Congratulations to you young man. I have not hunted Colorado but there are plenty of elk in that country. I suggest looking on the CFW website and find the info on harvest reports over the last five years. Then look at the rules for obtaining a tag such as which zones if any are an Public land over the counter tag and which zones are draw tags. If you can find a reasonable over the counter tag that holds some bulls or even a cow tag to learn to hunt elk, their habits etc. that would be a good start. Hunting elk out west is different than your old digs. Out west you have timber, elk love to bed in dark timber, aspens are great when the leaves drop elk love eating in those aspens. Until the leaves drop elk are difficult to see in the aspens. Colorado also has open country where you can get up to high ground and glass, then after you spot your elk start a stalk. Get yourself an easy to use gps like a Garmin 20. Learn to use it. If you need to drop your pack on a stalk always gps mark it. I looked for mine for 3hrs. The first time....Mark your camp. Truck and good spots you find around water, wallo?s, high traffic areas to build yourself a library of your hunting area. If you dont see much make a camp move until you find the elk. Gps in important easy to get lost, plus once you find good spots you have marked in your Waypoints you can make a route back to the Waypoint so easy to find in the dark. Be prepared for bad weather have a backpack large enough to hold light weight raingear, bivvy sac 2.0 its a small light weight emergency bag you can survive in overnight if that becomes necessary. Carry first aid supplies and Quick-Clot pack used to stop bleeding for bad life or death cuts. Write a note telling where you are hunting and leave it visable on your truch dash. Try to find a hunting partner its tough to pack an elk out alone if you can choose areas to hunt up hill so if your kill something down hill is an easier pack out. Pick up at least 10 Alaska game bags, a 400# cow elk boned out meat will make that packout easier to manage. Hunting the backcountry is all about backpack weight. Get a camelback with hose set it up in your backpack there should be a sleeve to put it in then route the hose to one of your shoulder straps. Take light weight snacks, bars that dont have odors, wash your hunting cloths in scent elimination products then after drying bag them in white trash bags so you can mark contents with a felt pin. Spray your boots, bow, arrows , backpack with scentkiller spray. Oh yeh always gps mark your kill so when packing out meat you can easily find your game. It is so easy to get lost or not find your kill when so many things look the same. Remember elk are much larger than deer and if you stick a bull your looking at 600-700# of meat. Watch videos on boning out elk, learn to use the gutless method, works great. Go to the website elk101.com or other sites but watch the gutless method video on youtube or someplace. Also have extra game bags in your truck incase you need more grab them when you pack your first load out. Take a few black trash bags put your managable filled boned out meat game bags inside the black trash bags that will keep you from getting blood everywhere. Some guys like to put the meat inside the backpack, I prefer to carry one over my shoulder go 250 yds then go back and get another one, maybe try to do this with 4 bags until you get them to the truck then start over. Carry strong para cord to hang game bags in trees over night if necessary, hang?m high and out on branch away from tree trunk. Have a good headlamp and extra batteries for the lamp and gps. Where I hunt there is no cell service....so be careful and stay safe. If your rules allow you to carry a sidearm get the biggest caliber you can handle, I pack a 10mm semi auto. I like having more than six rounds. If you look up the ballistics you will see that the 10mm has the foot pounds energy of a 41 Magnum. On the 10mm use 200gr. Full metal jacket bullets for maximum penitration. Call CWF and talk to a Biologist explain your situation you might get some good info. on places to start looking as well as info on elk habits, and what elevations they will be at during different times of the season.
Last but not least carry a gortex rain jacket and just wear the pants thats what I do unless early season and its hot. Also gortex gloves.
Good Luck Young Man
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