. Good luck in any hunt you put together this year.

Preacher is right!!
I really can't add much. I agree if you are on a limited income or just plain workin class like me by all means do it yourself.
I would lean toward muzzleloader season only because it's a beautful time to be in the woods.
If you have your heart set on a guide PT me and I'll do what I can to get you started.
:thumbsup:

 

[BrownBear]

Yeah, if you can make it for the muzzleloader season, do it. If you have to hunt the general season REALLY do your homework and plan on working hard to get out past the crowds of idiots. That's what the elk will be doing, too. Paying an access fee for private land is also a possibility.

A couple of years back I was up on Monogram Mesa checking on cattle during one of the elk seasons. There were large camps on every little side road and turnout!!! I took the time to do a nose count on the biggest one. There were 19 motor homes and travel trailers circled like wagons. That I could see and count, there were 34 four-wheelers still in camp. Lord only knows how many more were out and about.

Funny thing was, with all that going on I walked only a quarter mile or so off the road into a grove of ponderosa and brush out in the middle of a sage flat. I jumped a herd of nineteen elk including a very good bull. Those amazing critters managed to cross that big open flat close to a mile to the next treeline with no one seeing them. Must have been dust in the "hunters" eyes from all the road hunting.

I guess the moral of the story is, if you spend time studying the "hunters" around you, odds are you can figure out where they have pushed the game and go there. Lotsa bodies bouncing their buts on four-wheelers doesn't necessarily mean there are many hunters around.

 

[Vaino]

Did a "guided hunt" for elk in Montana in 1986 and was very disappointed w/ the "Hollywood Production" put on by the outfitter and did it on our own ever since. Moved the hunt to Colorado in 1987, and hunted the 1st rifle season and to say the least, it was very crowded. The next hunt was an elk MLer hunt in Sept. and this has been our only elk hunt for many years....generally nice weather, very few other hunters, the fall scenery is outstanding and the elk respond to cow calls. Our camp is at 9,800 ft. and we hunt to just under 11,000 ft.....we've hunted from this camp since 1988 and have taken quite a few elk. Originally scouted this and one other area for 2 weeks and then spent the season hunting from what is now our "permanent" camp. Perhaps it's just me, but I like to "hunt" elk instead of being a "gun" directed by a guide, but possibly this opinion is caused by the fiasco in Montana. A very important factor of a "do it yourself" elk hunt is the low cost allowing us to hunt every other year. Sure, it takes scouting, a lot of preparation and equipment, getting in shape and a looooong car ride hauling a cargo trailer, but to me, it's the best way to hunt elk.....Fred

 

[Wink]

Is colorado Muzzleloader elk draw only? If so how long on the average does it take to draw a tag? Im not asking for anyone to give up any trade secrets. I'm just wondering what if any recomendation on units you might give based on your experieces. I've never been on any Elk hunt but dream of it often.

 

[Vaino]

We go every other year and apply for a preference point in between. Also we apply as a party of 5 and go for only cows seeing that even one bull application decreases the odds and 2 would kill the party's chances. Yes...all MLer elk licenses are limited and require that the applications be sent in by April or thereabouts. Evidently more hunters are applying because a few years back, we rec'd cow licenses w/o a preference point. IMO, the Colorado DOW does an excellent job of not only managing their elk herd but also are a lot more fair to non-residents than many western states......Fred

 

[arkrivco]

:shake: Not to be negative; BUT, Colorado is crowded during most of the elk seasons and muzzleloading is no exception. I live in elk country at 9400' and since the "inline revolution" there are way too many people out there. Remember, that muzzleloading week is right in the middle of archery season and in some places there are rifle seasons at the same time. Its complicated and you really need to do your research. If you have young legs and acclimitize to the altitude, the best strategy is to get as far back in the wilderness as you can. You will be also competing with horses and ATVs and maybe you are using that sort of travel. However you are getting back there, get far back there and you will have a chance.

arkrivco

 

[Vaino]

The area we hunt elk w/ MLers has some other hunters the first weekend but after that we have the place to ourselves. Granted, for the first few years we hardly ever saw another hunter so there has been an increase in hunters. For some reason the bowhunters haven't been evident and there's no other gun season going on in our area. All in all, we have no complaints as far as being crowded . Now the Colorado regular rifle seasons are a totally different story ....way too many hunters. My deer hunting area in Wisc. has far fewer hunters { saw 1 hunter in 5 days} than we experienced during the 1st rifle season in Colorado. Due to the terrain and lousy shape a lot of the hunters are in, most hunt not too far from the road, so going in a ways pays off. IMO Colorado is the best of the western states for the do-it-yourself elk MLer. Should have moved out there in 1960, but there was nothing in my line of work....Wonderful state....Fred

 

[boydusmx]

I would have say my ML season this year was in near solitude. Lots of people near roads and ATV trails, but I saw 1 hunter in the woods over a 7 day period! I did have a 3x3 bull come within 10yds this year, but couldn't get him to grow another point in time for a shot! :shake: This was in GMU 421 on top of the Grand Mesa.