Why elk? I'm trying for muley's maybe both! Colorado by the way.

A

archer17

Guest
Please do not blast me for this post.

What I truly want is an understanding of why you guy's and gals elk hunt? They are amazing! No doubt about it. I really want to give it a shot, but I let mule deer drive me crazy. No I havent got a muley yet and that could be part of the problem.

Now I can answer part of the question, just the scenery is amazing.

I have seen elk on my trips to CO and watched a decent 4 or 5 by at about 600 yards one moring for a long time. I think in full rut with one screaming at the top of his lungs 20 yards away may be hard to handle.

My trip right now would be around the Sept 1 to 12th. I could probably change that to the later part right after MZ season.

There seems to be a slim chance on drawing a mule deer tag this year for the unit I want.

I have most of the equipment from the previous hunts to do the elk trip. I stay in shape , but know firsthand how the CO mountains will treat you. If we do it will be a DIY backpack hunt and I may break down and by a kifaru paratipi.

Do you think it would be wise to go in a OTC unit from the 1st to the 12th or???

Any help suggestions, stories would be greatly appreciated.

My concern is if I were to luck up, I want to make sure that I get the meat out of there, being early Sept that concerns me.

One last thing whats the lightest poundage bow and arrow combo you would use on elk?
 
those dates are fine, there is another post right now with the pros and cons of hunting the 1st half or the 2nd half of the season that will help you.
As far as the poundage, Dad and I use 55lbs, and have had 3 for 3 on pass throughs. I prefer a lighter wieght due to being able to hold at full draw for longer periods. I'm no expert but I'm sure there is alot more to it than simply poundage though, like arrow weight, draw length etc... maybe a expert will chime in.

Mntman

"Hunting is where you prove yourself"
 
If you go and actually get close to a bugling bull, you will not have to ask why we do it, you will be hooked!

Your dates are fine, but it will be before the rut is in full swing, so do a lot of cow calling and expect them to come in silent. Sitting on wallows or water holes is very productive this time of the month. Especially in OTC areas, bulls have become call shy, so you might not hear any bugles at all. Best chance is to get 2+ miles from the nearest road.

And yes, it can be warm in September so have a plan for getting the "fatted calf" out of the woods. If you get the meat skinned into quarters, and hung in the shade, it should be ok for 24 hours, just get it out as soon as possible.

As stated, I would think 55 lbs would be the least poundage I would feel comfortable using. I personally have a 60-70 lb Matthews set at 65 lbs with an 80% let off, so I can hold it fairly easily at full draw.

The last piece of advice I can give you is to take the first elk that comes withine range, even if it is a cow. Your first trip is mainly a learning experience and the odds that you will actually get one are pretty low. If you don't want to let one fly at a cow with the either sex tag ($500+), you might consider just getting a cow tag the first year (only $250). That way you can learn the area, not spend as much on the tag, and have a better chance of actually getting an elk.

Good luck

txhunter58

venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)
 
mntman

thanks I read the other post about deboning, very smart and I have done it to a few whitetails.
 
I don't agree with the above post about getting a cow tag (my opinion/experience). I feel it's easier to get a bull than a cow. I have only called in one cow using cow calls (probably PURE luck!)
The way I look at it, when sitting at a wallow/watering hole, your chances of having a cow vs bull come in are equal but when you figure in that you can call in a bull, it makes them easier to find/hunt.
Now if you get a either sex tag and happen to see a cow and you'd be happy with her take her and be excited but how PO'd will you be with yourself when you see a bull with only a cow tag :) cause you were trying to save $250?

Mntman

"Hunting is where you prove yourself"
 
I used to be the same way. I could have cared less about getting an elk. I went hunting a few times with my brother. I would buy a tag also just in case he needed some help shooting one. He never did though, My brother does pretty good when it comes to shooting animals. I was content just going out and helping him. I loved hunting mule deer and had no need for an elk. Then in 2002, me, my brother, and my dad drew area 31 in wyoming. It was opening day and my dad shot a small bull first thing in the morning, my brother was standing on a small hillside when a herd of bulls came right up behind them. He picked out the biggest one and shot it. While we were trying to get my brothers bull out, another bull came running about 300 away from us. I fired once, missed, fired again, the bull hunched and slowed down, fired once more and the elk was down. I have never been so excited in my life. I had shot my first elk. It ws a 5 by 6 that scores around 250. not the biggest but definitely a trophy in my book. In 2007 me and my brother drew area 31 again. At about 10 in the morning opening day, a nice 6 point bull was standing right on top of the mountain next to a road. Both me and my brother shot it. Since he had more days to hunt than I did, I tagged the elk and now have it hanging at work. I am now hooked. I would rather hunt elk than deer.
What I'm saying is, "Try it, you will love it"
 
I love hunting both! If I had to choose I would hunt mule deer. I hunt both each year and they are both alot of fun. I shot my first bull with a bow last year and It was by far the best hunt I have ever been on. The excitement of sneaking up on the bull while he was raking a tree and bugling was awesome.
 
