Advice please

Hedgesjp1985 · Dec 30, 2015

My name is Josh I'm from new York. I've been on a couple elk hunts in southern Wyoming with bow and rifle. I have family there that I hurt with, but I've outgrown them a bit as far as elk hunting abilities. He is getting older and doesn't seem to have the desire to go where the elk are like I do. I've shot a 4X4 with rifle and called in some big bulls into bow range just never got an ethical shot opportunity. My uncle prefers to sit and wait for an elk to come to him sort of thing, and always says stay out of the timber you'll just waste your time. I'm trying to start planning an elk hunt for next fall. I was thinking of hunting the Bob in Montana, and weminuche, collegiate peaks, or west elk wilderness areas in Colorado. I've grown up riding horses so renting horses to go in deeper is not a problem. Any advise would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

sagebrush · Dec 30, 2015

Much wisdom in your uncle's words. You will see fewer, but kill more elk letting them come to you than trying to go to them. That said, you must be in a place the elk want to come.

"You can fly a helicopter to the top of Everest and say you've been there. The problem with that is you were an a$$hole when you started and you're still an a$$hole when you get back.
Its the climb that makes you a different person". - Yvon Chouinard

Hedgesjp1985 · Dec 30, 2015

What is your point? Are you saying that sitting at the trailhead next to your four-wheeler is good advice, and finding funnels in the terrain and trying to go into the remote canyons and bugle in a big bull is a bad idea. I'm not looking for someone to give up their spot. I'm the last person looking for the easy path.

Hedgesjp1985 · Dec 30, 2015

And I should also say that my uncle usually either gets skunked or shoots a cow. That makes him happy, more power to him for it if it makes him happy. But that's not what I want as far as elk hunting, I know that I'm very new to elk hunting and I don't know it all. I'm just looking for advice from people that I assume know more than I do.

heartshot · Dec 31, 2015

Hedgesjp1985,
I'm not familiar with any of those areas so I can't help you there. I do think that it is great that you want to expand your elk hunting. Going into the thick stuff can be great during the rut when the elk are vocal. If it is not the rut you are probably better off glassing as much country as you can. Nothing wrong with glassing, moving to new vantage point, glassing again, moving, glassing, as so on. I think you are on the right track.

Hedgesjp1985 · Dec 31, 2015

Ur absolutely right the weather and season dictate how you hunt. I'm open to any state and unit what I'm after is obviously an otc tag with room to roam and the best chance for success. Just a little point in the right direction is all I'm after.

trophyhunter · Dec 31, 2015

Hedges I am thinking you have the right idea.....hopefully you can find a place in the middle ground where your Uncle can do his thing and you can go off and hunt the spot and stalk method covering more ground.....if it's early in the season cover country and find Bulls.....later when the Bulls are gathering cows they will be more vocal and hopefully grouped up. You will need to cover country and find the places they like to frequent every year. I hunt SE Idaho I scouted and found wallo's deep in canyons......away from most hunting pressure.....sounds like you hunt an area that holds elk go find their haunts during the rut....find some wallo's ......In my area Bulls developed the wallo's , take their cows to a comfortable bedding area....then the Bulls hit the wallo's .....that's where we ambush them...going in in the dark, covering any noise with a cow call....they never spook......go slow real slow and let your camo work for you during day light hours....descent everything with Scent-Killer Spray....in my area Bulls are call shy to much bugling the Bulls gather up their cows and head over the mountain if they feel threatened by a Bigger Bull.....and that Bull could be you calling to find the Bulls...running them out of town..you have to chose how to hunt based on knowing how your Elk act in your area....lots of places you can call...places like where I hunt we find their trails, track, then locate wallo's ...it takes a few years and hunts to develope a plan and area that you can hunt and get good results every year...

Good Hunting

))))----------->

trophyhunter · Dec 31, 2015

PM sent

junior · Jan 3, 2016

Go over to bowsite..a couple guys from NY over there may give a hand..looks like your either going to hunt Co or ID..over the counter tags

Coloradoboy · Jan 4, 2016

LAST EDITED ON Jan-04-16 AT 05:06PM (MST)[p]Pull out a map of Colorado... Cut it in half and throw a dart at it and start pouring over maps, topos and Google earth. Find and area that looks good and condusive to the way you want to hunt. It takes a fair amount of time to truly figure out a OTC public land unit and become successful. Pick any wilderness area in the state that is OTC and have at it. The elk are there, it's just a matter of how hard you want to work.

Coloradoboy