As for packing the elk out i've packed two of my own out and helped pack three others out, it's not an easy task but with help you can easily do it. Make sure you have a very durable pack and a couple spare backs to help. If you section it out and with help you should be able to get it out in one trip. As for poundage 50+ should do the job, but don't go cheap on your broadheads.
 
Great advice given so far! As for early season elk, as soon as that elk hits the dirt you need to quickly take some trophy photo's and then cut it up. Get the quarters cut off and hung in the shade as previously mentioned. Get that body heat out of the meat as quickly as possible. You should be able to get it out before it spoils especially if it can hang over night and get chilled really well.

Good luck to you. I love to hunt elk. There was a time when I loved deer hunting. That was until I got really close to a rutting bull elk. Now I only carry a deer tag just in case a nice buck stumbles into bow range of me. Elk hunting will get into your blood! Good luck!

Chad
 
17, the above advice is right on but I disagree with the early versus late issue. I love late, later the better. Archery huntin during muzzy season concerned me but not after last year, It'll ALWAYS be the last 2 weeks for me. More rut/bugling and a lil cooler weather.

If I had 10 days to hunt I'd start the last Fri of muzzy season. Hunt early and late Fri/Sat/Sun, talk to muzzy hunters mid-day. They'll give up game because their season is ending and some don't think archers have much of a chance. Then hit it hard the last week!!!!

Good luck on whatever you do.
 
You will hear the eternal question "Which week is best" argued over and over. Bottom line is that there is no best. Early, you can hunt bulls that are less disturbed and maybe a little more mobile out looking for cows, but don't talk much. Later, you hunt more vocal bulls but have their cows and may answer, but won't neccessarily come to calls.

As far as cow vs bull. The last time I hunted was muzzleloading season. Did quite a bit of hunting over a waterhole. Could have shot 10-15 cows at bow distance. The bulls never came in during daylight. Of course, I only had a bull tag. If I had had a cow tag, it probably would have been the opposite. It is just that in most OTC units, there are 80 cows for every 20-25 bulls. That includes spikes.

As stated, if you want to hear more bugles, the later the better, so the last week would be the best choice. That is my personal choice too because of the experience. I doubt if the success is any better that week than earlier in the season, but experiencing the bugling is worth it.

txhunter58

venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)
 
Learn how to use your calls, watch videos and listen to cds and learn to be a good caller that will help you more then you will ever know.


"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
 
>There was a time when I loved deer hunting.
>That was until I got really close to a rutting
>bull elk. Now I only carry a deer tag
>just in case a nice buck stumbles into bow range
>of me. Elk hunting will get into your blood!

This mirrors my experience too. I just can't get enough of being in the middle of elk going crazy during the rut. There's just nothing like it I've ever experienced.

Now if I could just draw a tag like all those Doyles :)

Cheers,
Pete
 
No doubt about what has already been said......Elk are truly amazing/majestic animals. Once you get the 'fever' it is hard to contain!
As for packing in, you may want to look into a Bivy as they are very light which is VERY important especially if you put an animal down!
Good luck..............
kth
 
I would like to thank all of you for the info. I appreciate that.

West
go to kifaru.com the have tipi shelters and the paratipi is kinda a crossbreed part tipi and floorless tent. You can put a small stove in them as well. I have seen a few posts on them and it seems the guys who hunt Alaska use them quite a bit. They are light as well.

calielk
I like the advice and will look into to doing just as you have said. The more I research the more I want to go. I didnt get to go last year due to work, but hopefully this year I can go with bow in hand!
 
Archer, I've hunted the early in Montana several times. I was into elk daily but they were bedded very early and didn't get up til the shadows were getting long. Some bugling. Inmature bulls gathering cows while the mature bulls were hanging on the peaks. Some say easier to kill when they're alone but in my opinion when I found them, they had found me too. :-(

Hunted the same area 9/20-9/30 couple more times. Bugling daily, elk activity most of the day, sometimes hard to get the bull away from his harem but worth it when you do BUT I knew elk were around because of the bugling.

Early, as mentioned above, a water hole in dry country or a wallow work best. I packed a climbing tree stand in 8+ miles one year to sit a couple wallows I knew about. Hot the day I got there, hot the day I packed in, rained 1/2 in that night and stayed cool. Never used the stand cause the elk got vocal and active.

One thing that has worked well for me is really an acident every time it happens but if you react right, it's the most sucessful situation there is and that is; when you bump a bedded herd mid-day, get to a shooting lane fast, set up and cow call. Usually only a couple elk made you. The rest run cause the others do. Cows trying to find calves. Calves trying to find momma. Herd bull trying to get em all back together. Chaos for them and if you're the only calm one, you'll have opportunity. I've actually called 3 different animals back in in this situation including the herd bull.

I think most people think "I just blew it" The opposite is true if you take advantage of the situation.

Good luck and keep getting excited.
 

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